I'd like to think I have a semi-reasonable grasp on how much yarn I have, and possibly even the ability to remember specific companies, colours, and amounts.
So I rarely get surprised in the stash dive. But I do get "pleasently reminded". It certainly sounds a lot nicer, doesn't it? It gives knitters with big stashes a better image, I think.
"No! I haven't lost all grasp on the inhabitants of my yarn stash! I just get pleasantly reminded every once in a while!"
But I digress.
So yes, I was pleasantly reminded of some fantastic hot pink Jitterbug in Cherry that was given to be my a friend many years ago. This happened to coincide with an out-loud-think I'd been having on my podcast about my dislike for dpns, but my inexperience with wee short little circulars. And like a knitterly angel from the sky came a friend of mine, with an extra pair of 9" Hiya Hiyas I could borrow and test drive. Sweet!
So those 9" circulars and that hot pink Jitterbug will soon begin a relationship that I hope is happy and fruitful. I'll keep you in the loop with my mini circular test drive.
Have you ever used very short circulars? Do you have any tips for a newbie?
4 comments:
I do have one set of very small circs, but I have a pretty good relationships with my dpns, so I haven't used them much. So far, in my limited experience, I find them a touch awkward, and not as comfortable in my hands as longer ones or dpns. But I suspect you have smaller hands than I do, so maybe they'll work better for you.
I actually learned magic loop then 9in circulars. I just recently learned how to knit with DPNs. I love my 9in circulars & never go far without them.
My advice, if you want to give it a fair trial, is to not give up. I first bought a 9" circ a few years ago and was super-keen to use it. I gave up after swatching because my hands hurt; I was using muscles I hadn't known were in there. I put that needle away and didn't touch it again for a couple of years. Then I tried again, and within a relatively short period of time (say, a couple of inches of sock), I was getting used to it, and my hands had figured out how to hold the needles and skooch the stitches along comfortably. I've since gotten hooked on these little gems. I love just going round and round and round, and have stocked up on pretty much every size I would need for various socks and mittens (especially perfect for fingerless as you don't need to magic loop the decreases at the top of the fingers), ranging from 1.75 to 4.5 mm.
Also, try some different brands, and enjoy the process. I especially like the Hiya Hiya 9" SHARP circulars, which are nice and pointy.
I've tried them and like them - but definitely prefer to knit two socks at a time with Magic Loop, so I haven't used them much. The one thing I will say is to try to relax your grip as much as possible while still keeping a good tension. What Rebecca said above is true - it will hurt your hands and fingers a bit to get used to the short needles. Good luck!
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