All XtopherCB, All The Time

#21

goodwill, the 2nd to last stop of my errands today, had half price books and media this week, as part of their back-to-school sale, and green tag items were already half price just today.

across the aisle, in a center display table with medical textbooks and hotel bibles and CDs of bands nobody knows but their immediate ‘framily’, there it was… a bright, shiny copy of “knitting 24-7 - 30 projects to knit, wear & enjoy, on the go and around the clock - hats, scarves, socks, bags, mitts & more for busy, passionate knitters”… $3.99 on a green tag, so just $1.00 plus tax after the sales…

welcome to your new forever home. we’re gonna have so much fun! :slight_smile:

#22

ok, fine, one more round before binding off, but that is IT, young man…

#23

Them thar socks is lookin’ mighty fine, young’un. :mrgreen:

They really are very nice. These are for your mom?

#24

thank you :slight_smile: yup for mom, and all done now.

here’s what i learned:

turkish cast-on is easier for me, for now.
magic loop is better for me than 2 circs, for now.
moms will wear anything crazy as long as their kids made it.
there is so. much. math. to figure out with socks.
not a fan of JsSSBO. i did it, but i’ll be practicing alternatives.
i’m addicted - 2nd pair i started weeks ago has already received about 10 more rows tonight.
it’s time to get some longer denise cords AND some knitpicks or knitter’s pride. i’m worth it.
my deadline worked… july 12th-august 18th. with 2 whole weeks to spare. maybe i should try one of those monthly sock knitalongs?

thanks GG, thanks all - couldn’t have done it without a lot of help.

#25

just got an email from interweave/knitting daily, that they’re having a summer tent sale, with select items up to 75% off. i expect others of you got this email too. no special codes to enter, just interweavestore.com

here’s what caught my eye:

Knits Of Tomorrow: Toys And Accessories For Your Retro-Future Needs:
Celebrate your inner geek with 20 fun and easy projects designed for the techno nerd in mind. http://www.interweavestore.com/knits-of-tomorrow-toys-and-accessories-for-your-retro-future-needs

Knitting Green Conversations and Planet Friendly Projects:
Refreshing ideas and projects for earth-friendly knitting. http://www.interweavestore.com/knitting-green – i’ve actually used this twice, from my local library. for 75% off, it may have to be mine-all-mine.

Pop Knitting Bold Motifs Using Color & Stitch:
Revolutionize your knitting! Discover what innovative stitch techniques can do for your knitted designs. http://www.interweavestore.com/pop-knitting

happy sale shopping! :wink:

#26

I thought I’d bring my response to your itchy mouse finger post here. I’d asked WEBS about color coding the Nova needles and this is the response I got:

Thank you for contacting us. Unfortunately, we are unable to do that is these aren’t made by our company. These are also discontinued needles and will not be carried any more. They are being replaced by the Nove Platinas in the near future. These are also going to be a uniform color. I am sorry for the inconvenience, but there is really no way we would be able to color code these needles in any way. My only suggestion would be to try the Dreamz which are all color coded if that is something that you are looking for. Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Thank you,
Haley

The thing is, Nova needles are being replaced with the Nova Platinas and I don’t know what the difference is. Right now they have the Nova needles on clearance so if you want some, now would be a good time to get them if you can. I’m still waiting to know whether my order made it in in time to get the sock needles I want. I just checked it and shows they still had them in stock. My fingers are crossed.
Nova needles

47" Fixed circ Nova needles

#27

20% off does not a ‘clearance’ make, but i hear you… thanks for the info! :wink: i think i’ll do a daily check on prices, and when they actually reach a real sale price, like 40-50% off or more, i’ll pounce… or, there’s always ebay/amazon. i have no brand loyalty or small-biz preference.

(and also too, my own snark… for a customer service rep, her spelling sucks, AND if a cheaper/wide-availability set like the boye needlemaster metal interchangeable circs can be color coded, then so can the novas. it’s just a colored metal plating on top of another metal. or the they could color ink/enamel any inset/sunken lettering/sizing that already exists… maybe they can’t do it themselves, but suggestions to the MFR would have been a helpful option.)

i spent 90 minutes on littleknits.com and am now waiting on 5 more sock yarns and a sock book. couldn’t pass up $3.25/skein and $2.99 for that title… sigh :wink: they’re located in the old rainier brewery in south seattle. anybody know if it’s a retail space too, or just a shipping site?

#28

I agree there is no reason they couldn’t be color coded and I chose to ignore the crappy writing. I’ve personally not seen similar quality for a lower price. It may well be out there but by the time I ran it down I’d probably be past my knitting prime. :teehee:

What yarn did you order? I have to see…maybe I’ll have to get some.

