Its been a long time coming, but I finally got my hands on some of Knit Picks’ Options needles. I bought all the varieties, DPNs, fixed circs and a set of interchangeables to see how they held up to some of my most loved and trusted brands.
I have Clover, Brittany and Boye DPNs. My circular collection consists of Boye, Addi Turbo and a Denise interchangeable set. So those are the brands I have as a comparison.
When I first opened all the needles from Knit Picks they felt a little sticky. Not like they had glue or candy on them, just not as smooth as everyone raves them to be. However, after a few minutes of fondling they were smooth as ice. I’m guessing there was some residue from the nickel plating. So they win for being smooth and glassy.
The nickel plating had me worried for a while, in fact that’s why I’ve put off getting them for so long, because I am allergic to nickel. But Addi Turbo’s are nickel plated, and I have had no problem with those. I am concerned that Addi coats their needles with a lacquer of some kind and Knit Picks does not, though only time will tell. (Update: no problems with the nickel, I’ve knit one whole sock and half of a shawl with no reaction!)
The tips on the Knit Picks needles are great. The taper is almost too perfect for words. Its a personal thing, but I love it. As for being too pointy, as some people have said, I find the tips sharp enough to get under lace but dull enough so that I’m not bleeding all over my work.
The cables on the Knit Picks win over Denise, but mostly because the Denise set has hallow cables that tend to get holes in them. ): I actually like Addi’s cables better… They seem just a bit more flexible, but they are thicker. Knit Picks cables are so thin you could mistake it for yarn if you were knitting purple lace. And I love the color!
The joins are great, and can be tightened pretty much by hand. They include a pin for extra tightening, but I didn’t need it. The threads are so long on these I would be seriously amazed if you didn’t notice it being loose to the point your knitting fell off. Denise joins have always irritated me because, being plastic, they are so worn out that the nubs, which keep them together, have all but disappeared and its too easy to twist 1/2 a turn and watch my work fall to my lap.
Overall I’m very satisfied with Knit Picks’ needles! They are so cost effective its a wonder I haven’t replaced all my needles with them. I will of course buy a set of Addi’s every now and then to feed my hunger for pretty shiny things, but all in all, if I need a set of needles (and can stand the wait for shipping) I will probably order more of Knit Picks’ needles. I probably wont buy the amazing set they have though, because I have a LOT of other needles already.
Thanks for the helpful review! I own mostly addi needles after buying one Boye and thinking I would never be able to Learn to use circular needles. The addi’s were a saving grace for me. However, I have been teaching teenage girls how to knit and they, understandably, cannot afford to buy the addi’s so I’ve been searching for an alternative to suggest to them. Providentially, a KnitPics catalog came in the mail today and I had never gotten it before. I was intrigued by the look of the cable that it might be satisfactory and now you have given me hope.