The sound does matter. My grandmother used to say that the sound of the needles clicking together when you are working away on a project was balm for the soul.
Other uses for the lightbulb stitch markers: * If you're using interchangeable needles instead of fixed, they come in handy if you're out and about and don't have one of the keys to tighten your needle on to your cord and things get a little loose. * Again, if you're using interchangeable needles, you can use the lightbulb markers as stitch stoppers by inserting them into the hole where the tightening key goes and lock the marker in place. And then when you're actively knitting, you can just attach the marker to your work and don't have to keep track of needle/stitch stoppers.
I really like how you didn't push your own preferences and really emphasised all the most nit-picky pros and cons so those with different preferences would get a really good overview. Thank you!
As someone with Autism I totally got ur needle audio rant 😂 I love chiagoos specifically for the weird sound you mentioned, it scratches my brain just right. Wooden needles just don't hit the same cus I don't get my little success clacky noise.
Rubber bands! I keep them stored around my tapestry needle tube. They are great for keeping needles together when you’re not working in your project. They work really well when torquing down your metal interchangeables (akin to the Chiagoo rubber pads). They keep stitches from falling off needles when you are messing around. I also use them to wind up and keep loose tails nice and short when I’m not actively weaving in ends. Use them all the time. The little blue ones that come around your bunches of green onions are great for loose ends, a tiny tight little ball that doesn’t get tangled up in your working yarn.
So many good ideas in this video and they didn’t all involve procuring new/expensive cute things! Also, I still have that writers bump. I immediately started looking at my hands when you said that 😂 And rubbed all my needles together like a nut. Loved this video!
I love the knit pro line, the biggest selling feature for me is that all their cords can be used in all their needle sizes which isn’t the case with Chiagoo
I have lots of fancy handmade pricey stitchmarkers. I rarely use them. I always come back to the good old lightbulb ones. I use different colours to mark BOR, sleeve markers, for pattern repeats. They are just so cheap, simple and easy to use.
I have had the Knitter’s Pride interchangeable for about 10 yrs and have had no wear issues. The new Knit Picks swivel cords sound like a good investment as I really like the Chio Ghou (sp?) cords but they don’t fit the Knitter’s Pride set. Wide mouth pill containers (larger size) make a good storage container for the barber cords particularly if the have a flip off top. Been knitting for 50 yrs and there is always something new in tools and new techniques to learn. You are a fun presenter and I enjoy your podcasts a lot. Thanks for the fun!
As an alternative to your linked stitch markers, Nora, you can harvest the bit of the chain that has larger links that you sometimes get hanging from the clasp of necklaces (the bit that makes the length of the necklace adjustable) and turn it into a row counter by attaching it to a lightbulb stitch marker. You can thrift necklaces like that cheaply and it’s good to recycle stuff that might otherwise end up in landfill. I recently priced up the Twice Sheared Sheep numbered beads row counter and it’s $21. The necklace hack is a great cheaper alternative, though maybe not as fool proof because you have to count up your links whenever you want to check how many rows you’ve done. I just move the light bulb marker along one link for each row. You also have to make sure that there’s a bead or something at the end you are counting towards so that you don’t count backwards by mistake, but other than that, it works great. Some of them are really pretty. I use a silver stitch marker for my units and a gold stitch maker for my tens. So a row count of 37 would be shown by a gold marker in link three (for 3 tens) and a silver marker in link 7 (for 7 units). When I get to 40, I bump my silver counter back to zero (the first link in the chain) and my gold marker up to the fourth link and so on. Really similar to your method. This row counter method works better for me than any other because I have to handle the marker in every row and that reminds me to notch it forwards. If using a written tally or a clicker that I have to turn from my work to notch forward, I invariably forget at some point. I do find it better when knitting flat to move the counter to the end I am working towards on each row so that it is the last thing I see as I finish the row. Again, that means I rarely forget to notch it forward. I’ve also been pricing up needle sets for my daughter who has just learned to knit and can’t stretch to the Chiagoo set that I use. The Lantern Moon ones look like a lovely, more affordable option so am thinking of gifting her a set of those. The cable looks just like the red lace in construction - metal core and plastic outer layer - and they are swivel to prevent tangling. They’re wooden or bamboo, I think, rather than metal. I wonder if anyone here has experience of using those. Are they any good?
As project bags I use... shopping bags, the slightly rigid ones, or lunchbags, like Ikea's...I'm working on an throw blanket which will be quite big and I bought a 4 euro Ikea laundry basket, put a big canva tote I was gifted in a bookshop in it, and I have a very comfortale and wide mouthed project bag... cheap too... I don't like centre pulling, so I pull from the outside and the skein has all the space it needs to move. When I use bobbins, my ESSENTIAL is the bobbing turner my husband 3D-printed me, it's a cone where you can put the bobbin, it has a bearing between the cone and the base and this way the bobbin unravels by pulling without twisting the yarn, I love it!!
A Crochet hook is essential, I think. The shorties are extra-fun. Also tiny scissors in a protective sleeve, on a cord around my neck if I’m knitting away from home.
I love my Chiaghoo needles , but then I can’t hear my needles when I’m knitting. I know another knitter that didn’t like the sound the metal needles. I love the cable and the way my work slips on them. I wouldn’t mind trying the other kind , but I feel I’ve spent enough on needles. This is so interesting about needles. I wish I had heard you when I learned to knit a few years ago. I was 76 years old when I learned to knit so now I’ll settle with what I’ve got. I sometimes wish I could hear my needles when I’m knitting, but I’m not good enough at it yet. ❤️🧶
I started with the Chiagoo metals, and tried lykke driftwoods, addi squared, latern moons and my favourite becams my lykke cypras. Theyre warm like wood and not as slick as the chiagoos.
I recently discovered row counter apps! I can’t remember where I saw it, but someone said they dl the app on their phone and then you can use it on your smart watches! So when I knit I can just add the row onto the app on my watch! Game changing! Also, if you already have a bunch of tapestry needles that aren’t part of a kit, I just used an old pill bottle to store them all. It’s been working great for me for years! Also, love the vest! That color is gorgeous!
I love my app! I use My Row Counter and it is awesome. I also love that I can download my Ravelry patterns to it. I use it across my phone, iPad, and watch.
This was really interesting. I use ChiaoGoo needles and love them. They do make that "snick snick" sound that I like and never even thought it would irritate someone. I find that fascinating and am always interested in the different things that bother different people, like food textures or sounds. It's amazing how different we all are and all the little things that are a part of our preferences and dislikes.
*Cable connectors.* I started with a Clover Takumi (bamboo) set of interchangeables, and instead of try-it-on-tubing, I just extend (connect another) cable to the one the knitting is already on, to try it on. Amazon, $6. Useful for multiple reasons.
Same! When I decided to knit, I bought an interchangeable set that included cable connectors. I felt so clever when I just extended the cable to try on the project 😝
I have the Knit Picks needles. I’ve been knitting for a year and half and the needles have lost their coating on the tip. The sound and texture was bothering me so I looked up ways to fix it. I didn’t find a perfect like-new fix but I tried something out and it seems to have worked for me. I used a light nail buffing block with a really fine grit and rolled the tips on the buffer gently and evenly. I also sanded the point a bit because mine had become sharp and that hurts. After sanding to a nice smooth finish I rubbed a beeswax lip balm on the tips where sanded. The original tutorial I found said to do a wooden cutting board wax or melt an oil like mineral oil or coconut oil with beeswax. My lip balm had coconut oil and beeswax in it so i tried that. I have to say that I really like how my needles are feeling now. Not the brand new coating but much easier to use and less scratchy sounding and feeling.
Definitely great to do in a pinch!! I have thought about repairing them, but after doing that a few times, it will most definitely change the size of your needles and effect your gauge. Just something to be weary of!!
