Knit or Knot » 2008

Archive for February, 2008

FO: Loksins!

February 7th, 2008

I know I have been a rather quiet blogger lately, but I have been a busy knitter! I finally finished the Loksins that I started way back in December. I wanted to finish them sooner, I just did not have the time to devote to knitting during the holidays and transitioning into a new job.

Pattern: Loksins by Cassie Thoreson [ravelry]

Yarn: Mama Blue’s merino semi solid sock yarn in Smoke

Needles: Crystal Palace Bamboo, size 1 1/2 for cast on, then knit on size 1.

Changes: I added a small garter cuff to the pattern.

I love, love, love this pattern! The socks fit really well, and I love the way the pattern goes down the sides of the leg rather than the front. I plan to knit these again, although next time I will use a completely solid yarn to better showcase the pattern.

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Bamboo vs. Metal

February 2nd, 2008

Early on in my knitting career I decided that I despised metal needles of all types. They were cold. They were heavy. They were hard on the wrists. I discovered bamboo quickly, and they were smooth, warm, not to slippery, and light weight. I tried some of the fancy-expensive Lantern Moon wood needles, but was not impressed. The small sizes splintered and the larger sizes were a lot heavier than bamboo. I tried Brittany birch needles, and found them okay, but lacking in the sharp point department. I became a bamboo needle user, specifically a Crystal Palace bamboo needle knitter. Say that three times fast. All of my favorite needles were CP bamboo: straights, DPNs, and circulars.

Until this week. In a couple of weeks I am teaching a 2 socks on 2 circs class at the shop. The needles we carry are Addi Turbos. I have heard a lot of people rave about how great these needles are, but I remained a skeptic. Since I am teaching the class, and those who are taking the class will most likely be using the Addi Turbos, and because I have never used said Addi Turbos, I purchased my very first sets this week. Then I came home and tried them. I knitted 90% of a sock in one sitting. (I normally take a week or two to knit a pair in my spare time.) They are very smooth and slick, and they make knitting virtually effortless. I now believe all of the hype. I have to force myself to go back now and work on the pair of socks still dangling from my Crystal Palace bamboo circular needles.

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