Aaron,
Thanks for the info on the spring action and the proper position of the sheath and needle. I printed out the post. I will use it soon. I have a request for a wool sweater knit tight.
Most of all, it is nice to see you posting again.
Hugs & God bless, Dennis & Gail
Not as much as we all enjoy your sincere responses Mirjam!
Shalom and Love from my home to yours. Dennis & Gail
JJmolvik,
What a great response, you said it all.
Hugs & God bless, Denis & Gail
Several of you passed information on to me about European knitting sheaths and knitting sticks. I believe that I have thanked you all, but in case I have not - thanks!
Two interesting virtues of those European knitting sticks were
1) That many of them could support quite short sock needles up into a comfortable working zone. This made knitting socks super low effort. They work real well with a set of birch or bamboo or -- rosewood needles.2 ) If you knit your socks on 5 needles, then the knitting folds up neatly with the 4 needles forming a nice bundle. For travel, one then lays the (fragile) needles along the knitting sheath, wraps the completed knitting around the needles and sheath. Most of the sheaths of this style that I make are 9 or 10 inches long and easily protect 8" needles. A few of turns of yarn around the whole package allows it to be dropped into a knitting bag, tool box, or glove compartment without fear of breaking a precious needle.
I have had some problems with bad needles poking through the knitting bag. Thus, I have started making needle end protectors out of short sections of bamboo (including the joint.) The green bamboo works easily, but is much harder when dry. I cut a slot in bamboo that my knit fabric slips into so that I can put the protectors on needles that have knitting on them. I use these for ganseys in progress on 18" needles, but they would work for socks and would even protect fine rosewood needles on a mule ride into the Grand Canyon. I hold them on the needles with a loop of cord threaded through holes in the pieces of bamboo. (Why not the little rubber point protectors? Because they do not make rubbers in the size I need!) Sadly, I have not been able to make a good knitting sheath out of bamboo.
Yesterday, I saw the fist blooming fruit tree of the season. That means sheep shearing season is not far away. Let me be the first to wish everyone safe "Stash Enhancement Expeditions!"
Aaron
sustainable.
Dennis, This morning, I got package from London that reminded of a sock knitting system that I developed last fall.
Then, I made a set of 5 steel 6.3" long US #1 knitting needles. I cut a gansey needle down to 12" long and soldered a 1" length of brass tubing that fit the needle snugly on one end of the 12" gansey stub so as to form a socket into which the tips of the sock needles would fit snugly. I placed the knitting sheath behind me as for gansey knitting and inserted the piece of gansey needle into the knitting sheath so that the brass socket was just in front of my armpit. Then, I inserted the sock needles into the brass socket. This gives the power of the vertical spring action from the gansey knitting system and the convenience of working with short sock needles. This is possibly not as fast on a stitch per stitch basis as allowing the sheath to pivot at one's side, but it is more ergonomic and it is the system I would use if I were knitting socks on size 1 needles.
When I first made the tool, my gansey knitting technique was poor so that the sock needles kept falling out of the brass socket, slowing me down and causing great frustration - so I put it aside as unworkable. Now, my technique is much better and the sock needles do not fall out. Now, I see!
This way of knitting socks is like old Irish Ale, very intoxicating. I would not give it up - not even if a Leprechaun offered me a "Magic Loop" for it.
A while back, I bought new circular needles and I put maybe 50 hours > > Dennis,
When I knit them, I use two circulars. When I crochet them... Ah, you know!
A while back, I posted about increasing the amount of stitches for the peasant heel on my crocheted socks. It worked! I used about 66% of them (due to the nature of the pattern stitch I like to use) and it works just fine.
Louise near cold and sunny Kingston ON
Great Louise,
Nice to hear you some one was able to help you. What a great group of dear friends we have here.
Nice to see another knitter and crocheter.
Hugs & God bless, Dennis & Gail
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