#29

you’re a better person than i am. :wink: (i had a whole extra thing here, but we’ll leave it at that.)

i got 2 fortissima sockinas in dark blues -
http://littleknits.com/fortissima-sockina-family-color-midnight-blue-color-182-100-gram-skeins.html - i like this look, unfortch they

1 each of these 2 fortissima - multicolor/reds http://littleknits.com/fortissima-mexico-rubezahl-color-74-100-gram-skein.html and lighter blues http://littleknits.com/fortissima-mexico-cinderella-color-78-100-gram-skein.html

a 5-skein pack of smc bamboo toes (5 skein pack is how it’s $3.25 ea) -
http://littleknits.com/smc-on-your-toes-bamboo-1398.html -
which also came in individual skeins - http://littleknits.com/smc-on-your-toes-bamboo-800.html

and a regia magazine issue all about socks -
http://littleknits.com/regia-magazine-113.html

it’s about $40 plus tax, and i’m having my cousin who works in SODO pick it up for me this week. she lives half-time (breezes in, when not with her BF) with my maternal aunts/maternal grandma, and i see them about monthly, so i will wait instead of paying minimum $7 for shipping just over the mountains.

#30

Nice yarns. I think you’ll enjoy muchly. I have some of the On Your Toes and decided I didn’t like it for sox. I might try it again now I’ve done more knitting with skinny yarns. I thought it split way too easily and didn’t like how drapey it was. I wonder if I’ll still feel the same when I get it out again. Thanks for reminding me of it! I have some Lana Grossa Mega Boots from them but it was cheaper, maybe it was discontinued colors or something. I really like how it knits up. I want some Flourmania.

Having a cousin for a delivery person is wonderful. You saved enough for another ball of yarn. :thumbsup:

Don’t get me started on grammar, punctuation, word usage, etc. It’s bad for my health when I see somebody who wants the right to bare arms and has no clue what they just wrote. Right now I’m listening to this.

#31

i do love me some weird al… best parody of ‘blurred lines’ out there - sort of a modern-day conjunction junction.

i saw the lana grossa, and almost got it, but i still feel like i can’t justify spending above a certain price point, and it wasn’t on sale enough this time around. but i’m keeping it on my watchlist along with a few others - that’s going to be a dangerous website. :wink:

#32

that’s going to be a dangerous website.

Surely, you jest. :roflhard:

Did I mention their Sockulent yarn? Too bad I only got one hank of it. :wink:

#33

in reply to a forum reply to a previous forum reply to… i emailed WEBS to ask about the change from regular novas to the platinas (and also if they’d be going lower in price) and this was the response:

start quote “”""* 20% off is our Nova closeout price, it is unlikely to go lower.

We do not really have any information about what lead (ACK! it’s led!) Knitter’s Pride to make the change. Here are the highlights about the Patina’s (ACK! it’s plural, not possessive!) as given by Knitter’s Pride’s website:

  • Engineered from hollow brass pipes and plated with Chrome, its shiny smooth surface is a knitter’s delight
  • Now with more Pointier and tapered tips - ideal for all knitting projects including lace!
  • The exceptionally smooth and shiny surface enables stitches to move quickly and with no resistance
  • Light weight insures comfort in the hand and hours of stress free, satisfying knitting
  • Durability of metal guarantees minimal wear and maximum life
  • A streamlined manufacturing process makes these needles highly affordable
  • Smooth join enables easy stitch glide and no snagging
  • Resilient and flexible cords lay flat with no kink or twist – easy to store
  • Knitter’s Pride Nova Platina - the best & most affordable metal needle"""" end quote

me again… the novas are brass plated with nickel… is the new platina plated with chrome better than nickel? is it an allergy thing, a tactile issue? something to do with tension and drag? WEBS doesn’t have any info on the platinas yet, just a placeholder page for when they do start offering them. regular novas come in sizes 0-19… so… i don’t know. ha ha. i just don’t know. stuff to think about.

#34

Now with more Pointier and tapered tips - ideal for all knitting projects including lace!

Bad words, bad words…pointier is the one thing I’d have changed about them, I may just have to get a set of the Platinas. I wonder what’s going on over at Knit Picks with their needles. Gotta run…

ETA I saw nada at Knit Picks to indicate they’re changing their nickel plates. hmmmmmmmmmmm

#35

uh oh, now i went and did it :wink: if you buy them, i hope you enjoy them! :wink:

switching gears… anybody out there feel free to chime in.

making pot holders for my brother. using the lion brand 3-stranded ‘pattern’ (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pot-holder---hot-pad-knit directs you to http://lionbrand.com/patterns/kkc-pot.html where you need a free account to see pattern).

my question is about the loop. it has directions for how to do a crocheted one:
“Bind off until one stitch remains. Knit that st, remove needle, insert crochet hook (ch 10, sl st to base st of ch) for loop. Fasten off.”

