Needles…so many needles
So, people ask, so let's talk a bit about long dpns. I haven't yet found a perfect source for them (translation, I buy them where I can and hoard them like a greedy dragon). My very favorite ones are some bamboo needles I found at Daiso in San Francisco about six years ago. I've looked for more every time I've been back, but without any luck. But if you live near one, by all means look. I've also got some wooden ones from a vendor I won't name that I thought would be great, but they ended up being so [...]
Well stocked
Today's Yarn Love Challenge prompt was multiples. And it seemed like a fine reason to dig out some of my DPNs and show them off. These are just my long ones (like 12 inches and up), and they're grouped by size, 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 6s, 7s, 8s, and 9s. You can see that I have several sets of at least a couple of those. Especially the 3s as I find those are my favorite for hats and cowls (and I've got an extra set of 2 and a new set of 1.5s on the way). The pile of short [...]
Pairing
Have I mentioned recently that I believe in swatching? Swatching teaches you all sorts of things. It tells you what size your finished thing will be. But it also tells you if that yarn and that stitch want to play well together. And sometimes...sometimes it tells you that your yarn and needle combo is not meant to be. You'll recall I was all excited to go back to knitting a hat on DPNs (after having grudgingly knit the last one on circs). I had my awesome new Indian Lake Artisan needles all lined up and ready to go. And I [...]
Not purple…still a hat
So it's been sort of all purple all the time around here. The hearts and the hat and before that the slipper were all rocking the purple. So I think it's time we bring on some blue. I mean not too much (we all know blue is not my favorite shade)...and not for too long (because that second slipper needs to happen and it's firmly back in the purple camp). But a little break from the purple could be good. That's Manos's Silk Blend in (I think) Ice Melt. And it's getting knit up with my shiny new Indian Lake [...]
Proof
There. I can now say, with certainty, that I am perfectly able to knit a hat on circular needles. Turns out I can also say, with equal certainty, that it is not my preferred method of knitting a hat. I figured out that I just really really REALLY dislike sliding the stitches off of the cable and back onto the needle. The physical sensation of it is just unpleasant. And I'm not a tight knitter, so I don't think that is the problem. So unless someone makes circs where the cable and the needle are nearly the same size, I [...]
Proof of Concept…
So I mean yes, it does seem to be technically possible for me to knit with circular needles... But I'm still finding it deeply, deeply awkward. But I still fail to have suitable long DPNs in this size, and I still do not want to knit a hat on short DPNs (I've done it, it's pain). So I'm still pretending this will work. Tell me it eventually feels less like wrestling with an angry squid? And in case it doesn't, lots of lovely folks recommended the needles from Indian Lake Artisans when I posted about this on instagram. They apparently [...]
Wash them
Wash your knitting needles people. You spend hours holding them. Anything that's on your hands (lotion...hair stuff...chapstick...possibly that pizza you had for lunch) is on there too. Just chuck them a sink full of warm soapy water (ahem, making sure you don't send them down the drain...that's no fun) and let them hang out for a bit. You can use the same soap you use to wash/block your knits, I like Soak (as always, amazon links are affiliate links). After they've sat for a few minutes, rinse them off, and dry them off with a soft towel. They'll feel so [...]
Suitably Matched
Way back when I was a brand new knitter (think 'had to look up how to purl because it seemed sort of tricky' level of new), I read a pattern that said something like 'cast on 24 stitches with appropriate yarn and suitably matched needles.' And somehow I got it into my head that 'suitably matched' meant 'needles that look pretty with your yarn.' I'll just let you imagine how well that worked out. It's a wonder I ever got the hang of this. But that incident has left me with a tendency to grin every time my needles happen [...]
Flake
Remember back in August, when I was so excited for lovely, long DPNs? And bought three sets? And loved them with an undying fervor? Yeah. So here's how that turned out. It's a bit hard hard to take a picture of, but if you look closely, you can see that the tip is flaking rather badly. It's happening to all three sets. I get that needles are tools, and that tools show signs of use over time. I don't expect tools to last forever. But I've had the needles for less than five months, and they've only been used for [...]
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