Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Time to Upgrade My Tools!

I have been knitting since December 2001. For the most part, my knitting needles have been metal or plastic, bought cheaply from whatever store had them. I have a couple pairs of bamboo needles, but that's it. I want to start knitting items on circular needles that require shorter lengths than the 20 some-odd inches most of mine are. I've found some awesome hat patterns that I want to knit, but I hate using double points. I understand how to do the magic loop, and I want to use that method to get some new types of items made.

Here is my problem:
What brand of interchangeable needles should I go with? This is going to be an investment that I want to keep using until my old age, so I want something that can last that long.
I'm going to post in the Ravelry forums about this, and hopefully get some good feedback. In the mean time, tell me about your favourite knitting needles, interchangeable or not.

5 comments:

  1. I've been really happy with my Knitpicks Harmony wood interchangeables. Customer service is top-notch. I love the feel of the needles and cables and the combinations are endless!

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  2. I have 2 sets of interchangeables. The Boye's (ewww) and Takumi Clover's new set. The clovers are a major upgrade from the completely inflexible Boye's, but they are not perfect. Because of the way they screw on, I have had a few instances of unscrewing while knitting. Not many, but still.
    Personally, my dream needles are Dyakcraft Darn Pretty Needles. But realistically I think I'll settle with Knit Pick's Harmony's when I "upgrade" again. (Probably many many years from now!)

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  3. Hi Nicole,

    I have the Denise interchangeables and the connection is not smooth. It's a real impossibility to work on fine yarn. I have recently watched a review on the video podcast Knit 1, Heart too where they reviewed the Addi Lace Clicks and the issues they mention with those are the exact same - except they costed about 2-3 times as much as my Denise system. The interchangeables that they recommended were the KnitPicks ones. I haven't used them, so i don't know personally, but apparently they have a nice tip and a smooth connection and they are very affordable for replacement parts. Hope that helps.

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  4. A respectable investment for sure. Everyone who commits themselves to knitting for life needs a good needle stash of course. I don't have an interchangeable set, but I discovered the german brand addi a few years ago. They are AMAZING round needles, and I make sure to snag a new pair as often as I can afford it. The tips are a sleek metal and the tube part is made out of some material that never gets those odd kinks in it- it holds it's shape well.

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  5. I have a set of Dyak Craft wooden interchangeable needles and couldn't recommend them enough! They ARE expensive...BUT they are also a quality, hand made(by ONE man) heirloom tool that i know will last a lifetime. Tom & Linda Dyak are very friendly and the customer service is OUTSTANDING! I recently broke one of my needles and they replaced it-no.questions.asked.for.free. The major downside is the turn around time for these needles- currently 12-14 weeks, but remember- they are made by hand- each needle carefully turned, polished & inspected by one very talented artisan.

    I also have a set of knit picks which are OK. they aren't as silky smooth as the Dyak Crafts, and i have had several tips disconnect from their interchangeable join...its a hassle and a problem that is frequent so i don't understand why the company isn't changing what-ever production method they are using that is obviously faulty. BUT they are a GOOD mid-level tool. Good luck on whatever you decide, and happy knitting!

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