Preparations have officially begun for my upcoming research trip to Taiwan, where I will be staying for six weeks this summer. I’m trying to be very strategic with my packing, carefully planning each item that goes in the suitcase. Since much of the space is reserved for the really vital stuff like books and clothes, I’m attempting to keep the knitting content of my bags quite compact.
As a first step in this direction, last week I treated myself to a new interchangeable knitting needle set by Hiya Hiya.
I looked at many different kinds of interchangeable sets before deciding on these and I was nervous about the choice until the new needles arrived. Fortunately, they are just what I was hoping for.
They come in a cute satin case:
The other side has a zipper pocket that holds several lengths of flexible cables that can screw in to any of the needle sizes.
Here’s a look at the inside:
The needle tips are covered by a flap of canvas that attaches to the right side of the case with velcro for extra security. The top flap has a zipper pocket that can hold stitch markers and scissors.
My set contains sizes 2-8, which are the ones I use most often. Another set is available for those of you that prefer to work with larger sizes. Space for two extra sets of needles is included as well, and I may take advantage of this to double up on a few of my most frequently used sizes.
In researching these needles, I found that interchangeable sets exist at just about every price range and offer a variety of needle tip, flexible cable, and join characteristics. A few characteristics pushed me to buy these instead of the many other options out there:
- Price: these aren’t the cheapest needles out there, but they aren’t the most expensive either. Addi Click sets are really nice but they cost two or three times what these did. I just couldn’t justify the difference. I also got a significant discount on these by using a web coupon from Weshop.com.
- Quality: I was able to try both fixed circular and interchangeable versions of this needle before I bought the set and knew both that I liked knitting with them and that they could stand up to some abuse. I love my Knitpicks needles, but they haven’t been nearly as durable as these.
- Size range: I haven’t seen too many other interchangeables that come in size 2 and I like that I could get the size range I use most without paying for a bunch of size 11 and 13 needles I will almost never use (and certainly will not use this summer in tropical Taiwan).
- Joins: these needles have a secure screw-in join that is very smooth for yarn to slide over. This is helpful for knitting lace, as I often do and definitely will be this summer. I read mixed reviews of the Addi Click needles on this issue, with some lace knitters reporting that the click mechanism snagged on yarn-overs on the smaller needle sizes.
My one wish is that these needles had a slightly sharper point, but this is a minor issue that I don’t think about much while using them. My other wish is that the needles were wooden or bamboo. Fortunately, I heard a rumor that bamboo Hiyas are on the way later this year, just not in time for my trip. Maybe I’ll save up for another set.
How do they stand lengthwise? I love Hiya-Hiyas, but the interchangeable sets I’ve seen all had super-short needles, which I didn’t like…
Bamboo needles would be lighter too – more luggage allowance for souvenir yarn!
Sounds like an interesting summer ahead for you. I know some knitters who have this set and they are happy with them.
I saw this set in a magazine somewhere, and remember wishing all interchangeable needle sets came with a case that was that well thought out. It just seemed so neat in the photo.