Sheri,
Don't feel bad. Before I married my wife I thought all sewing machines were black and looked like Singer Mdl 15s.
My mother and everyone else I'd seen sew had either the black Singers or black clones. But when I married my wife she had a Singer 538. Square, beige, lots of knobs and dials and it used cams. Wow!
For needle info check out the Organ site: {
http://www.organ-needles.com/english/index.php }.
Once there click on "User Brochure" in the left column, then download the "Batch Download" at the top. You'll see needles you never dreamed of.
After that go to ISMACS {
http://ismacs.net/needle_and_shank/home.html } and check through their needle sections. It's a facilitating part of sewing machines. And a critical part. Without a needle the best sewing machine is a door stop.
Joe