Knit Luck - Knitting Your Way to A Better Life - KnitLuck

Part 7 of the Interchangeable Knitting Needle Guide - Additional Sets by Dyak, Tulip, KA and Lantern Moon

angela@knitluck.com (Angela Pallatto Hockabout) — Mon, 14 May 2012 05:55:10 +0000

In the latest saga of the Interchangeable Knitting Needle Guide we're going to take a look at some of the Interchangeable Knitting Needle sets that we didn't mention in part two from Dyak Craft, Tulip (Caron), KA and Lantern Moon. There was a little oversight on our parts, but not anymore! Here's each set and what they include and what's the big deal with each of them:

Dyak Craft

Keep hearing about those Darn Pretty interchangeable knitting needles? Yeah, so do we, but what we mostly hear is that there's a 6 month wait to get them and any of their wood needles. There's a good reason for that. These are some of the few knitting needles made in the USA, handmade in Vermont. That and the needles come in mad awesome colors. Those Dyak craft people are smart because they know that one of the things that draws knitters is color, so their needles are available in some of the most vibrant colors in the market.

For $140 You get:

Sizes 4 - 10.5 Needles in either 3.5 or 5" tips, with the choice of lace tips.
4 cables including (2) 16", (1) 21", (1) 29" (shorter cables come with the shorter tips)
A custom-made, signed and numbered cloth needle case
The comfort of knowing you have an American handmade knitting needle set custom made for you.

Tulip/Caron C

The Tulip Interchangeables are Caron's foray into interchangeable knitting needles and they aren't cheap at $179.00. The unique part of this set is that it goes down to size 3 and includes needles 10.5. They also come with three cables, 16", 24" and 32" with a connector to make super long cables if you like.

Here's what the set includes:

11 Needle tips
3 cables
cable connector
tapestry needles
thread cutter

KA

If you're looking for the most extensive collection of cables to come in an interchangeable knitting needle set, then you might want to check out KA's bamboo set. You get sizes 5 through 15 with 16", 24", 29", 36" and 51". The last two largest cable sizes won't work for sizes 5,6,7 and 8 (at least that's how I understand it). You can purchase extra needle tips (including size 4's) and cables. And that's just the original regular set for $119. KA also produces an expanded set that goes all the way down to size 2. I would like to try these size 2's because none of the major companies have been able to achieve a smaller than size 3 without a sticky needle join. The expanded set is around $159.00. Both sets come with cloth needle organizers.

Lantern Moon

Lantern Moon's set is rather expensive at $270.00 for the rosewood and $320.00 for the ebony, but it is a luxury set with its own silk carry case and gold plated needle joins. It would be interesting to find out more about these materials to find out what makes them so great for knitting needles.We'll have to do a more in-depth review, but we can figure out at least what the set includes. The needle case and needles are beautiful with exquisite materials. It's the kind of set that royalty would give as gifts. I would love to find out how they knit.

The Lantern Moon set includes:

10 sizes 4-13
4 cables: 17", 26", 32", and 40"
Silk Carry Case

Have you tried any of these interchangeable knitting needle sets out? What did you think? Let me know in the comments.{jcomments on}

Take Us to 100!

angela@knitluck.com (Angela Pallatto Hockabout) — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:31:19 +0000

I'm so excited that we have almost 100 likes on our Facebook page. In fact, we're at 98. We only need 2 more!!! Who is going to be number 100? Maybe you?

New Jane Austen Knits is Out!

angela@knitluck.com (Angela Pallatto Hockabout) — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:55:49 +0000

Hey Knitting Geeks. If you're crazy for Jane Austen (or Downton Abbey for that matter) then you should know that the latest issue of Jane Austen Knits for Summer 2012 just came out and is available at your local book or yarn shop. You can get a sneak peek at the latest Austen-inspired designs here.

The wristlets on the front are already a great Giftmas knit. I would love to get this magazine as a gift for my birthday, wink wink nudge nudge say no more. The Sutherton Sweater is stunning, there's a baby hat that would make any new mother swoon and some shawls destined to bust your stash.

