I have an extremely limited budget ( not just for knitting supplies but in life as well) so I really value your opinion and reviews for the products and yarn. I can make decisions based on facts. Thank you so much ❤❤❤❤❤❤
I don't even knit, but I sat here and watched the whole thing, nodding at all your pros and cons as if I was going to buy these 😅 That's how fantastic and informative your reviews are.
haha! awesome. Well, truth be told, I sometimes watch other reviews as well (like lego, or kitchen appliances) where I, too, have no intention to ever buy them.
For some of my friends with arthritis in their fingers, that the needles would warm up nicely and hold the warmth, would be a boon. For anyone with acidic ph of their skin, anywhere they would touch these would develop patches of discoloration quite quickly, just like with copper jewelry. Washing their hands before they start knitting will help with that. Thank you for a thorough review!
@@NimbleNeedles I found it out when making jewelry- some folk turned silver and copper black and green. A bit of research found they had acidic ph, which is anything but healthy. Some changed their diets and became more balanced, and could wear my makes again, We sure live in an interesting world!
Solid Review! We are extremely proud of our Lykke Cypra Knitting Needles. Your needles are backed by a 5 year warranty to ensure that you stay knitting happy! Cheers Norman!
Thank you for another thorough review of needles. You always work so hard to cover all the aspects a knitter might need to know when purchasing needles. It is especially helpful when so many of us cannot try them out before buying.
Two notes: 1). I believe there is a coating on the needles or the verdigris would rub off on the yarn. That might be why they feel off to the touch. 2). The Velcro piece on the back of the needle board is so you can prop the needle holder board up at an angle.
Really? Hmm...but why would you do that? So you can display them. As for coating..I am not positive that is the case. They change colors to a paler pink when knitting. That would imply it's pure copper
I was wondering about a coating too. I have worked with copper wire to make jewelry and it turned my fingers dark. I wonder if the needles would also create a reaction on our skin like that and whether that blackish green color could transfer to yarn!
I've been using these needles for a year and a half. I knit 6 hours a week, if I'm lucky. The coding has had zero effect on the yarn. No rub off whatsoever. This is my main go-to set. I use them for everything. I have the short set and the long set.
@@shannonagain89The needles change color but it doesn't rub off on anything. You have to wipe them down. I recommend leaving them inside the little bags that they come with. but I've had zero rub off on any yarn in a year and a half.
I love copper--have some decorations in my garden that have aged beautifully over they years. However, I think it's totally impractical for knitting needles. It's a very soft metal, so it'll dent and scratch very quickly. Thanks for your detailed reviews!
Thank you, thank you for helping those us who love to knit yet don't always know the ins and outs that make us more experienced without breaking the bank. You are awesome. ❤❤❤❤
Ok. So after watching your review.......I'm SO GLAD you uploaded this today~!! I put this set in my shopping cart last night,but didn't buy them yet. And now that you've done all the work(thank you!) I think I'm going to pass. Every time I consider buying another set of circulars I end up being glad the set I have is the Hiya Hiya sharps. I absolutely love them and haven't seen any others that I might like better. Ultimately I'll probably end up just buying another set of Hiya Hiya😂 I also have a set of Lykke driftwood straights in my cart,,and I will be buying those. I need a new set of straights and I love the driftwood ones by Lykke~!! Thanks again Norman~!!🥢🧶 And I 💯agree with you about having beautiful things around me when I'm knitting,,includ9ng and especially when it comes to needles~!!
Before you buy the Lykke driftwood, look into the Seeknit Koshitsu or even Shirotake needles. I have Chiaogoo(metal and bamboo), Lykke, and Seeknit needles and when it comes to non-metal needles, my humble opinion is seeknit needles are the best. They are beautiful, buttery smooth, and a joy to knit with. I have now amassed a collection of many needles and if I were to do it all over again, Seeknit would be my first choice.
