Harmony
Okay, the mailman came back and delivered my needles. Whew.
By now there has been several posts on these needles, but I thought I'd show you them in comparison to the Knitpicks Options nickel needles.
Head to head:
The Harmony needles feel very similar to the options needles, with a little more grab. I like slick needles and these are very similar to slicker bamboo needles like Crystal Palace.
They have a very similar tip; I was able to perform k3tog and m1 with ease. They are about the same size as the nickel tips too.
Color:
Above you can see the laminated wood colors. Certainly not as circus-like as on the Knitpicks webpage. (Size 7 needles shown.)
There was some concern on some boards that the colors would obscure stitches. So I poked around in the stash and found some grey/blue/purple Koigu that looked to have good potential for blending in with the Harmony wood.
Nickel
Harmony
I don't think any color yarn would pose a serious problem.
Joins:
There is a tiny, teeny space between the wood and the metal join. However normal laceweight doesn't seem to snag at all. Here is some Pewter Zephyr wool-silk laceweight on a size 10 Harmony:
I tried to knit tight, and was able to slide the yarn around over the joins.
Problems:
Sadly there is some trouble in paradise.
Make sure to hold the metal join and NOT the wood tip when tightening in your tips. Otherwise the tip may make a lovely crunchy noise and come free of the metal. Ask me how I know this. :(
Also, some of the threads may not be true on the tips. I have a bad US10 and US4. Test your set to make sure. If you find a problem, KP customer service is excellent and will replace them. I know this was a problem with the nickel Options too. I guess the manufacturing tolerances on a $6 needle isn't very high.
Summary:
All in all, I love these needles. I will be using them for slippery yarns and in the winter when I will want a warmer option to the nickel. The occasional defect is an annoyance but not a prohibitive one, especially for the price.
I haven't used my DPNs yet, but I will let you know what I think soon.
posted by Sherry W @ 4:02 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Thanks for that info! Mine just arrived today, will test drive them after dinner. Especially for the tightening tip!
Thanks for the honest review and the pictures!
Thanks for the pictures! I have the US5 tips coming this week, and looking at pictures helps me through the waiting. ;)
Thanks so much for the review. I had some problems with my nickel tips, so I'm glad to hear what the issues with these are, but I agree completely that, given the price and overall quality of the needles for the price, the issues aren't prohibitive. I'm just waiting for the 28th so I the tips I want are back in stock.
Good review. My tips are due on the 22nd. I already had the original options set so just ordered tips in sizes up to 11. I will probably add the larger size tips later.
Thanks for the tip on checking the needles! I have some but only tried the tips I was using... think I'll poke thru them all and make sure the joins and threads are true before I find I need them and there's a problem.
I normally really dislike wood needles, but these are so slick they don't even feel like the wood I am used to. They won't replace the 24" addis, but they'll be a nice addition lengthwise for me.
Thanks for the warning about tightening tips and testing them out when I get them. Whenever that maybe. I am impatiently waiting on Canada Post. Who have always sucked....
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