Favorites...delayed

Sorry about that. I didn't expect to be that out of it on Friday. Infusion mixed with allergy season apparently isn't a good combination for me. Anywho....what I was planning to write about on Friday is my thoughts on Knitter's Pride dreamz needles.

   I love these needles....and by love I mean these are my first choice if I could only have one set of needles for the rest of time. First of all, wood is my preferred material for knitting needles. I'm partial to wood anyway...I prefer hardwood floors to all others and with a husband into woodworking I've really developed an appreciation of beautiful wood. I have been lusting after a wooden interchangeable set for quite a while.
   Years ago I purchased the Boye Needlemaster set. As interchangeable sets go, this one isn't the greatest. The cables are stiff, the joins aren't smooth and no matter how much I tighten them they always loosen up as I knit. There is one aspect of them I did appreciate. The set comes with connectors allowing you to join cables together for greater length. This was in the early days of interchangeables and it was what I could afford. So I suffered through and dreamed of a wooden set.
   I never bought a set of the Knit Picks Harmony for two reasons. One, I knew of a lot of people who had issues with the joins popping out. Too many for it to be random happenstance. It was a down right design flaw and for the price I found it unacceptable. Two, I think they are ugly...with a capital UGH! I just couldn't bring myself to buy a set, or even ask for one as a gift.
  Then at Stitches East last year I came across the Knitter's Pride needles. I love these for many, many reasons. First of all, they have several options in the needle tips:

• the Symfonie come in three styles: dreamz, Rose, and Cubics lines. All are laminated birch. The dreamz are color coded by size. The Rose line is rosewood colored with copper joins. The Cubics are square needles.
•  Nova: their metal line
• Trendz acrylic
• and Basix: another line of birch in larger sizes. 

All of their tips are interchangeable between sets. I think it is fantastic that Knitter's Pride has a sampler set that includes different needle types: metal, wood and the square needles. What a great idea if you don't quite know what you would like.
   I have the Deluxe set of the dreamz needles. The set includes tips from size 4US to 11US, 24" cord, 2 32" cords, 40" cord, 8 end caps, 4 cord keys, and a set of size markers all in a zippered pouch.  I've been nothing but happy with them. My only complaint is that the interchangeables only go down to a size 4US. So I've had to supplement with fixed circulars in the smaller sizes. (Oh dear, I have to buy more of these needles. Whatever shall I do?) I also like the size markers. I always think that I'm going to remebmer what size I was using when borrowing tips from a project. These prevent mishaps of that type.
   The cables are soft and plyable. The joins are smooth. The needles are nice and pointed. I'm a sharp pointed needle kind of girl. As I always say, I want my needles sharp enough that if I throw them from across the room they will stick into the wall (or the person I'm throwing them at). Nearly all of my projects in the last 9 months have been knit on these. As I can afford to I plan on expanding my collection. As for price, they are comparable with the Knit Picks without the issues. I will have to test the DPNs though. I can be a little tough on my DPN's and I'm not sure how the wood will hold up.
   When I first saw these there wasn't a set available for the Cubics. They sold the individual tips but not in a set. I asked if one was forthcoming and was told no. So, I put the dreamz set on my wishlist and my Mum got it for my birthday. And then they came out with the Cubics set. Go figure. I'm debating on getting the set or just getting the tips. I'll have to do the math, but one could never have too many cables.  If you haven't tried knitting on square needles, beg/borrow/or steal a set. They are amazing to work with. They feel far more natural in your hands and seem to create less fatigue. That is why I was interested in the set, as I was having some major hand issues at the time.
  

In conclusion. Knitter's Pride needles. Get some. They are so worth it.