the knitting buzz

tools

"The tools you choose decides if the job will be easy or difficult. " 

This is a quote from my Dad from along time ago.  He is a retired architect and builder.  Of course he was talking about building tools & materials, like hammers & nails..... but I believe this is true for just about anything.

Knitting tools are no exception. Skill level will also play a huge role on the outcome of the tool.  Take for instance, Signature Needles. They are perfect for lace knitting due to the stiletto point and did you know, that 300 lace stitches will fit on a 7" straight needle. I love that!  The stiletto point and the slick finish make knitting effortless.They are, in my humble opinion, the best. BUT, they should probably come with a bit of a warning, they are not for everyone....the super slick finish can prove to be problematic for a newer knitter. They take some getting used to and totally worth the learning curve.

Addi Lace Circular Needles by Skacel are a great edition to any needle collection.  They offer a  pointy tip (not stiletto pointy, but more pointy than turbo's) and needles have a brass finish, which is somewhat slowing, giving the knitter more control.  This finish is great for slippery yarns & lace knitting. Whether you are new to lace knitting or a pro, you can appreciate these needles. Some prefer them over other needles just because of the pointy tip.

Addi Lace Clicks are an interchangeable needle set, but are slightly different than the Addi Lace Circular needles mentioned above.  They come with the same pointy tip but the finish is similar to the turbo finish. This is perfect for the individual who is ready for the Signature speed without the Signature pocket book or for the Addi Turbo lover who would prefer a pointy tip instead of the blunt tip.

So hen its all said and done..... its always about the tools.  In my humble opinion..... Tools are like shoes, the more the better.

Happy Knitting!

tick.... tick tick tick..... tick

My holiday knitting  seems to be "running in place", there really must be some catchy knitting metaphor that better describes my lack of progress.....well.... nothing comes to mind.  All the same, I feel like I am looking for anything to knit, except those items that have a ticking deadline. 

My sweet sister told me that I didn't need to get some hand knit socks to here by Christmas......and you never saw anything so quickly leave my knitting bag.  Sorry Sis...... I promise to have them finished when you visit.

Berroco said it best in their Knitbits e-Newsletter #370

 "Knitting for the holidays is not for the faint of heart. Leisurely knitting by a fireplace? More like frantic all-nighters, fueled by marshmallow laced hot cocoa." 

I really thought my gift list was limited enough to a select few, but yet I'm getting to the frantic stage.  I really think its because December is near and the clock starts ticking louder and louder and louder.

I really hope this isn't happening to you, but I have a feeling that most knitters are alike and have visions of grandeur on what is possible to accomplish. Promising themselves that it will be a piece of cake and it could never be as bad as last year. If this is the case, I wish you much focus and lots of yummy hot cocoa.

 My goal is to finish another project or two before the end of the month.....yes, I know that is next Tuesday. Yikes! Got to go....must knit.

Happy Knitting!

happy thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is truly my favorite holiday.  There is no other holiday where we can dedicate some time to be thankful for our friends, our family and all our riches....even if our riches are that we are rich in spirit.

Of course, I also love giving thanks symbolized by "the feast". I know everyone has their favorites and their own traditions.....whether its the stuffing, the pumpkin pie, the cranberry relish or all of it together. Even though the menu doesn't change much from year to year, I look forward to it all the same.

I love the parade and the welcoming of the Christmas season and of course Santa Claus. I love having another day of football, because its the perfect time to .....dare I say, knit!

So I want to take this moment to say THANK YOU to all my wonderful friends, my supportive family, my dedicated readers and the many many knitters who have purchased my designs for making every day, in every way, better and better.

Lastly, I want to share a poem that I have always loved about family, friends & those that touch our lives.

We are a part of a tree.

Which began as a seed

And grew tall and strong

There are many branches,

Each receiving strength from the roots

There are many leaves

Each full and green .... offering shade

Some day we will blossom

Each in our own time

In our own way

And though the wind may shake us

We will remain a part of the tree

Ever growing

Ever blossoming

Evergreen

 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

unstripe to unspiral

Did you know?