That’s something I did consider, I’m not sure on the longevity of the wooden needles. The barrel of the needles is the same size though so I think the stitches will be the same size
i also love colored light bulb stitch markers! i use a red one for wrong side and green for right side when it’s difficult for me to tell what side i’m on for garter stitch projects or the beginning of a sock ❤
I've had the light bulb stitch markers for 2 years now and you've been able to show me so many new ways to use them. I love your creative and practical ideas ❤
I agree that needles are such a personal thing, but one feature I love about the chiaogoo needles is the hole in the tip. I use embroidery floss to place lifelines. Saved me many times and wish I had remembered to place even more times 😂
Nora. I really enjoyed this video. Not a new knitter. But I love the idea for the light bulb stitch markers to use as row counters. And I also love the more affordable way for try it in tubing
I love knitting tools. The more the better, because everything is disorganized in my life. I love ChiaGoo, which I never spell correctly. I've had various sets of wooden and metal needles over my many years of knitting. I tend to favor metal. You made great recommendations here. I'm happy you're getting so much out of your love of creating. Happy stitching!!
Oh boy, did I need this video! Just last night my cable wire detached from my knitpicks interchangeable needles… on my black sweater! Yikes! My set is older 12 yrs old?? From the beginning however, I’ve had to superglue to patch these purple wires back into the metal or the wood needle back into the metal. They did exchange some when they were 1st new. Anyway, I need to research which I should switch to. I had no idea about the Knitters Pride swivel cables! After seeing this I bought some of these to try out. Oh! And I had no idea knitters pride cables worked with knit picks interchangeables🤞🏼So thank you thank you for all this info. Hopefully this will hold me over till I decide best new set for me. I will Definetely go with metal next time. Thanks again Nora! My minature labradoodle Harry Brown now hears you sing at the beginning and comes tearing thru the house to see you and your animated doggie haha! He is so funny. I hope you keep us posted on how you like your new needles!
I absolutely love my ChiaGoo’s. I’m a tight knitter so durability was really important, I know if I worked on a size 2 (which is what I’m using now) I would have snapped wooden needles. I learned on aluminum Boyd straights long ago, so I knew metal was the way to go. The ChiaGoo’s have made knitting so much more enjoyable, I love the tips, the cords, the smoothness of the join. They were a great investment.
Circular needles, (much less interchangeable needles), weren’t even a thing when I started knitting. They have really changed the game for knitters and I love them. Over 40 years in, I have acquired a LOT of needles. At this point, I have multiple sets in different materials. It is nice to be able to pick the material based on what I’m knitting. I’ve actually worn away the coating on some of my knitters pride metal needles. The nice thing about interchangeable tips is that you can replace them. Thanks to you, I just bought some mindful cords to use with my knitters pride sets. Love the crocheted vest you were wearing!
Who knows what will come next!! I couldn’t imagine knitting a sweater without circulars 😅 so so true!! It is great to have the option to replace needles!! I’m glad you found some helpful info!! And thank you! It’s an old, self-drafted vest that doesn’t get worn as much as it deserves! Osi even has a matching one 🥰
No beginner here, but I totally agree with your love for the KnitPro needles. I find them very pleasant to knit with and they have a good price. I don't mind that the cables have some memory, but I might look into the Mindfull series as you suggested. Amazing to see the wire you find to hold your knits, I think it's absurd how much some knitting brands ask for it. For me a interchangeable set was something that really made my knitting life easier and I would suggest that to anyone knitting more than 2 sweaters. And I love the small (clear) pouch I made that holds my scissors, tapestry needles, cable needles and needle stoppers. However, I don't use the needle stoppers that often, even though they are cute.
Dying for you to try metal chiagoo interchangeables. Sometimes when I’m in a groove mine almost feel buttery and I’m obsessed with the sound. The cords are perfect. I love them so much!
@@akaNoraKnits I actually feel like some of my swooshiness has went away with breaking them in. Wish I could just hand them over to you to knit on in our imaginary coffee date 💕
I bought a spool of the barber cord as well. Much better price and I too tend to misplace the pieces I've cut. As far as interchangeable knitting needle sets, I have found I enjoy using different needles for different types of yarn. My overall favorite set is my Chiaogoo. FYI, Amazon sells the Chiaogoo 360 cables. So, if you like the free spinning cables that is another option.
i relate to being an aggressive knitter. I've manged to break every wooden needle I used under 4 mm (including the knitpicks interchangeables!) luckily they also have metal tips so I just use those instead
I have the tubing stuff but more often than not the yarns i use i find like to stick instead of slide so i like to use spare circulars as holders so i can stretch things out on the extra length but also have the needle to make transferring stitches on and off really painless. Sometimes i will even knit on or off those spare needles too. And if they are interchangeables and i want to take the needle off i can use a handy stopper. I know not everyone likes to have tons of spare needles but i mostly use just the longest cord in my set with a similar size pair of tips and thats enough. I also have a few cheap ones i got when i was first learning and those are plenty to work with. To me a few extra needles dangling around is worth not fussing with the tubing
Great video Nora! MY first nice pair of needles were chiaogoo, I don't really notice a sound when I'm using them. I mainly use small needles ( US size 0 to 2) so I don't notice the sound. On the bigger needles I don't notice the sound either because I'm usually watching something or listening to music. But when you did the sound test I didn't like the sound of any of them, they made my teeth feel weird lol. I thought I was a chiaogoo girlie forever, but I picked up some HiyaHiya sharps at a LYS and they are great for lace work, their cords have memory though, but I haven't had a problem with them yet. So if you knit a lot of small detailing you may want to check them out. They are pretty sharp though so definitely put point protectors on when not in use.
I love my lyke shorty needles. I use exclusively shorties these days! I also put my paper patterns in a plastic slip and use washi tape or painters tape to keep track of what row I’m on.
I find having a tiny scissor in my kit very helpful. The small oned for embroidery are perfect. Do have a case/protector to protect the scissors and your fingers.
Great tip nanastevens4094! I tend to go for kids craft scissors. They’re inexpensive & I like that the tips won’t poke a hole in my project bags. I LOVE the look of the expensive fancy mini scissors… but I have a tendency to lose small things. Plus like the tape measure, I love having enough pairs for all of my knitting spots & various project bags.
I’m so with you on Knitters Pride, but I wound up buying the Mindful Collection sets. I do hav a few ChiaoGoo fixed needles, but that sound is like nails on a chalkboard to me. 😄. Great episode, Nora!
*I recommend using empty Altoids tin for try-it-on tubing pieces. Also, I LOVE the ChiaoGoo sound! Simple pleasures. And I can't stand the smell of some metal needles over time, definitely a personal preference/issue, so I tend to avoid Addi products from now on. Thanks for the video!
Another amazing video! Thanks so much for mentioning your binder and other BPM things💞 I’m a Chiaogoo stan but don’t use them exclusively. If I need a size that’s in use I use my metal KnitPicks needles. Tried and true. I notice the sound from all neddles but it’s rather soothing to me lol. Lets me know I’m putting in that WERK! 😂😂😂
Thank you!! Allllll the essentials!! Hahaha I don’t mind a click clack, but that “woooosh” from the chiaogoos finds a new place inside of my brain that I didn’t know existed 🙃
I agree with you about the feeling of the wooden needles rubbing against each other. I have the same set of Knitpicks needles in Sunburst. As a beginner I used to knit very tightly (still do, I think). So in order to put my needle into a stitch to knit they would rub against each other in the same spot all the time. And now when they touch each other in that spot it puts my teeth on edge 😬 But I don’t want to invest in another set yet. So I’m just forcing myself to knit looser so they don’t touch each other. I’m not sure about the feel (and sound) of the Chiao Goo needles so I am going try out the Hiya Hiya needles to see if I like the feel of them. I’ve heard a lot of good things about them.
My most essential for storage of all my knitting supplies is a soft sided fishing tackle box. It zips closed and has compartments for all my notions and zip lock type bags in the middle for needles and crochet hooks.
