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Hand Embroidery Needles:
Types of Needles Used in Hand Embroidery
The type of needle you choose for your embroidery project depends on what type of embroidery you’re doing, but for those who embroider a lot, there are five categories of needles that you should have on hand.
Here’s the list of 3 types of hand embroidery needles that are commonly used and currently in our product list:
1. Crewel Needles
Crewel needles are also called “embroidery” needles.
Crewel needles have a medium-long eye, a shaft slightly thinner than the eye (the eye bulges slightly at the top of the shaft), and a sharp tip.
They’re used for general surface embroidery, crewel work, goldwork, whitework, and practically any embroidery technique that requires a sharp needle.
Their sharp tip makes them perfect for piercing tightly woven ground fabric and their slightly longer eye accommodates embroidery threads of various weights.
Crewel needles come in sizes 1-12, with 1 being the largest and 12 being the finest.
For beginners who aren’t used to selecting needles to fit their thread, purchasing a variety pack is a good idea. Variety packs commonly include sizes 3-9 or 1-5. Both packs are good to have on hand.
2. Tapestry Needles
Tapestry needles have a long eye, a shaft slightly thinner than the eye (the eye bulges slightly at the top of the needle), and a blunt tip.
Tapestry needles come in sizes 13-28, with 13 being the largest and 28 being the finest.
They are used primarily for counted thread work (cross stitch, blackwork) and needlepoint, or any needlework on fabric or canvas that has open holes that determine where each stitch is placed.
The blunt tip of the tapestry needle helps us avoid piercing the fabric threads while we stitch.
Tapestry needles are also used for whipping or lacing embroidery stitches. Whipping or lacing stitches involves passing under and around stitches that are already worked on the ground fabric, but does not involve passing in and out of the fabric often. The blunt tip of the needle helps us avoid snagging the foundation stitches.
Whipped and laced stitches can be worked without a tapestry needle, too. If the needle has a sharp tip, just pass it eye-first under the foundation stitches.
3. Chenille Needles
Chenille needles have a long eye, a shaft slightly thinner than the eye (the eye bulges slightly at the top of the needle), and a sharp tip.
Chenille needles come in sizes 13 – 28, just like tapestry needles. Size 28 chenille needles are relatively new on the market, and they accommodate very fine threads.
In large sizes (lower numbers), the chenille needle has a thick shaft. Size 13-18 chenille needles will seem positively huge to a stitcher who’s used to working with finer needles.
Chenille needles are used in surface embroidery, crewel embroidery, chenille embroidery, and any time you want a large, long eye to accommodate your thread, and a sharp tip to pierce your fabric. In fact, many crewel embroiderers prefer chenille needles for crewel work because the eye is easier on the wool thread and the sharp tip and large shaft make a good hole in the fabric so that the wool thread can pass through relatively unscathed.
The long eye of the chenille needle also makes it ideal for stitching with specialty threads (braids, metallics, chenille thread, and other fibers) that have a tendency to shred.
Needle Size & Thread Weight
Experienced embroiderers generally acquire a feel for what size needle will work best in specific stitching situations.
