I don't normally do review type posts on here, but with 2 sets of interchangeable knitting needles in the house at the moment (one a gift, one purchased by me) it seemed silly not to compare the two (Plus, I can't think of anything else to write about). Yeah, I know. More Knitting. I actually crochet all the time, but you know...Crochet = work and I am tired of talking about work. Knitting + wine = recreation. So, more posts about knitting for you.
I digress. Again. And in case I continue to go off in tangents throughout this post and I bore you to death by the end, here is a summary: The main differences between the two sets (other than the price) is that the Addis are shorter, nickel-plated needles with a click-in system for attaching the needles to the cables. The Symfonie are wooden, longer and have a screw-in system for attaching the cables. Both sets come with 8 pairs of needles in the same sizes (3.5mm to 8mm). The Addi has an additional cable and can go down to 40cm diameter, whereas the shortest length with the KnitPro needles is 60cm. They are both great. You will not be disappointed with either set.
Addi Lace Click Circulars
Pointy, nickel plated interchangeables, with the signature red Addi cables. Needle sizes 3.5mm, 4mm, 4.5mm, 5mm, 5.5mm, 6mm, 7mm, 8mm and cable sizes 40, 50, 60, 80 & 100cm (cord length includes the needle tips) plus 1 connector.
Retail Price: £75
These babies really are the Rolls Royce of knitting needles. Slick and shiny with a very posh case, its hard not to fall in love at first sight with these. They are so well thought through, from the click-in system to their size. They are practically perfect. Practically...
Pros:
- Love the click and go system. No screwing in, just a little spring-loaded mechanism to snap in place and then knit. So, no coming unscrewed in the middle of knitting!
- The short needles - much better for making items with a smaller circumference.
- The case is a really lovely and contains everything neatly with lots of pockets for holding other things you might need.
Cons:
- The join. Oh how I want to love these needles, but the slight bump in the join is soooo annoying. Looking online, some people have complained about this, others have not. I think I may be particularly sensitive to it as I am, in life and in knitting, generally easily annoyed.
- The nickel is slippery. For the Stripe Study Shawl, my Addis gave me a gauge of 17 stitches per 4 inches (the KnitPros were 20 stitches per 4 inches) at 3.5mm. Now, this may be a pro for someone with a tighter gauge, but I am so loose anyway (no innuendo intended) that I really need more grip on the needles
- The cables. Ok, so this isn't a con as such, but there is no contest between the KnitPro cables and the Addi ones. The Addis were much more stiff and had to be dipped in boiling water to release their coil but they are still much better than the rest of my circular.
- The Price. Having tried both the Addis and the KnitPros, I would not say that the Addis are worth twice the price.
KnitPro Symfonie Deluxe Set:
Wooden interchangeables, with the signature purple KnitPro cables. Comes with needle sizes 3.5mm, 4mm, 4.5mm, 5mm, 5.5mm, 6mm, 7mm, 8mm and cable sizes 60cm, 80cm, 100cm and 120cm (with the needles attached).
Retail Price: £45
Pro:
- The cables are sooo nice. No memory, very flexible. A joy to work with.
- The join is very smooth. With the 100% of Cascade Eco, I don't feel the join at all. However, the harder 4ply cotton is showing up a few more bumps in the joins--still much smoother than the Addis
- The wood is lovely, sticky enough to hold onto tricky stitches, smooth enough for easy knitting.
Cons:
- The cable connectors have to be purchased separately, so you can't make very long cables from the get go. I wish I had known this from the start as I now need to wait until I have another purchase to make so I am not charged shipping.
- The case is *just* vinyl. There is no problem with it as such, but I can see myself just chucking everything into the bag and creating a big mess. I wouldn't even mention this if I didn't have the Addi case to compare them with.
- For me, the biggest con is the needle length and their inablity to handle smaller circumferences.
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So there you go, my contribution to the ending the world's problem of "Which Set of Interchangeable Knitting Needles Should I Buy?". For me, I am going to keep the KnitPros. Its the gauge issue that swung it for me. I often have to work a full 2 sizes down to get the gauge required without any other factors cooming into play that make me knit even more loosely.
Oh and yes, actually, now that you mention it, the pictures were an attempt to make a review of knitting needles seem interesting, as well as sucessfully postponing cleaning my house. I suceeded on one front at least.