Great video! Originally when I started knitting I wanted metal interchangeable needles but then I ended up getting the lykke 3.5 inch needles in blush because its pink. It works wonderfully for what is, however with certain fibers it really started to slow me down snd hurting my hands if I use them for too long. Eventually I do want to get a metal set too. An essentail for me are makeup bags; while my projects are still small I love to store them in them and once they grow they graduate into ziplock bags. I also love carrying a tin mint box with the essentials (darning needle, lightbulb pins, stitch marker, and spare thread) this box will usually live with my current wip. (fr on my way to become a grandma with sewing supplies in a chocolate box)
I also didn’t like chiaogoo needles when I tried them! Ironically I really didn’t like the cord which seems to be the feature everyone likes about them. To me it felt kind of heavy and always wanting to straighten out. The tip was also not as sharp as I like. I have an interchangeable set of Hiyahiya Sharp and LOVE them. The cords swivel and generally don’t bother me, the tips are sharp, the needles are fast but not as slippery as the addis and I enjoy the sound they make, too ☺️
I've been knitting for about 15 years and I don't really have alot of gadgets. I have the original set of Knitters pride wooden needles that I first purchased and love! I did purchase the tubing but I only use it to hold sleeve stitches. When I want to try a sweater on I use a cable extender and attach another cable. It's so much easier than taking all the stitches off. I don't use progress keeps either. I use the light bulb stitch markers. I would rather spend my money on yarn and gadgets.
First of all, that vest is so beautiful on you. I am also in the knitter’s pride nova platina camp.I have the complete nova platina set, as well as my usual needle sizes in chiagoo. I find that in terms for the best bang for your buck, knitter’s pride nova platina is the way to go since they are much more affordable than chiagoo or addi and can be used with needle chords from other brands. For instance I use my nova platinas with a lykee swivel chord as I find it easier to manage.
Nora, love that you’ve found the knitting needles for you. HiyaHiya sharps are my needles of choice. Love the tip to use the light bulb pins in a chain to track increase/decreases. Also I agree that the retractable tape measure is mandatory & you can never have too many! Take care, Anna
Thank you for the tip on the swivel needles! I just picked up a shortie set not too long ago (my preferred length of needles, despite having long, slim fingers😂-they are the most comfortable for me) and will try this tip!!🥰
Thank you so much for mentioning the Swivel cords. I just got them yesterday and they're awesome! I'm glad to find that they fit with the Knit Picks wooden set (Four Square shorties and Mosaic regular).
oh them light bulb stitch markers are useful but i CANNOT handle them as on my knitting needles because they will flip upside down and drag across my knitting needles. A pro tip i do have for you and one i use in my knitting needles case (since yours case is clear it will work even better).... Cut a 3X5 card in thin strips and write on the card the US size and MM size of the needles and slide that into the slot that holds the needle size .... that way you KNOW which are in use and or missing and also it keeps things organized. You can easily read what size needles you are grabbing for your intended project you need
Nora, those tape measures are so cute! I’m guilty of impulse buying of them too. Keep in mind, most are made in China and the measurements are off. Take a trusted ruler and check to see if the inches and centimeters are correct. Off measurements play a big part of why the garment doesn’t fit right. Usually, I find the centimeters are correct, the inches are usually off by 1/4”. That, makes a HUGE difference. Hope this helps.
Knit picks has cords like Chiagoo’s now. They call them stainless steel cords. You can order a set of 6 lengths (says 5 but I was sent 16, 24, 32, 40, 47 and 60”) for about $15 US. Love them! I have 4 sets of their needles (nickel, nickel shorties, wood and stainless steel) so I bought 2 sets of stainless cords to go with them. I highly recommend their sets. I bought the stainless set to see if the nickel tips were causing the eczema on my hands to flare. For me I think flexible stitch markers, a gauge ruler, a retractable tape measure, scissors, a key for interchangeable needles, a 2x3” piece of non-slip mat (to help tighten needle tips to cords), a tapestry needle and a tiny ball of thin scrap yarn to use to hold stitches, etc. are my essentials.
I had the same issue with knitpicks and I never considered myself an aggressive knitter 😂 but I do love chiagoo needles. Totally agree with can’t have enough tape measures and I also own the spool of try on tubing.
Just an FYI. The Nova Platina's are brass with a chrome coating. Eventually, with normal wear, the coating will wear off and you will run into the "shhhh" sound on those tips. The good news is that replacement Nova's are 40% cheaper than Chiaogoo needles.
My absolute favourite tool is the Coco knit stitch saver. I lost mine while travelling and had to purchase another and was so glad that a local Yarn shop in town had one. It’s essential for me for pretty much all of my projects.
🌴☀️My goodness I’ve got a lot of catching up to do😅going to watch now…I just finished last weeks whew☀️🌴 Edit: Yippieeee 🎊 the mindful cords made it on the list 🎉 I knew you’d enjoy them. The lightbulb trick is awesome, I think I’ll use that as I have the same set (hundreds of them🤭) so now I can put them to better use. I purchased quite some time ago the same spool of try-on cording (hmmm I wonder if I got that idea from you💗) bec the insane pricing in LYS and other places is just mental 😵💫. What a nerded out sound test you did on the needles 🤓 and whats funny is my ChiaGoos DO SOUND LIKE THAT 😭 who knew…ahhhhhh Nora did heheeheeehehehheeee xoxo thanks for another great video I quite enjoyed it & even learned something…even as an experienced knitter☀️🌴
I just found your channel and you are amazing! Do you happen to have a crochet Channel as well? I would love to see crochet content from you because that is what I do but I am trying to dip my toe into the world of knitting as well. You are so clear and concise and your videos are amazing.
Thank you so much!!! I don’t have a separate channel, though perhaps I should if I had more capacity to manage it all!! I haven’t crocheted in a little bit now, but I’d love to find more of a balance once the hype of knitting wears off a bit. Thank you so much for the compliment!
Love my Chiagoo interchangable set. If you use paper patterns, highlighter tape is really useful. I also need hand balm or moisturizer. It is an essential for me😊
You should mention that you can purchase through knitpicks directly. The needle kit is cheaper on there and shipping is free with orders over $65. Unless the links you share are affiliates? I’m sorry if you mentioned it and I missed it.
That’s great to know!! I will often purchase these tools in local yarn shops when I find them there, but otherwise am weak to the convenience of Amazon shipping. I also have a disclaimer in my description box that all Amazon links are affiliate links, but I think people should buy from wherever they can get the best price/convenience for them!! Thanks for the heads up!
Thank you!! I will try and remember to bust it out for the Podcast this weekend! It's an old self-drafted vest that I'm not 100% sure I can remember the details on--but I will try!
It’s 100% just personal preference!! I can see why others would love the chiaogoos, I just wish that feeling didn’t make me cringe hahaha. Thank you so much!
My favorite bags, except for my fabric bags I make though I’d rather spend that time knitting, are the clear plastic zipper bags that sheet sets come in!
Gingher has a product they call thread snips. They are skinny, black plastic and then you pull the cap off to expose the snips. They are super sharp but you can’t risk stabbing yourself when you root around your accessories case for scissors.
Knits Picks just came out with the swivel cords as well. They have three options for metal interchangeable tips too, aluminum, nickel plated and stainless. That said I can get tips for Chai Goo at my LYS so that’s convenient but more expensive. Thanks for your videos.
Me, as a quasi-beginner in July, buying cheap aluminium straight needles. me, a little bit more experienced, getting the whole Gratitude Set (the one with 14 needles XD) from the Mindful Collection of Knitters' Pride/KnitPro as Christmas gift not even 6 months later XD... I love the stainless steel because it's not as slippery as the brass in the Nova ones (I tried the Nova and the aluminium Zing too), but it's really smooth, and I was afraid wood would be a tad too delicate for me XD... and I like the sound they make XD
Another thing I love about my Gratitude set is the LACE TIPS... they're LOVELY for me XD... the Nova I tried (it was not the platina, I believe), were a tad too blunt for my taste! Still very very nice needles, mind you!
Hey, I will never knock cheap aluminum straight needles. So many of us started there! I won’t hesitate to use mines in a pinch as well. Hehehe you comment the way you structured it was so funny. Thank you. 😊😁😄 take care, Anna.