but that’s a dark art i’m not familiar with. if i substitute an i-cord, can i get away with 2 stitches, since they’re already 3-stranded? i-cord is usually 3-6 stitches wide, but that’s with single strands.

my other option is to fully bind off, and then use the 3 tails from the cast-on, braid them, and somehow tuck them in and tie them off. still a ways to go. have to do about 48 rows, and i’m on… uh… 3? lol… still, thought i’d have my plan of attack well beforehand.

thanks! :wink:

#36

OMG do you lead a sheltered life or what? Expose yourself to the dark art of crochet, you’ll be glad you did. :teehee: This is just a chain so it should be pretty easy even for a pre-novice should you decide to try it. As for an I cord, I think I’d use a single strand and do 3 or 4 sts. That’s me. Another option is to pull the yarn through the last stitch and braid the three strands then use the ends of the braid to secure it to the pot holder. I’ll let you figure that part out. I think you can, I think you can, I think you can…

Seriously: Hooking is a good skill to add to your repertoire. It’s handy for provisional cast ons, you can do a crochet bind off, sometimes a crochet edging is nice to add. A lot of us do a little hooking on the side. It’s harmless. You just might enjoy it. Then you can branch out to Tunisian crochet, a even darker art. There’s something called a Knook that is sort of a crochet-knit hybrid. I’ve watched videos and shook my head asking, why?

Is the fabric you’re making really good for potholders, no holes kind of thing that will allow you do yourself an injury?

#37

sarcasm duly noted :slight_smile: ok, fine, i’ll get a few more crochet hooks and practice sometime soon. i think i can figure out a 3-strand braid too :slight_smile:

i’m doing triple strand, worsted weight, cotton. my handwritten label says “HL-ILTY-100%C” which since i speak my shorthand, i figure means “hobby lobby-i love this yarn-100% cotton”. it’s a pretty squishy, thick end product. using 2 strands of antique cream (inner/outer of same full skein) and 1 strand pewter (smaller skein i’ve been using for bookmarks, bracelets, etc). i’m up to about 3.5" in rows, and i tried it on 2 pans coming out of the oven, and i think it’ll be ok. i’ll try it again once i have this first one fully finished, before starting anymore, or giving them away.

#38

I hope you’ve figured out by now that I do enjoy reading your posts. Your sense of humor and use of the language appeal to my dark side. :wink:

Your color combo sounds good. It’s good to know that the 3 strand garter stitch seems to be working out well. I need to do some new pot holders…some day…when I get a (please see attached).

I just finished a Who? hat (no sewn on eyes yet) and now am working on Give a Hoot mittens. Pictures at some future date, probably. I’m thinking that I could do a band with the cable owls that has a ribbed layer underneath (a hem type of thing, double layer band) and make a slouch hat or beret type hat on top of it. My granddaughter might like the hat I just finished or she might prefer a different style. She has a friend that will often wear something similar so they’re sort of twins and she can give the extra hat to the friend. I was also thinking owls on earflaps might be fun. Comments, sarcastic or otherwise?

When do you get your Little Knits yarn? I sent an email to WEBS today asking if they could let me know when they’ll get around to my order. :gah:

#39

i need to do his potholders now/soon, because… well… so many reasons why. let’s just say he needs many extras in the kitchen.

i like your ‘who’ hat. have you done those owl socks with the bead eyes? not that you need another project, but would be a fun combination gift with the mittens as well. (a ravelry search for ‘owl’ in patterns came up with over 1100 items! socks, gloves, iPod cozies, etc.)

my littleknits.com items are supposed to be ready for pickup by friday. their retail days are monday and wednesday, but their pickup days are wednesday and friday (and only 10-11 and 4-5 those days) (wouldn’t you want your retail and pickup days to be the same, and then you’d know those 2 days would be busier?). so, whenever my cousin can get over there on one of those 2 days during one of those hour-long windows. i’m not worried. i’ll get it whenever i’m over there to see them all in northgate/roosevelt. they have cats which i’m allergic to, but they’re firm believers in plastic storage bins with lids, so i’m sure my yarn will be safe and clean. also, i realized in a previous post, i asked if they did retail. not long after, i discovered they do, so i guess my real question is if anyone from the area knows - is it worth it, a large shop, decent in-person options, friendly staff, etc? their retail being those 2 weekdays only would make it harder to get over, as opposed to the weekend, but if it’s worth it…

#40

I so totally avoid going to Seattle. I’ve thought about going to Little Knits but haven’t. WEBS is looking for the things I ordered, checking their retail store. I hope to know whether they still had the needles soon.

The Who? hat was kind of fun. The yarn was splitty or it would have been more fun. Now I’ve worked with the motif I might add it to a sock top. It seems my granddaughter likes owls still. I might even make me some.