Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Wow

I mean, really, WOW!!!

My Loopy Ewe sock club installment arrived today, and well,
Loopy Ewe May Sock Kit
WOW!

Live, in person, Wollmeise sock yarn (people, do you have any idea how hard it is to find this stuff??!)Gasp - WOLLMEISE - in person!!

And a new (to me) gadget - Lord, how I does love a good gadget....
neatest gadget

So, WOW...

I was looking at the socks I have on the go right now, and have finally come to realize that I like small - small needles - 2.25 or smaller -
I currently have three pairs in action, and I got to comparing the yarn and needles...
Upside Down Monkeys
First are these Toe-Up Monkeys, for which I have either totally buggered up the pattern, or made up my own design. I am using red Darn Pretty Needles made by Grafton Fibers (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these needles), 2.25mm, and Sock Pixie yarn in the "Toni Morrison" colourway. I love this sock - I love the needles, which are very firm, very smooth, and look awfully pretty with the yarn. I don't think I've really appreciated the aesthetics of yarn and needle together till now, and I have to say, this one pleases my eye. Both eyes.

Woolgirl's Seven Deadly Spins
This is the first sock for the first installment of Woolgirl's Seven Deadly Spins club. 4 colours of Verve by The Unique Sheep put together to make rainbow socks. Again, I love the yarn, and LOVE the needles - more of Grafton's DPN's, size 2.25mm.

Flat Feet by Conjoined Creations
My second pair of socks from Flat Feet by Conjoined Creations, made with 2.5mm Brittany birch dpn's. These needles have been my stand-by for years, but now, compared to the others, I am finding them rougher on the surface, and, well, a little large. The yarn actually calls for 3mm needles, but I just couldn't... and the yarn... well, it's totally fun watching the pattern unfold beneath your hands, not knowing what exactly you'll end up with. But the yarn itself is almost plastic-like, not nearly as soft, or firmly spun, as the others I'm using.

So, I guess what I've learned about myself is that I like small knitting. Very small knitting. I like fine, tightly spun fingering weight yarn and 2 - 2.25mm needles, preferably needles which are made from hard, smooth wood. And looking good with the yarn is a bonus.

I have also learned that I belong to several sock clubs. And that I like to knit socks.

Wow.

2 comments:

Sandra said...

you want small?
Can I interest you in some bead knitting? (Gotta love the 1.5mm needles...)
And yes, I make my socks on 2.25mm needles as well.

Miss Scarlett said...

I get mixed up with needle sizings. I prefer using a size 0 needle. No clue what that is mm wise.
Fingering weight is the sock yarn I prefer as well - I have found throughout Sock Wars that the pattern always works out to be big and loose - and that is knitting socks with sport weight yarn.

Thanks for the review on the flat foot creations - I was wondering how it felt.

Don't you love WoolGirl?
I haven't started anything with my kit yet. But I'm looking forward to it.