Interchangeable Knitting Needles are just like circular needles but without the commitment of a fixed cable length. Featuring removable needle parts, interchangeable needles let you easily switch up the needle size and cable length depending on your project needs.

There’s nothing worse than your knitting needles coming undone while you are knitting. In all fairness, I do have to say that addi owns that field. Both my ChiaoGoo, HiyaHiya, and my Knitter’s Pride cables have come undone in the past. Usually, I noticed it before the point of no return because stitches have gotten caught in the gap. Still, there’s no denying how annoying that is, especially as it’s hard to rescue this situation mid-row. I blame it on the fact that these systems make it very hard to really screw it tight. If somebody took away all my ChiaoGoos and handed me a gift certificate for the replacement of my choice, cost no object, I’d buy the same sets all over again, with the possible exception of the bamboo Spin set. I can’t remember when I last used the nylon cables (other than as stitch holders on a hibernating project), and I rarely use the bamboo needles, but then again sometimes you want a less slippery needle, so even those are useful. I think ChiaoGoo and HiyaHiya can be a great option for lace knitters and makers who favor very small needle sizes and like the extra variability. Here, I think it depends on the projects you prefer: The wire cables are nice for flat projects, while the very flexible plastic cables are better for knitting in the round.I do have to say, that Knitter’s Pride does have the strongest connection, though. I am always having “problems” unscrewing them – that never happens to me with ChiaoGoo. But that’s actually quite noteworthy, because the easier they unscrew, the easier it can happen accidentally. HiyaHiya usually is pretty damn tight as well, though weirdly enough, some needles have a problem with their screws. My dad always told me “buy cheap stuff, and you’ll buy twice”. While there are certainly exceptions, I found that adage to be remarkably close to the truth. The last thing you want is a broken needle/cable on a live project. You have said exactly what was running through my mind, as I read this review! I have even bought the fabric and designed my custom case. Great Minds thinking alike 🙂

With the magic loop technique, you are also set for most circular projects with a very small diameter. KnitPro's Zing needles are made from superior grade light-weight metal and come in a spectrum of vibrant and lively colours. Each size comes in a size specific metallic shade with laser printed sizes and shiny silver tips. Ideal for new knitters as well as the more experienced.I also like being able to switch to their Cubics tips when I need to. I’ve had both carpal-tunnel and tendonitis problems in the past. I know now as soon as symptoms appear to start doing appropriate exercises again and switch to Cubics until pain and discomfort are gone. Reply You can attach two different needle sizes to a cable for interesting new possibilities. That way, you can combat having a different gauge with knits and purls. Or use a round tip for extra fast knitting in the return row, and a sharp tip for the right side with all the complicated stitches. In terms of the boxing, addi is probably the winner. That bag is durable, looks very high-end, and is very practical on top of that. I like the fact that it works with buttons instead of zippers (which often become clogged), though the rubber band might give you some trouble if you took too many needles out. The other three pouches are pretty flimsy, and I am not sure I would call ChiaoGoo a winner just because it uses some cheap cotton instead of see-through plastic. I like the fact, however, that they print the needle sizes on the different slots. Comparing the two needle-size gauges You can also lengthen the cable using cable extenders or even use the needle tips separately as regular straight needles. There’s just so much you can do with Interchangeable Knitting Needles. Made For All Kinds Of Projects Addi only provides a largish cable extender instead you can use it as a makeshift stopper as well. So, actually, that is kind of smart, though the extender is a bit too long to use for actual cable extending in my opinion. ( Note: Cable extenders for Knitter’s Pride and ChiaoGoo can be bought separately but are usually not part of the small sets.)

