Saturday, December 31, 2011

Dreamz Needles

I decided to buy myself a Christmas present.  I got two sets of Knitter's Pride Dreamz needles:  the 10" straights and the double-pointed set. 

I love these needles.  To me they are that link between metal needles and the bamboo wooden needles.  They are hard, made of birch, and highly lacquered so that they are slippery, but not too slippery.


My preferred method of knitting is to use straight needles.  It's what I learned on and grew up with.  Don't get me wrong.  I'm not adverse to circulars.  I do like them for circular knitting and for extra long projects. 

The set of straight needles ranges in size from US 2.5 (3.0 mm) to 11 (8.0 mm).   I found that there were some gaps in the range of sizes in the set, however.  There was no US 10.5 (7.0 mm), for example.  This doesn't bother me as I rarely use that size anyway.  If I need it in the future, I'll order it then. 

Another size that's missing is one that I do use often:  US 3 (3.25 mm).  There were two extra loops in the case, on either side of the needles on the right.  I shifted the needles around so that the empty loops were now on the left side, right where the size 3 (3.25 mm) needles would go, and then I ordered that size and will add them to the case.

To my mind the double-pointed needles are as close to perfection as I've seen so far.  They are 6" long, which I like, and the sharpness of the points is just right.  This set ranges in size from US 0 (2.0 mm) to 3 (3.25 mm) and includes those pesky sizes that don't always translate from mm to US:  US 1.5 (2.5 mm) and US 2.5 (3.0 mm).  I make most of my socks on US 0 (2.0 mm) needles, so I ordered 2 extra sets of that size.  They are already in use.  I also added one more set of dps:  US 4 (3.5 mm).  Those are pictured in the middle, the loose needles.

I really like the fact that every size is a different color.  It makes it very easy to sort your needles and to choose the ones you need without the need to pull out the needle sizer.  The writing on the needles is tiny and hard to see.  Also, the colors are consistent.  The straight size 3 mm needles are yellow (they call it "yellow topaz"), for example, in both the straight sets and the dps.  I'm sure that's true with the Dreamz circulars as well.  I haven't tried the circs but I hear good things about them.

Now, I would like to find the perfect needle case to hold dps.  I've looked but nothing has caught my eye and I tend to be a bit particular.  I wish there was a lovely soft leather case that would hold everything.  Wouldn't that be nice? 

I was so good to me this year!!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I realky like the Dreamz needles too. As I do not feel like I have used tons of different types of needles I thought maybe that was an anmature opinion. I have used bamboo, and two or three different metal brands and so far I like the Dreamz best. Jealous of your Christmas gift, but nice to see a more expierenced knitter with a similar opinion.