Are you on Ravelry? If so, you know about this marvelous site on the web for interacting with other knitters/crocheters with like interests. If you haven’t heard of it or looked it over – I recommend you check it out: www. Ravelry.com. In order to get the full benefit of the site, you need to join and it takes a while to get your Ravelry ID, but it is worth the wait. There are groups to join, forums to participate in, and your own area for listing projects, keeping track of your stash, inventorying your books and much more. There are also places to locate patterns – with the ability to purchase if you want or you can contribute a pattern to the site. And of course, there are many other knitters and crocheters who participate on the site and are willing to help with questions and solving technical problems. Warning: you can find yourself spending a lot of time on this site!
P.S. My Ravelry ID is “LindyBeir” if you want to find me there.
When I started knitting decades ago, the choices and types of knitting needles were limited. I started out using the Boye brand of aluminum straight single point needles in US size 10.5 – I think they were about 8 inches long. My next set of needles were US size 8 and were 14 inches in length. I continued acquiring single point aluminum needles – buying them one set at a time as I needed for the project I was working on. I still have most of those sets and I don’t use them much anymore.
I also acquired double point needles(dpns) as I learned to knit in the round or circular. These were purchased generally from big box type stores that carried knitting supplies. I have a mix of aluminum. bamboo, and birch needles. Again, I still have these needles but I rarely use them.
My first sets of circular needles were also purchased at big box stores and are aluminum or bamboo with thicker cables. I eventually found a local yarn shop in my area and this opened up a whole new avenue for buying knitting needles. The needles carried by the shop were of a much higher quality than what was available through the big box stores. My first purchases of fixed circular needles were Addi brand. Over time, I acquired a collection of these needles in various lengths. Again, I bought the size and length of needles as I needed them for projects.
I purchased my first set of interchangeable knitting needles about 25 years after I started knitting. I still use this set regularly but I also have acquired additional interchangeable needles and cables over time.
What I describe above is a process that I believe most knitters go through as they progress in the craft of knitting. You start out with what you are introduced to as a beginner and go from there. Today’s knitter has a much wider array of choices in knitting needles.
There are many different brands available as well as many different materials, not only aluminum and bamboo, but different types of woods, stainless steel, nickel, and acrylic. There are also many different options for where to buy knitting needles today. Knitters now have the option of buying knitting supplies online in addition to stores/shops in their area. It is wonderful to have so many different choices – but it can also be challenging for the new knitter. In my next post, I will discuss tips for selecting needles that I hope will help you the next time you wish to buy a set of needles.
I thought I’d post some pictures of all the snow we received over Tuesday and Wednesday. We really did not get completely dug out until Thursday — after the snowplow finally made its way into our subdivision.
This drift was on our front step — interestingly shaped by the high winds — it was about 24 inches deep. The shot is looking down the steps.
Here is DH snowblowing the driveway — yes, the drift covers our knockout rose bushes — and is a good 30 to 36 inches deep. (Those lights are 12 inches high) The drift went all the way across our driveway.
We had to dig out our blow up Santa Claus figure. He actually looks great with all the snow around him when inflated.
I’m sure everyone has watched the tv coverage of the earthquake in Haiti with horror and a sense of “what can I do” to help. Like many, it seems the best action that I can take is to donate to one or more of the humanitarian organizations who are already speeding their way into Haiti to help.
There are so many organizations out there — and it becomes a challenge to know which ones are the best ones to support. After listening to the coverage today — two organizations struck me as: 1) already in place and, 2) focused on some of the most critical needs of the people in Haiti. Those two organizations are Doctors without Borders and the Salvation Army. These two organizations also tend to receive less donations than the Red Cross. Doctors without Borders are already working to serve the severely overwhelming need for medical care in Haiti and the Salvation Army is working to set up shelters and feed people in need.
So — I’ve gone online and donated to both Doctors without Borders and the Salvation Army. I know many others will also be donating to the organizations of their choice today. If you have not yet decided what organization will receive your donations — please check these two worthy organizations out. I’ve included links to their sites below.
