It doesn't rain but it pours, so i'm going to write up my opinion about the Addi Turbos. I'd heard good things about them for a long time, but i'm wary of metal needles: my first couple of pairs were too heavy, the ones i inherited from my Grandma no longer have smooth tips, and i've heard that they can explode in cars due to static electricity or some such. However, after knitting up the Boing socks separately, months apart, and with a gauge issues that made them two slightly different sizes, i was looking for a new solution to sock knitting that wouldn't leave me wanting to quit before i've even started. The Brittany birch dpns (though lovely) tend to be too fragile in size 1 and 2 for my klutzy ways, and they're too short to for comfort (in my opinion, 7'5" isn't long enough, let alone 5", without risking dropped sts or adding weight with point protectors that fall off anyway), so i was looking for a new solution.
I did a little research, and can definitely see that sock knitting is largely about personal preference. Some people knit two pairs of socks on one set of dpns (one inside the other) but most people seem to knit one sock at a time on one set of dpns. But i'm one of those people who, upon completing the first sock, despairs at the thought of starting a second. To me, binding off = project finished = time to wear. Which is why i had two matching socks that don't fit exactly the same way and were knit months apart from each other. So, when i stumbled upon the idea of knitting both socks at once, on two circulars or with one long circular and a magic loop, i decided this would be the way to go for me.
Which is why i decided to buy some Addi Turbos. They are smooth, lightweight, the cables are thin, and my Bees Toes socks knitted up quickly and like a dream. The cables are a bit stiff, but my guess of 32" long proved to suit my needs nicely. They're already showing a little wear, but the tips are still smooth and i anticipate creating more projects with them. 5 out of 5 stars here.
What i have discovered, however, is that my tension is very loose compared to most people (perhaps this is because i now knit Continental style, rather than English: i know that my tension while knitting English is tighter). I originally thought i had bought size 2s (they were on the wrong hook, i'm guessing, as it's all right next door to each other), when i really had size 1s but was getting the gauge i expected from 2s. So i went out to buy a set of 1s only to discover that i already had that size! I now own a pair of size 0s and would like to order some 00 and 000 eventually. I still haven't decided if i want to get the size 3 tips to match my interchangeable set or just go with another set of Turbos. It will be a hard choice.
There is a difference in cables. My first set was just a Turbo, and has a beige cord. My second set was a Turbo Lace and had a light blue cord that was slightly more flexible, so i prefer using them. They've now changed the Lace cords to red, apparently, so i have no idea if those are more or less flexible than the blue ones.
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