Are you a fan of Jane Austen Knits? Did you knit anything from the first issue? Let us know in the comments!{jcomments on}

Yarn Along May 23

angela@knitluck.com (Angela Pallatto Hockabout) — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:37:29 +0000

It's Yarn Along Day again and I'm sharing what I'm knitting and what I'm reading with my yarn along friends. Yarn Along is a fantastic way to find new knitting and craft blogs. Plus, there's a lot of really great engaged bloggers on there. I've been having such a great time meeting these craft bloggers!

I'm still working on the Diminishing Rib Cardigan and while I worked on it consistantly, it doesn't feel like I made much progress, but really I'm only 4 or 5 inches away from having to do the tubular bind off. Heh. I'm supposed to have this cardigan finished by June 1st. Good luck to me and the Red Sox!

The Principles of Knitting is a fascinating read and it's teaching me a lot about my knitting mistakes. I'm learning why certain cast ons are better for ribbing, or for cables. If you're as obsessed with knitting as I am owning this book is imperitive.

Have you checked out The Principles of Knitting? What's your go-to knitting reference? Let me know in the comments!{jcomments on}

Tamara Kay Learns to Knit Part 1

angela@knitluck.com (Angela Pallatto Hockabout) — Mon, 21 May 2012 15:52:47 +0000

One of the main things we believe at Knit Luck is that knitting can change your life, that it can help you get through rough times and connect you to a supporitve community of amazing people. When my friend Tamara revealed that she was recovering from a stress-related breakdown I knew I had to send her a learn to knit kit. I made sure to let her know that she was under no pressure to love knitting or to be good at it, but that it might be fun to try. What do you know? She is such a natural knitter that I'm more than a little suspicious that she's done it before. So much so that she's already dreaming of owning her own fiber arts shop. So please join me in welcoming Tamara to Knit Luck. Check out her own blog about coping with stress and follow along as she learns how to knit.

Tamara Kay Learns to Knit Part 1 - Becoming a Knitting Legend

This is me opening the box of goodies from Angela.

My new friend Angela is a knitting genius. An evil knitting genius. In her deviousness she has sent me a Learn to Knit Kit from Lion Brand Yarn, and a handy little tool kit with all these extra gizmos. She kindly (?) included two books, Stitch ‘n Bitch The Knitter’s Handbook by Debbie Stoller and A Life in Stitches, Knitting My Way Through Love, Loss, and Laughter by Rachael Herron. At least I’ll get a good read out of this right?

A little background on me. I am a 52 year old, extremely happily married woman who recently had a mini breakdown due to long term job related stress. I'm on medical leave from work while I deal with getting my brain back. It's been an interesting journey. Dear, sweet, out of her mind Angela thought knitting might help me on my road to recovery.

After reading through the little book included in the Learn to Knit Kit and the first couple of chapters of Stitch 'n Bitch, this is my opinion of that idea:

Angela is out of her ever loving gourd. It's a cute gourd, but evidently it's as whackadoodle as my gourd is currently. The only thing that really stands out to me is on the bottom of the instruction sheet in the Learn to Knit Kit in very large letters is *Write to Lion Brand "Learn to Knit Special" for a free pattern for your next project. I think this is overly optimistic of Lion Brand.

Angela is out of her ever-loving gourd.

After a couple of hours of casting on attempts, with several suggestions of how to do it from my dear husband Ken, everything gets put right back in the box for another day. Angela is obviously bonkers and I'm no longer talking to Ken. The box taunts me as I walk past it the next couple of days. I hate failing.

Two days later we are heading to our daughter's graduation from Baylor and Ken suggests I try the knitting thing again. After all, I'm going to be trapped in the car for two hours, I might as well spend the time constructively. I reluctantly agree. I don't know how or why, but suddenly casting on makes perfect sense. On go 14 stitches, and I'm off. I re-read the instructions for the garter stitch from the booklet from the kit and from the book. The booklet makes more sense to me and soon I have four or five rows of stitches. I'm not sure how to tell how many exactly, but thank goodness the instructions just call for about 10 inches of this stitch and isn't very particular about how many rows it takes me to get there.