@@Enig_Mata That's good to know. Thank you so very much,,I've never even heard of them,,I'll check them out~!! I'm definitely looking for a functional but also attractive set of wooden straights,and the word "buttery" has for sure caught my attention~!!😂
@@vivienneclarke2421 You will love them. I have Chiaogoo metal needles and I know many people love the sharpness of Hiya Hiya. However, we sometimes want bamboo/wooden needles and Seeknit is perfection. I got the Chiaogoo bamboo, but some sizes are uncomfortably sharp. With Seeknit, you get the perfect sharpness of the needles and ooooh the smoothness... I love them so much. I even added the 8" DPN set to my collection and use the US2.5 very frequently when working double-knitted button-bands. Perhaps purchase one needle and see if you like it. Also, the interchangeable cables are on a swivel and do not kink.
This review really helped me because I am a knitter who loves to be surrounded by pretty things and the Addi or any super slick needle- too fast for me. Your review has convinced me to give these a go thank you Norman and happy healing with your finger.❤
This review is so great! It's my first time watching a knitting needle review. I already have a knitting needle set, but I won it at an auction and it's not that great. This review touches on all the things I have had issues with from the set that I have, so I'm grateful for how thorough this review is!
I bought these and honestly I was not impressed in the least. They are a beautiful set of needles, but I sent them back. I wasn't that impressed with the cords and as you mentioned the drag on the needles, not to mention you have to polish them after each use and store them in an area that doesn't have high humidity. I can honestly say as someone who has arthritis in my hands, they don't help with pain. As for warming up, all needles will do that as you use them. I am sticking with my HiyaHiya and chaigoo sets. Thank you for the review. All the time you put in is really appreciated.
Thank you Norman, for your wonderful needle reviews as usual. I have the short versions of these copper needles because they are so pretty, I could not resist. I actually like the feel of them when knitting certain yarns but what REALLY bothers me is the smell. Copper smells like. . . . well. . . copper and I find this unpleasant. While I would use these often, the odor almost always causes me to reach for another set.
This is one of the sets that I have and use the most. I love the patina and it shows me which sizes I use the most. I personally tend to prefer wood over metal needles, but for smaller sizes that's not always a good idea and these are the perfect compromise.
Hi Norman~!! I was JUST looking at these needles last night lol.....i want a set of Lykke needles so bad,,i love the look of the driftwood ones......perfect timing on this review,,thank you~!! One thing that made me hesitate was the fact that there's no smaller size. My comfort zone for needles is from 2.75mm to 3.75 mm😔 Ok. Now l,on to watch your review lol......... 🥢
I got these for my birthday a couple of years ago. I’m an older knitter, with arthritis. The needles are warmer, and the drag actually helps me to grip better. I agree with you, that it is not a great set for a first time knitter, or for a first circular set. I have noticed that if I keep them polished, it is keeps the drag down some. I use them quite a lot actually.
Thanks so much for such a detailed review! My magpie self thinks I “need” them but your measured review help me think more rationally. One note, I read some reviews that said the texture of the needles themselves gets smoother after a bit of knitting
I have this set. I find them to be “sticky” they’re not smooth and slick like stainless steel. They do patina with use. I like them for certain things as I am a tight knitter. My friend who is a much looser knitter said she liked the little bit of resistance for how she knits. With stainless steel her yarn slides all over the place. With the copper, everything stayed in place. She tends to use bamboo and wooden needles, but they easily break at the smaller sizes so she likes these.
To be fair, I've just bought a set of Knitpro J'adore cubics because I saw them and loved them! However, I love wooden needles and they will be well used/ Hoping you're well Norman, take care xx
I always enjoy watching your reviews of knitting needles. All the little details are important and I like that you focus on areas such as the gap between the cables and the joins and the feel of the needles.
I really appreciate this video! I didn't know these exist. When I saw the still for your video I thought "omg I need those!" since I'm in the market for more knitting needles. But your thorough review really addressed all the things I consider when I choose needles. I think I'll be trying a single pair before I buy a set!
