Small Advantages

One advantage of being sick is that I get caught up on my blog reading. And a few podcasts, that is until my Palm T/X needed recharging. So that was how I found out that we all have Grumperina to thank for the Addi Lace needles from Skacel. Thanks, Kathy! And all your peeps who inundated the company with your preferences. Knitters have power! Use it wisely. Or (Cynical-Me thinks) it might have had something to do with the new and rather popular KnitPicks needles taking the wind out of the sails…er, sales of Addi Turbos? Does anyone in Canada carry the KnitPicks or do you have to order them directly? Just curious. I’m not a big fan of mail-ordering across the border. I’d rather have somebody else do it for me.

And while I’m at it, I totally forgot to mention that if my Usual-LYS actually did get the said Addi Lace circs, I’d definitely buy them there. But since they don’t normally carry Addis, I’m not expecting this to happen. They are dear folks and I buy from them lots (if you could only see my credit card bill you would know this) but I like to spread my cash (if not my love) around some. I buys ’em where I finds ’em. They did already get my money for the new Clover Takumi 5” dpns! I’ve got two sets each of 2 mm and 2.25 mm. Those are the sizes I use most for socks, wrist warmers and gloves. All of them are in use at the moment. Must have been a good purchase methinks.

I mentioned in a previous post about the problems Louet was having with the Victoria bobbins getting damaged when properly (as instructed) stored in the pack with the wheel. I just got a piece of foam padding in the mail from Jane Stafford (from whom I purchased Tori) with instructions on how to apply it to the hardboard inside the pack with the foam's glue strip. Then when you pack the lazy-kate with the 2 bobbins on it, you wrap the foam over them before inserting the wheel. Hopefully that will also shut up the rattling that occurs when I walk carrying the pack on my back. You’ve gotta know damage is occurring when that happens. (Not to mention how embarassing it is to be making funny noises in public!) I will receive 2 replacement bobbins later when Jane gets them from Louet. There are some pretty deep gouges on the 2 bobbins that were in the kate when I got it. Now I know how they happened. One even needed a bit of sanding to remove a rough edge. Of course now that I’ve dropped poor Tori on her head, she has even more owwies. I think the pack could really have used a smidgen more padding but then they were trying to keep the weight down to a minimum and I’m grateful for that. This old body wouldn’t be able to carry Tori very far if she was much heavier. That was the Whole Point in purchasing this wheel. I still have Klaas the S-90 and he also has his own bag that I made myself out of upholstery fabric with a quilted lining. It needs wheels though because I can’t carry it very far. Hence the reason for adopting his baby sister. Her other advantage is that Tori is flyer-drive/bobbin-brake instead of Klaas’s bobbin-drive/flyer-brake and she doesn’t pull in as hard. That’s a good thing for very fine or soft yarns. They are both nice wheels to spin on however.

Well, I’m almost at the toe on the Po-whatzit socks. Keeping on plugging. I haven’t picked up the Ocean socks at all so I’m being really dedicated to finishing these things. I’m not going to give them away either because they are worth so much stress and aggravation that nobody is deserving enough of that much of me — except me. I’m keeping them to remind me that it’s probably better to design my own socks. Or just knit plain ones.

Breaking News! I just got one of the books I ordered recently: Interweave’s Lace Style. I think it’s funny when I order 5 books and get them one or two at a time. With free shipping, no less! Packaged in hefty corrugated cardboard mailers. They sure must do high volume to make any money this way. But don't tell them I said that. I’ll review this book when I’ve gotten a chance to look at it.