@@AnnaE949 Oh, but I'm happy I got them! They're even in a case all by themselves. I couldn't even think about spending the kind of money I spent on my current set without trying a cheaper one first, and I had experience with straight needles, so I bought those. And I would do that again :D But yeah, the point was FIVE FREAKING MONTHS were all I needed to get a taste for something more "advanced"... 🤣🤣
I found this very entertaining. I am knitting some socks (well, one sock but taking a sec to make this comment) right now on Chiaogoos and I don´t hear a thing when using them. I don´t think I ever have! It is interesting how different our experiences can be. Anyway, I enjoyed your review. And I may get some swivel cords for the interchangeable wood needles I have so thank you.
Needles are so much personal preference and knitting style. I knitting a range of things including complicate lace and cables etc . I use the knitpro/knitters pride wooden needles and I don't like the mindful cords. I use my cables instead of try it on tubing.
This episode was so great! I like how you're saying the most expensive isn't always the best one for you. I found that I'm just not at the metal needle stage yet, and I love my wooden crochet and knitting needles. Fun but of information, you’ve inspired someone to start their knitting podcast. Her name is AliMakesEverything, and she's so much fun. Happy knitting 💚🧶💚
Thank you!! To be honest, I felt a little silly when I didn’t like the Chiagoos! I had already assumed I’d save up and purchase the holy grail of knitting needles, but I just found that they weren’t for me!! I’m happy to show others that it’s okay to use whatever needles you love!!! Omg! How kind!!!! Thank you for sharing!
@@akaNoraKnits I felt the same way with the Chiagoos. I actually put down my knitting for a while thinking that maybe this just wasn't for me. I then got the Lykke driftwood needles for Christmas and that was a game changer. 💚🧶💚
While I haven’t tried the dpns, I can say i absolutely love the HiyaHiya sharps! They are my go-to favorite knitting needles. I hope you get the change to use them soon! Take care, Anna
@@AnnaE949 my hiya hiya sharp dpns arrived and I prefer them to the Chicagoo dpns. I definitely plan to try the hiya hiya fixed and interchangeables 🙂 Breanna
Addi Lace red cords for me but went for Lykke shorties bc they had a 3.25 mm in their set and Addi did not in their set. I got a bunch of fixed Addi 12” for sleeves and I’m good. Love your videos.
I have never tried interchangeable needles, they weren’t a thing when I started knitting. I’m not sure about the tool to tighten them, I’m sure I’d lose that in the first week of use. I use a very primitive way of keeping track of increases, decreases, etc. I use a post it note. I write out the number of rows like this: 1 2 3 4 5 D and then cross them off with a pen. It’s handy when you’re doing sleeves so you do the exact same for each sleeve. It’s worked for me for years and years and it’s cheap 😂.
I’ve recently discovered knitpicks steel coated interchangeable cords and they’re a game changer for my options set! (Not quite as good as Chiaogoo cords but much better then the standard knitpicks cords) They also have a swivel version but I have yet to try those. I loved the asmr style sound review btw 😂
Don’t throw away your cable end stopper thingys. I used to have far to many but over time I’ve lost them/ left them places so I have a reasonable amount now 😂
I used knitter's pride interchangeables after breaking two of them at the place where wooden needles meet the metal join. Frustrating as all your stitches fall off. I know use Chiaogoo and love them.
Unpopular opinion: I wouldn’t recommend buying a set of interchangeable needles to everyone. Most knitters have a preference for which sizes they use most often. Personally I only use needles from 2.25mm to 4mm. And I use 80cm cables for everything. Buying needles as you progress in your knitting journey allows you to try different needles. I found that I really love chiaogoo, but the set is super expensive. So I just purchased a single 80cm fixed needle in whichever size I needed for a project and collected a couple of sizes over time. If you switch your WIPs all the time, sure, interchangeables make sense. I only ever really have one project of a specific needle size going at the same time and if I do put one project aside and need the needles I just put the stitches on a barber cord.
So interesting everyone’s different perspective! I think I would have paid off the interchangeable set twice by the time I was done with my second and third project had I purchased individual needles along the way. I could definitely see investing in my favorites and most used sizes now, but for me, the interchangeables allowed me to discover what my favorite would be!
I was hoping you'd talk about whether the cords stay screwed on to the needles with each of these sets. I have two sets of Knitters Pride and also recently got a shortie set in the Mindful collection and I have a lot of trouble with cords unscrewing from the tips. I have to stop every row or sometimes several times per row to re-screw on the tips. Hugely inconvenient and so I've actually been wondering if I need to upgrade to get rid of this problem. Anyone have any input on this?
I haven’t really had an issue with that on my wooden needles. That being said, I have found the nova platinas a little bit trickier to screw in. Someone did just say in the comments that they keep a rubber band in their tool kit and use that to torque their needles when screwing them in to place. Perhaps that’s the solve!
Thank you for the video I bought the same set in December I bought two fixed needles of the kohllage brand I loved the sharpness but the cords was not good. Can you use the mindful swivel hooks on your new set
Addi Turbo interchangeable needles join are annoying. There's a lip where the needles join to the cord and it's very easy to accidentally pop off since it isn't a screw to join but more of a twist and turn.
Amazon is notorious for their fake Chiaogoo needles, so much so that chiaogoo explicitly recommend buying from brick and mortar stores or authorised resellers. I have chiaogoo fixed and interchangeable needles, and they are so silent and slick they feel oiled. I'm wondering if your chiaogoo are genuine? I am not ride-or-die for chiaogoo, I love a variety of brands, I'm just concerned you may be writing of the brand for a fake version
The sound does matter. My grandmother used to say that the sound of the needles clicking together when you are working away on a project was balm for the soul.
I love this. I like that sound of those needles hitting each other!
@@AnnaE949 she also said that the sound was soothing for the nerves. I agree.
Other uses for the lightbulb stitch markers:
* If you're using interchangeable needles instead of fixed, they come in handy if you're out and about and don't have one of the keys to tighten your needle on to your cord and things get a little loose.
* Again, if you're using interchangeable needles, you can use the lightbulb markers as stitch stoppers by inserting them into the hole where the tightening key goes and lock the marker in place. And then when you're actively knitting, you can just attach the marker to your work and don't have to keep track of needle/stitch stoppers.
You are so smart!!!! I hope more people read this! Thank you!!
I really like how you didn't push your own preferences and really emphasised all the most nit-picky pros and cons so those with different preferences would get a really good overview. Thank you!
Thank you so much for noticing! I think it’s such a personal decision for everyone! Happy to help!
As someone with Autism I totally got ur needle audio rant 😂 I love chiagoos specifically for the weird sound you mentioned, it scratches my brain just right. Wooden needles just don't hit the same cus I don't get my little success clacky noise.
Success clacky noise 😂😂😂 I’m so glad you get it!!!
Rubber bands! I keep them stored around my tapestry needle tube. They are great for keeping needles together when you’re not working in your project. They work really well when torquing down your metal interchangeables (akin to the Chiagoo rubber pads). They keep stitches from falling off needles when you are messing around. I also use them to wind up and keep loose tails nice and short when I’m not actively weaving in ends. Use them all the time. The little blue ones that come around your bunches of green onions are great for loose ends, a tiny tight little ball that doesn’t get tangled up in your working yarn.
Ooooh so so so smart!! Adding that to my kit!
I get so happy when I hear your intro song 😊
So many good ideas in this video and they didn’t all involve procuring new/expensive cute things!
Also, I still have that writers bump. I immediately started looking at my hands when you said that 😂 And rubbed all my needles together like a nut.
Loved this video!
I’m really glad you thought so!! I still have mine too 😂 thanks so much for watching!
I love the knit pro line, the biggest selling feature for me is that all their cords can be used in all their needle sizes which isn’t the case with Chiagoo
Your solution for the counter stitch marker system is brilliant. ❤
Thank you!! Happy to share ☺️
I love that tip too! Going to use this one!
OMB I’m grinning at the adorable Osi cartoon wearing headphones! 😂😂😂
I have lots of fancy handmade pricey stitchmarkers. I rarely use them. I always come back to the good old lightbulb ones. I use different colours to mark BOR, sleeve markers, for pattern repeats. They are just so cheap, simple and easy to use.
