Trish Knits.com

Tag: Knit Picks

  • Almost!

    sock almost complete

    I’m just about done with the slipper sock. The cuff has about 15 rounds in it and I’m going to go until I’m just about out of yarn and see how many more that gets me. the cuff is loose and slouchy so it will be comfortable for sleeping or lounging around the house late on a Sunday morning. (Kid’s favorite pastime of late.) Too bad she’ll have to wait a while for the second sock, as I have a brown ripple afghan to get back to, post haste. I’m pleased now that I know some basics about how socks go together, and can’t wait to make my first real socks on sock yarn.




    Toward that end, I received Charlene Schurch’s More Sensational Knitted Socks, which I am going to love! Even more of the patterns in this book are offered in toe-up versions, and I think THIS is the sock book that is really going to get me on my way to being a full fledged sock knitter. I’ve been hanging on to some Knit Picks self striping sock yarn (Simple Stripes, now discontinued) for several years and the daughter has been after me to make the socks ever since she laid eyes on the yarn, which was purchased in girly colorways with her in mind. Soon, dear soon.

    But this coming week I fear is going to lead to a whole new obsession. Dare I say it? Kauni. Shoot me now.

  • Spoke Too Soon!

    Comfy yarn closeup


    The other day I mentioned that I was disappointed with the color of the Knit Picks Comfy Yarn in the deep purple shade. Well, yesterday I had the chance to play with it a little and I have changed my mind! I cast on for a wrap from Amy Singer’s new book (more on that soon) and it is GOR-geous! I don’t know why I said that I didn’t like the color before except that the lighting in my house can sometimes play tricks on my eyes.

    I happened to be in the car when I cast on so the yarn was in sunlight. And wow, the color was great! I adjusted my camera when taking this picture to approximate what I saw. My sample is two strands held together on big needles. This yarn is so soft and squishy! I think I am already in love.

    If I have any complaints I can say that the yarn picks up lint really quick! I don’t quite get it, but oh well… it feels great and there’s not enough acrylic in it to give me that sticky feeling in my hands as I knit with it. I think I am going to love knitting by the pool with this yarn all summer.

  • Get Comfy!

    Comfy yarn in several colors

    Yesterday I received in the mail my first shipment of Comfy yarn from Knit Picks. Shown are the colors Pomegranate, Fedora, Planetarium, Cypress, and Blackberry. I haven’t swatched yet but the yarn feels yummy! I’m thinking of doing a knit version of the Babette Blanket with it but I am not sure yet.

    I have to say that my anticipation of this yarn was very high. I was especially looking forward to the introduction of a dark, rich purple. And I hate to say it, but I am a wee bit disappointed. Especially with the brown and the purple. Those two colors are SO dark that it’s almost hard to see what the colors are. They’re nearly black.Am I sounding whiney? I mean, I like it, but I don’t love it as much as I was so hoping I would. The blue, green and red shades are great. If only the brown and the purple were just a hair lighter…


    Got My Sock Wearin’ Shoes!

    Dr Marten Mary Jane with flowers

    Ok, now it’s official that I have to learn to make socks! I just found the perfect shoes for showing them off. They’re Dr. Martens Mary Janes and I am more excited than ever about learning to make socks now. Only problem is that with my brace my foot is a little wide, and so I will need to go to a shoe repair shop and have them put an extension on the strap.

    I got a new sock book, too… but more on that tomorrow.

  • Worms, Anyone??

    worm binder, front cover

    Ok, this is going to sound crazy, but on the Knit Picks discussion board on Ravelry, folks started talking about finding a better way to store their Harmony needles. Someone mentioned that they found a “worm binder” at Wally World and that it was a perfect fit. Now, I don’t go browsing the fishin’ pole section every day, in fact, never, so I had never even heard of one of these marvelous contraptions. Yesterday, I braved a throng of tween girls at the new Hannah Montana movie, and it just so happens that at this mall where my favorite theater is, there is an Outdoor World store, that includes a Bass Pro Shop. Lo and behold, there they were! But alas, the one I found in the store, and bought fairly immediately, is not available online — yes it is, here’s the link: Extreme Worm Binder (Mine is the “medium” size.). The bag is made of some sort of waterproof fabric, and includes lots of little ziploc bags (for fishing tackle) inside. The outside has a zipper pocket, and because the bag itself is soft sided, it is really very roomy.


    worm binder, inside, showing zipper pockets on inside front cover

    Here is a view of the inside front cover, showing two zipper pockets. They are the perfect size for my needle sizer, scissors, or whatever else I need to carry.


    worm binder, inside, showing zipper pockets on inside back cover

    And here is the inside back cover, which has quite a few small pockets, perfect for end buttons, stitch markers, the little “key” thingys that help tighten the needles, etc.


    worm binder, back cover

    And this is the back cover, which has a mesh pocket with a velcro tab for holding it closed. Overall, this bag is great! All of my needles fit in there, which is more than I can say for the bag that came with my Harmony set. (Ok, there’s enough room for one pair of each of the interchangeable tips in the bag that the set comes with, plus you can throw cables and stuff in the center section, but then where would I put my fixed circulars that are sized 0 to 3? especially since the 1’s and 2’s have two sizes each, and the needle sizer doesn’t have holes for each of these. I would have a devil of a time telling them apart. PLUS, I have multiple pairs of tips for my favorite sizes, and now they will all fit in the ziploc bag things. It’s great that I can keep all of my needles together.

