Brittany Needles and Hooks – Review & Giveaway

This post contains affiliate links. If you click one of these links and make a purchase, I may be compensated. Brittany gave me a free hook and pair of needles for this review, but the opinions are my own. 

I met Chris and Michri, the owners of Brittany, at a conference earlier this year. I was drooling over their crochet hooks and knitting needles, and they were nice enough to give me one of each to try out and review for you. They’re also providing one lucky winner with either birch needles or a birch hook! See all the details below and enter for a chance to win.

As you will see below, these needles and hook are nothing like what I would typically pick out. That makes it all the more exciting to have been able to try them!

The Knitting Needles

Wood:

I’ve always thought metal needles were stronger, but these needles proved me wrong. They feel just as strong as any of my metal needles. After 2 or 3 swatches, rattling around my office, and getting lost in my couch, they’re still as good as new.

The finish is not quite as slippery as metal, but is actually more slippery than I thought it would be. I don’t feel like they slowed me down at all. In fact, for more complicated projects, they were easier to work with because I felt like I had a little more control over the stitches.

I also thought wood might not be as sharp at the point, but I didn’t actually notice any difference between the points on these and on my metal needles. They were just right.

Length:

I hate long, straight needles and always preferred circulars from the first time I tried them. When I told them this, Chris and Michri gave me their 6.5 inch needles to try.

I am in love with this length! The first project I tried was my I’m Still Stranding, 6-inch blanket square pattern for the Harmony Blanket KAL. It was like these needles were made specifically for this project.

You can see them in action in my Fair Isle Locked Down tutorial. In fact you may see them a lot more, because it turns out these needles are fabulous for videos! There’s no extra length to get in the way, and no cords to click against the table with every stitch.

The Crochet Hook

I had the same experience with the material of the hook as with the needle. It was smooth and worked as well as the metal I’m used to. You can see this hook in action in the tutorial for my Ghostly Garland pattern.

Grip:

As I crochet more (and get older), I find that I need to watch out for hand strain. The hooks I typically use have rubberized, ergonomic grips, which help a lot. The Brittany hooks have straight shafts without a grip.

I didn’t have too much issue with hand strain while using it, and that may be because it’s so light. After using it for a bit, my normal hook feels really heavy. My hand did tend to move around a lot more than usual though, and I sometimes found myself holding the hook from the decorative ridges at the back.

If the grip did become an issue for me, I could always add one. Without a grip though, this is a great hook for Tunisian crochet! I was swatching for an entrelac pattern and it was simply perfect. At about 7 inches, it’s just the right length for those smaller rows.

Tip:

Here’s where they lost me a bit, but this is absolutely a personal preference. This hook has an inline tip, and I much prefer tapered.

In fact, I’m afraid I’ve gotten so used to a tapered hook that I find myself splitting my yarn a lot with the inline hook. For some reason, it doesn’t bother me as much with Tunisian crochet though, so I still think this hook is perfect for that.

Works of Art

Brittany needles and hooks are absolutely gorgeous – this is why I was drooling over them at the conference to begin with. Every one of their needles and hooks is a work of art.

The shafts are straight and even, the wood is smooth and silky, and the decorative bits at the ends are lovely. They have become the showpieces of my collection, because pictures like this just make me happy.

The verdict

Working on this review really made me realize that different types of tools are better for different types of projects. I was not expecting to like these as much as I did, and have found perfect uses for both of them.

Needles:

The 6.5 inch needles will become my go-to needles for videos and for narrow projects like blanket squares or scarves. They are the best of both worlds, without the extra length of most straight needles, and without any cords to get in the way.

Hook:

This hook is lovely, and is likely to show up as a photo prop in my pictures. It’s probably not going to replace my favorite set for everyday use, but again that’s because of my personal preference about the style of tip. It will definitely become my go-to for entrelac and small tunisian projects though.

How to Buy:

I have the 4.5 mm size in both the needles and hook, and I like them enough that I plan to order a couple more in other sizes when I need them. Brittany does not sell their products directly through their site, but they have a list of on-line stores where you can buy them. You may also be able to find them in an LYS near you.

Enter to win

Enter here to win one of these lovely tools for yourself! The winner can choose either a birch crochet hook, or a birch pair of needles, and can choose the size as well.

This prize is generously provided by Brittany. To be eligible, you must be 18 years of age or older, with a valid, US shipping address.

The winner will be contacted by email, and must reply to that email and provide their selections and the shipping address within 1 week in order to receive the prize. If the winner does not reply within 1 week, a new winner will be selected. The giveaway ends on October 7th, 2018 (at 11:59pm, central time). Hurry and enter below! 

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