Trenchwork

I have . . . er . . . a few knitting needles. Specifically, I have circulars. I can count on one hand the number of sets of straights and double-pointed needles in my possession; I use them very rarely. Because I’m frankly rotten at picking up dropped stitches and tend to take my knitting with me whenever I know I have a wait somewhere, and have far too often managed to lose half the stitches when the needle slipped out in transport or dropped a needle in a very inconvenient place, I tend to use circulars for literally everything, including flat fabrics. I knit tube fabrics on two circulars, so I tend to have two of the sizes I use most often.

Last week, I was graced with a pair of rosewood circulars from Jenkins Woodworking, and I wanted to show them off. It struck me that perhaps a few comparison photos might be useful. (Remember, all photos are on Flickr. Click and go to “all sizes” for a larger view.)

It would, of course, have been most helpful had I had all the brands in a single size, but failing that, I’ve grouped them so you’re at least looking at same-size comparisons. The photos are a bit dark, and I really do need to work out a light box for this kind of thing, but they should be clear enough for our purposes.

3mm circs

From top to bottom there are the Jenkins rosewoods, Inox greys, and Pony. The Inox and Pony needles are made of the same material, but the Pony has a sharper bend in the needle and a heavier (and stiffer) cable. The point is decent at this size, but the stiffer cable makes it annoying to work with if the needles have been stored for any time at all. The join for both the Inox and Pony needles are fairly similar, and are relatively smooth.

However, the hands-down winner here is the Jenkins pair. The join is smooth and the lighter cable is incredibly flexible and not in the least stiff. The wood is nearly glass-smooth, warms quickly in the hand, and the tip . . . The tip is the thing of dreams. It’s sharp enough that it makes picking up a k3tog easy and seems to navigate almost instinctively through the right spot in a stitch rather than split the fibers.

3.5mm circs

In the 3.5mm circulars, there are the PT/Addis, the Jenkins rosewood, Prym, and Novi. The PT/Addi is incredibly slippery, and has a decent point and a nicely soft cable. The Prym and Novi have similar heft, although the surface of the Prym is more like the Inox greys; I find the Novis feel colder. The Novi has a slightly smoother join, but the sharp bend tends to make the fabric fall away from the point more quickly than the Prym so I tend to feel as if I’m constantly pulling the fabric up on the needle again. Of these two, I prefer the Prym, but both needles are about equally sharp even though the Prym has a longer throat than the Novi.

However, once again I prefer the Jenkins here. The photo doesn’t do the point or join justice; they’re magnificent, and I’ve already moved a lace WIP to these needles.

4.5mm circs

From top to bottom, Holtz & Stein or Susanne’s ebony Crystal Palace bamboo, and Novi for comparison. In the larger sizes, Novi becomes downright blunt, and this is definitely not my needle of choice. This brand seems to be at its best in the smaller diameters. Crystal Palace has a decent point and a join that very much—to my way of thinking—resembles the H&S needles. They have a longer throat than the H&S needles, and the CP needles are a hair lighter than the H&S needles. However, the H&S needles have the advantage here for me because their cable is softer and more flexible. Of these three, I turn to the H&S needles first for lace work, then the CP needles. Novi doesn’t even enter the picture here.

Of all the needles, I have to say that I’ve fallen in love with the Jenkins needles first and foremost for lace knitting where I like a teeny bit of grip instead of a glass-like surface. The points and joins are brilliant, and the cable is heaven. Holt & Stein follows, and Inox and Crystal Palace follow them. In this category, Prym, Novi, and Pony fall at the bottom of my list and in that order.  The cable on the Pony bothers me so much that I’ll put a knitting project on hold rather than buy a Pony needle.

If I’m knitting a heavy woolen fabric, such as a multiple-color sweater, then I prefer the Inox and PT/Addis; both brands allow smooth movement of the fabric and have good points, and are strong enough to carry the weight. Prym and Novi fall in the middle of the scale here, but they’re not my first choice. Pony falls on the absolute bottom simply because of the cable.

In truth, the Jenkins needles are my new favorites, and I just have to brag on them.  Ed and Wanda have done a marvelous job of coming up with these smaller sizes, and I’m unutterably pleased with them.