Thank you so much for your honest and thorough review, Norman. I'm reaching the stage (and it's happened quite quickly) where I think I need to get hold of a set of interchangeables before I purchase any more needles and end up with oodles. They may not be the most expensive things in the world to buy, but many of these sets are still a decent investment which, often times (and definitely in my case), are bought online without ever having even seen or held them. It's hard to know where to begin or what aspects or criteria to pay close attention to, so this was vid super helpful. I'll now go watch reviews of other brands. What are you favoured interchangeable needles, Norman?
I have them - they're amazing, warm, unique! I love using them 😍 they have some touche sensation ...very soft and friendly maybe because copper has a healing properties...
Oh thank you! I love the look of copper so much. But the tips, joins, cables, and texture will keep me from dropping the money on these. Stick with my ChiaoGoo.
Thanks again for such a thorough review video!! I have these needles and I LOVE them! I use them for everything, and I want to point out they really don't need to be polished very often. I've had them since they first came out (a couple of years ago?) and I've only needed to polish my most used sizes once so far, and I have just one pair of needles that could use a polishing now. So I don't think that's really much of a concern. I see some people find the smell unpleasant and/or the copper gives them a reaction, so it's clearly not for everyone, but I notice no smell and have no reaction (though I have VERY sensitive and allergy-prone skin). I have the set in the 3.5 cm length and bought my most used sizes in the 5mm length as well. I love that the blunter tip doesn't split yarn as easily, but admittedly I don't knit complex lace much. Just my 2 cents! I can see how those needles aren't for everyone but they are definitely for me!
Thank you for this detailed articulate review. I won the 3.5in set a year ago and think that it was a sign to learn to knit so I'm the rare beginner that started with them and recently bought the 5in set. Still knitting! I don't have another set to compare them with so I'm concentrating on how they behave with yarn. I am noticing no issues with cotton, wool or acrylics. Linen, though, the needles are super slick and grind, like ice skates on marble. I wonder if the blunt tips are a feature rather than a bug. Others have noted that copper is a softer metal - I don't think that the copper can hold a sharper point. There aren't working copper knives for a reason.
Omg I’m so grateful you did such an in-depth review of these needles! I just discovered them a few weeks ago and have been debating whether or not to try them. Most of the other reviews talk mostly about how pretty they are, but not what it’s like to actually knit with them. Since I also prefer needles with minimal friction I think I will pass. So pretty though….
Well, they r pretty but yeah, a balanced review should look beyond that. Then again, a lot of reviews are done buy yarn shops and they typically have a vested interest 😅
I got these needles as I fell in love with the look and I'm a bit disappointed now. They really are blunt and the tip is too short, just not my cup of tea. It's great to have your review, I wish I could see it before my purchase. There needles definitely are not reviewed frequently enough. I like that they are not too slippery, but I can't imagine using them for a complicated pattern, though for simpler ones less sharp tips don't split stitches. By the way, you can use this black elastic for tracking rows in knitting patterns, just slide a printed out pattern behind the elastic and move up or down. If you are looking for some special needles, I would highly recommend Ukrainian needles named Micron. They are not well known. Those have the longest and shapest tips I've ever seen, they even have three different tip options and two length options. I got a set with 'ergonomic' ends, the sharpest, the tip is less then 1mm in diameter and it even is concaved a bit, not just a simple cone. What makes them unique is brass, which also looks super fancy, though they also get some patina with time. Much slower than Cypra, I would say. I don't recall any other brass needles. Just beware, since they are solid brass they are much heavier then a common pair made of hollow stainless steel or bamboo. This is fine for me but may be a problem for people suffering from arthritis or something.
Some people have sensitivities to copper. Using these daily I can only imagine would set mine off. I assumed they were treated so as not to oxidize, which could also mitigate that. If they ate not, I feel that could be a problem for more people than you might imagine. As always, thank you so much for the fine work you do.
I like mine. I peeled off the stickers printed with the sizes from the packaging and put them under the needles in the case. They have stayed looking good. I am told the needles can be polished with tomato juice or sauce.
