The Brittany Birch Cable Needles are actually my personal favorite. The wood is just slightly grabby to keep the yarn on the cable needle while working your other stitches, and the center is slightly more narrow than the edges. It makes for a very functional and easy to work with cable needle. Each set comes with 3 needles - each a different size to accomodate cabes from thin to thick yarn!  Each needle is approximately 3 3/4 inch long.