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I've had my beloved set of Denise interchangeable knitting needles for 7 years and have used them excessively. The needles are getting worn down, and the cable connectors have become loose and I've had a few mishaps where they came undone and caused me to drop stitches. So I started researching other sets that I could upgrade to.
I am used to smooth plastic needles, so I knew that I probably wouldn't like wooden/bamboo needles because they are more grippy. I also wanted flexible cables with a smooth join that was easy to assemble yet wouldn't come accidentally undone.
I decided to try the HiyaHiyas, mainly because they are "keyless" and come with swivel cords. I originally got the 4" sharp set but the needles felt too short and they were too pointy and hurt my finger (I'm a tapper when I knit). So I exchanged them for the 5" steel set and they are GLORIOUS.
I wasn't sure how I would like the metal, but I can knit so fast with these because they are silky smooth. I also don't mind the clinking -- it sounds like a sword and makes me feel like a knitting ninja.
I don't have to worry about these cables coming undone, and they are thin and flexible so I can do the magic loop more easily. I got the large-sized set (needle sizes 9-15) because I mainly knit with chunky-weight yarn, but now I want to order the small-sized set as well (needle sizes 2-8) so that I can have all the sizes!
I will still keep my plastic set for travel — I've had no trouble taking them through airport security. But this new metal set is definitely going to get a lot of use this year and I wish I had upgraded to these sooner.