Lavor are one of the most popular producers of punch needle tools. Their punch needles are easy to use, great for beginners, affordable and come in a range of different sizes. All their punch needles have handles made from recycled plastic making them a more sustainable choice.
If you're not sure which is the right Lavor punch needle for you, read on...
Different sizes of Lavor punch needle
Lavor punch needles come in three different sizes:
All the needles are made in Europe and come with their own storage pouch and threader. Threaders are made from fine, flexible wire. If you happen to lose your threader (down the side of the sofa is where mine usually end up!) it's easy to make another one using jewellery beading wire. If you’re using either the 4 mm or 5.5 mm Lavor now stock a plastic threader for these needles. Cleverly made in florescent yellow, they're very hard to lose!
Lavor fine punch needle
The Lavor punch needle set includes three different needle tips allowing you to use a range of different fibres, from embroidery floss to aran weight yarn.
This is a great punch needle set for exploring different textures and creating pieces with finer detail.
One of the reasons the fine Lavor is one of my “go to” punch needle options is that the handle of the punch needle is so lightweight and comfortable to use. The punch needle is also small and easy to control, making it a great option for beginners.
The sizes of the needle tips are:
- Small - 1.5 mm diameter, use with 1 - 3 strands of embroidery floss and tightly woven cotton fabric
- Medium - 2.5 mm diameter, use with all six strands of embroidery floss and tightly woven cotton fabric
- Large - 3 mm diameter, use with aran weight yarn and either monks cloth or linen fabric
These different options mean you can use your Lavor set to make a range of projects of different sizes. I have used mine to help me make everything from coasters, to baubles, hoop wall hangings and cushions.
A word of warning though - completing a cushion or larger project using the fine punch needle might take longer as even the largest needle tip is quite fine. If you want to make cushions or rugs it's probably better to use something a bit bigger.
Lavor 4 mm punch needle
The 4 mm Lavor punch needle is a great tool for medium weight yarns, sitting between the Lavor 5.5 mm and the fine punch needle in terms of thickness. It is adjustable with seven different loop heights allowing you to create a range of textures with one needle.
I get my best results using this punch needle with medium (4) weight yarn such as worsted weight, but it also works really well with the West Yorkshire Spinners Re:Treat yarn. Although the yarn looks fairly thick as it is a roving yarn and very soft it squashes and flows smoothly through the punch needle. This needle and the Re:Treat yarn is perfect for making soft cushions like the one below.
This punch needle requires a more loosely woven cloth than the tighter weave required for finer needles. It’s a great option if you want to use either linen punch needle fabric or monks cloth as your base.
Lavor 5.5 mm punch needle
This is one of the most popular punch needles on the market. It is adjustable, making it great for beginners and you can create lots of texture with just one needle. The punch needle has seven different settings, with each one creating a different loop height. This is the needle to use if you want to create projects using bulky, chunky (5) weight yarn or some super chunky (6).
This punch needle is perfect for use with the 100% wool rug yarn. It is my preferred punch needle tool when I’m making a rug. The chunky yarn moves freely through the needle and allows you to create hardwearing projects such as rugs. I’ve also used it for punch needle cushions and bags.
Use this needle with monks cloth fabric which is strong enough to withstand punching with a more coarse yarn.
The Lavor punch needles are a good choice for beginners and those new to punch needle. Decide what project you'd like to make and then choose your needle accordingly. Hope this helps and if you've got any comments or questions just let me know.
Sara x
