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Signature Needles – The New Kids on the Block

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To test these, I ordered a size 5, stilletto tip, with the bell cap, 7″. As a straight needle user I do like them.

I like the length which may be why the ends don’t seem so unbalanced to me. If they were longer, I might feel the heaviness of them but I really don’t notice it using them. I used it on a slubby cotton 2 ply baby sweater that I split easily with other needles but not using these, as I thought I would due to the pointy tips, surprise to me!

I didn’t notice any change in gauge between these needles and the wooden ones I used on the front piece.
The yarn slides very nicely across the metal needle, no dull drag and not too slippery. I might even get more from time to time as they don’t get splinters like my bamboo and even some of my wooden ones do.

“Hand-crafted, hand-polished and the perfect fit for any knitter’s hand, a Signature Needle is at first a luxury — and then a necessity. No other needle makes a more perfect, uniform stitch, which is why it’s the true hobbyist’s choice.”

On their website, http://www.signatureneedlearts.com/products/ you actually “build” your own needles. Choosing a size, length, tip and cap options.

The company was born out of a “why don’t they make needles with tips that don’t split yarn” statement. “We had many people involved in the design and manufacturing process here at Bothe Associates Inc. Machinists who were non-knitters became experts at crafting needles perfect for avid knitters and they rose to the challenge with a great, reliable product made here in America. In addition, we met with focus groups of knitters who had lots of great ideas to give us a push in the right direction – and so Signature Needle Arts was born.”

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Comments

  1. They sound great, all round. I would like to get some longer ones, though, like the 14″. If you have since tried them, do you find them heavy? I have a few sets of my grandmas (definitely not signature!) and they are weighty devils.

    Thanks!

Have you read?

A Knit Vest to Get You Ready for Summer

I know that my posts can be read at different times of year and in different years by different people, but as I write this we’re on teh cusp of summer. And I know a lot of people don’t knit as much, and certainly don’t wear a lot of knits in the summer, but I want to encourage you to make and to wear your makes no matter the temperature.

To introduce you to the joys of summer garment knitting, I offer the Tied Vest from Lion Brand Yarn.

This easy project is great to make and wear throughout the year but it’s especially good for summer. It’s worked flat in one piece from the bottom up, mostly in stockinette stitch with a seed stitch edging. The I-cord ties are worked directly onto the garment so you don’t have to sew them on.

The project uses worsted weight yarn, and calls for a blend of cotton and hemp that’s great for warm weather.

There are eight size options, ranging from a finished chest measurement of 35 to 62.5 inches, or 89 to 159 cm. That makes it sound like it should be worn with at least a few inches of positive ease, but the pattern doesn’t specify.

The ties at the front give it a casual look and make it great to wear over a tank top or T-shirt when the weather is warm.

I also think this one would be good to knit in wool or a warmer fiber, too, to make a version you could wear more comfortably in the winter months, too. Though of course you could layer the summer version over a long-sleeved shirt and wear it throughout the year, too.

The tied vest is a free pattern available from Lion Brand. You can also purchase a kit that includes the yarn and optional needles and stitch markers if you need them.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

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