Hi all! On Wednesday I had a play date and was able to pick my friend Jackie's brain about her many sets of quality knitting and crochet needles.
As we were talking about all the pro's and con's of each set we discovered that a truly perfect knitting needle would have the pointy but not too pointy tip of the Hiya Hiya, the beautiful, flexible cord of the ChiaoGoo and the "click and stay clicked" connection of the Addi Clicks. What do you think?
Okay, let's begin with the knitting needles. Jackie owns too many sets of needles to include them all in one post so I've decided to split it into two. The second post will feature straight needles, DPN's, and crochet hooks.
ChiaoGoo
This set is my personal favourite. I love the nice pointy tips but Jackie prefers the slightly less pointy tip of the Hiya Hiya.
The case this set comes in is very nice and well organized. Jackie purchased hers outright but I'm slowly collecting this set as my budget allows. When you purchase an entire set, of any good quality needles, you get the case, all the goodies AND usually save a nice bit of coin. The needles sizes are 2.75 to 8mm.
My only complaint about the ChiaoGoo set is the same as many of the circular needle sets, occasionally the cable will come loose. This is a pain if you don't catch it before you start your next row. But easily fixed.
We both own the complete ChiaoGoo Mini's. This set goes from 1.5mm to 2.5mm. I love them for socks and lace but, always a but, the 1.5mm needle is VERY sharp. I had to change the way I pushed the needle back through the stitches or I ended up with little holes in the tip of my index finger.
Hiya Hiya
This pretty blue case is home to a set of Hiya Hiya needle sizes 2-8mm. They are beautifully made and feel great in your hands. Jackie says the only con is that the cable isn't quite as nice as the ChiaoGoo's, yet it's soft and pliable just the same.
I haven't had a chance to use these needles for more than a few rows but I did very much enjoy them.
This is another set of Hiya Hiya. I never knew ANYONE offered a nice sharp version for those of us who use them. This set is the Sharp needles sizes US 2-8. These needles are excellent for pieces that have a lot of detail such as lace and shawls. While a sharp needle is great for picking up the stitches, it's been my, and Jackie's, experience that you have to be careful not let them slip back off the needles too.
I have never tried these needles but after handling them at Jackie's I'd say they seem very nice.
Kollage
These needles excite me! They are becoming one of Jackie's favourite needles. She's currently working on the Canada 150 blanket with them. She loves the way they feel in her hands and says they feel much less fatigue. She does however caution that because they slide differently, they are square, that at first your fingers will feel a little rough, almost like building up a callous. There are other brands who offer these square needles, but Jackie likes these the best! The needles in this basic set are sizes US 4 to 10.
I have yet to get my hands on these needles but they are on my "Fiberarts Bucket List". Being lucky enough to have them in my hands I compared the quality of all three of her sets of square needles and I think the Kollage are the nicest.
I must stress that when using any square knitting needles you MUST swatch for gauge. Often you'll need to use at least one size larger for your project.
Addi Click
Bamboo Click - sizes US 4 to 11 is yet another nice set of quality needles. We both agree the best feature is the "click". It's very rare you have to stop mid-row to fix your connector. These feel nice in your hands and well...they are Bamboo, which is smooth and warm to work with.
I have not knit with these needles but enjoyed playing with them. They are a quality set!
These are the Addi Click Rocket Lace Long Tip..... that was a mouthful. Beautiful, quality needles. Again the best feature is that Addi "click". When you're in the process of knitting large lace pieces the last thing you want to do is stop to fix your needle connection...or GOD forbid you've dropped your nupp and have to frog back.
These needles are quality! I could see a set of these in my future....when the price of Steem rockets!
Knitter's Pride Royal
This is a very pretty set. I see Jackie using them semi-regularly and many people rave about them. They do feel like good quality.
I'm the odd person out I guess. I have briefly tried them and they were NICE! BUT...always the but.... after my Knit Picks experience I'm not sure I trust these to last many years. It's not lack of perceived quality, it's the fact that those beautiful needles slip into a socket to connect to the cable. When these are a little off you can feel it in the way the wool slides over your needle.
In their defence, many of my knitting friends use these needles and just love them. They come in a very nice, organised box and are sizes US 4 to 11.
Takumi Combo Set By Clover
This set is hands down Jackie's favourite bamboo needles. Ranging in sizes US 3 to 15 they feel smooth and warm, the points are nicely sharp and the cable connection is smooth.
I haven't had a chance to knit with these needles but they are very nice. I compared them to the Addi click Bamboo and find they are a little lighter which in the long run would make them a little nicer to work with.
Denise
This set will always have a special place in my heart. This was the first set of needles that I purchased. They come in a great case that allows you see at a glance what's missing. Being made out of plastic, yes I said plastic, they are light and smooth. Just because they are plastic doesn't mean they are cheap...in fact the opposite is true. Like most other good quality brands they have a lifetime warranty..
The one reason I changed brands is that they just couldn't hold up to my active lifestyle. Kids running and blundering about, as well as constantly being packed to take on adventures, was just too much for this poor set. Breaking ensued.
I still have them and at times bring them out to use but I prefer my metal needles.
The second set is the Denise crochet hooks which I'll cover in the next post.
I hope you've enjoyed exploring interchangeable circular needle sets with me. Food for thought? I hope so. Please feel free share any of your thoughts in the comments.
Until next time friends.