Knitting au naturel, Addi Turbo giveaway

One of the things I learned in Carson Demers’ ergonomics class at Columbia Gorge Fiber Festival is to take stock of your knitting, and try not to have all of your projects be the same. In other words, they shouldn’t all be fingering weight lace shawls on size 4 needles. That’s kind of hard for me, since usually I have two of these, one a thinking project (the current design conundrum piece) and one a non-thinking project (git ‘er done!). So for me, they’re same same but mentally different. I don’t usually think about having projects that are physically/ergonomically different.

Right now though, I have two projects that are physically very different.

I’m knitting/designing with this two-ply fingering weight spindle spun alpaca from Peru. The yarn is a prototype from a women’s cooperative there. This isn’t what the end product yarn will always be like, but it’s pretty fun to work with.

So soft, so fuzzy, so warm. And the romance of the story is awesome.

My other project is my Super Cabled Christmas Stocking (expialidocious!). I gave away the original prototype last year to someone who needed one but didn’t have time to knit it, and was given the same un-knitted yarn in return. I recently saw this yarn in my stash, and decided to knit it again. Super quick! I think it will be done in 3 evenings. I’m already past the heel turn, and it’s only 9 rounds of instep to the toe shaping.

It’s funny how I’m knitting both of these projects with undyed wool. Maybe if my knitting projects are physically different, there still has to be something similar about them. Too funny.

Mini needle review: Last time, I knit the stocking with an Addi Turbo needle, US 17, 20 inches. The fat cord is brilliant in that the stitches don’t have to transition between a skinny cord and a fat needle, but this particular yarn doesn’t slide freely along the cable. Also, the very blunt tips made my cabling without a cable needle a little slower.

I bought a Hiya Hiya Sharp US 17, 16 inches after the first evening’s knitting. I probably could have used a 24 inch needle (it doesn’t come in 20 inch) since the stocking circumference is 28 inches, and it would have longer tips (more comfortable), but I didn’t think of it. Still, things are going swimmingly, even with a regular skinny cable. No transition issues. And the longer, sharper taper on the tips are making the cabling easier, too. Win!

Rather than keep a needle that I’m not going to use again (since I have the new needles), I’d like to give these Addi Turbos away to one of you. Leave a comment on this post by Dec. 6, and I’ll pick a winner, USA only because of shipping for this one. These weren’t my favorite needles, but your knitting style and yarn may make them perfect for you.

The Super Cabled Christmas Stocking is one of the patterns I have on sale 25% off in the Indie Design Gift Along, and that sale ends tonight (Nov. 30) at midnight EST with coupon code giftalong2016 (scroll down to see bundle on this page, bundle only good through tonight). It’s also available through Knit Picks for $3.99, but won’t be in your Ravelry library. Knitter’s choice! I’ll keep this one pattern on sale through Ravelry at 20% off through December 6 with no coupon to entice you to knit it, and maybe with this Addi Turbo needle. Good luck!

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