"No matter how terrified you may be, own your fear and take that leap anyway because whether you land on your feet or on your butt, the journey is well worth it."
-- Laurie Laliberte
"If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough."
-- Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage."
-- Anais Nin

Sunday, March 4, 2012

More Things I LOVE (the knit addendum)

We went through my top crochet items a couple of weeks ago. Most of those can be placed on my favorite knit items list as well. However, I must add a few things for that list to properly reflect both of my needlework passions. So here they are:

1.  My bamboo needles -- Yes, I could go on ad nauseum about how much I adore my bamboo needles. One major reason I like them so much is that I generally work on scarves because I'm still a newbie knitter. My bamboo set is 8" long which is the perfect length for scarves and the perfect length for my arms. I find 10" to be a bit less comfortable and 14" to be difficult to manage while lazing on the couch.

2.  My Boye/Simplicity accessories kit -- I picked up this kit for cheap at Michael's and it's been a sanity saver. It contains almost everything I need including a pouch that's big enough that I could add the accessories I already owned. Now everything is in one place and I'm less likely to lose my stuff.
Added 3/20/12:  I've gotten this question a couple of times now, so I thought I'd add the answer. What's in the kit and what did I add? Well, the pic shows everything in the kit, but I'll list them. You get locking stitch markers in two colors, a 60" tape measure, 2 pairs of point protectors (1 large, 1 small), 2 plastic darning needles, a small stitch counter, a stitch holder (which doubles as a shawl pin in a pinch), and a 3 in 1 tool that acts as a knit and needle gauge and converts for yardage. I added more point protectors, a couple more row counters (one that works on circulars and larger needles), and a cable needle.


3.  Knittinghelp.com's knitting abbreviations glossary -- Since I am a completely self-taught knitter with no IRL knitter friends, I continuously rely on this site for instruction and help. Their glossary features links to videos so I can learn techniques without searching all over youtube (which is wonderful, but not as good). AND I'm a Continental knitter, not an English knitter, so double their goodness because knittinghelp.com features virtually all of their videos in both methods.

4.  HULU -- I don't watch much TV. Pretty much whatever television programming I watch is on hulu.com and lately I'm kind of hooked on Grimm and Once upon a Time. I don't really watch when I'm crocheting because I'm usually also designing and need to pay close attention, take notes, etc. When I knit, I knit for me, and most of that involves following a repetitive pattern, so I can zone out, knit, and watch.

5.  Ravelry -- I know I've already mentioned them in this series, but this site has been instrumental in encouraging my knitterly tendencies. Because I can search patterns so many different ways and store them all in my favorites list, I'm never at a loss for that next project. It's as close as my laptop. Whether I want to learn a new technique, find a simple rectangle to keep my hands busy while I watch HULU, or just browse and fantasize that my knit abilities are further developed than they really are, I can do it on Ravelry. And I'll say it again:  The BEST thing about Ravelry is that they're based in the Boston area. Wicked Pissah.

There you have it! Five more things (okay 4 more, but who's counting?) to add to that favorites list. Is there anything I'm missing? Feel free to post in the comments.

Happy Knitting!

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