When Knit Picks introduced their new Zephyr needles recently, well, I had to be the first on my block to get some! They came today, so I haven’t had much time to play with them yet. But here are my first impressions.
They’re pretty. I’m sitting here at my computer desk, which is brightly lit with an LED light strip, but these babies sparkle in the light. Not in a bad way, that causes too much glare. But in a good way. Like, in a do diamonds ever cause too much glare? –sort of way. Haha. Maybe that’s overkill, but the aesthetics do please me.
As promised, they’re extremely lightweight. This is a good thing for those of us who have pain in our hands. Less stressful, for sure. But then again, all of Knit Picks’ needles feel light to me. But, I think these are even a bit lighter than the others.
There is a touch of give. The needles are slightly flexible, which makes it easier to bend and “pick” stitches. I suppose this would be especially good for continental knitters. I throw, but from the left not the right, and even so I found this bit of give feels good.
They’re a bargain. This is really good news for someone who would want a nice needle set for less money. They are the cheapest set in the Picks line, and they sell for less individually as well, especially in larger sizes.
There is a bit of “squeak.” This is the one thing that I’m finding I don’t like. It’s not an annoying audible squeak, but you know that “feeling” you get when something sort of squeaks? That little bit of friction? I definitely felt it. I was using a size 7 needle, and Socks that Rock Mediumweight sock yarn. Perhaps my results will vary with different yarns. We’ll see. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not a terrible issue that will keep me from loving these needles. It’s just something I noticed right away.
I haven’t spent enough time with these yet but I wanted to give some first impressions. I think I’m going to love them, especially for certain projects where picking at the stitches could be helpful. Lace? Cables? Probably a good choice.
Knit Picks did a nice job with these. I do like them so far. My Harmony wood needles are probably always going to be my favorite, but these are good. Really good.
. I just love the yummy blues and purples with the splash of earthy greens and browns here and there. Lisa is a real artist and I can thank some of my enabling yarny friends for leading me to her a few years ago.