Knit with steel points on shafts that are warm and light in the hand. Fourteen sizes, US-2 (2.75 mm) through US-15 (10 mm), on 5-inch (13 cm) tips with laser-etched stainless steel ends, carbon fiber shafts in the small sizes and African Blackwood in the large, with nine cables and a full tool kit in a zippered case. This set includes:

Needle Tips

• 8 pairs of 5-inch (13 cm) carbon fiber tips with stainless steel points: US-2 (2.75 mm), 2.5 (3 mm), 3 (3.25 mm), 4 (3.5 mm), 5 (3.75 mm), 6 (4 mm), 7 (4.5 mm), and 8 (5 mm), all on the Small [S] join
• 6 pairs of 5-inch (13 cm) African Blackwood tips with stainless steel points: US-9 (5.5 mm), 10 (6 mm), 10.5 (6.5 mm), 11 (8 mm), 13 (9 mm), and 15 (10 mm), all on the Large [L] join

Cables

• 6 silver SWIV360 cables, memory-free multi-strand steel with a nylon coating and a swivel at each join, three per join size: 14-inch (35 cm), 22-inch (55 cm), and 30-inch (75 cm) in [S], and the same three lengths in [L]
• 3 red TWIST [S] cables, the same cable without the swivel: 14-inch (35 cm), 22-inch (55 cm), and 30-inch (75 cm)

Accessories

• A metal tin, 2.5 x 1.6 inches (6.5 x 4 cm), the same ChiaoGoo Tools Kit we sell on its own, holding 4 cable connectors and 4 end stoppers, two of each in Small [S] and two in Large [L], plus 2 adapters that put an [L] tip on an [S] cable, 2 tightening keys, 2 darning needles, 2 safety pins, 20 metal stitch markers, and a heart-shaped rubber gripper
• Steel scissors, a retractable tape measure, and a two-sided swatch ruler with a 14-hole needle gauge, each in its own pocket or strap

Case

• Case in a man-made leather-look material, zippered around three sides to open like a book, with a removable double-sided needle board that holds all 14 pairs in elastic loops, an elastic strap that holds the tin and tools, and four pockets for patterns and notions

What This Set Makes

Any pair of tips on the 14-inch cable makes a 24-inch (61 cm) circular; on the 22-inch cable, a 32-inch (81 cm) circular; on the 30-inch cable, a 40-inch (101 cm) circular. Each length comes in both join sizes, so all 14 sizes can be built at all three lengths: 42 circular needles from one case. The SWIV360 cables turn with the work instead of twisting; the three red TWIST [S] cables are there for the times a swivel join slows fibrous yarn at fine gauges. Longer [S] and [L] SWIV360 cables, sold separately in 37 and 50 inches, take these tips to 47- and 60-inch circulars. (All measurements are approximate.)

For 5-inch tips, US-2 through US-8 tips use the Small [S] join and US-9 through US-15 use the Large [L] join, so every ChiaoGoo tip, cable, and connector marked [S] or [L] works with this set, TWIST and SPIN included.

Other ChiaoGoo Interchangeable Sets

This is ChiaoGoo's one FORTÉ set; there is no Small or Large version. The rest of the family fills in around it:

• The same sizes in stainless steel: the TWIST 5-Inch Complete Set (US-2 through US-15), pointed surgical stainless steel lace tips with red cables, and the TWIST 4-Inch Complete Set for 16-inch circulars.
• The same sizes in bamboo: the SPIN 5-Inch Complete Set (US-2 through US-15), Moso bamboo tips with SWIV360 cables.
• Socks and fine sizes: the TWIST Shorties sets for socks knit directly in the round, and the Mini sets for US-000 through US-1.5.

Not sure which set fits how you knit? Our guide, Which ChiaoGoo Interchangeable Set Should You Buy?, compares them, and the tip length guide covers 4-inch versus 5-inch.

Product Details

• Brand: ChiaoGoo
• Item #: 4500-C
• Line: FORTÉ 2.0
• Material: Carbon fiber shafts (US-2 to US-8) and African Blackwood shafts (US-9 to US-15), all with stainless steel points and joins; nylon-coated multi-strand steel cables, six SWIV360 with swivel joins and three red TWIST
• Tip Length: 5 inches (13 cm)
• Tier: Complete Set
• Sizes Included: US-2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10.5, 11, 13, and 15 (2.75 mm to 10 mm), 14 pairs
• Cables: 14-inch, 22-inch, and 30-inch SWIV360 in both [S] and [L], plus the same three lengths in red TWIST [S], for 24-, 32-, and 40-inch circulars
• Join Size: Small [S] and Large [L]
• Accessories: Metal tin holding 4 cable connectors, 4 end stoppers, 2 [L]-tip-to-[S]-cable adapters, 2 tightening keys, 2 darning needles, 2 safety pins, 20 stitch markers, and a rubber gripper; scissors, tape measure, and a swatch ruler with 14-hole needle gauge in their own pockets
• Case: Zippered case in a man-made leather-look material, opens like a book, removable double-sided needle board, four pockets
• Warranty: ChiaoGoo's lifetime warranty covers manufacturing defects for as long as the product should last in normal use. Smartisans is an authorized ChiaoGoo dealer, which the warranty requires.

Questions About This Set

Why two shaft materials?
Carbon fiber is strong at small diameters, where a wood needle would flex or snap, so the US-2 through US-8 tips are carbon fiber. Blackwood is dense and smooth at the larger diameters, so US-9 through US-15 are wood. Both have the same stainless steel points and joins, and both sit between slick stainless steel and grippy bamboo in how yarn moves over them.

Will this set make a 16-inch circular?
No. The shortest circular it builds is 24 inches. Hats and cowls on a 16-inch circular need 4-inch tips or a fixed 16-inch circular.

What is a SWIV360 cable, and does it kink?
The same memory-free multi-strand steel cable as the red TWIST cable, in silver, with a swivel built into each join so the cable turns as you knit instead of twisting. It is memory-free, not kink-free. ChiaoGoo attributes cable failure to repeated sharp bending, tight tension, and lifting heavy projects by the cable or joins, so lift by the needles. If a cable snaps, here is what to do.

What are the connectors, end stoppers, and adapters for?
All three are in the tin. A connector joins two cables of the same join size into one longer cable. End stoppers turn a cable into a stitch holder. The two adapters put an [L] tip on an [S] cable, so a US-9 or larger tip can knit on any of the six [S] cables in the case. The tin is the same tools kit we sell on its own, so replacements are easy to find.

Do the tips come loose while knitting?
They can if they are only finger-tight. Snug each tip with a tightening key through the hole at the cable's join, and check them now and then. Keeping your ChiaoGoo tips secure walks through it.

Is there a warranty?
Yes. ChiaoGoo's lifetime warranty covers manufacturing defects for as long as the product should last in normal use. Lifetime means the life of the product. ChiaoGoo requires purchase from an authorized dealer, which Smartisans is.