Minerva Product Testing - Prym Ergonomic Knitting Needles

I was delighted to find out a few weeks ago that I had been selected to be a Product Tester for Minerva - they have the biggest selection of fabric, knitting, haberdashery and crafts products in the UK.  Have a look at their website here for all kinds of crafting goodies.  I will be notified at intervals about new arrivals there and I can select a product I'd like to try from a list.  To start with, I've received two sets of Prym Ergonomic knitting needles.  I first came across the term ergonomic in my Open University days as being a description for something that can be used safely and easily with optimum productivity and where form follows function.  It’s something I wouldn’t normally associate with knitting needles…. surely a knitting needle is a knitting needle and that's it?  I was intrigued to find out what could be different, especially as a left hander – would I be able to cope with them?    

They are beautifully packaged and would make a lovely present.

The needles arrived in boxes with window fronts.  I could see why when I handled them - they are very lightweight and need some kind of support around them for a point of sale area.

My current knitting project is the Central Park Hoodie by Heather Lodinsky.  It can be found all over the web and was first was printed in the Autumn edition of the 2006 Knitscene magazine.  You can buy a downloadable pattern at the Knitting Daily store here.

Photograph copyright http://www.interweave.com/store/central-park-hoodie Reproduced here for the purposes of criticism and review only  

The yarn I'm using was bought for me as a birthday present and I am just commencing knitting again after all the busy events of last year!  Hopefully, I should be finished in time for autumn and winter this time round.  I have already had to undo the project once as the size I chose was coming up too small – I am using Lion Brand Wool Ease in Denim Twist, a wool and acrylic blend in a lovely mottled denim effect which knits up beautifully but is not the recommended 100% wool yarn for the pattern which would have knitted up bulkier.  Anyway, I've now finished the back, which gives you an idea of the cabling detail.  This was knitted on regular needles.

 I have since started a sleeve using my 4mm Prym needles.  

I have 4mm and 3mm needles to try and this rib was done on the 4mm.  The texture and tension of my knitting is the same as when using a regular needle.

You can see this by comparing with the rib of the finished back piece.

Needles are light alabaster coloured – good for knitting while watching tv in minimal light and when used in conjunction with dark coloured yarns such as this one.  They are also flexible and bendy – if you like that from a needle – therefore commuter friendly if you like to knit while you travel like me.  The larger size has the needle size printed on the body which is handy for identification.  They are triangular shaped which makes them comfortable to hold and use and I had no trouble with the needles in conjunction with my left handedness!  The Prym website explains that the triangle shape helps the stitches to glide easily.  

needle size printed on the body

The needles have a drop shaped tip too which, as Prym explain, has been done to help with picking up and guiding of yarn.

The grooved bobble end allows for clicking the other needle into place when not in use.

They are made from a high performance synthetic material which doesn’t get sticky in use from your hands.

This is me using the needles at our work craft club which meets each Wednesday lunchtime.  We try out any kind of crafting as an oasis from the work environment.  I find knitting or patchwork to be the most portable.

I love, love how the needles click together when not in use to stop stitches falling off.

However ... take note and make sure your work is well hidden in your bag when travelling.  The needles are so lightweight that one of them made the journey on its own to Kings Cross, as it must have pinged off and then out of my bag when I gathered up my things to alight at Cambridge.  I looked everywhere for it and came to the conclusion that the train was the only place where I could have lost it ...

Everything has been thought of with this product.  Priced at £5.99 per pair, that is quite reasonable and I liked using them, though given the light nature of these needles I think I would like to try out yarns such as laceweight with them.  Overall, an enjoyable experience for my first outing as a Product Tester!