I have had the Knitter’s Pride interchangeable for about 10 yrs and have had no wear issues. The new Knit Picks swivel cords sound like a good investment as I really like the Chio Ghou (sp?) cords but they don’t fit the Knitter’s Pride set. Wide mouth pill containers (larger size) make a good storage container for the barber cords particularly if the have a flip off top. Been knitting for 50 yrs and there is always something new in tools and new techniques to learn. You are a fun presenter and I enjoy your podcasts a lot. Thanks for the fun!
As an alternative to your linked stitch markers, Nora, you can harvest the bit of the chain that has larger links that you sometimes get hanging from the clasp of necklaces (the bit that makes the length of the necklace adjustable) and turn it into a row counter by attaching it to a lightbulb stitch marker. You can thrift necklaces like that cheaply and it’s good to recycle stuff that might otherwise end up in landfill. I recently priced up the Twice Sheared Sheep numbered beads row counter and it’s $21. The necklace hack is a great cheaper alternative, though maybe not as fool proof because you have to count up your links whenever you want to check how many rows you’ve done. I just move the light bulb marker along one link for each row. You also have to make sure that there’s a bead or something at the end you are counting towards so that you don’t count backwards by mistake, but other than that, it works great. Some of them are really pretty.
I use a silver stitch marker for my units and a gold stitch maker for my tens. So a row count of 37 would be shown by a gold marker in link three (for 3 tens) and a silver marker in link 7 (for 7 units). When I get to 40, I bump my silver counter back to zero (the first link in the chain) and my gold marker up to the fourth link and so on. Really similar to your method.
This row counter method works better for me than any other because I have to handle the marker in every row and that reminds me to notch it forwards. If using a written tally or a clicker that I have to turn from my work to notch forward, I invariably forget at some point. I do find it better when knitting flat to move the counter to the end I am working towards on each row so that it is the last thing I see as I finish the row. Again, that means I rarely forget to notch it forward.
I’ve also been pricing up needle sets for my daughter who has just learned to knit and can’t stretch to the Chiagoo set that I use. The Lantern Moon ones look like a lovely, more affordable option so am thinking of gifting her a set of those. The cable looks just like the red lace in construction - metal core and plastic outer layer - and they are swivel to prevent tangling. They’re wooden or bamboo, I think, rather than metal. I wonder if anyone here has experience of using those. Are they any good?
As project bags I use... shopping bags, the slightly rigid ones, or lunchbags, like Ikea's...I'm working on an throw blanket which will be quite big and I bought a 4 euro Ikea laundry basket, put a big canva tote I was gifted in a bookshop in it, and I have a very comfortale and wide mouthed project bag... cheap too... I don't like centre pulling, so I pull from the outside and the skein has all the space it needs to move.
When I use bobbins, my ESSENTIAL is the bobbing turner my husband 3D-printed me, it's a cone where you can put the bobbin, it has a bearing between the cone and the base and this way the bobbin unravels by pulling without twisting the yarn, I love it!!
Me too. I use my kids old packs and started buying the clearance lunch bags for projects
A Crochet hook is essential, I think. The shorties are extra-fun. Also tiny scissors in a protective sleeve, on a cord around my neck if I’m knitting away from home.
Always a crochet on hand!! I need a tiny scissors case!
I love my Chiaghoo needles , but then I can’t hear my needles when I’m knitting. I know another knitter that didn’t like the sound the metal needles. I love the cable and the way my work slips on them. I wouldn’t mind trying the other kind , but I feel I’ve spent enough on needles. This is so interesting about needles. I wish I had heard you when I learned to knit a few years ago. I was 76 years old when I learned to knit so now I’ll settle with what I’ve got. I sometimes wish I could hear my needles when I’m knitting, but I’m not good enough at it yet. ❤️🧶
I started with the Chiagoo metals, and tried lykke driftwoods, addi squared, latern moons and my favourite becams my lykke cypras. Theyre warm like wood and not as slick as the chiagoos.
I recently discovered row counter apps! I can’t remember where I saw it, but someone said they dl the app on their phone and then you can use it on your smart watches! So when I knit I can just add the row onto the app on my watch! Game changing! Also, if you already have a bunch of tapestry needles that aren’t part of a kit, I just used an old pill bottle to store them all. It’s been working great for me for years! Also, love the vest! That color is gorgeous!
I love my app! I use My Row Counter and it is awesome. I also love that I can download my Ravelry patterns to it. I use it across my phone, iPad, and watch.
Old pill bottle…. Genius, thanks for sharing.
This was really interesting. I use ChiaoGoo needles and love them. They do make that "snick snick" sound that I like and never even thought it would irritate someone. I find that fascinating and am always interested in the different things that bother different people, like food textures or sounds. It's amazing how different we all are and all the little things that are a part of our preferences and dislikes.
*Cable connectors.* I started with a Clover Takumi (bamboo) set of interchangeables, and instead of try-it-on-tubing, I just extend (connect another) cable to the one the knitting is already on, to try it on. Amazon, $6. Useful for multiple reasons.
Same! When I decided to knit, I bought an interchangeable set that included cable connectors. I felt so clever when I just extended the cable to try on the project 😝
@@nata6025 Right? Stay clever!
Thank you for all the tips. I’m an advanced knitter and all this tips were really helpful. Love your channel!
Thank you so much!!
Oh girl, I know the metal measuring tape experience. We are so silly but creative!! 😂😂😂
I have the Knit Picks needles. I’ve been knitting for a year and half and the needles have lost their coating on the tip. The sound and texture was bothering me so I looked up ways to fix it. I didn’t find a perfect like-new fix but I tried something out and it seems to have worked for me. I used a light nail buffing block with a really fine grit and rolled the tips on the buffer gently and evenly. I also sanded the point a bit because mine had become sharp and that hurts. After sanding to a nice smooth finish I rubbed a beeswax lip balm on the tips where sanded. The original tutorial I found said to do a wooden cutting board wax or melt an oil like mineral oil or coconut oil with beeswax. My lip balm had coconut oil and beeswax in it so i tried that. I have to say that I really like how my needles are feeling now. Not the brand new coating but much easier to use and less scratchy sounding and feeling.
Definitely great to do in a pinch!! I have thought about repairing them, but after doing that a few times, it will most definitely change the size of your needles and effect your gauge. Just something to be weary of!!
That’s something I did consider, I’m not sure on the longevity of the wooden needles. The barrel of the needles is the same size though so I think the stitches will be the same size
i also love colored light bulb stitch markers! i use a red one for wrong side and green for right side when it’s difficult for me to tell what side i’m on for garter stitch projects or the beginning of a sock ❤
Love that!! I will do something similar with increase vs. decrease rows!
Yes a marker to tell the difference between WS & RS is super helpful!
I've had the light bulb stitch markers for 2 years now and you've been able to show me so many new ways to use them. I love your creative and practical ideas ❤
Knit Picks actually just released swivel cables that go with their interchangeable needles. I haven’t tried them yet, but I’m excited to.
I have had your theme tune in my head all week.. I love it 😂
Hahaha story of my life 🤦🏻♀️
I agree that needles are such a personal thing, but one feature I love about the chiaogoo needles is the hole in the tip. I use embroidery floss to place lifelines. Saved me many times and wish I had remembered to place even more times 😂
I’ve just learned that you can do this with the keyhole in Knit Picks/Knitters Pride!! I wish I knew it sooner!
Omg! Thank you for this tip. I’ve been knitting for 12 years and this just blew my mind lol
Nora. I really enjoyed this video. Not a new knitter. But I love the idea for the light bulb stitch markers to use as row counters. And I also love the more affordable way for try it in tubing
I love knitting tools. The more the better, because everything is disorganized in my life. I love ChiaGoo, which I never spell correctly. I've had various sets of wooden and metal needles over my many years of knitting. I tend to favor metal. You made great recommendations here. I'm happy you're getting so much out of your love of creating. Happy stitching!!
