Acquiring Needles over Time

September 9, 2021| LindyBeir| 0 Comment | 9:58 am

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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.

October and Breast Cancer AwarenessOctober and Breast Cancer Awareness

October 10, 2020| LindyBeir| 0 Comment| 10:49 am

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. I am a ten year breast cancer survivor and at this time of year I like to remind my friends and followers about the importance of having an annual mammogram. I was well overdue for my mammogram when my breast cancer was detected. Fortunately, it was in the early stage and I received good treatment and am now cancer free. But I do not miss my annual mammogram.

So, my friends — Have you had your annual mammogram this year? If not, please get it scheduled and get it done. It’s important to take care of your health and this is one thing that you must do for yourself every year. One in eight women over the age of 40 will develop some form of breast cancer.

For those who are either dealing with breast cancer treatment or have a loved one who is — I have designed a Turban Style Chemo Hat — one knitted using worsted weight yarn and one knitted in sport weight yarn. Both are available for free.

Turban Style Hat in Worsted

Turban Style in Sport

Slouchy Hat in Trinity StitchSlouchy Hat in Trinity Stitch

February 21, 2011| Lindy| 4 Comments| 1:49 pm

As promised in my last post, my Trinity Stitch Slouchy Hat was knitted in January. This is a semi-slouchy hat knitted in the trinity stitch. The inspiration for this hat came from a thread in the Harry Potter Lovers group on Ravelry. The thread was about the knit hat that Hermione Granger wears in the Deathly Hollows, Part I movie. Here’s a picture from the movie:

There was a great deal of discussion about what stitch was used for the hat, but most of the comments were in favor of either the daisy (star) stitch or the trinity (bramble) stitch. So, I decided to give the trinity stitch a try — and here is the end result:

Pretty close, I think.

I knit the hat using Paton’s Classic Wool yarn on size US 8 (4.5 mm) needles. Colorway is “Bright Red”. I also wrote the pattern for this hat as I knitted it up, so that I could share it with others. Here’s a link if you’d like to download it: Trinity Stitch Slouchy Hat.

I had to convert the Trinity Stitch Pattern so that it could be used in the round. Directions for the trinity stitch knit in the round are included in the pattern. If you download this pattern and enjoy knitting your own hat, please leave me a comment. 🙂

To see my notes on Ravelry — use this link.

Next post — Beret in Bee Stitch.

Jeny’s Stretchy (Slipknot) Cast OnJeny’s Stretchy (Slipknot) Cast On

July 3, 2021| LindyBeir| 0 Comment| 3:12 pm

This cast on is basically a series of slip knots placed on your needle. It creates a very elastic edge and is great for the cuffs of socks, mittens, and sleeves plus anywhere else where you want a very stretchy edge. It works especially well with ribbing and adding stitches at the end of a row.

One important point when doing this cast on: you need to get the stitches snugged up close to each other – avoid gaps between the stitches as it will give an untidy looking edge.

Link to video:

Jeny’s Cast On