Thanks for this review. I don't think copper needles are for me, I could never wear copper jewlery because they stain on me, but this was a very honest review.
Thank you for the informative review. Lykke needles are my second favorite product, after Chiaa goo. The one thing that I don’t like about Lykke is the dull tips.
Great and thorough review, Norman :) I have these needles in my collection. I think they are definitely pretty to look at and for me they great for working with heavier yarns but not for lace and projects where I want a sharper tip. I do like the fact that the joins are tight and secure and the cables are flexible. The case looked rather cheap and synthetic but overall I think the price was worth it.
I too have these needles and I absolutely love them. I was disappointed to start with as I did find them a little 'sticky' when I first knit with them, but they do become smoother the more you use them. If you go back to a project after a break they become sticky again, but after a couple of rows they become smooth again. I use them for all kinds of knitting, including lace and find them sharp enough especially the smaller diameter ones; have still managed to poke a hole on my finger even with these lol. I'm not as keen on the cables though. I find the swivel cord annoying and sometimes yes the yarn does catch, so I use the Knitpro cords with my copper needles.
Oh it was when I was knitting a lace project and I tend to push the needle through when I knit, eventually a hole appeared. It was very sore to knit so had to wear a plaster to stop it getting worse 😊
Well, thing is..I don't suffer from it so I personally cannot share anything in that regard. And I don't want to base this on hearsay...because a lot of things are supposed to help but actually don't 😓
Bodies are weird by definition. 😁 As someone else noted, skin varies widely in acidity, etc. based on your personal chemistry and in different places of the body. For instance, nickel earrings give me the worst dermatitis, but nickel needles haven't (or I just haven't worn through the coating yet).
Thank you for a very thorough review Norman. I don’t think these would be for me. If I’m being perfectly honest, these needles look scratched or marked up in some way. Maybe it’s just my old eyes, lol. They are very pretty but I think the yarn catching on the joins and the drag would bother me. Thanks for another great and thorough review.😊
I’d be concerned with the oxidation rubbing off on the yarn as they are used and aged. I don’t think they will ever come out with smaller diameters since they would tend to bend easily. They might be good for super slippery and splitty yarns like bamboo.
These are my favourite metal knitting needles. But as a fellow European knitter I agree that I think it is a bit weird that they went with the US sizing and not the European sizing when selling their needles here. I am a very loose knitter (usually I have to go down 1 mm in needle size to get the gauge given in patterns) and these are the first knitting needles I actually liked. Usually I knit with wood knitting needles as usual metal needles feels to stiff for me. I also feel that I am tensing my shoulders a lot more when knitting with metal needles, probably because I feel like I have to hold them together? With the cypra needles I don't get this issue like with my wooden needles. But I also feel like the bigger cypra needles are quite heavy which is probably also something that should be taken into account. Personally I really like the patina that develops in brass and copper so for me I see that as a positive. Like you said also sometimes we also just want to knit with pretty things :) Thank you for a good and balanced review!
Amazing. Thank you so much for this review! I love that you cover all the proclivities that we might have as that is fantastic. Definitely a like and subscribe from me AND I am going to watch all your videos now!!
I have the short set. I have to use the camera on my phone to see the size of the needle. Some of the needles are tarnishing and the polishing cloth does not clean them off. Someone mentioned the smell of the copper and that is true for the ones that are tarnishing. I like knitting with them but I wouldn’t buy them again.
Hmmmm.... I've never been very good at knitting lace, I'm thinking maybe these needles you compared them too would be a nice idea. I only have very low quality stuff because I don't have the budget but my mil is always looking for knitting stuff to gift me for Christmas, I'll make sure a little birdie tells her😂
Remeber that you don't have to invest a ton of money all at once when you buy needles. All of these sets also come in individual pieces. So you don't have to dish out the whole (goes checking the prices of her Milan LYS that stocks Lykke needles) 125 euro for the set. You can decide to buy the 4.5 mm tips and 80 cm cord you need for one project and then build on that, buyng only what you need as you need it. IN the very end it may turn out cheaper or at least not more costly because instead of a huge, massive set with all sizes you only buy the sixes you actually use (each knitter has a favourite range, so anything above 5 mm with me is often wasted).
