Who would have thought that one could have a love affair with some double pointed needles at my age!
Someone I knit with at the lace guild had been using the Hiya Hiya circular needles to make lace. They had mentioned how smooth the joins were and how sharp the points were on the smaller size needles. More importantly was the fact they were made of stainless steel and left no residue or colour on their pure white yarn. This was exciting because they had previously been using the Addi Turbo Lace needles and their white tablecloth was black in parts from the needles.
As I have plenty of circular needles in all brands, shapes and sizes I could not justify the expense of just another brand of circular needles to try. But as the saying goes there is more than one way to skin a cat!
I found a local yarn store that sold Hiya Hiya needles and decided to purchase double pointed needles as I have started being able to knit socks again. I had a very bad fall several months ago and found it very difficult to knit with any needles smaller than a size US6 comfortably. When I got to the store they had size US1 and US2 and so I bought a pair of each.
When I started a pair of socks for my Dad, what I found immediately was that the 6 inch length was absolutely perfect. I have previously struggled with the 7 and 9 inch ones – far too much needle, and then the 4 inch ones stick in the palm of my hand and are very uncomfortable. Now that maybe my style of knitting, however my knitting friend on Sundays went back to using the long needles as the 4 inch ones hurt her hands too.
Since buying the first two pair I have gone back and purchased US3 and US4 both of which I can use for the sleeves on an Alice Starmore sweater I am currently knitting. My father recently sent me a knitting pattern for some cable socks, is that a hint or what, and that pattern suggests both the US1 and US2 so the smallest size will also get used fairly soon too.
As for the socks I originally started with the Hiya Hiya needles for Dad? They will be on their way to Australia this week. And since then I have made a pair for Alan and have almost completed the first pair for myself.
Without a doubt there is no struggling with needles that are too long or too short with these 6 inch Hiya Hiya needles
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My dear friend Toni gave me the Options Interchangeable Harmony Wood Circular Knitting Needle Set.
Having so many pairs of Addi Turbo needles which I love, and of course many pairs of Clover and Crystal Palace I have never bothered with the sets of interchangeable needles from any company before. Also because I had worked in a yarn store I tended to buy what we had for sale in the store rather than look for products outside.
To say I am impressed is an understatement. The needles are so smooth and the yarn I am testing them with is sliding right along the cable, join and needle. These are the first circular needles that have come right out of the container with a cable that is completely flexible and straight on contact. They were easy to assemble and I used the little key to tighten them further and so far they have not come loose or snagged the yarn.
When I checked the needle size with my needle guage I found them slightly on the small size. The yarn I am using has a suggested 4 stitches to the inch on a #9 and I am definitely having to use a #10 to get the correct guage for the pattern I have chosen. It will be very interesting to see what happens when I use a finer yarn with these needles for the next project I want to knit.
Toni had worried that because the wood is made with such beautiful but dark stains that it would be difficult to work with dark coloured yarn. I deliberately chose chocolate brown wool to use and so far in daylight I am not having a problem. But it will be interesting to see how I feel in the evening working under my ott lamp and also when picking up stitches around the neck and armholes of the vest.
So far they have my vote of good quality and ease of use.
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The New York Sheep and Wool Festival will host the only all-fiber event in the United States in honor of the United Nations International Year of International Fibres (IYNF).
See the story Fiber Lovers Invited to the International Tent at Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival
We have been working non-stop for the past year to bring nine speakers from around the world to share their unique fiber stories with the American market.
Please consider looking at keepthefleece.org and making a donation to help contribute to the Heifer International largest flock of animals too
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I just had the most amazing day at Lambtown 2009 in Dixon California. They had moved the day from July to the first Saturday in October and what a good idea that was. The weather was cool in the early morning but warmed up to a pleasant temperature for all the visitors and of course the animals too. Actually in Madden Hall it was rather cool with the air conditioning on freezing I think for part of the morning. While the time of year was wonderful the organisers will have to remember to have hot beverages available from vendors if this is the permanent weekend. Shaved ice, beer and smoothies were not appetitising at 8am on an October morning. Perhaps a vendor with coffee and muffins could be invited next year.
Wild Fibers Magazine had a booth there for the first time, and so many people stopped by the booth and thanked us for having the magazine available for sale or to sign up for a subscription. It was a pleasure to introduce the magazine to new subscribers who had never seen the magazine before. And also to talk about the contents to many visitors who while not crafts people were interested to learn about all the natural fibers around the world that we must continue to use and support.
My friend Kathie stopped by the booth with a gift for me of a beginning instruction manual, roving and a drop spindle determined to teach me to spin. And low and behold I had a great conversation with a spinning teacher who lives very close to me in El Dorado Hills and she gives private lessons on her own spinning wheels. Now I am even more tempted to learn as I really have no excuses now.
It was quite a long day leaving home at about 7.15am and we got home around 9pm. But so great to meet such wonderful people so very enjoyable.
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