Re: Knitting again

ught my circular set yet, but was wondering if the work

Actually, you can use just one circular as a pair of straight needles. Just ignore the fact that they are connected and knit back and forth on them. In other words, yes, turn them.

Stockinette almost always curls on the bottom unless the yarn is quite heavy, very loose, or steamed flat.

You can try a few rows of seed stitch on the bottom to stabilize it, which is what ribbing does on sweaters. I've also used a crocheted edge, or an i-tube edging to do the same thing.

True enough, especially for small projects. But you need a bit more ease in the length of the circular if you do it that way for large ones. Dora

Or just using a circular set instead of a pair - which is what I think you meant. As opposed to using 2 circular sets for doing socks instead of 4 dp needles.

Hmmm - maybe I'll take on your resolution and do one of the 2 I have - one is started - the other - still haven't even wound the yarn....

Ellice

I've heard so many good things about your laying tools I'm sure the knitting needles would be lovely. Dora

Of course you realize finishing project permits the start of 3 more. Dora

Of course you realize finishing project permits the start of 3 more. Dora

I love the way you think!

Not especially for small projects: they're good for projects of any size. I only ever use circulars and usually buy mine with enough ease to accommodate a sweater back at least. I'm currently working a 56 inch ruana on my circulars - have no idea how it would fit on straights.

Elizabeth

You may be thinking of the Denise needles. Personally, I have a bunch of Addi Turbo needles - and love them. Mostly the metal ones - which are awesome in warm weather. They also have some wooden ones - which is mostly what I use in the cold weather months. Having a smooth fitting between the line and the needles is importan - for me.

Ellice

I'm afraid that DH has caught on to that particular rule.

ellice

I have a set of interchangeable needles from Boye. I've used them a lot. The cables are nylon and can be combined to make really long lengths and the straight pieces are aluminum with nice pointed tips.

Like with everything else, different strokes for different folks. I tried the Addi Turbos and didn't like them. I still prefer the aluminum needles over even the wood/bamboo because they are so lightweight and cool to the touch. When I did a lot of knitting I almost always did complicated cables and patterns and I like the points on the aluminum better then any of the others. Now I have so many needles, having been left a bunch by my mother, my friend's mother and an old Brooklyn neighbor, that I could go into business selling some of them as antiques.

L.>

Personally I don't like them because they don't support the weight of the work in the same way as the heavier needles, so there is more stress on the hand when working. I try to avoid courting hand strain whenever possible. However if they work for you, great. Dora

I should ask - is finishing completing the stitching or the "finished" item.

Cheryl

See, and I find that straight needles stress my wrists much more than circulars, precisely because all of the weight of the work is on the needle instead of sliding off onto the cable and resting in my lap.

Elizabeth

I like circulars but have two reservations, one is setting up a lacey pattern it is not quite so easy to see you are getting right as on straight needles and the other is of course the cat. Cats can wreak havoc with work on straight needles, far more so than circular lol

LOL - I bet for most of us it means finishing the stitching....Of course, I'm stuck with several "finished" to be "Finished" pieces.

Ellice

I'm including finishing in finished. That's a bit of a cheat since finishing doesn't take as long. Dora

I'm including finishing in finished. That's a bit of a cheat since finishing doesn't take as long. Dora

For me the finishing sometimes takes even longer.

We all hold needles a little differently and hand strength differs as well. I think it is the shortness of the circular needles that irritates my hands. That said, the afghan I'm working on is on extended needles, which have the same spatial relationship of needle to cord as circular needles. The difference there is that the weight of the knitting is usually resting on the floor. I would not want to work that project on circular needles because of the number of color changes - I sometimes have as many as 50 color changes in a row, and need to be able to lay it flat to detangle once in a while. Dora