I mention to Ken that I appear to be a natural. He states that he used to watch his grandmother knit and her needles didn't wing around in the air as much as mine did. I kindly tell him to mind his own business. Well honey, you have poked me in the ribs a couple times. I look up and around and we are 1/4 of the way to Waco and I've managed to knit about three inches of scarf. Yeesh. I put my head down and get to work. My needles are flying and my scarf is taking shape. Soon I have a full 10 inches of slightly mangled garter stitches, and I'm proud. My book suggests I count my loops. There are 18 of them. How did that happen? I follow the instructions for trying to untick my work to see where I went awry. I'm back down to three inches. Crap. Text message to Angela and she thinks perhaps I pulled the yarn to the front of my needles instead of pushing it to the back. Huh? Ok, starting again, counting loops after every row, up to about six inches and it all looks fabulous, and I get cocky again and stop counting. This time when I get to the 10 inch mark I have 20 loops. I curse out loud. Ken laughs. I warn him that these needles might be plastic and look dull, but with enough force can pierce an ear. I unravel all the way back to the beginning. I need to practice all that casting on business anyway.

This time I get all 10 inches done and I have 14 loops. I am a knitting virtuoso. This is the most fabulous scarf ever knitted since time began. I will be a knitting legend.

Stockinette is next.

I hope whoever invented purling is in a special place in hell. I have purled and unraveled this one row of this crappy scarf so many times the yarn looks distinctively unyarn like. Ken thinks it looks like a hair ball. I remind him that divorces cost a lot of money and shouldn't he have both eyes on the road? I finally manage to get a whole row of purls that look somewhat like the ones in the book and I get to knit a whole row. My needles fly. This, THIS is what knitting should be. Crap, now another row of purling. Sweat is beading up on my brow, my armpits are sticky, my fingers reach for the window button so I can throw this whole demon scarf out the damned window, and Ken laughs. Bastard. I'll show him. About 1/2 way down the row I GET IT. Purl, flip, knit, flip, purl, flip, knit, flip. I have 10 inches of stockinette and 14 loops. I am a knitting god I tell you. Gifted even.

Ribbing makes perfect sense to me. Knit 2, purl 2, knit 2, purl 2. Oh my God, I love Angela, I love my husband, my daughter is graduating from Baylor, and I am a knitting prodigy. Well, a senile prodigy, but a prodigy nonetheless.

Five inches into my ribs and I have 20 loops. No worries, I can unravel back. I know I had 14 at the end of the stockinette so, not much to undo. But we are in Waco and I have to stop.

To be continued...

What was it like when you learned to knit? What were your frustrations? Share your story in the comments.{jcomments on}

Friday Notes May 18th

angela@knitluck.com (Angela Pallatto Hockabout) — Fri, 18 May 2012 17:29:48 +0000

I can't believe it's Friday again. The days just fly by when you're trying to do so many things. Raising kids, socializing, trying to keep the house clean it can be a challenge to keep things interesting on the blog. Fortunately I'm getting a lot of support from my fellow bloggers and indie craftspeople. I have to put a shout out to a few people to thank them for their help over the last couple of weeks.

It's been thrilling to have so many people willing to share their learning to knit stories here. Knitting can be a very personal pursuit and the fact that some people feel comfortable enough to share those stories with me on this blog is very humbling. It's a testament to how much we believe that knitting can enhance one's life that others are so willing to share their stories.

Firstly, I have to thank Kusala Knitworks for offering up such a terrific prize for this week's giveaway. If you're looking for geeky stitch markers and cute knitting patterns, that's your go to place.

Secondly, I'd like to thank Evelyn for sharing her thoughts on Knit Picks Nickel Plated Needles. I think you'll be reading more from her in the weeks to come. Also, I'd like to thank Cyndi Minister of The Twisted Purl for sharing her learn to knit story. She's inspired me to think about learning to spin.

Finally I'd like to thank all of you who participated in the giveaway and who have been commenting on the blog. It's a treat every single time someone comments and I read all of them.

