The value of tools

The thing I remember most about my Dad was that he always had a tool in his hand. He built things and fixed things and invented things when he needed them. As a consequence, I love tools. Good tools. The Right Tool for the Job.

Why is it, then, that I have such a collection of crappy knitting needles? I have dents and scratches, bad joins, lousy points and bent needles. Oh, I have some nice Addi Turbos, but doesn't it always seem like you don't have the size you need? Or length? I know a lot of you have moved on to sets like Denise, but I wasn't satisfied with the joins or tips.

And then it happened. Knit Picks Options came out and I had tool lust. The tips were pointy without being sharp and the joins were smooth. I had wicked tool lust. I waited to see if people said bad things - did the plating flake? No. Did they become unscrewed? No. Were the cables difficult? No, they seemed to be even better than my Addi Turbos.

So when my birthday rolled around this year and my very sweet MIL sent money for tools, I jumped. This was a tool set that I would touch every day, thinking of her fondly. And it is a set of needles that should last for life. I love my drills and grinders, but a set of tools to use every day for knitting - now that is true luxury. Why did I ever wait so long to do this?

The needles are better than I expected. They are really smooth and nice. The biggest criticism is that the double pointed needles are a little too short and I would like to see them longer, especially in the bigger sizes. I am tickled. I had a lot of fun putting them all in their little pouches. I have tried them all and really like them.

Birthday Swag:


Of course, I did need a little yarn to go with it and Renaldo is helping with display. I was thinking of making the Saguaro from Knitter's 78. I got gauge with the Connemara.