Betweens/ Quilting needles are short with a straight shaft (it does not get wider at the eye), which makes it easy to load several stitches at a time and glide through the fabric with no resistance. This needle is used for hand quilting, piecing and applique work as well as other kinds of fine and short detailed stitching. The size 9 is the second longest quilting needle in our line. Our needles are made of nickel plated steel.