Random thoughts of a fiber enthusiast - mostly fiber related, sometimes coherent

Author: Grace Page 5 of 12

Needle Sets Comparison

In answer to the question, which set do I like better? There is no good answer.

I bought the plymouth bamboo set from patternworks.com for ~$100. It contains US equiv 5,6,7,8,9,10 needles. But the us 6 is really a 4.25 mm instead of the 4.00 mm that most other manufacturers use. I use the 4.25 mm alot in order to achieve the popular 18/24 gauge in a variety of yarns. There are 4 cables, including a super short one that makes 12″ circulars for knitting sleeves.

The knit denise set is more versatile and half as much $. The set has 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10.5, 11, 13, 15 needles plus 6 cables. The cables can be joined to make longer cables. But, the cables get sticky. I need to wash the cables occasionally in warm soapy water to remove the sticky buildup. But, in hot weather, the plastic cables soften and grab the yarn no matter how often I wash them. I don’t have that problem with the plymouth set.

OTOH, the denise set has a smoother join between the needle and the cable. Iris pulled the plastic cable out of the steel shank on two of the plymouth cables. A little bit of epoxy fixed that problem. In addition, I need to periodically rotate the bamboo needles to retighten the internal screw that joins the needle and cable. I prefer knitting with bamboo needles instead of plastic ones.

Size Matters

Why are american things so large? Is all that bulk necessary? I give you the example of the two needle sets–one american, the other japanese.

Ok, the american set has a few more needles and cables, but does the case need to be so large?

And why does my neighbor have to park this in front of my house?
RoadBully.jpg
Here’s a close-up. What do you think he’s compensating for?
SizeMatters.jpg


Now for the knitting content.
I made Iris a shadow heart sweater from Vivian Hoxbro’s recent book. I used the same number of stitches as the pattern in the book, but sized it up by using bigger yarn. Iris picked out the two colors of cotton fleece which has a gauge of 5 sts/in. The shetland recommended in the book should give a gauge of 6 sts/in. Iris will have plenty of room to grow.

I didn’t make the redundant heart on the back, preferring some diagonal stripes. I actually like the back better than the front. Can you see the (literally!) hearts on the sleeves?

Eleven Eleven

I read about the “Not the knitting you know” show at eleven eleven sculpture place. All I can say is wow. I am especially intrigued by the work of Daina Taimina. We even have the same taste in Noro colorways! Check out the Hyperbolic plane – pseudosphere. Does it remind you of this?

Page 5 of 12

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