    So, I highly recommend a fishing worm binder (also called a tackle binder or a bait binder) as wonderful knitting needle storage. I should have gotten more than one. The only thing is I hope I can somehow remove the Bass Pro patch off the front and replace it with something a little more “girly”…. My dad would be rolling his eyes at me if he could see this!

  • I’m So Weak!

    purple skeins of yarnOk, yes it’s true… my Yarnaholic Tracker does not lie. Last week, I caved and bought yarn. LOTS of yarn. What am I going to do with it? I don’t know yet. But it’s here. In my stash. That pile, you know, the one that’s overtaking my house.

    I shopped at Knit Picks, as per usual, and got Wool of the Andes in Amethyst Heather and Onyx Heather. My daughter has a lovely purple afghan that my step mother made for her a number of years ago, when her room was purple. So I got enough yarn to make myself an afghan and have some left over for some felted hats (of course).

    Then there is the not-so-small matter of the endless brown blanket for Miss Z. I am making progress. I am. I am. I am still enjoying knitting it. But there is the issue of that huge box of new yarn and I SO want to make something with it. The Miss Z. blanket cannot wait so I must remain strong. I must hold my resolve to finish that project first and to work on nothing else until it is done. Miss Z. needs it. I need to be able to give it to her. And I will. In a way I am glad she likes brown and I don’t. for a brown blanket, it is turning out BEAUTIFUL if I don’t say so myself, and if it were in colors I actually loved I might have a hard time giving it away. No, not really. I can’t remember the last time I knitted something with such joy and such purpose. It’s a cool feeling.


    charcoal colored skeins of yarnWanna know what else was in the box? A set of size 7 Harmony needle tips with a 24″ cable set, that’s what! IJ at work has been eager to learn to knit. About a month ago she bought herself a learn to knit book and I told her about KnittingHelp.com. She doesn’t live near a yarn shop so I offered to include starter needles and a ball of yarn in my big order, which of course she then paid me back for. She decided she would go home with her book, yarn, needles, and website and see what she could do on her own, then she’ll come to me with questions next week. I hope she has an easy time and can get going! I bet she’ll be fine. She seems like the kind of person who would be a successful self-taught knitter. I can’t wait to give her some pointers on Monday!


    Harmony Cable Needle Set The last item in my bag was the Harmony Cable Needle Set. Aren’t they just lovely? I usually prefer to cable without a cable needle, but there are times when the extra insurance is really helpful, such as with a slippery yarn or one without much give. I just love looking at them, and hope they will be not too slippery to do the job!

    All for now, talk to you soon.

  • Kneedles!

    circular knitting needles

    The other day when my mom was over she asked me if I still have the yarn I was planning to use to make her a felted hat. The snot green yarn. for the snot hat? Why yes, I still have it. My mom has taken up knitting this year, and nearly every grandkid has been gifted with fuzzy mittens this winter. But now she wants to tackle her hat. Herself. How cool is that??

    So on Sunday, she’s having a hat knitting lesson. She of course needed the right tools for the job, so I ordered for her, her very own Size 11 Harmony needle tips and cables, which will be perfect for the job. The yarn is all balled up and ready to go. And I actually own more than one copy of the pattern (link chosen at random… lots of folks carry this pattern). I’m going to teach Magic Loop simultaneously with the concept of knitting in the round, so that my mom will never have to switch to double pointed needles while making her hat. I think it will be fun. Then we’ll wrap up our knitting lesson with a yummy steak dinner. I can’t wait! How fun it is going to be.

    Of course, I couldn’t buy needles for my mom without putting in an order for a little something for myself! I got all of the Harmony Circulars in sizes 0 to 3, just to round out my set. I also will get a set of the Harmony Cable Needles sometime soon, but only because they’re so pretty. I don’t really use cable needles that often… it depends on the give in the yarn. Still, I am finding these Harmonies to be too beautiful to pass up!


    Miss Z.’s blanket
    is coming along great. Yesterday we had lots of volunteer knitters at work, so the list is growing! Our director of HR gave permission for me to send an email to our whole organization. So, people were coming in and out of my office all day. More pics this weekend…