Oh boy, did I need this video! Just last night my cable wire detached from my knitpicks interchangeable needles… on my black sweater! Yikes! My set is older 12 yrs old?? From the beginning however, I’ve had to superglue to patch these purple wires back into the metal or the wood needle back into the metal. They did exchange some when they were 1st new. Anyway, I need to research which I should switch to. I had no idea about the Knitters Pride swivel cables! After seeing this I bought some of these to try out. Oh! And I had no idea knitters pride cables worked with knit picks interchangeables🤞🏼So thank you thank you for all this info. Hopefully this will hold me over till I decide best new set for me. I will Definetely go with metal next time. Thanks again Nora! My minature labradoodle Harry Brown now hears you sing at the beginning and comes tearing thru the house to see you and your animated doggie haha! He is so funny. I hope you keep us posted on how you like your new needles!
Omg love the pup story!! There ya go! I’m so glad you found this helpful!! I will definitely keep you posted on my new set!
I absolutely love my ChiaGoo’s. I’m a tight knitter so durability was really important, I know if I worked on a size 2 (which is what I’m using now) I would have snapped wooden needles. I learned on aluminum Boyd straights long ago, so I knew metal was the way to go. The ChiaGoo’s have made knitting so much more enjoyable, I love the tips, the cords, the smoothness of the join. They were a great investment.
Circular needles, (much less interchangeable needles), weren’t even a thing when I started knitting. They have really changed the game for knitters and I love them. Over 40 years in, I have acquired a LOT of needles. At this point, I have multiple sets in different materials. It is nice to be able to pick the material based on what I’m knitting. I’ve actually worn away the coating on some of my knitters pride metal needles. The nice thing about interchangeable tips is that you can replace them. Thanks to you, I just bought some mindful cords to use with my knitters pride sets.
Love the crocheted vest you were wearing!
Who knows what will come next!! I couldn’t imagine knitting a sweater without circulars 😅 so so true!! It is great to have the option to replace needles!! I’m glad you found some helpful info!! And thank you! It’s an old, self-drafted vest that doesn’t get worn as much as it deserves! Osi even has a matching one 🥰
No beginner here, but I totally agree with your love for the KnitPro needles. I find them very pleasant to knit with and they have a good price. I don't mind that the cables have some memory, but I might look into the Mindfull series as you suggested. Amazing to see the wire you find to hold your knits, I think it's absurd how much some knitting brands ask for it. For me a interchangeable set was something that really made my knitting life easier and I would suggest that to anyone knitting more than 2 sweaters. And I love the small (clear) pouch I made that holds my scissors, tapestry needles, cable needles and needle stoppers. However, I don't use the needle stoppers that often, even though they are cute.
Dying for you to try metal chiagoo interchangeables. Sometimes when I’m in a groove mine almost feel buttery and I’m obsessed with the sound. The cords are perfect. I love them so much!
I’ll have to get my hands on a set!!
@@akaNoraKnits I actually feel like some of my swooshiness has went away with breaking them in. Wish I could just hand them over to you to knit on in our imaginary coffee date 💕
I bought a spool of the barber cord as well. Much better price and I too tend to misplace the pieces I've cut.
As far as interchangeable knitting needle sets, I have found I enjoy using different needles for different types of yarn. My overall favorite set is my Chiaogoo. FYI, Amazon sells the Chiaogoo 360 cables. So, if you like the free spinning cables that is another option.
So good to know!! Thank you!!
i relate to being an aggressive knitter. I've manged to break every wooden needle I used under 4 mm (including the knitpicks interchangeables!) luckily they also have metal tips so I just use those instead
Oh gosh!! I’m shocked I haven’t broken any yet 😅
Thank you for the Try It On Tubing Hack. The Dollar Store offers round metal containers for $1.25 to use to store your cut tubing in.
Fabulous! Thank you!!
I have the tubing stuff but more often than not the yarns i use i find like to stick instead of slide so i like to use spare circulars as holders so i can stretch things out on the extra length but also have the needle to make transferring stitches on and off really painless. Sometimes i will even knit on or off those spare needles too. And if they are interchangeables and i want to take the needle off i can use a handy stopper. I know not everyone likes to have tons of spare needles but i mostly use just the longest cord in my set with a similar size pair of tips and thats enough. I also have a few cheap ones i got when i was first learning and those are plenty to work with. To me a few extra needles dangling around is worth not fussing with the tubing
Great video Nora! MY first nice pair of needles were chiaogoo, I don't really notice a sound when I'm using them. I mainly use small needles ( US size 0 to 2) so I don't notice the sound. On the bigger needles I don't notice the sound either because I'm usually watching something or listening to music. But when you did the sound test I didn't like the sound of any of them, they made my teeth feel weird lol. I thought I was a chiaogoo girlie forever, but I picked up some HiyaHiya sharps at a LYS and they are great for lace work, their cords have memory though, but I haven't had a problem with them yet. So if you knit a lot of small detailing you may want to check them out. They are pretty sharp though so definitely put point protectors on when not in use.
I love my lyke shorty needles. I use exclusively shorties these days! I also put my paper patterns in a plastic slip and use washi tape or painters tape to keep track of what row I’m on.
Brilliant!
I find having a tiny scissor in my kit very helpful. The small oned for embroidery are perfect. Do have a case/protector to protect the scissors and your fingers.
Soo true!! I need to just get a multipack of those because that’s another thing I love to stash 😂
Great tip nanastevens4094! I tend to go for kids craft scissors. They’re inexpensive & I like that the tips won’t poke a hole in my project bags. I LOVE the look of the expensive fancy mini scissors… but I have a tendency to lose small things. Plus like the tape measure, I love having enough pairs for all of my knitting spots & various project bags.
I’m so with you on Knitters Pride, but I wound up buying the Mindful Collection sets. I do hav a few ChiaoGoo fixed needles, but that sound is like nails on a chalkboard to me. 😄. Great episode, Nora!
Glad I’m not the only one! Thank you!!
The tip about the tubing was so useful for me! TY.
Of course!! Happy it helped!!
*I recommend using empty Altoids tin for try-it-on tubing pieces. Also, I LOVE the ChiaoGoo sound! Simple pleasures. And I can't stand the smell of some metal needles over time, definitely a personal preference/issue, so I tend to avoid Addi products from now on. Thanks for the video!
Oooh great tip!! Thank you! It’s such personal preference! Thanks for watching!
Yes! Great idea.
Another amazing video! Thanks so much for mentioning your binder and other BPM things💞
I’m a Chiaogoo stan but don’t use them exclusively. If I need a size that’s in use I use my metal KnitPicks needles. Tried and true. I notice the sound from all neddles but it’s rather soothing to me lol. Lets me know I’m putting in that WERK! 😂😂😂
Thank you!! Allllll the essentials!!
Hahaha I don’t mind a click clack, but that “woooosh” from the chiaogoos finds a new place inside of my brain that I didn’t know existed 🙃
@@akaNoraKnitslol I could tell from your sound analysis that this really ground your gears 😂
I agree with you about the feeling of the wooden needles rubbing against each other. I have the same set of Knitpicks needles in Sunburst. As a beginner I used to knit very tightly (still do, I think). So in order to put my needle into a stitch to knit they would rub against each other in the same spot all the time. And now when they touch each other in that spot it puts my teeth on edge 😬 But I don’t want to invest in another set yet. So I’m just forcing myself to knit looser so they don’t touch each other. I’m not sure about the feel (and sound) of the Chiao Goo needles so I am going try out the Hiya Hiya needles to see if I like the feel of them. I’ve heard a lot of good things about them.
I really like your row counter idea!
My most essential for storage of all my knitting supplies is a soft sided fishing tackle box. It zips closed and has compartments for all my notions and zip lock type bags in the middle for needles and crochet hooks.