What are you thankful for this week? Share with us in the comments.{jcomments on}

The New Wollmeise?

angela@knitluck.com (Angela Pallatto Hockabout) — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:35:06 +0000

There's a new sock yarn that is selling out every time it goes on the market: Little Red Bicycle. Knitters have been clamoring for just about any skein of yarn from Little Red Bicycle. Finger, lace, worsted. They're all flying off the shelves. I've been wanting to buy a skein in Cthulhu but I keep missing the sales. DERP!!!!!

I bought a skein of the sock yarn in Race of the Yith at Stitches West this year and it's the next pair of socks I'm going to make once I'm finished with my Wonderland Dyeworks socks.

From Little Red Bicycle Etsy Shop

Check out Dagon too, soo pretty:

From Little Red Bicycle Etsy Shop

and Deirdre which is another favorite

From Little Red Bicycle Etsy Shop

What are some of the Etsy Indy Yarn shops that you love? Let me know in the comments!{jcomments on}

Interchangeable Knitting Needle Guide Supplemental - Knit Picks Harmony

angela@knitluck.com (Angela Pallatto Hockabout) — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:42:26 +0000

Today we have another guest blogger who you're going to see a lot more of, Evelyn Leong. She's the blogger at Project Stash, which is a fun read. She gives us another perspective on the Knit Picks Interchangeable Nickel Plated Needles.

Product Review: Knit Picks Interchangeable Needles

By Evelyn Leong

What does one need for knitting? Two sticks and some yarn … nothing could be simpler, right?

Well, over the many years that I’ve been knitting, I’ve collected a wide array of sticks although surprisingly, not in every size. In my needle stash are aluminum, wood, and bamboo – yes, I weeded out those dreaded yellow plastic needles years ago. Since my knitting has become more advanced, I recently reached the point where I’ve been craving needles that can give me some slickness and, yes, dare I say it, speed.

In wanting to upgrade my needle stash, I bought myself a set of Knit Picks Interchangeable Nickel Needles. A few years ago, on a mission to graduate from my bamboo needles to a sturdier wood, I bought two pairs of Knit Picks Harmony circular needles in US6 and US9. These are lovely, and I’ve been pleased with how they’ve performed. Still, wanting to experiment further, I recently tried out a pair of Addi Turbos and Chiagoo Red Lace needles. Knitting with these helped me realize that I wanted to knit more regularly with metal as I love the way the yarn slips off the needles and allows me to knit with less drag.

So, let’s talk about what I got in my Knit Picks set. The points range from US4 to US11, including US10.5 which feels like an added bonus. This set has 4.5 inch regular points (not lace), and so far, I’ve found that they thread easily and securely onto the cables that accompany the collection. With this set comes two 24” and two 32” cables, great for enabling my habit of casting on more than one project at a time. Oh, I’m getting better at keeping my WIPs down to a few, but I don’t think I’ve knit only one project in years.

The cables are nice and bendy, allowing the project to sit comfortably while being knitted. Each set of cables comes with a handy little tool that’s akin to an Allen Key – when slipped into the two holes at the base of the thread, the needle point can be tightened easily. This is a necessity as without it, the needles loosen after a while. With the cables come four caps, a great concept for securing one’s work on the cable when the needles are removed to be used for another project.

I wondered, at first, if the length of the needle points would be insufficient, but they’re fine – sure, a couple of extra inches would be great but not especially necessary. Since the cables are so flexible, the project rests easily – no more wrestling with stiff cables – and these two lengths are ample for most projects.

Overall, I’m delighted with my new set of needles but I do have a couple of “I wish they had …” thoughts:

I’m an organized knitter and will definitely use the handy clear plastic pouch that the needles came with. The pouch has inner pockets to store each set of needle points and the points come on a card that lists each size. I’ll keep all these together but I wish they had thought to etch the size directly onto each needle;
While the threads on the cables are fine, I wish they had thought to make sure each has a bit more definition. My US7 points take a little elbow grease to screw in, something I would rather not have to worry about.

I have heard that Knit Picks has great customer service so I’ll probably give them a call and inquire about the cable threading, but if I had the choice to purchase this set again, the answer would be a definite yes.

