Thursday, September 11, 2008

Avoiding Second Sock Syndrome!

Greetings and Dear Laura:

Well, I'm moving along on my second Alizerine sock. I still really love knitting with the Collinette Jitterbug yarn. It's soft and squooshy, yet it has a solid feel that I really like. Why, oh WHY can't they throw some extra yardage on the skein so that it could be my favorite all-time sock yarn?????

I'm using new needles that I bought from Knitting Today last month. They are "Hiya-Hiya" needles. I'm always interested in trying different needles. I've always liked the feel of INOX needles, but I find the cables too stiff. I think I'm the only person to not like Addi Turbo's because my yarn hangs at the join, because other knitters love them! I did like the Addi Lace needles, but I noticed that my hands pick up a metallic smell. (I'm so picky!) I dearly love my KnitPicks interchangeable set! The cables are supple, the joins are fairly smooth and I love the sharp points. However, they don't come any smaller than a size 4, and so for my fingering weight sock yarn (using magic loop!) I still need 40" needles. And since I am not very 'project monogamous,' I can always use another needle.

I've become a fan of these "Hiya-Hiya" needles. (Other than feeling kind of goofy when I have to say the name!) They have a nice sharp point, the cable isn't TOO annoyingly stiff, and the join is the best I've used. I get distracted sometimes by that. As I switch needles for magic loop, I push the front needle back into the stitches and I have to stop and think, "Wow, that didn't snag on the join!" And as an added bonus, these are very affordable. Addi's run $13.50, but these are just $7.50. I see me switching!

In other news, my new glasses came in and I love the whole 'I can see clearly now' of it all. I'm adjusting to the new zones (bifocals, you know) but I don't have to tilt my head back to see the computer screen anymore, so bye-bye stiff neck. And Lauren says they're cute!

Keep knitting!

Cynthia (aka Designated Knitter)

4 comments:

Marie N. said...

I'm glad to hear people's feedback on various needles. I hope to own one of the Knit Picks interchangeable sets one day.

Sonja said...

Knitpicks has smaller needles on a fixed cable (i.e. not interchangeable). That's what I use for my sock. I like to knit them on two circulars, and it is very economical with the Knitpicks ones.

Kitty Mommy said...

I also do socks with KnitPicks fixed cable needles...the sizes smaller than 4 come in both 40" and 47" (and shorter, not that it makes much difference with magic loop)

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