Great video! Originally when I started knitting I wanted metal interchangeable needles but then I ended up getting the lykke 3.5 inch needles in blush because its pink. It works wonderfully for what is, however with certain fibers it really started to slow me down snd hurting my hands if I use them for too long. Eventually I do want to get a metal set too. An essentail for me are makeup bags; while my projects are still small I love to store them in them and once they grow they graduate into ziplock bags. I also love carrying a tin mint box with the essentials (darning needle, lightbulb pins, stitch marker, and spare thread) this box will usually live with my current wip. (fr on my way to become a grandma with sewing supplies in a chocolate box)
I also didn’t like chiaogoo needles when I tried them! Ironically I really didn’t like the cord which seems to be the feature everyone likes about them. To me it felt kind of heavy and always wanting to straighten out. The tip was also not as sharp as I like. I have an interchangeable set of Hiyahiya Sharp and LOVE them. The cords swivel and generally don’t bother me, the tips are sharp, the needles are fast but not as slippery as the addis and I enjoy the sound they make, too ☺️
I've been knitting for about 15 years and I don't really have alot of gadgets. I have the original set of Knitters pride wooden needles that I first purchased and love! I did purchase the tubing but I only use it to hold sleeve stitches. When I want to try a sweater on I use a cable extender and attach another cable. It's so much easier than taking all the stitches off. I don't use progress keeps either. I use the light bulb stitch markers. I would rather spend my money on yarn and gadgets.
I’m with you!! I just don’t even have the space for so many different accessories. But when I find something I love, I want ten of them 😂
First of all, that vest is so beautiful on you.
I am also in the knitter’s pride nova platina camp.I have the complete nova platina set, as well as my usual needle sizes in chiagoo. I find that in terms for the best bang for your buck, knitter’s pride nova platina is the way to go since they are much more affordable than chiagoo or addi and can be used with needle chords from other brands. For instance I use my nova platinas with a lykee swivel chord as I find it easier to manage.
Thank you!! I’ve heard that the Lykke cords work with the nova platinas, but have yet to try that! I’ll have to give it a shot!
Nora, love that you’ve found the knitting needles for you. HiyaHiya sharps are my needles of choice. Love the tip to use the light bulb pins in a chain to track increase/decreases. Also I agree that the retractable tape measure is mandatory & you can never have too many! Take care, Anna
Thank you for the tip on the swivel needles! I just picked up a shortie set not too long ago (my preferred length of needles, despite having long, slim fingers😂-they are the most comfortable for me) and will try this tip!!🥰
I use the shorties too!! I like to play around depending on my mood hahah
Thank you so much for mentioning the Swivel cords. I just got them yesterday and they're awesome! I'm glad to find that they fit with the Knit Picks wooden set (Four Square shorties and Mosaic regular).
It’s such a game changer!!!
oh them light bulb stitch markers are useful but i CANNOT handle them as on my knitting needles because they will flip upside down and drag across my knitting needles. A pro tip i do have for you and one i use in my knitting needles case (since yours case is clear it will work even better).... Cut a 3X5 card in thin strips and write on the card the US size and MM size of the needles and slide that into the slot that holds the needle size .... that way you KNOW which are in use and or missing and also it keeps things organized. You can easily read what size needles you are grabbing for your intended project you need
Nora, those tape measures are so cute! I’m guilty of impulse buying of them too. Keep in mind, most are made in China and the measurements are off. Take a trusted ruler and check to see if the inches and centimeters are correct. Off measurements play a big part of why the garment doesn’t fit right. Usually, I find the centimeters are correct, the inches are usually off by 1/4”. That, makes a HUGE difference. Hope this helps.
Oh man!! So good to know!!! I’ll have to check mine! Thanksb
Great reminder. I forgot that the measurements can be off…
Knit picks has cords like Chiagoo’s now. They call them stainless steel cords. You can order a set of 6 lengths (says 5 but I was sent 16, 24, 32, 40, 47 and 60”) for about $15 US. Love them! I have 4 sets of their needles (nickel, nickel shorties, wood and stainless steel) so I bought 2 sets of stainless cords to go with them. I highly recommend their sets. I bought the stainless set to see if the nickel tips were causing the eczema on my hands to flare. For me I think flexible stitch markers, a gauge ruler, a retractable tape measure, scissors, a key for interchangeable needles, a 2x3” piece of non-slip mat (to help tighten needle tips to cords), a tapestry needle and a tiny ball of thin scrap yarn to use to hold stitches, etc. are my essentials.
I had the same issue with knitpicks and I never considered myself an aggressive knitter 😂 but I do love chiagoo needles. Totally agree with can’t have enough tape measures and I also own the spool of try on tubing.
Literally trying to start fires over here 😂
Just an FYI. The Nova Platina's are brass with a chrome coating. Eventually, with normal wear, the coating will wear off and you will run into the "shhhh" sound on those tips. The good news is that replacement Nova's are 40% cheaper than Chiaogoo needles.
I saw that too while I was grabbing all the info for this episode-thank you for the heads up!! I’ll take it for the price difference lol!
My absolute favourite tool is the Coco knit stitch saver. I lost mine while travelling and had to purchase another and was so glad that a local Yarn shop in town had one. It’s essential for me for pretty much all of my projects.
I’ll have to check it out!!
Silicone teething beads come in different shapes and make great, affordable needle stoppers!
Oooh so smart!!
🌴☀️My goodness I’ve got a lot of catching up to do😅going to watch now…I just finished last weeks whew☀️🌴
Edit: Yippieeee 🎊 the mindful cords made it on the list 🎉 I knew you’d enjoy them. The lightbulb trick is awesome, I think I’ll use that as I have the same set (hundreds of them🤭) so now I can put them to better use. I purchased quite some time ago the same spool of try-on cording (hmmm I wonder if I got that idea from you💗) bec the insane pricing in LYS and other places is just mental 😵💫. What a nerded out sound test you did on the needles 🤓 and whats funny is my ChiaGoos DO SOUND LIKE THAT 😭 who knew…ahhhhhh Nora did heheeheeehehehheeee xoxo thanks for another great video I quite enjoyed it & even learned something…even as an experienced knitter☀️🌴
Sharing your video with my friend who is just learning
I just found your channel and you are amazing! Do you happen to have a crochet Channel as well? I would love to see crochet content from you because that is what I do but I am trying to dip my toe into the world of knitting as well. You are so clear and concise and your videos are amazing.
Thank you so much!!! I don’t have a separate channel, though perhaps I should if I had more capacity to manage it all!! I haven’t crocheted in a little bit now, but I’d love to find more of a balance once the hype of knitting wears off a bit. Thank you so much for the compliment!
Love my Chiagoo interchangable set. If you use paper patterns, highlighter tape is really useful. I also need hand balm or moisturizer. It is an essential for me😊
You should mention that you can purchase through knitpicks directly. The needle kit is cheaper on there and shipping is free with orders over $65.
Unless the links you share are affiliates? I’m sorry if you mentioned it and I missed it.
That’s great to know!! I will often purchase these tools in local yarn shops when I find them there, but otherwise am weak to the convenience of Amazon shipping. I also have a disclaimer in my description box that all Amazon links are affiliate links, but I think people should buy from wherever they can get the best price/convenience for them!! Thanks for the heads up!
Can you talk about your fabulous crochet vest you are wearing!? I was waiting for you to stand up and show it.
Thank you!! I will try and remember to bust it out for the Podcast this weekend! It's an old self-drafted vest that I'm not 100% sure I can remember the details on--but I will try!
@@akaNoraKnits it was gorgeous from what we could see of it. I love how you just free form a garment.
I love my Chiaogoos! I don’t hear that sound much. It maybe we hold the needles differently. I love your thoroughness with the reviews!!
It’s 100% just personal preference!! I can see why others would love the chiaogoos, I just wish that feeling didn’t make me cringe hahaha. Thank you so much!
@@akaNoraKnits I feel that way about touching cotton and styrofoam rubbing together!!
FYI - I am not an aggressive knitter, however, my needles (all are metal) have wear marks on every pair 🤣
Knit Picks now has swivel cords! Very new ❤
My favorite bags, except for my fabric bags I make though I’d rather spend that time knitting, are the clear plastic zipper bags that sheet sets come in!
I always make my mom save those for me when she has them 😂
Gingher has a product they call thread snips. They are skinny, black plastic and then you pull the cap off to expose the snips. They are super sharp but you can’t risk stabbing yourself when you root around your accessories case for scissors.
Knits Picks just came out with the swivel cords as well. They have three options for metal interchangeable tips too, aluminum, nickel plated and stainless. That said I can get tips for Chai Goo at my LYS so that’s convenient but more expensive.
