I love to knit gloves. Having short fingers and wide hands, finding gloves that fit properly is always a challenge, knitting my own gloves to fit my hands perfectly solves that problem. But, I most likely wouldn’t have started knitting gloves if I hadn’t acquired a set of 4in dpn’s – what a difference the length of needle made! Fingers suddenly were easier to knit! The fact that these needles are now my favorite set of needles also means that I am movtivated to knit gloves because I want to knit with them. They are ebony needles made by Suzannes and are a joy to knit with! The tools we choose to work with can make a huge difference to the way we view our projects.
I’ve been knitter for over 30 years and have acquired and discarded many types of needles over the years. I don’t work with straight needles at all any more, except at work when I am helping others with their projects, I work entirely on circular needles. This came about with the advent of wrist problems (circulars take a lot of the stress off of your wrists and hands) and the discovery of the Addi Turbo needles. These needles are superb with great joins and 3 wonderful surfaces to choose from – original slick surface, bamboo and the new lace tips. These new tips have a sharper point and a slightly grippier surface, fabulous for working with the slicker yarns like silk, bamboo and alpaca.
Do you use the bits and pieces that come with knitting or are you a minimalist? By minimalist I mean, yarn for stitch markers, an extra dpn as a cable needle and whatever comes to hand to hold your bits and pieces. If you are a minimalist, more power to you, extra money for yarn is always good.
I am not a minimalist. I love the bits and pieces, the shinier the better. The blog about the bag may have been a giveaway to this bit of knowledge! I sort of collect stuff. I have always been a collector of stuff, now I collect stuff that I can use for knitting.
Markers – I love the shiny beaded markers. I helps that I have a friend who makes the most useful and gorgeous markers – sterling silver, bead, crystals and semi-precious stones abound in my collection thanks to Joan!
Lately she had been working with a couple of new ideas and I have been testing the prototypes! Lots of fun.
How do you store your tools? I have cases, boxes, tool chests and maybe even a few bags! Some cases and boxes are make of wood, some from firm cardboard, some tin; some bags are cotton and some are silk – all are full; some are very practical, some are very beautiful as well as practical – all are used!
Sometimes I will go through and tidy my Chaos, not very often though as I would rather be knitting. Are you neat or tidy? Do you work better in order or chaos? We all are differnt, but the same in that we pursue what we love with joy!
Happy Knitting
As you may have gathered, I am not a minimalist, either! I love gathering the tools of my trade/hobby etc and organizing them is part of the fun.
Absolutely part of the fun! I love the “stuff” that goes with what I love to do. It enhances and improves the whole emperience!
I must have been born organized; it’s always so easy for me but it took a long time before I admitted my wool stash needed help. Started with a few pretty boxes for sock wool then more as I added different weights. When the bags started spilling over I bought a chest of drawers. Then I “hid” some special cashmere in baskets in my bedroom. Needles are in several Scotch boxes, they’re so tall. Then the ones used most never leave my knitting basket so I don’t have to rummage for the three sizes I might go through in a project. Then there’s the clear little box for the doodads. And a circular box for my swift. Oh, this goes on and on and I’m still not sure where everything is.
Shush! I haven’t even begun to talk about the baskets, hat boxes etc, squirreled around the house!