Thank You Denise But it is Time to Move On

I have been knitting my Deep and Unrelenting Caramel for what seems to me about 5 months now. In reality it has only been 2 months but it seems soooo much longer.

Might this be my first sweater
that fits me properly?
 So far so good.

And why does it seem like it is taking forever? This top-down open cardigan is knit in one piece, which makes for some very long rows. I've separated for the sleeves and now I am well under each arm but each row is still taking me about 20-30 minutes to knit. Yes, you read that correct... 20 to 30 minutes PER ROW. OMG this sweater is going to take forever to knit!

Part of the problem is that I am a slow knitter and I don't have a lot of time to knit each day; I consider myself lucky if I get 30 minutes a day to devote to knitting. And, as I said, the rows are very long. (I'm a thrower not a picker.) But I think that this is only part of my issue. I think I really need to change needles.

Let me explain:

When I first started knitting I bought the best set of needles that I could both find and afford. I didn't have much choice at my LYS but I was very happy with my purchase of a set of plastic circular Denise Interchangeable Needles. I recall that they cost me about $75. I have used these needles over and over again for many years now. And until now I have never had any complaint.

Photo Credit: Denise Interchangeable

I'm not sure when it started but I recently started noticing things that I didn't like about these same needles that I had used a hundred times before: the flexibility and dullness of the tips and my current issue- the thickness and stickiness of the cord.

I think that plastic needles are absolutely fabulous for a new knitter. They do exactly what you need them to do:  hold your stitches in place very securely as you fumble your way around the needles. At some point along the way I transitioned from needing my stitches held where I left them to wanting them to slip and slide along faster.

One of my favourite Canadian knit bloggers, Miso Crafty Knits, did a series of reviews of needles recently. (Here, here, and here) I found her reviews very thorough and thoughtful and this really got me thinking about what needles I use and why.

So today I made the leap. I splurged and bought myself a new set of addi-turbo click Lace-Long tips. 

OOOH, aren't they pretty?

They are circular interchangeable needles with long, sharp tips. The cords come in a variety of sizes and are of small diameter, even as compared to the smallest needles in the set. The cords are also very flexible. I am very happy with my purchase!

Now let's see if they help me move any faster on my sweater!

The changing of the guard.

It's a process, knitter.