Knitter’s Pride has the shortest tapered tip, the longest end, and the best transitions without “kinks”. I always felt this allowed for pretty seamless and fast knitting as your project will easily slide along. That being said, if you frequently knit with big needle sizes (like these 5.5/6.0 mm needles), the longer tapered end ChiaoGoo and addi offers, can be a nice advantage for lace patterns. Let’s talk about the sets as a whole. In all fairness, I have to mention that my Knitter’s Pride set is some 10 years old now, and I only bought replacement needles in the meantime. But other than the fancy wooden box, the content is, as far as I can see, still the same: Knitter’s Pride The contents of my Knitter’s Pride Nova Platina deluxe set with a standard set in a plastic pouch below HiyaHiya interchangeable knitting needles do have screws at the other end as well, but you get a rubber patch as well. In addition, you get quite a lot of extenders . I really love the concept of their needle extenders. You can easily turn a 5″ needle into a 6″ needle, etc. So, how cool is that? (these adapters are only part of the large sets and not the small sets, but can be bought separately). Their regular cable adaptors don’t have a hole for the pins, though – unlike the ChiaoGoo adapters. Cable stoppers: ChiaoGoo, Knitter’s Pride, addi ChiaoGoo is probably the best set to invest for knitters who like to knit with very small needle sizes and durable cables (though I personally do prefer the fixed carbon needles by Knitter’s pride, but that’s a different story as these tiny sizes are not available as an interchangeable set; the big ones are). Thanks to our smooth connections and the included cable key, you’ll never have to worry about losing your work off a loose needle.

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I also really don’t like the fact that both ChiaoGoo and HiyaHiya work with two different cable sizes. The smaller needle sizes need a different cable (where the screw is smaller) than the bigger needles. For example with addi, the same cable works on a 3.5mm needle and an 8 mm needle. With CG or HH, you need a different cable, and different cable extenders, and different cable stoppers, etc. I feel this contradicts the whole versatility idea behind an interchangeable knitting needle set. But let’s take a closer look at the two most important factors: How smooth is the join From left to right: Knitter’s Pride, HiyaHiya, ChiaoGoo, addi And then, of course, there are the cable stoppers. You can use them to put a work in progress on hold, while you use the needles for a different project. The Knitter’s Pride stoppers are pure plastic and a bit flimsy (but do the job), HiyaHiya offers somewhat cute-ish panda stoppers (were not part of my small set, sorry), while the ChiaoGoo stoppers are very solid and the best of the lot. Both HiyaHiya and ChiaoGoo are pure stainless steel. That means, the surface is not totally smooth and has these…well striations I guess. Depending on the yarn you use, you will notice quite a bit of friction, and whenever the needles touch, they don’t slide across each other effortlessly.

HiyaHiya is the shortest of the lot (but they do offer needle extenders ), Knitter’s Pride is in the middle, and addi has the longest needles. The difference is only a couple of millimeters, but those can make quite a big difference depending on the size of your hand. From left to right: Knitter’s Pride, HiyaHiya, Addi, Chiaogoo We also offer short tip needles so you can create those smaller projects like hats and sleeves with ease. The HiyaHiya cables are pretty similar to the addi cables but even thinner yet. They are also very flexible. There is a strong memory effect, but they are equally well suited for magic loop in my opinion. I always feel the cable is a tiny bit too flimsy, and I do believe HiyaHiya has the worst connection to the cables. Bending characteristics Hi, Norman. Nice comparison article. I have only used the other brands of interchangeable needles for a few minutes at a fiber event, just to try them out (not counting a truly vintage Boye set I learned on), so I can’t speak to them, but I do have some remarks on the ChiaoGoo interchangeables.I also like the fact that the steel needles aren’t coated because I don’t have to worry about a coating coming off over time (which has happened with some of my straight needles), and though I can see that it might bother some folks, I actually like that tactile feel/sound of bare needle on needle; it allows me to know I’m not splitting my yarn even when I’m knitting in the near dark while we watch a movie. Regarding tightening, ChiaoGoo does sell a silicon gripper to aid in tightening, but their Minis also have holes in both the cable end and the needle so you can use two wrenches/T-pins to tighten each join very tightly. I don’t think I’ve had a cable come loose since a couple months after I bought my first set, at which point I learned to take care to tighten them well. You also get the most cables in the ChiaoGoo set, while addi sadly only adds 3 cables. So, if you have a lot of different works in progress, you might have to buy some spares. Typically 13 needles from US 2 (2.75 mm) to US 15 (10mm), 6 cables (3 small, 3 large), 4 durable cable stoppers, 2 cable extenders, 2 cable keys, stitch markers, a needle gauge all wrapped in a sewn fabric bag with zippers, and a small compartment on the front for the accessories. Addi The contents of my addi mix 5″ set. Please Note: circular lengths are achieved when needle tips and cables are joined together. The length does not refer to the actual length of the cable on its own. Thank you Norman for your lovely blog. I was just trying to refresh my memory of an I-cord cast off and I found all this fabulousness just there for the asking 🙂