My fine fibrous friends, may I thank you for your comments on the running post. I know that your recommendation of yoga is wise, but I have an irrational aversion to yoga, much as I respect people who do it. I am not bendy, except in the middle in order to sink melodramatically on to a chaise longue with the back of one hand pressed against my furrowed brow. I do however like the sound of the pursued-by-zombies running app, and will take a peek.
So today, the Tyrannical Twinnage started school. Let’s just draw a veil over how badly I coped with missing them, and how weird it was being neither with them nor at work, and instead get back to discussing knitting. (The twinnage were fine, although they claimed that nobody taught them ANYTHING. To be fair, I seriously doubt that anyone in that school knows as much as they do about dinosaurs, which is apparently the only subject worthy of consideration.)
Now, in a minor break from the big fat crochet project, I’d like to discuss knitting needles, if I may? Specifically, I’d like to draw your attention to the brand new addition to the KnitPro range (that’s Knitter’s Pride in North America, I believe?) May I introduce you to ZING! Disclaimer: I was sent these needles free of charge by KnitPro for review, but everything you’re about to read is my own opinion. Let’s face it: nobody else would put their good name to such quirksome ramblings.
It’s always difficult to objectively review knitting needles, because personal preference is such a big part of the equation, and because different needles suit different yarns. I will however come right out and say that I’m a proud KnitPro fan, working mostly on Karbonz interchangeables these days. And I’m biased towards sharp-pointed needles with lots and lots of grip/un-slippiness.
Zings have been added to the KnitPro range within the last few weeks. They’re lightweight aluminium, ranging from 2mm to 6mm, and each size comes in a different colour, thus feeding my irrational yearning to collect all the pretties. Sigh. Of course, you run the risk that your needles will violently clash with your knitting: no, stop rolling your eyes, there – I’m serious.
You can buy them as straights, fixed circulars, or DPNs.
So. Here we have some straights. 3.5mm and 4.5mm, as it so happens. The change from silver to painted section is not actually a join so don’t worry, there are no snagging problems. They’re medium-sharp, which I personally like very much, but again, you’ll have your own preferences.
So let’s cast on.
The yarn is – gasps! – artic quiviut, left over from the knit-of-a-lifetime project.
I should point out that I do most of my knitting on interchangeable circulars, so using straights takes me right back to my childhood, and also makes me nervous of accidentally impaling a passing small child. (Circulars are safer in this regard.) Although these are metal needles, they are much less slippery than nickel needles such as KnitPro Novas, thank goodness. I like that fact a lot. That said, my mum (Mother Twisted) gave them a go and proclaimed them too grippy for her taste. Each to their own.
They’re pretty affordable, if you compare them with other ranges. The colours are lovely. In the name of science, I should have bashed and scratched them in order to determine whether the colour scrapes off easily, but… I couldn’t quite bring myself to abuse them. I certainly wasn’t gentle with them, though, and there was no sign of any loss of colour.
So should you buy some? If you like fairly grippy, colourful, medium-sharp, affordable needles, you’ll like these. If you insist on interchangeables, or you like fast-and-slippy needles, and you pour scorn on anyone considering the aesthetics of their tools, then these probably aren’t the needles for you.
Just sayin’.
Knit Pro is Knitter’s Pride. Knit Picks is an entirely separate entity.
THANK YOU! Edited based on this. 🙂
Interesting. I use Knit Pro Nova interchangeable circulars which I love except that the tips can work loose and then the yarn can catch on the join. I also use a range of straight needles and I love the thought of coloured ones but I do prefer them slippy.
The possibility of your coloured knitting needles clashing with your project is a legitimate concern that I hadn’t really taken seriously until this very moment. Mostly I used grey-coloured coated needles or bamboo and have thus avoided this issue until now.
I rather like your review – it was fun to read and gave me a good idea of how the needles would work in the real world.
I like the way you’re holding them in the last photo, like a quiver of arrows…
My son has nearly earned his PHD in “nuffin” which is what he dutifully learns every day at school. His teachers must be experts at teaching nothing. 😉 In saying that, I am the master of cooking “yuk” food too.
Those needles look purdy! I’ve never seen either name here in Australia but to be honest I’ve not really looked and mostly I knit or crochet on sticks and hooks inherited from my grandmothers. I too have never considered clashing colours. It is a genuine concern!
I love these colours! I buy purple needles, purple yarn and then wonder why I can’t see my stitches. Oh well!
I totally get the collecting pretty colours thing! I like medium slippy and not sharp so these are probably not for me. Have a vintage (well 1980s) collection of pearl type needles which I adore. Pastel pearly shiny colours!
Thanks for a great review. Indeed, I would probably buy them for the pretty colours, and just have them sitting on my worktable to look at. I like a more slippery needle, and have some amazing chrome plated ones, that I can not for the life of me find again.
I adore my Karbonz Interchangeables. It sounds like the Zing line might be comparable to Aero or Prym for grip? When I started learning to knit and crochet, these were the only brands available.
I love colourful knitting stuff and though I only work with neutral needles, I have a few decorative hooks and needles (well, maybe lots of).
Excellent review!
I don’t knit and I want to collect them all as well. I am going to rename them “Pokemon needles” and be done with it! 😉
Hi,
I read you are used to the Karbonz. Are they more sharp-pointed as the Karbonz or less?
Hmm, pretty much the same, i.e. fairly sharp.
I love the KnitPro Zing needles. I am currently knitting a sweater for Christmas – they are divine to use. Until this year, I had never used circulars before, and now I wouldn’t have it any other way. I commute on the train into the city for work and my knitting bag is never too far away. I enjoyed reading your summary – it is pretty accurate in my opinion. Straight needles for me, would be difficult on public transport – needing a wider wingspan to hold them and probably upsetting the other passenger nearby. The stitches just appear to glide off the needles. I wish I had found these needles years ago, but it wasn’t until my nieces and nephews started having their own families that I rediscovered an old favorite pass time, a pass time with a purpose.
How does the grip compare to the wooden Dreamz needles? I love those and I wonder if these are going to be too grippy
They’re both laminated birch as far as I’m aware, so they’d be the same. Hope this helps!