Converted

I almost always use metal needles. I learned on aluminum and then went to nickel. I've tried wooden and bamboo needles for socks, but found the Brittany Birch were too sticky and blunt, the Colonial Rosewood were pretty, but had inconsistent tips and were too expensive for something that could break so easily, and the Clover Bamboo had a nice feel to them, but the very tips seem to stick to the yarn. Wooden needles, I thought, were not for me. And yet, when I saw the colors of the new Knit Picks Harmony needles, I had to have them right away. I needed another option for slippery yarns, but what really got me was the colors. I am a sucker for pretty colors; why else would I keep buying variegated yarn even though I usually don't like how it knits up? I ordered the sock kit and tips in sizes 4-10.5 without batting an eyelash, rationalizing that I could return them if I really didn't like them.

What I didn't expect is that I would like them even better than my metal Options. They're so smooth, almost as slick, and I doubt they'll tarnish in my hands. Not to mention silent and lightweight. And pretty. What's not to love?

From top to bottom: Clover Bambo, Susan Bates, Knit Picks nickel Options, Knit Picks Harmony, all US3

As you can see, the colors aren't quite as bright as they look on the Knit Picks site.

I tried out the sock needles on this lace patterned sock*. Make 1 purlwise? No problem! I also like that they don't fall out if I let go of a needle that only has a couple of stitches on it.

I keep most of my DPNs in a needle roll from Offhand Designs, but I think I'll stick to the Knit Picks case for this one. It's so well labeled and compact, and shorter DPNs tend to fall out of my needle roll. Now I wish I had a case like this for my metal Knit Picks 6" DPNs.

I am one of the few people who actually likes the Options binder, and I have plenty of cables, so I just ordered tips. I was tempted to get them in all sizes, but since I haven't used any of my Options over size 10.5, I don't think I need to have those sizes double-covered.

I did have one tip that won't screw onto a cable. I don't expect that to be an issue. When I got my Options set, it came with two sets of US4 tips and no US5s. I contacted Knit Picks and they dispatched the 5s straight away, and I got to keep the extra 4s. What they lack in quality control, they make up for in customer service. If customer service can really make up for lack of quality control. In any case, check yours for correct size and connectivity.

*Sock pattern is Scheherazade's Slippers, the September Mystery Sock from the Sock Knitters Anonymous group on Ravelry. Yarn is Dream in Color Smooshy in Chinatown Apple. It's turning out too big for me on the US2s, and I'm not loving the combination of yarn and pattern, so it's probably not long for this world.