Friday, March 24, 2006

Carpenter work

Look at that picture. This is how March can sometimes look up here. Everything has turned into this bright cold harsh and glowing grey. There is plenty of light, it is hard on the eyes and there are absolutely no colors anywhere, even the soft blue is gone. The moment the sun comes out it all changes and I have been waiting for this change for some days now. This week has been exceptionally cold (and long) compared to the average.

I tried to swatch for lace yesterday. I broke my 3½ mm ciculars a while back and I had to use several slippery metal blunt substitutes which led me into frustration. I took a look at my straight but blunt bambus and decided to make use of them. Got out some tools (usually for manicure) and used each one in the order of the picture from the left to the right. I took good time in polishing with the last file and the needles are now quite pleasing. If you decide to try it too, I don't know if this works with all kind of bambu/wooden needles, be careful and try with the less valuable first. I tested these with silk yarn and silk glides beautifully on the needles. The sharp needles make it so much easier to do those k2tog's but it is also easy to split the yarn with very sharp points. So there is a limit how sharp the needles can be.
The memory of the cardi incident is hanging around and I don't feel comfortable on starting anything BIG nor DEMANDING so I cast on for stockings again. The same pattern (I should manage this...) as the yellow ones. The yarn is from Lisa Souza, it is 75 % wool and the rest is nylon and the color - Garnet - is very much to the recipient's taste.
Does anyone know when the planets are in a favourable position for the new projects again?

While waiting I'll drink lots of hot chocolate and turn over new leaves only of books over the weekend. Have a good one!

PS. I have been enjoying your comments and dreaming of new sock books and following the new links. Thank you so much!

PS. The Life of Pi book has turned into a trauma, so I'm not going to knit anything for it anymore...

9 comments:

  1. Go with the flow, as they say...

    I love to knit socks. But it's a guilty pleasure since my feet and ankles are not my best feature and the less attention drawn to them, the better. Everyone else around here are abusive to their socks and I would hate to see something I so lovingly knit thrown under the couch on top of a dried out pizza.

    But I do love that color of garnet.

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  2. Looks like you did a great job with the needles. Did the final buffer give them a good finish? As I was reading about your method of sharpening I was wondering if rubbing a little candle wax on them would be helpful. But I do not know how this may react with the fibers on your next project.

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  3. You're so creative! Great use of tools on hand. After the final filing you can use brown kraft paper to polish the wood to a silky smoothness. If you need to put a finish on, use a carnuba wax. Don't use beeswax, it never totally dries.

    Maple knitting needles is our business. :-)

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  4. Lene, ihana blogi! Tykkään tosi paljon käydä lukemassa neulejutustelujasi! Taidan kommentoida englanniksi, niin muutkin ymmärtää...

    I love the color of these socks! And the leaf pattern looks so nice. By the way, do you decrease the amount of stiches in these knee highs towards the ankle?

    I must say I was alittle sad to see the yellow cardi go, but I guess it just wasn't meant to be. :)

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  5. The Garnet is a lovely, springlike color. Nice choice!

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  6. Anonymous18:49

    I sharpen my wooden needles too! I see some other commenters have recommended using wax; I find that makes them a little sticky. I do rub them with wax paper though, which makes them silky smooth with no stickiness!

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  7. Anonymous18:52

    Love the photo of your landscape! We are having a bit of rain lately, but now and then the sun pops through to let us know that it is still about! I love the colour of the socks and also the pattern. The more I see from Holiday Knits, the more I think I need it on my book shelf! Hope you see the sun again real soon!

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  8. Oh dear cold and the colorless of gray is not for spring. Mother Nature needs to buy more color ink for your part of the world.
    For your kindness of sending me some snow on the first day of spring I will send you some of the lovely spring green grass color's that are poking up through the melting snow, although it is very raining today and turning everything it touches into brown muddy colors. So, I hope you don't get to much of that! ;)

    I love the garnet color! Perfect for drab, colorless days!

    P.S. I use my manicure set more on my bamboo and wood needles then I do on finger nails. I also keep a piece of wax paper in my knitting bag for smoothing out the wood. I never thought of using a buffer manicure board before. I will have to try that! :)

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  9. Anonymous02:53

    I like the idea of adjusting the points to one's own preference. I shall experiment.

    Lisa Souza does such wonderful things with color. Since your outside world is lacking color, fiber must take its place.

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