ChiaoGoo 9-Inch Red Line Circular Knitting Needles, 1.5/2.5mm

Sharp and tiny: just what I needed. I did plenty of research looking for the perfect needles to knit some socks. I kept seeing amazing things on the Chiaogoo needles. I opted to buy a more affordable brand for the rest of my sizes but wanted to try this pair out for socks to see how I like them before splurging of the whole set. I did a few swatches with different yarns in preparation for my project and I’ve really liked the needles so far. The yarn glides effortlessly around the needles. They are sharp and easy to get into each stitch. The cables are sturdy while remaining flexible and well secured to the needles. Because the needles are so small and I’ve only knit cardigans, they take a bit of getting used to when making to switch to those smaller projects. They are definitely more expensive than the average pair of circular needles but I can see them lasting for a very long time so that definitely makes the price worth it. I’ll update with a photo when I make some progress on my socks!

I just picked up doing socks after years of avoiding them (next up: gloves). Not because they seem hard, but because of the DPNs. It's not that I can't use DPNs, it's just that I'd rather not. However, there's something to be said for working in the round. I started off in life as a seamstress yet I dislike sewing together my knit or crochet fabrics. I can't afford & don't want to buy a knitting machine - I do this to be creative, to handcraft items. Buying circular knitting needles is the best answer! And these are some of the best I've ever used. For 9" circulars in particular, you're going to want very sharp needles, because of the way you're going to need to knit (more on that later). These are some of the sharpest I've ever seen, and I've been knitting for nearly 30 years. The transition from needle to cable and back is flawless, and I've had some of my other ChiaoGoo needles for decades with no problems. Their cables are a knitter's dream - they will curl up for storage, then straighten up when you take them out for use. This tiny bit of cable has none of that to worry about, though! Lastly, while bamboo is great for your DPNs, it's just massively nicer to knit with metal needles that allow your stitches the freedom to slide a little better, but the texture on the ChiaoGoo needles give it just the right amount of grip on the yarn so that you don't worry about your stitches sliding off these very small needles. When I tested this circular, there were times when I set down my work and didn't even put my stoppers on the ends, and didn't lose a stitch, working with sock yarn. It takes some practice to use 9" circular knitting needles - I don't feel that they are for beginners. While I feel that one doesn't need to master DPNs at all in order to master circulars, you need to master circulars to learn to work with these 9" circular needles, because even experienced knitters have to learn to hold them a little differently than all other needles. Hint: there's just not a lot of needle there! These do the job and do it nicely, though. I had started a test sock on DPNs when I ordered these, so when these arrived, I knit that sock onto these 9" circular needles, using markers to keep track of my erstwhile DPN placement. The rest of the sock went very smoothly, until it was time to do the toe and put them back on the DPNs, which I could do easily, thanks to my markers. These needles take all that awkward out of knitting small things in the round! I have a pair of socks to make as a gift coming up, and can't wait to put these in use for that project! I previously had used 9" circular 5.5mm needles, and still use them to make sweater sleeves in the round. Why have seams in your projects when you can turn any flat project into a seamless tube with your circulars? As long as you have enough stitches to make about 9", stop making more work for yourself. Just knit in the round.

Exactly what I expected and excellent quality. They work great, I’ve almost finished knitting my first sock on them! Very sharp and smooth and the clicking noise is very nice.

Good quality. I prefer these over dpns for the cuff and the foot of socks. It makes it go faster.

These are very smooth, and the join is immaculate. Chiagoo's are one of the best in the business.

Perfect for socks!

Super handy if you dont like magic loop or DPNs. Kinda awkward to hold at the start though

Good needles for making socks or other projects needing a small circular tube. Only downside I've run into is that the joins can cause the cord to kink. Won't last as long as competitor options.

ChiaoGoo never disappoints with their needle tips—the taper is perfect for picking up stitches. These are very high-quality and feel like they will last a lifetime. If you want a professional finish to your knitting, these are worth every penny.

Ciertamente pierna y pie de calcetines se tejen más rápido, pero en mi caso la posición de los dedos es forzada provocando entumecimiento. Me parecen caras aunque tanto el cordón como punta de agujas muy buenos.

Very good product, I have many of this red-line circular nothing bad to say

Super qualité. Facile de tricoter avec ces aiguilles… les problèmes sont plutôt du côté de la tricoteuse !!

Perfect Keep hold of yr yarn until used to new slippy needles