Daily dose of cute, Part II

The LYS is now carrying the Hiya Hiya needle line with DPNs in stainless steel, and circulars in stainless and bamboo. One of the features of this brand (hello, sock knitters!) is the 9" circulars. Yup, nine inches total length in US sizes 0, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3. Even in bamboo.This pair came home with me, partly out of curiousity and partly freakish cuteness. And these aren't the small ones; these are 1.5's.
I haven't tried knitting on them yet, but I forsee some drastic technique changes. Report later.

Tools of the trade

For Christmas my parents gave me the Knit Picks' Options Harmony wooden interchangeable needle set. I had gushed about these needles back in September when they first hit the online store, and I'm so glad Mom remembered. I really enjoy using them! They have nice pointy tips, which are great for picking up stitches and other thorny stitch manipulation (I'd be cursing at the Log Cabin Blanket much more, were it not for these). The join - where the cable meets the needle - is perfectly tapered and smooth, and when you use the key to screw the tips to the cables, they cannot be turned by hand or accidentally fall off mid-project. Woo-hoo! They're birchwood (I prefer knitting with wooden needles) and beautiful to boot. You know you've got it good when your eyes don't know with which to feast themselves - the hand-painted alpaca, or the needles...

My one complaint is that the smallest length you can create with this system is 24". I use 16" fairly often, knitting for a toddler and all. But when a door closes, a window opens; now I use the Magic Loop technique with my pretty pointy sticks. Problem solved.

Still here, still knitting

My apologies, kind readers, for the lack of knitted bits of late. I have been knitting, just haven't been posting photos. All shall be well.

Look - knitting!

This was Kidlet's cardigan on the 19th, and this is after binding off last night:

I loved using the Malabrigo for this pattern. Not only is it soft to knit, but the color changes are spit-felted as you go - I only had six yarn ends to weave in! (It still needs light blocking and six buttons, but I call that done.)

pattern: The Essential Cardigan, from Top-Down for Toddlers by Cabin Fever

yarn: Malabrigo Worsted Merino

needles: Denise Interchangeables, US#9

size: 2+

I've also begun making felted nest ornaments for holiday giving. They knit up soooo quickly! This photo is pre-felting (nests will go in the washing machine, while the egg roving is to be needle felted).

I have a photo of Kidlet to share from Thanksgiving weekend. Back story: I was knitting at Nana and Papa's house, and as I removed DPN's from my work, I was sticking them through my hair on the top o' my grand head. This puzzled Kidlet as she tried sticking the needles into her head. We then created a special knitting needle hairdo so her fine hair could hold them as well:

She is so durn funny!

It's finals week for my students, so my teaching schedule is a bit intense. Today, for example, I started at 7:30 a.m. and taught 17 voice lessons (a.k.a. Long Day's Journey Into Choir Rehearsal). Meema is tired. G'nite.

It's all about being pretty

As superficial as it sounds, sometimes it's true. And it's even better when it can be functional at the same time.

I happened to be showing my mother the KnitPicks website tonight (I had just ordered Kerry's sock yarn this afternoon), and they have JUST introduced - wait for it... keep waiting... almost there... wooden tips for their Options needle system. And not just any old wooden tips - oh, no. Beautiful, colorful, multi-layered beechwood tips. And matching DPN's to boot. They are as lovely as hand-painted sock yarn. I squealed with Mom - it was a bonding moment, revealing my geeky proclivity.

Now I'm torn. I have loved the flexibility and many cable lengths of my Denise Interchangeable Needles, but yowza, these are head-turners. And I do like the points on these bad boys. Fie on you, KnitPicks! ;-)