needle love part II

About a month ago we began carrying Addi Turbo Lace circular needles. I bought a pair this past Friday, and now that I have tried them, I am ready to give them my hearty endorsement!

I will preface this by saying I primarily knit on metal needles, and I mostly use circulars. The only straight needles I use are wooden double points for socks and other small circumference knitting in the round.

I picked up a set of these darlings to test out on a lace scarf I am knitting. My ulterior motive is to see how much I like them before buying two matching circs for lace pattern socks. After my little test on a lace scarf, I can say I will definitely be knitting my next lace socks on these!

What I noticed....

Pointy Tips
My favorite thing about these needles is the excellent point on the tip. They are sharp enough to perfectly execute decreases, but they are not so sharp as to split yarn. The overall tension of my work is smoother because I am not tugging on my yarn or forcing a duller point into my stitches to execute decreases.

Brass Needle Finish
The finish on these needles is smooth, but it is not as slick as a standard pair of Addi Turbos. These might be the needles to try if you don't like the slippery finish of the regular. I personally think this finish is perfect for those yarns that want to dance off the end of your needle--cotton blends, silk, and slick wool yarns like ShiBui or Koigu.

The finish in conjunction with the points may make you a fan of some yarns you previously refused to knit! Cotton can be tough on your hands, but the ease of the work traveling across these needles may make you change your mind about a lacy little summer top.

Flexible Cords
The bright red cords on these needles are very flexible. They are perfect for knitting up socks on two needles.

Lightweight
These needles are very light! I have a set of 16" US 4 standard Addi Turbos and a set of 24" US 4 Addi Turbo Lace needles. The lace needles are noticeably lighter. For me, lighter needles mean longer knitting time because I will have less wrist fatigue.

Come on. You know you want to knit longer.



Details of the needle: flexible cord, pointed tip, smooth cord joins.

needle love

One of our newer products in the store are Brittany 5" Birch Double Pointed needles. We added these shorter needles to our stock after popular request for short needles came from our fabulous sock knitters.

We dipped a toe in the water in the early spring offering a few pair in a limited range of sizes. Sock knitters were so enthusiastic that we have expanded our offerings so that you can now buy these needles in a full range of sizes.

I tried a set of these for the first time this past weekend, and I must say that I am very happy I did! The finish is smooth and let's the yarn glide easily. The tips are pointed, but they are not so pointy that they split your yarn. And they are incredibly light weight!

As someone who knits almost exclusively on metal needles, I thought I would not be taken by these needles. I was wrong! They are perfect for sock yarns like Kogui or ShiBui because they let the smooth merino wool glide, but they are not so slick that you lose stitches when cabling or working in a lace pattern.

Try these beauties today!