#chiaogoo

Second sock syndrome? Sorry, don't know her 💅🏻

Patons Kroy FX | Celestial Colors

If the Chiaogoo set had a nice smooth leather-like case like the Clover Takumi Combo set, it would be over for me cause I would get them in a heartbeat.

i just bought another set of interchangeable needles.

like wtf is wrong with me 😳🫣

They’re ChiaoGoo stainless steel, double pointed, 6”, size US 8 (5mm) needles. They’re barely used. They’re a little too short for my liking.

I’d like to propose the idea of a swap! :D if you want the needles, please reblog telling me what you’re willing to send in exchange (yarn or needles).

Swatch or Else: Yes, That’s Is as Scary as It Sounds

No, I don’t enjoy making a swatch of knitting to see if I am hitting the correct gauge (stitches per inch) and thus will end up making the correct size sweater. But, the other option, making a sweater and then wandering around the world trying to find a person whom it fits, it even less appealing.

So, I was happy to receive this ChiaoGoo Swatch & Needle Gauge which holds you to the minimum 4″ swatch by offering you little windows to see your stitches and count them accordingly. In addition, it offers all kinds of info. You can measure your needle or hook sizes with the little holes, use conversion charts for US to UK/Canadian numbers, and plus you have the yarn weight tables for reference. It is made out of resin, bends a little, but seems sturdy enough.

It seemed the perfect tool to put to use the smart advice I read in one knitting pattern design book: decide what needle size gives you the fabric you like, then choose the sweater size based on that. So, if the pattern called for a gauge much looser in appearance than what you liked, you could use a smaller gauge and make a larger size in sweater than you would normally wear. I think this advice appealed to me especially as a dressmaker, because if I don’t like the hand of a fabric, how it drapes and feels, then I never buy it despite its pretty color.

Here you see me trying a swatch with a smaller needle in the lower half (see the dental floss strung through along the dividing line). I like the fabric, but had too many stitches per inch according to the sweater pattern. So I tried it with a large needle on the top half and found the fabric too flimsy and the stitches large and clumsy. So I will go with the fabric I liked, smaller needle, smaller gauge, and make a larger size than usual for the sweater.

hey hey a friend of mine has been getting into knitting and I decided to pull out my smattering of needles and compare them to each other

Susan Bates Fixed Needles ($5-10)

Okay we’ve all seen these at Joann Fabrics before and I don’t think they’re so bad. They come in a small range of cable lengths and needle sizes- so you need to buy a new pair for every size you want and need to loop them in order to knit anything smaller than 29″ (I think that’s the only length). They are very lightweight and smooth, though the join between the cable and needle can catch on your yarn sometimes.

-Available in chain craft stores and online

-Light weight and cheap

-Not Sharp

-Cable would crease very easily and stay creased, so knitting small objects can cause bends in your cables that are hard to remove

HiyaHiya (fixed needles $5-10: interchangable sets $80-250)

I’ll be honest, I have not had first hand experience with their interchangable sets but the general consensus is that their interchangables have a smooth taper and tight fit (very good). I’ve had generally positive experiences with their fixed length needles. Their needles come in stainless steel or bamboo and regular tips and sharps: what you like in this regard is a personal preference, but Hiya Hiya offers sharp versions of all their needles which a lot of people swear by. They have a full range of fixed needle cable lengths and needle sizes. Their needles are very very smooth and their cable is a very thin nylon. The cable is very thin and bouncy and resists kinking or bending, however they do have a slight memory so you’ll occasionally need to run them under hot water to smooth them out.

-Available in specialty yarn stores and online

-Very light weight and single sets are cheap

-Exceptionally smooth

-Available in sharps and non-sharps

-Cables available in many sizes and very bouncy

ChiaoGoo (fixed needles $10-20: interchangable sets $120-250)

Ah yes, the iconic red cables.

I’ve purchased some of their fixed needles and demoed their interchangable sets in stores- both are good! The join for their interchangable needles is a little shorter but they fit very tightly (good). Their needles come in stainless steel or bamboo and short and long tips: again needle length is very much a personal preference but some folx find they are more ergonomic if you are prone to hand strain and I believe they also offer a slanted join line of needles for people who need that accommodation. They have a full range of fixed needle cable lengths and needle sizes. Their needles tend to have a slight... grip(?) in my experience, so your stitches are less prone to slipping around the needles. The cable is a little more firm than the HiyaHiyas but has a strong core which resists the kinks Susan Bates get.

-Available in specialty yarn stores and online

-Very light weight

-Bamboo and steel needles have slight grip on yarn

-Single needle sets are slightly more money

-Available with shorter and longer needle tips

-They’ve expanded into a few different cable types- generally flexible

KnitPicks (fixed needles $8-11: interchangable sets $50-125)

I own two sets of these interchangable needles, I have 0 experience with their fixed length needles. The join for their interchangable needles is a good length but I’ll occasionally have to tighten the join. They have a somewhat limited range of fixed needle sizes- they offer 16″ cable length with most needle sizes and more cable lengths for small needle sizes- but offer a full range of interchangables. Their needles come nickle plated or bamboo with non-sharp tips: they do offer their bamboo needles in a few bright colorways and short tips for their interchangable sets. They also offer squared needles which some knitters find more comfortable and even out gauge issues. Their needles are smooth and their cable about the same level of firm as ChiaoGoo but will occasionally need to be unbent if you’re doing magic loop for too long.

-Available online, not widely available in stores but they offer “tester” kits

-Different colorways for bamboo needles

-Interchangable sets are on the cheaper side

-Available with shorter and longer needle tips for interchangables

-Available as a more square shape

Final Thoughts

I’ve shopped around needles quite a while before I settled on my current set of interchangables. Since I put down and pick up so many different projects, I’m loath to part with any of my sets of needles and I don’t regret trying out different brands- when I bought fixed length needles from different brands they were each perfect for my projects so you should really think what you prioritize for your needles. Susan Bates were a fair price for trying out and I could get them at a lot of stores. HiyaHiya had the best cables for me and I liked the sharps as an early tight knitter. ChiaoGoo had the most sizes available in knitting stores and you can pick the most ergonomic option for you. KnitPicks was middle of the road between those brands but the price point matched my interest at the time (plus I was recently gifted a set of purples which I love to look at).

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