Thanks, Angela, for the chance to be a guest blogger today. Happy knitting, everyone.

Yarn Along May Sixteenth

angela@knitluck.com (Angela Pallatto Hockabout) — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:01:16 +0000

Huzzah! I have been knitting AND I have been reading. Even better, I have been reading about knitting. It being Wednesday and Yarn Along Day, you get to see a photo for proof.

For Mother's Day I took some momma-time and went out for breakfast by myself where I had the best breakfast sandwich known to man (Cafe Q in Alameda if you're in the area). Then I headed to my local bookstore and happily found The Principles of Knitting and My Life in Stitches by Rachel Herron. I splurged and bought both.

The Principles of Knitting is a must for any obsessed knitter. Any knitting question you have can be answered by the POK. My Life in Stitches was a wonderful read. Much of the memoir takes place in the area where I live so it made me feel right at home. It was such an intimate piece of writing that I felt like I was getting to know a friend better. The stories are parceled out in such compact pieces that it was an easy read, which is exactly what I need with two young children around me.

Knitting-wise I'm happy that I managed to get into the ribbed part of the diminishing rib.

However, I think the sweater is turning out a little bit on the big side, which sucks because I swatched and got gauge, but it's just ginormous. I'm a little worried that it's too late to turn back now :/ Or I'm just going to put some strategically placed buttons and turn it into an assymetric sweater. Hopefully not emphasized on the ass.

Should I just rip it out and start over? Or should I soldier on? Let me know in the comments.{jcomments on}

Giving the Gift of Knitting

angela@knitluck.com (Angela Pallatto Hockabout) — Mon, 14 May 2012 03:54:54 +0000

This is my friend's first attempt at knitting and I think it looks fantastic. Do you remember your first attempt? Did it look even remotely as awesome as this?

A couple of weeks ago I told you about one of my friends who was having a rough time. Remember how I was going to send her a learn to knit kit? She's the friend of mine who has been documenting her jouney through a stress-related breakdown. Anyhoo she finally received the kit, which included a Lion Brand learn to knit kit (it's the one I used to learn myself), a Clover Notions kit, copies of Rachel Herron's My Life in Stitches and Debbie Stoller's Original Stitch n Bitch.

I sent the kit for two reasons

I truly believe that knitting can change your life, especially if you're going through a difficult time. There's something about using your hands to figure out a new skill that rewires your brain and allows you to get outside of your regular struggles. I'm not the only one who feels this way. You should check out Stitch Links, a non profit organization in the UK that is studying knitting's ability to activate healing and decrease stress when used in combination with traditional medical treatments.
When you give the gift of knitting you are giving your friend the opportunity to access not just a new craft, but a new culture, a new way of living.

Well guess what? She is using the kit! This is what she has to say about knitting:

It is oddly soothing and frustrating at the same time.

I thought this was hilarious. I even tried to tell her that the frustrating parts go away once you learn how to knit. But then I realized that they don't, especially as I was getting to the diminishing part of the Diminishing Rib Cardigan (more on that in another post). And that's ok. The frustrating parts are what keeps knitting interesting. It's the difficulty that makes knitting so rewarding. It's a reminder that if we try hard enough, hold ourselves to a high enough standard, be patient with ourselves and go back and fix our mistakes that we are capable of high achievement, even if that achievement is simply casting on stitches for a scarf and ribbing without creating yarn overs by mistake.

So when you're giving the gift of knitting, you're not just giving someone the gift of distraction by hobby. You're giving them a chance at raising their self esteem and showing them how truly capable they are. Because learning to knit is not easy. You are training your brain to do something physically new. It can be as difficult as learning to a bike. When you're casting on the first stitches your fingers are clumsy. You're insecure as to whether or not you're doing it the right way. You might be holding the needles so tight that your hands cramp. But then as you become used to the motions and your brain creates new synapses, knitting stitches and moving from needle to needle becomes second nature. Your muscle memory takes over and you're able to admire the finished work as it grows row by row.

This is the magic of knitting.

Was was learning to knit like for you? What did it bring into your life? Have you tried to teach others too? Please share your story in the comments.{jcomments on}