Do kollage SQUARE™ needles really make a difference? The reviews are in!
April 12, 2021
As a crafter, your hands are your most valuable tool. Even if you’re not currently experiencing hand or wrist pain, it’s worth treating them right by selecting needles and hooks that support all the hard work they’ll be doing for years to come!
Our SQUARE™ needles and hooks are perfect for knitters who have arthritis, carpal tunnel, and stiffness or joint pain in their wrists and fingers. SQUARE™ needles and crochet hooks decrease contact stress by giving your fingers a flat surface to rest on while knitting. This is different from traditionally-shaped round needles and hooks, which force your fingers to rest on smaller, convex-shaped surface areas. Reducing contact stress relieves strain and tension in your fingers, which in turn decreases hand and wrist discomfort while knitting.
But you don’t have to take our word for it; we’ve got customers who will happily tell you what they think!
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Caitlin (@aurora.design.co) In mid 2015 I was waking up every morning for over a month at around 4 AM with horrific pain, numbness, and tingling in my hands. One morning the pain was so bad that I finally went to my doctor, and she immediately diagnosed me with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). I want to do everything in my power to avoid having the surgery. I have honestly only ever heard horror stories, and I am terrified the pain will get worse after the surgery.
I had been eyeballing these square ergonomic Kollage needles for over a year, but didn’t take the leap to purchase any until a few weeks ago. I got fixed circular 16” US size 8 needles with their soft cable, although next time I will probably get the firm cable. The website says that the square shape of the needles help relieve contact stress by giving the fingers a larger square surface to rest on, as opposed to a traditional curved round needle surface. One of the biggest things that happens with CTS is that your grip strength slowly deteriorates, so having a larger surface to grip and rest on is perfect! I started this new #cinnamonbunheadband with my needles and was able to notice a difference in my grip and pain/tension in my fingers after just a few hours of knitting! I have been using them for a few days now (this picture is older), so I decided to pick up my regular round circular needles and to see how they felt in comparison. The difference in how I am able to hold on to the needles is completely different – I do not feel like the square needles are going to slip right out of my hands due to my poor grip strength! I am SO excited to try more needles! I am especially looking forward to using smaller needles with fingering weight yarn, as that is usually when people with CTS experience the most amount of pain.
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Shinobu Mary T (@chiccoiiine): I’m also trying out these #kollagesquareneedles and I adore them! The needles are ultra lightweight and sit so well in my hands! I wasn’t really sure about how it would feel about square needles but just so comfortable to knit. They’re also ergonomic so I don’t need to worry about my wrist pain back!
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Andrea: The needle arrived last week. I wanted to do a test swatch to see if there was a significant change in the tension from a traditional needle of the same size, and there was not. When working with them, I didn’t notice a difference in the strain on my hands, but then I decided to do a test swatch with traditional needles to see what differences there might be in how the finished product looked. I was AMAZED at how much more strain I felt, that I had never noticed before (just because it was what I was used to, I guess). I couldn’t wait to switch back to the SQUARE™! I have the 284 stitches for my afghan cast on, and 4 rows completed, and I’m plotting how to discover which size needles I should order for my sisters for Christmas!”
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Laura (@thelaurelcrown.ca): The square ergonomic wooden handle of the kollage square crochet hooks is by far my favourite aspect of this hook. It prevents hand cramping and callus build up from extended crocheting while keeping proper form of your hand on the hook. I found that the hook length could be slightly longer as taller stitches with thicker yarn did not have enough space on the hook length (possibly 2mm longer would be enough). The pointed tip works best with worsted weight or baby yarn that is wrapped well together versus a thicker wool like yarn. Overall, I thoroughly enjoy this hook and hope to add more of them to my collection and work them into my regular everyday use for my business projects.
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Sherri: “I have needles from every major knitting needle manufacturer and kollage SQUARE™ needles are my favorites. I can knit longer, and with far less hand fatigue.
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Rebecca: “I began knitting in 2008, and I’m not kidding when I say I’ve tried almost every type of knitting needle on the market. When I got my first pair of Kollage Square Circular needles, I was skeptical – they couldn’t be THAT different, could they? Imagine my surprise when I realized that my chronic wrist pain had alleviated, and I was able to knit for hours without strain! My physiotherapist could even tell the difference, and now I have orders to never use any other type of needles again. I’m a fan for life!”
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What are you waiting for? Give kollage SQUARE™ needles and hooks a try – we can’t wait to hear what you think! Visit our retailer map to learn where to purchase near you.
