Not Meant To Be

[legalmoose]

Tried to go shopping today, post-pride. Wanting to not waste petrol, and since I was already warm from walking around at the pride festival, I biked over to Barracks Row to hit the local bike shop and the local yarn shop. Someone, however, had other ideas for me.

• Strike One: Local Bike Shop no longer carries nutrition products, the sole thing I needed.
• Strike Two: Local Yarn Shop doesn’t have any of the notions I wanted to pick up.
• Strike Three: Picked up my mail from yesterday on the way back into the building, and the every-two-years-like-clockwork jury duty summons was in there.

I get the picture, I’m staying in the rest of the day.

Earlier I did go down to the Pride festival for DC. Was nice, nothing particularly smashing, but I enjoyed it. Saw several folks I don’t see much of these days, picked up a bracelet (bike chain pattern), got some sun (no burn though - yay SPF 30). I didn’t go out to the parade last night - I didn’t want to go drinking after or during after yesterday morning’s race, and honestly I prefer the festival for people watching and talking. Instead I finished up Half-Life 2: Episode One on the Xbox (didn’t take long, actually), finished a knitting sampler I was working on (increases and decreases, various methods), and started the next project - BC’s hat, to match the scarf. The hat, after the initial cast on and row, is coming along quite nicely, especially in comparison to the scarf. We’ll see how it goes when I have to start decreasing and slip it over to the double pointed needles.

Question for my knitting friends: Do they not make aluminium or metal needles these days? Mom has a ton (which I will filch from her in due time), and I like the feel of them, but almost everything I see other than Addi Turbos are wood of some sort (or bamboo). What gives?

View this post at the Glen.

Comments

[eyow.livejournal.com]

There are still aluminum and/or metal straight needles out there, although most people who knit with metal tend to knit with circular needles. (*) If you go to a large craft store (Michaels, Hobby Lobby, etc), you should be able to find aluminum straights. Also, INOX/PRYM makes metal straight needles (as well as circs), which you may be able to find a LYS. Another brand that's gotten attention lately is Hiya Hiya, which are stainless steel, and they make circs too.

(*) A lot of this is because it's more comfortable to knit larger pieces with circs, because the weight of the work is carried on the cable, rather than all going onto the needle, which has to be supported by your hands, and is ultimately very tiring.

[deejayqueue.livejournal.com]

The simple fact that there are knitting needles out there called "turbos" makes me want to knit.

[spudpuppy.livejournal.com]

Go to a craft store instead of yarn store and you should be able to find metal needles. Most serious knitters use wood, because they think they feel better. And most yarn stores cater to serious knitters versus craft stores which are geared more towards the casual user. JoAnn's is having a sale on their needles right now. Although, I don't know how close one of their stores might be to you.