New Interchangeable Needle Checklist

Interchangeable knitting needles are a wonderful investment to your knitting tool collection. They also make a great gift to put on your wishlist. I gifted myself a new set of interchangeable needles this year at the holidays. Maybe you did, too?

Regardless of who did the gifting or the receiving, lots of interchangeables seem to be newly in circulation after the holidays each year. I wanted to share with you all how I unbox my interchangeable needle sets; I don’t know many knitters who do it this way and I think there are some helpful tips I can share from my own weird post-purchase scenarios.

Interchangeable knitting needles are very functional, should last for years and years, and are a worthwhile addition to a knitters tool cache; they are also an investment. Doing a quick, but thorough, once-over of your new purchase can help you recognize any missing pieces, defective parts, or issues soon after the purchase will make for an easier experience if you need to return to the vendor/seller/retailer to ask for replacements. Calling on the seller months down the line, when pieces could have been lost, used or damaged through normal wear, makes it harder for you to be taken in good faith.

If you prefer audio, I’ve linked the video below for you to watch (My new set of needles are from ChiaoGoo – their special edition Forte needles – and I talk about these a bit more in the video!). If you watch on YouTube, please like and subscribe while you’re there – it really goes a long way in helping others find my content!

After you open your needles and squee a bit, appreciate the aesthetics of the new set and get the stars out of your eyes, I recommend you grab the documentation card that came with your set and lay everything out. (Just like the IKEA directions recommend…) This quick inventory ensures that you received all the pieces and parts that you were expecting. Mass production being what it is, mistakes can happen when sets are being assembled. Better to discover missing pieces now than later, when you need them… and it’s after business hours… and you have a new project you’ve decided to cast on… that requires that one missing piece. Because of course it does.

Next, grab your needle sizer (either the included one or one from your notions) and check every needle tip in your set. Make sure you have 2 needle tips in every size your set should include. I’ve had tips come mismatched – even on a fixed circular needle! (That discovery explained my gauge and tension issues on that project really quickly!!) If you have mixed media needle tips, like a metal join glued to a wooden needle shaft, check to be sure each connection has been glued correctly, without divets that will grab your yarn.

After that, check each needle tip and cable to ensure that it will connect smoothly and snugly. The threaded metal joins can have burrs that would prevent the two from joining smoothly or screwing in all the way. It’s not common, but it will sideline you if there’s a metal burr inside the cable. This can sometimes contribute to cables coming loose while knitting!

Did you get a new set of needles over the holidays as well? Do you have a process when you bring home a new tool set? Have you heard any of these tips before? Does this leave you with more questions than answers? Leave them in the comments below and you may see a video response soon!