Thanks for your videos.
Great to know!! Thank you 🥰
Me, as a quasi-beginner in July, buying cheap aluminium straight needles.
me, a little bit more experienced, getting the whole Gratitude Set (the one with 14 needles XD) from the Mindful Collection of Knitters' Pride/KnitPro as Christmas gift not even 6 months later XD... I love the stainless steel because it's not as slippery as the brass in the Nova ones (I tried the Nova and the aluminium Zing too), but it's really smooth, and I was afraid wood would be a tad too delicate for me XD... and I like the sound they make XD
Another thing I love about my Gratitude set is the LACE TIPS... they're LOVELY for me XD... the Nova I tried (it was not the platina, I believe), were a tad too blunt for my taste! Still very very nice needles, mind you!
Hey, I will never knock cheap aluminum straight needles. So many of us started there! I won’t hesitate to use mines in a pinch as well. Hehehe you comment the way you structured it was so funny. Thank you. 😊😁😄 take care, Anna.
@@AnnaE949 Oh, but I'm happy I got them! They're even in a case all by themselves. I couldn't even think about spending the kind of money I spent on my current set without trying a cheaper one first, and I had experience with straight needles, so I bought those. And I would do that again :D
But yeah, the point was FIVE FREAKING MONTHS were all I needed to get a taste for something more "advanced"... 🤣🤣
I found this very entertaining. I am knitting some socks (well, one sock but taking a sec to make this comment) right now on Chiaogoos and I don´t hear a thing when using them. I don´t think I ever have! It is interesting how different our experiences can be. Anyway, I enjoyed your review. And I may get some swivel cords for the interchangeable wood needles I have so thank you.
Really great tips with the lightbulb stitch markers. Perfect for multiple wips. Picking up some now. Thank you!
They’re so versatile!! Happy to help!!
Needles are so much personal preference and knitting style. I knitting a range of things including complicate lace and cables etc . I use the knitpro/knitters pride wooden needles and I don't like the mindful cords. I use my cables instead of try it on tubing.
So so true!!
This episode was so great! I like how you're saying the most expensive isn't always the best one for you. I found that I'm just not at the metal needle stage yet, and I love my wooden crochet and knitting needles.
Fun but of information, you’ve inspired someone to start their knitting podcast. Her name is AliMakesEverything, and she's so much fun.
Happy knitting 💚🧶💚
Thank you!! To be honest, I felt a little silly when I didn’t like the Chiagoos! I had already assumed I’d save up and purchase the holy grail of knitting needles, but I just found that they weren’t for me!! I’m happy to show others that it’s okay to use whatever needles you love!!! Omg! How kind!!!! Thank you for sharing!
@@akaNoraKnits I felt the same way with the Chiagoos. I actually put down my knitting for a while thinking that maybe this just wasn't for me. I then got the Lykke driftwood needles for Christmas and that was a game changer. 💚🧶💚
i want to try Hiya Hiya Sharps dpns! definitely could’ve used a video like this when I started knitting💕
While I haven’t tried the dpns, I can say i absolutely love the HiyaHiya sharps! They are my go-to favorite knitting needles. I hope you get the change to use them soon! Take care, Anna
@@AnnaE949 my hiya hiya sharp dpns arrived and I prefer them to the Chicagoo dpns. I definitely plan to try the hiya hiya fixed and interchangeables 🙂 Breanna
Addi Lace red cords for me but went for Lykke shorties bc they had a 3.25 mm in their set and Addi did not in their set. I got a bunch of fixed Addi 12” for sleeves and I’m good. Love your videos.
Thank you so much for sharing this information. It helps me to know what I need to get. I’m new to knitting sweaters, etc.
excellent advice.
I am glad you’ve found it helpful!!
I have never tried interchangeable needles, they weren’t a thing when I started knitting. I’m not sure about the tool to tighten them, I’m sure I’d lose that in the first week of use. I use a very primitive way of keeping track of increases, decreases, etc. I use a post it note. I write out the number of rows like this:
1 2 3 4 5 D and then cross them off with a pen. It’s handy when you’re doing sleeves so you do the exact same for each sleeve. It’s worked for me for years and years and it’s cheap 😂.
I’ve recently discovered knitpicks steel coated interchangeable cords and they’re a game changer for my options set! (Not quite as good as Chiaogoo cords but much better then the standard knitpicks cords) They also have a swivel version but I have yet to try those. I loved the asmr style sound review btw 😂
Such a huge difference!! I’m so glad the ASMR was helpful 😂 it’s the best way I can demonstrate the differences hahahaa
Loved this. That vest is so cute, do you remember which yarn you used? I love the colour
Thank you!! It was Caron Simply Soft in the super neon bright pink color hahaa
Hello from Swansea, Illinois.
Hello!!!! Thanks for being here!!
Don’t throw away your cable end stopper thingys. I used to have far to many but over time I’ve lost them/ left them places so I have a reasonable amount now 😂
😂 good call!! Maybe I just take some out and put them in a longer term storage solution
I used knitter's pride interchangeables after breaking two of them at the place where wooden needles meet the metal join. Frustrating as all your stitches fall off. I know use Chiaogoo and love them.
Unpopular opinion: I wouldn’t recommend buying a set of interchangeable needles to everyone. Most knitters have a preference for which sizes they use most often. Personally I only use needles from 2.25mm to 4mm. And I use 80cm cables for everything. Buying needles as you progress in your knitting journey allows you to try different needles. I found that I really love chiaogoo, but the set is super expensive. So I just purchased a single 80cm fixed needle in whichever size I needed for a project and collected a couple of sizes over time. If you switch your WIPs all the time, sure, interchangeables make sense. I only ever really have one project of a specific needle size going at the same time and if I do put one project aside and need the needles I just put the stitches on a barber cord.
So interesting everyone’s different perspective! I think I would have paid off the interchangeable set twice by the time I was done with my second and third project had I purchased individual needles along the way. I could definitely see investing in my favorites and most used sizes now, but for me, the interchangeables allowed me to discover what my favorite would be!
I was hoping you'd talk about whether the cords stay screwed on to the needles with each of these sets. I have two sets of Knitters Pride and also recently got a shortie set in the Mindful collection and I have a lot of trouble with cords unscrewing from the tips. I have to stop every row or sometimes several times per row to re-screw on the tips. Hugely inconvenient and so I've actually been wondering if I need to upgrade to get rid of this problem. Anyone have any input on this?
I haven’t really had an issue with that on my wooden needles. That being said, I have found the nova platinas a little bit trickier to screw in. Someone did just say in the comments that they keep a rubber band in their tool kit and use that to torque their needles when screwing them in to place. Perhaps that’s the solve!
Thank you for the video I bought the same set in December I bought two fixed needles of the kohllage brand I loved the sharpness but the cords was not good. Can you use the mindful swivel hooks on your new set
I’ve been using the mindful cords across both my wooden knit picks set and my nova platinas!
Where is your sweater vest from so so cute!
I wish I could tell you more, but it is an old self-drafted crochet vest! I'm not sure I can even remember what I had done 😅
Hi Nora, may I ask what you are wearing? It looks lovely!
Thank you!! It’s an old self-drafted crochet vest 🥰
Totally agree with you love my Addi’s ❤
They’re so smooooooooth!
The lips and vest are a perfect match
We do what we can 😂
Pretty in pink!😊
Addi Turbo interchangeable needles join are annoying. There's a lip where the needles join to the cord and it's very easy to accidentally pop off since it isn't a screw to join but more of a twist and turn.
Amazon is notorious for their fake Chiaogoo needles, so much so that chiaogoo explicitly recommend buying from brick and mortar stores or authorised resellers.
I have chiaogoo fixed and interchangeable needles, and they are so silent and slick they feel oiled.
I'm wondering if your chiaogoo are genuine? I am not ride-or-die for chiaogoo, I love a variety of brands, I'm just concerned you may be writing of the brand for a fake version
I actually bought my Chiagoos in a LYS. They’re definitely the real deal-but good to look out for!!
I could not hear the sound but i cant stand the shine of metal but chiagoo brushed was better for me
❤❤❤