THE REVIEW

When I first learned how to knit and for many years after, I, like many knitters, did almost all of my shopping at my local Joann’s or Michaels (after our local Woolworths closed). One of the most common brands a knitter will encounter when starting to knit is Clover. Clover Bamboo needles (typically my go-to needle) are probably the tool that most knitters will encounter first, but stitch markers aren’t much further behind. For the uninitiated, stitch markers are quite useful for tracking pattern repeats and stitch counts. For example, the Wanda Estelle Poncho has a seed stitch border, and a field of stockinette before breaking into the cabled pattern. To make sure that errors aren’t made, placing stitch markers to denote where the border starts and ends and where the cable pattern/stockinette fields transition into each other is a good way to minimize mistakes and ensure that dropped stitches or errors are quickly caught. I’ve also used stitch markers to help track stitch counts, marking off every ten or twenty stitches to make counting easier when I’m dealing with large stitch counts. INITIAL REACTIONS: The stitch markers are soft and quite malleable. They come in two sizes, small and large. The small needles are designed to work with needles sized 0 – 5 US, and the larger ones for needles sized 5 – 11 US. They are definitely soft; I’m able to easily manipulate the shape of the markers without causing any distortion. THE TESTS:  When working with thicker yarns, like a bulky-weighted yarn (e.g., Fisherman’s Wool by Lion Brand), these markers perform beautifully. They slide easily from needle-to-needle, allowing me to work straight through uninterrupted. I also enjoy working with them when using worsted-weight yarn with size 7 and 8 needles. I get no gaps and my work looks smooth and nice. These are my preferred stitch markers when working with heavier-weighted yarns. However, when moving to a lighter-weight yarn with a size 8 needle, the markers did not perform quite as well. I made the Light-and-Up Shawl using size 8 needles and Malabrigo sock yarn. However, I ended up with big gaps at each place where I placed the stitch markers. I conducted the typical troubleshooting efforts of tugging the yarn tighter when working the stitch after the marker, and I played with my tension, all to no effect. I finally switched to the Coco Knits’ Stitch Markers to complete the project. All that being said, I’m not tossing my Clover Stitch Markers. I still love them and find them to be appropriate for most projects, and they are a good value.