@@alicetwain that is true, I just know myself. At some point I will need to have a nice way to store all my individual pairs of needles... And I also never buy for one project, my process is the opposite : I buy yarn I like, then I find something I want to make that fit my yarn stash (thank you ravelry!) and then I need to have the appropriate tool. So it's easier to buy a needle set once I'm sure that's one that will be useful. I have been buying a huge stash of needles from thrift stores and I gave almost all of them to a friend. I learned I didn't like metal dpns, so next I bought a wooden set of dpns and now I can knit socks ! I have occasionally bought individual needles pairs but in the end, I always give them away because I need everything neatly stashed. And the dog chews everything that isn't😂 I know, my brain works backward 😅
@@alicetwain no, 50 cents a pair of needles, even if I bought over a dozen doesn't math up😉 and I learnt what I liked to use in the process, that's invaluable
I personally love the HiyaHiya sharps. Both in the short and slightly longer needle ends. Sadly i didn't realise that the best way to buy them is in a large set. I originally thought, well i can buy a few parts at a time and build up my collection - how wrong was I! It's nearly impossible to buy the needles now. I was thinking that the company went out of business.....it's that hard to get them now.
Yah..it's kinda weird. But I think they had massive problems during the pandemic due to shipping problems from and to china. And now lot's of stores dropped them
Thank you for this review. I have also watched your reviews of the HH,HG, and KP circular needles. I mainly knit Fair Isle these days and use needles from 2.5 to 3.5mm. I also find that the longer the taper, the easier it is to knit more evenly by knitting the stitches on the left hand side just on the tapered part of the needle. Instead of buying a full set, I wld love to buy the most expensive needles in the world which you also reviewed, just in sizes 2.5, 2.75, 3 and 3.25 mm but I have heard that this company is closing down and cannot find where I could possibly buy them. Can u advise please?
U can polish copper with baking soda and a bit of water. These needles look cool but seem very impractical cuz I wouldn't want patina rubbing off on my yarn.
Hi Norman. Would be good to know if you've been knitting with these needles in the past month, since reviewing these needles and how durable is the connection from the plastic cable to the needle join? Sometimes when you pushing the stitches up, this area is a weak spot and brakes with the stress. Are these needles still going strong?
sorry...i was busy with other projects and haven't knitted with these yet. Thus, that's nothing I am comfortable commenting on. I can tell you that I have been in contact with Lykke after this video and it was the single most pleasant conversion I had with ANY needle brand I had so far.
Hi Norman, thanks for posting this-- very helpful. But I'm also posting because I saw your comment on Ravelry to comment here with questions. I'm interested in your recent sweater pattern release, but I'm not a small guy. I don't usually have to modify patterns too much to customize for shape but I am on the line of XL-XXL and if the pattern hews more to European measurements, an XL won't be large enough. Are you able to tell me the chest measurement of the largest size for the sweater, or any other info to help me decide if it's an appropriate pattern for me? Thanks in advance!
heh. not quite sure if this here is the right place to ask the question. Still, the pattern does NOT come with any sizes. It shows you how to calculate your size based on your exact chest measurement. The size range is meant to give you an indication where these "basic" calculations typically work without further modifications. For further details, kindly watch the actual video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-N6qxTSD97V4.html
@@NimbleNeedles Your Ravelry says to direct comments to RU-vid or your blog and I chose the former; I did not feel the need to track down the "correct" video on which to post based on your instructions. Perhaps you should be more specific if there is a better place to do so. Thanks for the information about the pattern.
thank you for yor review. i was waiting you will make review for this needles. im bigener knitter just few months ago i learn how to knitt. amigurumi is what i love the most and i start to learn how to knitt garmen. baby dress in progres is my first garment project. but carpal tunnel sindrom is my problem. so i really need needles who will help me work easlly. and i like to have complate number i really apreciet if you can give me suggestions witch needles i have to purches , thank you and i really glad to found you here. i learn alot from you
@@NimbleNeedles thank you so much i did watch the video. now i can decide witch needles i need. . may allah always keep you in happiness and good health
Interesting! I put this on specifically because I bought a really cheap set of interchangeable circulars, and a problem I have with them is that they keep coming unscrewed every hundred stitches or so. Purl stitches seem to unscrew them more readily than knit stitches. I was wondering if that was just an issue with that brand or just the type of product. Good to know it's just the cheap brand lol.
