Foursquare Needle Review

Foursquare Majestic Wood Double Pointed Needles

Sold from KnitPicks

Depending on length of needles, available in US sizes 0-11

Cost: $7.99-10.99

I am working on a cardigan for my husband, and I was delighted to see the pattern called for size 8 double pointed needles.  I, in fact, did not own any size 8 dpns and was happy to have an excuse to finally buy a new set.  I was mostly excited because I have been wanting to try square knitting needles for quite some time.  However, when I have a set of very serviceable needles in the required size already in my collection (that just happen to be round and not square), it's hard to justify going out and buying more.  This cardigan solved my problem.  Yay!

So, with great anticipation, 17.5" of the body worked and permission to move on to the sleeve, I pulled out my brand new 8" Foursquare Majestic Wood double pointed needles from KnitPicks.  I figure, double points were a good way to really test these needles out, too...take them for an in-the-round spin, so to speak.  

First, let's talk about their appearance.  I am a huge fan of wood needles, always have been.  KnitPicks has some particularly beautiful needles in a variety of woods and finishes.  The Foursquare needles are the laminated birch wood in the "majestic" colorway, meaning they have a nice combination of blues, purples and greens.  These needles have what I would call a "high gloss" finish, which surprised me, but I will get back to that in a moment.  As the name implies, the needles are square, having four flat sides with slightly rounded edges.  They come to a nice, rounded point (on both ends, in the case of the double pointed needles).  They are the same size as their rounded counterparts, meaning you can use the same hole in a gauge to see what size needle you are dealing with.  

*Side note: Luckily my stitch matched my gauge from the round needles I worked with throughout the rest of the sweater.  KnitPicks does encourage you to check, however, as some people's stitch size is different when they switch from the round to the square needles.

Now that the appearance is taken care of, let's talk mechanics.  As I mentioned, these needles are very glossy.  I was worried, especially working in the round, that this would lead to stitches easily falling off.  However, those crafty designers at KnitPicks know what they are doing.  I guess it's the perfect blend of gloss and edge, my stitches slide off easily when I want them, but stay put when I don't.   I found these needles to work very well with my tweed wool in my current project, making every stitch feel consistent and smooth.  I like that the needles are offered in a variety of lengths (4, 5, 6, 8"); I personally like working with the longer 8" for worsted weight yarns.  These 8" needles are available in sizes 4-11. However, I did see that sizes 0-3 (with the more precise metric sizes included) were also available in the 4-6" lengths.

Bottom Line:  If you are looking to try something new, I would recommend getting a pair of these needles. Especially if you enjoy wood needles.  I am sure they are not for everyone (as is the case with all needles) but I really have enjoyed knitting with them.  I get consistent stitches and the motion of knitting is very comfortable.  The needles fit well in my fingers and the flat sides might actually help with my grip.  And of course these needles look beautiful, too, with their swirls of greens and blues acting as eye candy as you knit.  For such an affordable price, these are great needles.  I plan on buying more.