I still consider myself somewhat of a recent knitter and while I’ve tried a few materials I’ve not quite settled on any particularly. I got the cheapest set of interchangeable needles I could get locally (KnitPro Trendz) which is acrylic and I already had to buy a spare because I broke one needle when I accidentally sat on it 😂
Now that I’m realizing knitting in the round is kinda my thing (as I’ve not touched a regular needle since getting said set) I’m wondering if it’d be worth to upgrade and if a change in material would improve my knitting experience at all?
I’d love to read any input and/or recommendations from more experienced knitters :)
I have KnitPro, Lantern Moon and Chiaogoo sets available locally.
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I currently have the KnitPicks nickel-plated ones, and they’re fine, but the wires definitely have memory. I’d like to upgrade to Chiaogoo, but I want the set and it’s a steep price tag when I already have something that’s fine.
I’ve been knitting for a long time (20 years), and I’m also an English style knitter slash thrower so I’m not a super fast knitter, and I hate using anything except metal anymore. Wood and bamboo are too sticky for me, even when they’re very smooth, and the tips wear down or start to snag eventually — or at least my cheap ones did. Not a fan of plastic either personally, and it feels like people who really get into the hobby stray away from them, but I don’t really know why. Like I can’t really articulate why I don’t like plastic; I just…don’t.
I have the knitpicks square wood and I love them. Also the swirly color wood ones (I think those are also knit picks but I bought them 15 year ago) but they seem slicker. Have tried some of the Karbonz and I knit too fast for them, they are super slick tips, but they don’t break. I’ve accidentally sat on the wood ones and snapped them. :(
I’ve seen some sets of square needles, do they feel too differently to round? :o
I love them myself. They don’t slip from my fingers as much. They are supposed to be more comfortable for arthritic hands as well. I’m not there yet so I cannot personally attest to that.
I have knit picks interchangeables. I have a mix of nickel plated and the colored wood (Caspian and Majestic). In some sizes, I have both. I like both for different projects. The nickel are slick and great for when I want my stitches to fly off the needles. The wood are “sticky” which is handy for when my yarn is slick as snot and slipping off the needles when I don’t want it to.
I haven’t tried any of the more expensive interchangeable brands because I’m so deep into the knit picks set, I don’t want to start over.
Thank you for the insight. As I started researching I read something similar, someone recommended metal needles for tight knitters and a more grippy material for those who tend to knit more loosely. And I started noticing that my acrylic needles work really well with slick yarns, but are a pain with grippy fibers. So I might need to have two sets, right? wink wink
I started with bamboo needles because I had a hard learning curve for knitting, but now that I’ve leveled up I’m thinking about getting a metal set, especially in the smaller sizes. I have hopes that it’ll help my gauge issues, but chances are it won’t help that much :(
I don’t have interchangeable, but I do have a couple 16" Chiaogoo needles and I love them. I imagine the interchangeables use the same cable. Like one of the other responders, I can only use steel needles rather than bamboo or wood. I use Chiaogoo DPNs as well. I want the interchangeable set but it’s expensive, and I haven’t been able to convince myself that I’ll use all of the sizes.
I have a set of the smaller gauge chiaogoo twist interchangables and I love them! The metal is smooth, the shape is good for me (pretty sharp and pointy), and the red cables do not kink. I pretty much only use those and hiyahiya metal double points these days.
I have friends who swear by the knitters pride/knit pro karbons, but they feel a little sticky to me. I get the same feeling from wood and bamboo needles. I knit continental. Not sure if that makes a difference.
Do you have a chance to try out the needles before you buy, or just buy a single circular as a test? I think it depends on your knitting style and the fibers you like to use.
Ooh that’s a great idea as I can get fixed circulars. I’ve read good things about the Karbonz in the smallest sizes. I currently use a US 1 (2.25mm) wood fixed circular for knitting socks and it’s ok, but I feel the tip is a bit blunt, not pointy enough to really get into the yarn.
It depends what I’m knitting tbh. I have both wood and metal.
I got the knitpicks wood ones first and that’s what I learned on. I like that they’re sticky for doing lace or fair isle as I’m slow at those and the stitches don’t slip off, feels more stable. The chiaogoo I got secondhand, which was amazing, and they are great for just straight up power knitting. Super fast but slippy as all get out. I’d suggest getting a wood set next, they will definitely grow with you and won’t be as slippery while you’re trying new things. Happy knitting!
