I Got 'Em!

You might remember that I asked my Other LYS to save me one of these new Addi Lace circular needles from Skacel. Well I bought it, took it home, tried it out and went right back to the store for 2 more sizes while they still had them available. Pricey, yes! But nice to work with. More slippery than bamboo but not too slick and the join is smoother. The cable is lovely and limp and a very pretty rose colour. See?

Note the old Addi Turbo cable was soaked in hot water to get out the kinks (which obviously didn’t work too well) and the new Addi Lace cable is just as it comes out of the package. Notice a difference? The new needle cable also has the needle size printed on it though it’s a bit teensy for these older eyes. I’ll let you know if it wears off any time soon. The brass points are much pointier and longer than the Addi Turbos and I like them much better. Have a look:


(A weaver's aside: doncha love the close-up texture of the vintage linen tablecloth?)

I’m one of those rebels who prefers a sharper point at the best of times and I didn’t like the old Addis much no matter who touted them as the best thing known to knitters ever. But these lace needles are far superior in my books. The business ends are a nice length and straight too, not bent like some other needle brands which drives me nuts. Not too short or too long. Whether it really was Grumperina and her blog readers who pressured Skacel into perfecting these needles, I thank you, whoever you are. These are, as Goldilocks said, Just Right. I now have 3 mm, 3.25 mm and 3.5 mm which is in the ballpark of sizes that I customarily use for lace. I might get 3.75 and 4 mm eventually but the budget is already stretched bigtime at the moment. I have my good old Denise interchangeables in those larger sizes which makes it harder to justify more Addis. And maybe I’ll eventually get a 2.75 mm too. It’s actually really surprising how one little jump in size bigger or smaller makes a big difference in the lace. Meanwhile I have a good selection to work with for now.

I’ll be taking a one-day workshop on heirloom lace knitting at the ANWG conference in Red Deer, AB in June. The instructor is Coleen Nimetz who is a Master Spinner as well as amazing knitter. I’m looking forward to learning more about lace especially as it pertains to handspun yarn. I’ll be bringing my unblockable llama lace scarf with me for “what not to do” advice! Hopefully someone can help me figure out why it refuses to stay blocked for more than 5 minutes. My bet is on too much twist or maybe the fibre was just not the right choice for lace. I should see if I have any more of it and spin some new samples to test my theories. Later.

Meanwhile I’m still living with noise and dust from next door. It’s amazing to me that the little bit of the shell of the house that they left didn’t collapse like a house of cards after they removed all the interior walls and the ceiling joists. That left only the main floor as an open rectangle and the gutted basement. The diagonal underfloor on the main level is still there. It reminds me of when I play with the Megablocs with my granddaughter. She likes to break up my buildings!

I get to listen to the workmen’s choice of radio station too. Why am I not surprised that it’s a local Chinese-language station? (Cyndi, you’re amazing if you can really identify your stepson from the back in a fuzzy picture taken through the grubby window! Hee-hee! The guy in Monday’s photo with his back to the camera is Chinese and probably in his late 30’s or early 40’s. Ring any bells?) Most of the crew are Chinese I think, but the crew boss (introduced to me as William and also Chinese) gives his orders to them all in English. I love my multicultural city!

Thanks to all those who commented so positively on my finished Cherry Leaf Shawl. I have it draped where I can admire it for awhile! Susan hon', you’ve got to come and hold my hands away from my knitting because I've already been tempted! However, you’ll be happy to know that I’ve started sewing. More on that later.