There are things about knitting I hate
There, I've said it. It's true. Shocking, I know.
Witness one of my least-favorite knitting things:
This is the dreaded 16" circular needle. Now, this is a double-edged sword: The needle is an Addi Turbo, which are my absolute favorite and the only thing I knit on unless there's some emergency or something (and yes, that happens. A knitting needle emergency is not weirder than a favorite pair of scissors, right?). Also, this circular signals the end of a project, so it brings with it images of new clothes, met deadlines, and all sorts of other good things.
But seriously. I hate knitting on this short a needle. It cramps my hands, I have to take frequent breaks, and it's just not enjoyable. If it weren't for my preference for as-perfect-as-possible finishing, I would never, EVER use a needle shorter than 24". But the benefits of knitting in the round around the armhole for the border are so obvious, I have to suck it up and do the armhole trimming on these hateful things. I've tried using DPNs instead, but I get ladders on DPNs at bigger gauges, so this is the only option.
I just have to keep saying to myself: You're almost done! You're almost done!
(of course, my most hated part of knitting is still ahead: weaving ends!)
This is all you're going to get to see of the vest until it's
printed, but don't worry I'll tell you all about it when it comes out!
4 Responses
Mel
That’s all I ever use to do sleeves, socks, and anything in the round that is too small to do on one 24" addi. It works out perfectly! Give it a try, I know you’ll love it.
Chery
You could try knitting with two circular 24" needles. They work well and don’t cause cramps. When you change needles, you can pull the yarn a little tighter for the second stich, especially if the other stitches are on the cable, and avoid ladders.
Dianna
I echo the idea of knitting on two 24" circs – the needles are long enough to not cause the cramping. I cinch up the first two stitches of each needle to prevent the ladder effect. I do all my small circular knitting on two circs any more…
Julia
March 25, 2006
Yeah, yeah, TRY THAT! It works so well and you’ll get used to it in no time! That’s the reason why I finally finished my first (adult) sweater a little while ago;-)