ChiaoGoo Twist Stainless Steel Interchangeable Set, 4-inch (10cm) Complete (7400-C)

I learned to knit as a kid, using Boye aluminum needles. It was torture. I really liked knitting but eventually gave it up because my stitches were always way too tight, too uneven, etc. I watched videos and read books but couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. I thought it might be my needles, so I bought a lot of different brands over the years (Susan Bates, Clover), hoping to find something that I could knit with. I never did.I tried the store brands of bamboo, plastic and aluminum needles. I bought every brand at the sparse craft store near my house. I tried different yarns, thinking it was my tension. My projects never, ever fit in spite of knitting a swatch for gauge; they took forever, my fingers were always pricked from forcing needles through stitches, and I felt like I was just wasting money on ruined yarn (and, spoiler alert: I was; never mind the huge stash of unused needles with the paint worn off from too tight stitches).Eventually I gave up the search, and decided that, to paraphrase the immortal Austen, “after all that is bewitching in the idea of a single and constant attachment, and all that can be said of one's happiness depending entirely on any particular knitting needle, it is not meant--it is not fit--it is not possible that it should be so.”And then I found these.They were expensive, I told myself at first. Too expensive. And I “couldn’t knit.” How could I justify the cost? I spent hours at night on knitting blogs, scrolling through articles praising Chiaogoo’s quality and the difference it made to one’s knitting. And then I thought about my expensive yarn stash and all those unused needles, and figured I had already wasted that much and more. And then in one horrible moment of weakness I gave in to temptation and just bought them, figuring I could return them again once I regretted the purchase. And I always did.But when they arrived, everything changed.The heavens parted, the veil tore in two, Sauron was destroyed, I felt the light of dawn on my face and sweet choral music swelled around me as I did a long tail cast on for my first project in over a decade. And lo and behold, as I knit my first row the way I always did, my stitches were inexplicably uniform. Uniform. Intoxicated by my success, I abandoned all idea of knitting a swatch and recklessly worked up the first hat I had actually completed in over a decade. It took me around three to four hours, in fair isle, using a gorgeous bulky wool yarn by Malabrigo.And. It. Fit.It was perfect. The hat was actually beautiful. I could have cried, but that would be weird. So I just wear the hat.These needles are coated in magic and sunshine, they glide through yarn effortlessly, keeping an even tension that helps tremendously with the uniformity of your stitches. The cables stay tight, they work for Magic Loop, and they are so smooth that I knit about forty percent faster without even trying. I seriously have to use zero additional effort. I just marathon knitted for ten hours on these yesterday (don’t ask, I procrastinate okay?), and my hands and wrists are not sore at all. I’m young, but I have joint issues from a thing so this is a small miracle.I did not receive these for free, I have no affiliation with Chiaogoo (or Malabrigo, while we’re at it), I’m not an influencer or paid whatever, and I don’t even know what I’m doing when I knit. But these needles are seriously great, and I’m not going to lie about that either. I get that they’re expensive enough to fund a (very short) college education, but if you’re on the fence just go for it. You will not regret it. They take the work and frustration out of knitting and actually make it fun again.

I have wanted an interchangeable knitting needle set for a long, long time. There are so many, how could I choose?Every knitter has a particular style and needs. Although I mostly knit Continental style (yarn in the left hand), I do not think that makes a difference for my choice of needle sets. My criteria are discussed below. I referred to a few fixed-length circular needles in various sizes to get a feel for how the tips feel and cable performs. Please refer to the photo above. It shows the difference between one US 7 (Item A) and three US 6 (Items B, C, D) needles, especially with regard to the bluntness or pointiness of the tips.Photo A is an Addi fixed circular needle, size 7. It's tip is the bluntest, and bamboo is "grippy," good for retaining yarn and not letting it slip off. (Bamboo is typically not my choice, but I may use it for slippery yarns such as silk.) Photo B is Knitters Pride (KP) Nova Platina Cubic, fixed circular needle, size 6. I love this but it takes a bit of getting used to. It has a cross-section of a square, so the sides are flat, and supposedly more ergonomic. This is probably my favorite needle and has the sharpest tip of the 3 metal needles I discuss. Photo D is the HiyaHiya fixed circular needle, size 6. It the bluntest of the 3 metal needles I discuss, but still sharper and slicker than any bamboo needle.{Photo C} This ChiaoGoo (CG) set fulfilled every one of my criteria. At the time I purchased it, the price was reduced from $160 to $114. The "Twist" set contains metal needles. ChiaoGoo sells three types of sets: Small, containing 7 sizes - US 2 (2.75mm), US 3 (3.25mm), US 4 (3.55mm) , US 5 (3.75mm), US 6 (4mm), US 7 (4.5mm), US 8 (5mm); Large, containing 6 sizes - US 9 (5.5mm), US 10 (6mm), US 10.5 (6.5mm), US 11 (8mm), US 13 (9mm), and US 15 (10mm); and the Complete set containing 13 sizes overall. The tips are very smooth and fast. They have a longer taper than the HiyaHiya (HH) tips and are slightly sharper, but are not as sharp as the Knitters Pride (KP) Nova Platina Cubics.There are 2 sets of cables, Small and Large. All sets come with cables, connectors, and end stoppers. There is a choice of 4" or 5" tips, and the cables included vary depending upon tip length. All cables are interchangeable with the "Spin" (bamboo) ChiaoGoo tips. I purchased additional cables in 37" length (Small & Large) to cover all lengths I may desire.Although I like knitting with 5" tips best, I selected the 4" tips because I knit hats. These tips combined with the 8" cable, it makes a 16" circular needle and I do not need to purchase a special set just for hats. The case is beautiful black and white fabric with smooth zippers on the main compartment and equipment pocket. Inside the compartments for each needle is labeled and bound off nicely. A red ribbon graces the exterior.My only detraction from CG is that I wish the cords and connectors were color coded, Small vs. Large. They come separate in small zip-top bags which fit in the equipment pocket. I will work on a different way of storing them for my own convenience. Yes, the diameter and connector sizes are different, but it's a small hassle I think I'd like to bypass.Honestly, my first choice would have been a set of interchangeable KP metal Cubics needles. The tips have a long taper and are sharp, good for lace knitting and knitting on the tips of the needles as I do for equal tension. Fast. I also like the ergonomic cubic barrel of the tips. The black cord on the fixed needle I have is a bit stiffer than that of ChiaoGoo or HiyaHiya, but the cords for the interchangeable sets may be different. The needles of the DELUXE set are reported to be 4-5/8 inches each, and the interchangeable cords are color coded by length. BUT, the Deluxe set only included 9 sizes: US 4 (3.55mm) , US 5 (3.75mm), US 6 (4mm), US 7 (4.5mm), US 8 (5mm), and US 9 (5.5mm). Furthermore, I would have to purchase the set of the "specials" to make 16" lengths, and the cables are not interchangeable with the Deluxe set. KP also offers the Symfonie Rose Cubics Interchangeable Circular Deluxe Set which I did not consider. Nor did I consider the Symphonie Dreamz interchangeable set in which each size of needles are color coded, I prefer metal to wood or bamboo.COST swayed my decision. I would have been happy with a set of HH needles but the Limited Edition, 13-size set (including cables, tips, connectors, case, etc.), or individual Small or Large sets, were way more expensive than my CGs (ranging from $155-$180) at the time of writing. True, there was a choice of 4" with which I could make 16" hat-sized cables, or 5" tips. Also, these needles are the least sharp of the 3 metal types I compared in the photo.I hope this narrative helped someone choose their needle set. This is a big investment, but one I think will serve me well and provide lots of enjoyment over my knitting career.