I love most sock yarn, but my least favorite  happens to be hand-dyed yarns that do that spiral stripey thing. With that said, I took the pattern that I shared earlier this week, of "how to unstripe" a stripeing sock yarn and tried the same approach with a predictable spiraling hand-dye sock yarn.

The photos are showing both sides of the work.

I can't believe I am saying this.......but I am liking the results.  Even though there is still a hint of spiraling, I'm liking it!

The yarn that I am using is Socks that Rock Lightweight Sock Yarn from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. On a crazy buying spree during my visit to Seattle, I had the uncontrollable urge to buy 6 hanks of Socks that Rock. I simply couldn't choose, they were all so beautiful.  I couldn't wait to cast on and quickly found that even though the yarn itself was wonderful to work with, I (hate is such a strong word) didn't love the spiraling nature of the dyeing process.

But now, with a little experimentation, I'm a fan!!! I am so thrilled since I still have 4 hanks to go.

 

another tribute to the knit kit

 

"The Knit Kit" company has come out with their fourth color, in red,  of their ingenious knit kit. I am now the proud owner of the red knit kit, as well as the black & turquoise knit kits.

 

 
 I had sung the praises of the knit kit in an earlier post and admittedly did not buy into the concept on the first pass. They are perfect for travel and are TSA approved. However I have one for each knitting project that I am working on. Yes, I love them that much.

I love them so much that I now have this secret desire to own them all (not so secret now, I suppose), but I am missing the first one that was ivory & pink.

If anyone knows where I can get my hands on one of the originals.......lets just say, I am most interested. = )

how to unstripe

Holiday Sock-a-thon knitting has a tendancy to get a bit redundant. Churning out a  stockinette socks one after another to capitalize on speed, using computer engineered and hand-dyed yarns to preserve the interest, resulting in the maximum quantity of Holiday sock knitting for the deadline.....December 25th or sooner, if they have to be mailed.

Feeling good about my progress so far, I decided to change it up.  I had a yarn that I knew was guaranteed to create a predictable stripe and  incorporated  a stitch pattern to purposely disrupt the stripeing nature of the hand-dyed sock yarn.

 The leg portion of the sock is patterned, while the foot is knit stockinette allowing the stripe to re-emerge.

 I like the playfulness of the pattern with the striped yarn.  I used Schaefer Nichole Sock yarn, colorway Bugs.

 
For the basic sock construction, I  followed my Basic Stockinette Sock pattern in 2 sizes which is available for free on Ravelry.com.

To begin.

Cast on 64 (72) stitches.

Rib cuff in a *k2, p2 ......repeat to end of round for 10 rows.

Pattern

Row 1& 2        Knit

Rows 3 - 10    *p2, k2 ......repeat to end of round

Row 11 & 12    Knit

Rows 13 - 20  *k2, p2 .....repeat to end of round.

Continue in pattern to desired leg length, ending on row 10 or row 20, before starting heel. Continue to follow the Basic Stockinette Sock pattern until complete.

I rather like how they turned out and want to try it again on another type of hand-dyed yarn.... perhaps one that is guaranteed to spiral.

Until next time ....... Happy Knitting!

lots of socks

Even though the holidays bring joy and reminds us of the importance of family and friends, it also is has a way of becoming stressful with all the commitments of parties, decorating, and shopping. I can't believe I am going to say this.... but even knitting can become stressful to make deadlines.

 
 
 
Soooooo........ Holiday gift knitting has consumed all of my knitting time. The most requested item this year is socks. Actually it seems to be the most requested item every year. I like knitting socks, but better yet I like wearing hand knit socks. So I understand the request for the warm and cozy, knit with love to keep their toes snuggly warm request.

BUT, did you know.....Fun Fact....... that the average pair of socks has around 26,000 stitches. That's alot of stitches and they take more time than one might think.

This year I have taken a few shortcuts by using more of the German & Italian engineered yarn that is dyed to look like stripes or fair-isle patterns.  As much as I do love the beautiful hand dyed yarns, I have to give credit to the brilliant computer dying techniques the Germans & Italian have mastered. Unfortunately there is no shortcut for getting around the 26,000 hand knit stitches.

I have a few more pairs to go before the December 25th deadline.  In hopes of eeking out a pair or two for myself this year. A girl can dream.....right?