Toying Around

Who was I trying to kid yesterday when I said I'd wait and finish the knitting project I started on the wooden needles before going to my new Denise interchangeable set?

I must have been delusional with my 103 degree fever (no joke, I'm actually not feeling well, and think I got some sort of "Summer Flu") when I made that statement.

I was awake for a total of about three hours yesterday, and it was in the morning that I had the longest stretch of "functionality."  So I picked up the wooden needles that are said to be a size 9.  Then I put the cables together and set it up with a size 9 too.  But before starting, I opted to roll the wooden and the acrylic needles between my fingers.  Are they the same size?  No!  They didn't feel like it.  The acrylic felt a bit smaller! So I grabbed the acrylic 10s and rolled them between my fingers with the wooden needles; they felt to be the same in diameter as the wooden.  (It is true that I could have actually measured them, but that required more strength & energy than I had at the moment.)

So, I worked the little piece I already started off the wooden and onto the acrylic.  Wow, I actually saw an increase in speed as the yarn and the needles seemed to enjoy each other's company!  Since I started running low on energy I let my thoughts drift into what I could create with this little experiment I was toying with.

I settled on a poncho for my daughter's Barbie.  When it was about 2 1/2 wide I cast off, and inserted my hook, joined the ends and at the bottom I crocheted a border using the Loop Stitch.  For the top, I crocheted a ribbing (3 stitches high).  It came out quite cute; my daughter loves it as she can use it as a poncho, skirt, or top for her Barbie.  I didn't have enough strength to sew my ends in -- that will have to wait until I'm feeling better.

Again, today, I've slept most of the day away.  But as was true yesterday, I had more strength in the morning ... so I decided to knit another little sampler ... six rows in size 10, six rows in size 9, six rows in size 8 ... and so on.  I only got to the size 8 and had to put it down.  My goal here is to see how the sizes of the needles effect the drape/texture of the yarn.  I do want to note that the yarn says to use a size 2 needle ... but yesterday's little experiment with the 9/10s made for a very soft fabric.

I want to urge others who are curious to toy around too.  Make swatches with hooks/needles too big, or too small as what the manufacturer recommends.  You'll learn a lot about the yarn/thread characteristics, and might stumble upon one that you just love the end results of!