No, it's more a vector of your knitting technique. And depending on the system, one brand will be better for you. But the brand that is least likely to unscrew for you, might instantly unscrew for me
Buongiorno Norman,i tuoi consigli sono preziosi per non fare acquisti sbagliati .Si pensa che il più recente oggetto venduto da una marca di grido sia migliore di quelli precedenti,non è sempre così! Di che marca è il proteggi dita rosso che usi nel video?grazie😍
In theory, copper needles would be a brilliant idea for a couple reasons. First, getting the copper exposure to your hands could actually be helpful for people who suffer from arthritis and in general exposure to copper helps with immunity to viruses. Based on your review, they may need to improve the smoothness and point sharpness. Thank you for the honest review.
The needles are gorgeous! Love copper, the patina would only improve with time. Would I purchase them?? No...... #1 I don't use the larger sizes at all, I'd MUCH rather have 2 sets of the smaller sizes. #2 I do like a sharper tip, smoother needle, longer needle... actually prefer the 5". #3 the "catch" would annoy me.
Copper tarnishes in a higher ph (acidic) environment, which could explain why some people can wear copper will get the green skin and others will continue to self-polish the copper. My copper jewelry looks better when I wear it, whereas my husband gets a green neck. I imagine with regular use, these needle finishes would perform well, along with less skin acidity and or soap or lotion residue. Id test it with jewelry before buying an expensive set of needles. Could they have a coating on them?
Not a fan of interchangeable needles Norman. I like to have single circular needles in their own envelope. This way I know which size I’m working with. I know they stamp the size on the cord but, hard to read the small print. I lost one of the envelopes, and needed a seeing eye dog to read the size on the needles.
Knitting needle gauge. One of the best notions investments I ever made. You can get ones that clip onto your keychain or knitting bag or whatever, because, yeah, am I going to be able to tell by eye if those needles are 3.5 or 3.75? No way.
I would be interested if you have any tipps for the case when the wrists are cracking while knitting. I bought new needles, started a new project an now it's cracking with every movement 😖 It's driving me crazy. And I am afraid I am ruining my wrists 😳
when you wrists are cracking I would stop right away. that's not what wrists should typically do and it could be an indicator that something is wrong with your cartilage. I mean, I am no doctor, so definitely consult one. But I CAN tell you that this is not normal.
I would like that they are hard to unscrew. I have to constantly check that my joins are not coming unscrewed. So frustrating to be happily knitting along only to find my needles have unscrewed. 😢
I agree. My Addi's slowly unwind and the yarn gets caught in the join gap. It is especially tricky with wool yarn fibers. I would consider this set because of the joins might stay put.
Does the copper make your hands smell? Will the patina rub off on your wool and/or your hands? Nah, I don't think these are for me. If my regular needles (vintage ones, let's be honest) feel a bit sticky or whatever, I just give them a careful going over with laundry soap (yellow soap) and water and I've never known it not to work.
Is it just possible that the weird "gritty" feeling is something temporary and it would smooth out after a while? I have this experience with addi needles. Every time I buy new tips they feel gritty, the yarn doesn't glide that nicely on them, but after just a little bit of knitting with them, they are as smooth as all the other ones. It's probably some rests from the manufacturing process clinging to the needle... It's just a thought.
Thanks for a great review once again. I have to say I'm not impressed. They must be coated or you'd end up with dirt rubbing off onto your knitting. If coated, then how long before the coating wears away? Frankly, I can't see the point.