Finally ordered; Hiya Hiya Sharp 5″ Steel Interchangeable Set (large)

By next week, I should have my Hiya Hiya 5″ Steel Sharp (large) set.  I ordered them a few moments ago…

Yesterday, the large set came in stock at Just Yarns. I’ve had my Hiya Hiya Steel (small) interchangeable set for over a month. My how time flies! I’m really liking the service I’ve receive there, and an added bonus is they offer discounts on orders over $40.

• 10% off $40
• 15% off $75
• 20% off $150

On their site, Hiya Hiya Sharp 5″ Steel Interchangeable Set (large) retails for $80. Because of the Just Yarn discount (and choosing free shipping) I only paid $68. I could have purchased them at other places, but these needles weren’t needed ASAP (as soon as possible) and as mentioned in an earlier post, I really like Just Yarn’s customer service and speedy shipment. I mainly use the smaller needles, usually sizes 1US/2.25mm – 4US/3.5mm, but occasionally I’ll knit something with larger needles.

You receive six Hiya Hiya knitting needles with the large set…

• 9US/5.5mm
• 10US/6mm
• 10.5US/6.5mm
• 11US/8mm
• 13US/9mm
• 15US/10mm

You also receive four cables to make needles that are 18″, 26″, 34″ and 42. Rubber grips to secure the needles are also included and the needles arrive in a brocade case.

Sometimes I find it hard to believe that I’ve only had my Hiya Hiya small set for a little over a month, but it’s true… since that time I’ve knitted exclusively with these needles, which shows how much I like them. My poor Knit Picks Options nickel plated needles haven’t been touched (except to package up a few and gift to someone) since I purchased my Hiya Hiyas. I didn’t have too many issues with the Knit Picks set, but I must admit for my knitting style, the Hiya Hiya Sharp needles are so much better.

Why I like my Hiya Hiya Sharps

1. My Hiya Hiya Sharps has a slightly longer needle taper than my Knit Picks needles – Perfect for picking up a lot of stitches, because of Knit Picks shorter taper I wasn’t able to do pick up as many stitches as easily as I can with my Hiya Hiya Sharps.
2. Hiya Hiya interchangeables start at size 2/2.75mm, Knit Picks starts at 4/3.5mm
3. Hiya Hiya interchangeable cables start at 16″, Knit Picks starts at 24″
4. Hiya Hiya joins are smoother than my Knit Picks needles
5. My Hiya Hiya knitting needles are steel not nickel plated like Knit Picks
6. Hiya Hiya has a swivel cable, Knit Picks doesn’t – Once I use the rubber grips to tighten the needles they don’t come undone. With Knit Picks I had to be proactive and manually tighten ever few rows. If I hadn’t my Knit Picks interchangeable needles would have come undone.
7. Hiya Hiya needle are printed with the US and MM needle sizes on each needle and cable – Etched or laser? I have no idea, all I know with the heavy use my needles have received this month, the print hasn’t worn off!  This is a minor detail since I keep a needle gauge with my crochet and knitting projects, but it’s a nice touch.
8. Hiya Hiya Steel needles are slightly lighter than my Knit Picks needles – another minor since it barely registers, but for someone where this might be an issue it’s good to know.
9. Gorgeous small brocade case to store needles. Don’t let the size fool you since it stores a lot! I have cables, tape measure, and cable connectors in mine. I know it’s another minor issue but I much prefer this to the plastic case that comes with Knit Picks.

Another perk is that one of the Hiya Hiya owners, Qianer, is on Ravelry. A very large crochet and knitting online community, it has over two million members worldwide. Her groups are Hiya Hiya needlers and Hiya Hiya Patterns and she’s also a knitting designer.  Qianer is very good at responding to questions (smart strategy for any company with an online presence is to interact with others) and I must say that I’m thrilled that one of the people behind Hiya Hiya needles has an online presence. I purchase a lot of items online, but I still like interaction, so this is a huge selling point for me!

I was planning on purchasing my Hiya Hiya large set from Just Yarns (about two weeks ago) but they were sold out! I waited since I wanted to order from them. I’ve checked the store daily, and was thrilled to see them back in stock yesterday.

Of course, this now means I can start knitting my Sylvi cardigan. Well technically, I could have started on it already since I do have the size needed with my Knit Picks Options set, but as I already mentioned I haven’t touched them since receiving my Hiya Hiyas. 😉