I like how they describe my order on the customs form--"lampwork glass" will arouse no suspicion with my husband. ;-)
Inside, this:
Twenty-six knitting needles, for which I paid a grand total of $14.75, including postage. Also included are 26 tapestry needles and needle gauges. The gauges are in Chinese, but no problem--I can convert.
Normally I avoid buying anything from China, but this? This I couldn't pass up. In September I was listening to one of my favorite knitting podcasts, the Knitting Pipeline, and the host Paula Emons-Fuessle was talking about these fantastic circular needles she found on eBay. She ordered them because she needed an inexpensive needle to use for teaching. She kept her high hopes in check when she ordered, but when she gave them a try she was pleasantly surprised by the quality: smooth joins, flexible cords, and sharp points. Another plus was that they had sizes like US 000, which is a hard size to find in circular needles. But what really intrigued me, beyond the price and quality, was that she said they were similar, almost identical in feel and performance, to Chiaogoo circular needles, which are my very favorite needles. I pay anywhere from $7.50 to $9.00 per Chiaogoo needle, so the thought of getting a set of needles for roughly the same price ... I couldn't resist.
You'll note that I received 26 needles. That's because I ordered two sets of 13 needles. I ordered 16" lengths because my KnitPicks interchangeables don't work so well in this length and I prefer knitting in the round with two circular needles as opposed to DPNs.
I ordered them on September 25 and they arrived today, October 7, which is very swift. They were well-packaged, and when I examined them, I, too, thought they felt very much like Chiaogoo "Red Lace" needles, although without the red cords. Proof is in the pudding, so over the next couple days I'll give them a test run and report back.
If you're impatient like I am, the eBay seller is Cherrysky90. If you order, let me know what you think of them.
I am very tempted to order these. It will be interesting to hear what you think of them once you have used them. My guess is they are Chiaogoo needles. Well, needles that are made at the Chiaogoo factory but given a different name. When I was in China I bought some cashmere yarn that was an obscure brand, but was really the same stuff as Jade Sapphire. They just put a different label on it at the mill.
ReplyDeleteKristie, I think you're right. I tested them last night and they certainly have the Chiaogoo "feel." However, the cords are a little less flexible and the joins didn't feel as smooth as Chiaogoo needles. However, I was knitting with a splitty cotton/rayon blend so I'm going to test later with a pure wool fingering. At any rate, I'm happy with the purchase so far ... for $7 and some change, it's hard to go wrong. :)
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