Knit Picks Options Review

My Knit Picks Options Set arrived today! Ordered Wednesday afternoon, arrived today afternoon. I paid for express shipping. I spent the afternoon today, organizing and labeling my Knit Picks pockets and preparing to put my Wright Boye Knit Mates up for sale on eBay.

Brief Knit Picks Options Review

Pros:
- Needle joins are smooth.
- The cables are flexible and come in different lengths (24, 32, 47, 60 inches).
- The Options notebook organizer is great.

Cons:
Super Sharp Needle Tips
- While pushing stitches along, you have to be careful NOT to puncture your fingers. These points are very, very sharp! The new Addi Turbo Lace Needles have perfectly sharpened tips...not too sharp, but pointed enough for the most delicate laceweight lace.
Labeling
- Color code, engrave, etch the sizes on the needle tip join and cables. The Wright Boye Knit Mates are all color coded, so you can tell at a glance what size needle tips you have.
Needle Tip Grip Pad
- Include a grip pad so you can hold the needle tip stable while you tighten the key to attach the needle tip to the cable.
Hand fatigue
- These tips are heavier than Addi Turbos, therefore you can't knit as long.
Needle Pocket Labels
Most people slide the Knit Picks Needle Size ID Tags inside the pockets to indicate what size needle tips are inside, but I used my Dymo label machine to print out labels in US and metric sizes for my needle tips and cables. Perhaps, they can include a set of stickers to stick on the pockets or label cards and card slots?
Needle End Caps and Cable Keys
- Discontinue inclusion of the end caps and cable keys sets with every set of needle tips. The end caps are being wasted. Offer them as an additional purchase after an initial set of 4-8 end caps with the full Options Set because they can be used with the cables to cap off both ends as a stitch holder. However, from reading other knit blogs, I think most of us purchase the options to use as circulars, not straights.
- I have no use for the Knit Picks Needle Size ID Tags. At first, I had no idea how I would use them, then I figured out that I could use them with the end caps to indicate the size of the needle tips when knitting flat (straights), BUT wouldn't that be annoying to have this tag dangling and gangling. Perhaps if they made a disc that snaps into the end cap or make a special set of numbered end caps?
Needle Cables
- The cables do have some memory and may need to be dipped in hot water to straighten them out totally.
- No 12" or 16" cable length.
- No cable connector. Develop a threaded cable connector to allow us to combine our cables to attain odd or custom lengths.
Miscellany
- Include the Knit Picks View Sizer in the Options kit.

My overall opinion is that this is not an ideal solution, but it is the best "option" available for the price point and availability. I'm not sure why Knit Picks would implement a product line without conducting primary research (interviews, surveys, focus groups) from the knitting community. This is the second product launch, in recent history, where it appears the company didn't take knitter input into consideration before launching. Case in point, the KIPer bags have been discontinued and are being clearanced in less than a year. Here's my review of the KIPer bag. I provided this feedback to Knit Picks and will, also, submit this review. I'm still an Addi Turbo freak, but circumstances being what they are...I had to go with the readily available solution for now. The new Addi Turbo Lace Needles are in short supply and it appears to be AT LEAST 6 months before Skacel will have a significant number ready to sell.

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Additional Reviews:

Knitters Review Tool Talk "Knit Picks "Options" needles?!!"
Knitters Review "Needle Profile: Knit Pick Options"
Grumperina "Weighing in"
The Fiber Fetishist "Knit Picks Options Needles General Impression"