We are very excited to introduce a new needle range at Knit With Attitude and eager to share with you our new nerdy appreciation for the new ChiaoGoo interchangeables.
A knitters tools have to be just right, they are our means to creating endless woolly garments. So with this blog post I will take a closer look at ChiaoGoo and see what makes them so great.
ChiaoGoo has its origins in a family run business started by four brothers in China. The brothers were born and grew up in Linan, “The Bamboo Capital of China” where their grandfather was a bamboo craftsman. Making household goods such as chairs, tables, mattress sheets, rice barrels, baskets and steamers. Their father followed in his footsteps and in the 1980’s founded a workshop. They produced similar bamboo goods but now the main product was bamboo knitting needles. The demand for knitting needles came from his mother who would test the needles and ask for specific ones to suit her needs. She is the inspiration for the ChiaoGoo brand name, which means “highly skillful and crafty lady”.
We have started stocking the 13cm / 5″ interchangeable needles with 55cm / 22″ cables. Below I look at every aspect of these needles with a little bit more detail.
Material: Made from precisely-machined hollow surgical steel, these needles are solid but unlike other metal needles are incredibly light. With a slightly matte finish that looks super flash against the bright red cable. With very sharp points they are ideal for precise lace work and will give you control over a variety of yarn types.
Cable: The cables in my opinion are one of the best features of these needles. They are made from a multi-strand steel cable, coated in nylon. This means a couple of things. They do not kink and are memory-free, even if stored for a long time. They are much stronger and your stitches just glide over them, making your knitting effortless. They are fastened with the aid of a t-shaped tightening key.
Sizes: One thing to note about these needles are certain cables fit to certain needles sizes. There are small cables that fit to sizes: 2.75-5.00mm and large cables that fit to sizes: 5.50-10.00mm. This is not to do with the length of the cable, but the size of the screw itself. In order to create the most seamless knitting experience Chaiogoo have refined the screw. Creating size specific screws means you will get less catching of the yarn as you knit and a more secure join.
Characteristics: There are some lovely features to these needles. Laser etched numbers and screw size on both the cable and the needles, make for easy organisation and matching up. They have a lifeline hole, which is something I have not payed attention to on interchangeable needles. A lifeline can be added to your work by threading a piece of yarn through the hole on your working needle side. This can be then easily knit through your work creating your lifeline, magic! They are light and easy in the hand with great sharp points for relaxed, smooth and speedy knitting, making it even easier to knit heavier garments.
If you really want to experience the full range of Chaiogoo needles we also sell a full Interchangeable Needle Set.
Happy Knitting!
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