Options, Options...
The only needle I currently use is Addi Turbo. I've tried bamboo, birch, rosewood and Bryspun. I love the way Addis knit. I love the way they feel. It's all I use. I use the circulars for magic looping small circumferences, I use them for knitting flat. I use them for everything.
So I got some Knit Picks "Options" interchangeable needles, because I thought interchangeables would be an interesting thing to own, although I already have Addis in pretty much every size and length. But still. New stuff. Gotta Try. So I bought one set of tips and one set of cables (they come 2 to a pack, which I find odd).
The Needles
The same finish as Addis. The same weight as Addis. In my hands they feel just like Addis. Except. The point. They have a very sharp point. Divinely sharp.
The Join
Well done. Slick, smooth, nary a bump or pokey bit. The use of the key is something that I think would keep me from loving popping needles on and off but I guess it's not something I'd be doing multiple times an hour anyway. One of the cables had a roughish edge where the key goes in, and I called KP right up and they said they'd pop another set in the mail to me, and told me to keep the ones I have. Which means I'll have 3 good ones. And one to disect. Photos to follow forthwith.
The Cable
It's purple. That's kind of fun. They don't have a wire inside, like the Addis do. That's kind of nice. So when your three year old takes a 40" needle and weaves it through a skein of yarn so tightly that you have to cut the yarn to get the needles out and says "look, mamma. I made you a sweater" you don't end up with kinks in your cables. Not that That's ever happened. but I guess it could.
It's solid, not a tube, and it is possible to bend the cable permanently, but I haven't been able to really make a huge fold in it. I'll have to ask my daughter for some help. One big thing, though, is that I can't get that fold to be right up at the metal join, so you can't create a rough edge that way.
The cables are very flexible. The most flexible I've ever felt. More flexible than Bryspun. I wonder how it would feel to have the weight of an XL top-down sweater hanging off of them, but I don't see why it should be any different than the stiffer Addi cables.
The Service
Replacement cable aside, you can't beat the Addi lifetime guarantee. It's nice to pop into my yarn store and hand them my well-loved needles with the finish worn off to the brass and walk out with a brand new pair at no charge, with no hassle.
On the other hand, with the Knit Picks price, it's not devastating to have to buy new ones. And truth be told, I've only cashed in 3 Addis. If I'd had the KP needles from the start, even if i'd had to replace every single set of tips, it would still be less costly than the Addis.
The Verdict
I'm going to reserve judgement until I knit something substantial on them. But so far, I'm impressed.
So I got some Knit Picks "Options" interchangeable needles, because I thought interchangeables would be an interesting thing to own, although I already have Addis in pretty much every size and length. But still. New stuff. Gotta Try. So I bought one set of tips and one set of cables (they come 2 to a pack, which I find odd).
The Needles
The same finish as Addis. The same weight as Addis. In my hands they feel just like Addis. Except. The point. They have a very sharp point. Divinely sharp.
The Join
Well done. Slick, smooth, nary a bump or pokey bit. The use of the key is something that I think would keep me from loving popping needles on and off but I guess it's not something I'd be doing multiple times an hour anyway. One of the cables had a roughish edge where the key goes in, and I called KP right up and they said they'd pop another set in the mail to me, and told me to keep the ones I have. Which means I'll have 3 good ones. And one to disect. Photos to follow forthwith.
The Cable
It's purple. That's kind of fun. They don't have a wire inside, like the Addis do. That's kind of nice. So when your three year old takes a 40" needle and weaves it through a skein of yarn so tightly that you have to cut the yarn to get the needles out and says "look, mamma. I made you a sweater" you don't end up with kinks in your cables. Not that That's ever happened. but I guess it could.
It's solid, not a tube, and it is possible to bend the cable permanently, but I haven't been able to really make a huge fold in it. I'll have to ask my daughter for some help. One big thing, though, is that I can't get that fold to be right up at the metal join, so you can't create a rough edge that way.
The cables are very flexible. The most flexible I've ever felt. More flexible than Bryspun. I wonder how it would feel to have the weight of an XL top-down sweater hanging off of them, but I don't see why it should be any different than the stiffer Addi cables.
The Service
Replacement cable aside, you can't beat the Addi lifetime guarantee. It's nice to pop into my yarn store and hand them my well-loved needles with the finish worn off to the brass and walk out with a brand new pair at no charge, with no hassle.
On the other hand, with the Knit Picks price, it's not devastating to have to buy new ones. And truth be told, I've only cashed in 3 Addis. If I'd had the KP needles from the start, even if i'd had to replace every single set of tips, it would still be less costly than the Addis.
The Verdict
I'm going to reserve judgement until I knit something substantial on them. But so far, I'm impressed.
posted by Marnie at 2:34 PM
3 Comments:
I definitely intrigued by the sharp tips...
Thanks for the review. I was sold with the sharp tips. Well actually that and the smoothly joined flexy cable. Smoother than Bryspun you say? *drool*
wow, sharp tips, that speaks to me! sounds like it's worth trying out!
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