Not really…. I went to a local yarn store, and brought two Addi Lace needles.  They’re beautiful and I love using them, BUT… Holy crap, they are expensive.  Not just “good tools are expensive” expensive, but “does it come with a free kick in the nards?” expensive.  They are really good tools, though.  And I wanted more.  MOAR!

eBay.

Yes, yes, I’m fully aware they are probably knockoffs, or stolen from the original factory, or something.  I have a set of KnitPicks options, but they don’t come as small as I would like, and although they are quite pointy enough for most things, they are not pointy enough for my Continental knitting lace.  (Insert something crazy here about knitting with thread and silk.)  So I bought a few pairs on eBay, for the same price that I got two of them at the local yarn store.  Including shipping.

When they arrive, I’ll compare them to the yarn store ones and let you know how it turns out.

Back to knitting.

Addi Lace Turbo Circular Needles

120 cm: 1/2.5mm, 4/3.5mm, 8/5mm

60cm: 0/2mm, 2/3mm, 7/4.5mm

8Season Circular Knitting Needles

40 cm: 0/2.0mm, 1/2.25mm, 2.5mm, 2/2.75mm, 3/3.25mm, 4/35.mm, 5/3.75mm, 6/4.0mm, 8/5.0mm, 10/6.0m, 13/9mm, 15/10mm

50cm: 0/2mm, 1/2.25mm, 2/2.75mm, 3/3.25mm, 3mm, 4/3.5mm, 5/3.75mm, 8/5mm, 10.5/6.5mm, 7mm, 7.5mm, 11/8.0mm, 13/9mm, 15/10mm

8Season 9” Single Point Knitting Needles

0/2.0mm, 1/2.25mm, 2/2.75mm, 3/3.25mm, 4/3.5mm, 5/3.75mm, 6/4.0mm, 7/4.5mm, 8/5.0mm, 9/5.5mm, 10/6.0mm, 10.5/6.5mm, 11/8.0mm, 13/9.0mm, 15/10.0mm

Tulip Brand Steel Gold Point Crochet Hooks

#0 (2.1mm), #1 (1.9mm), #2 (1.75mm ), #3 (1.7mm), #4 (1.6mm ), #5 (1.5mm), #6 (1.4mm ), #7 (1.3mm), #8 (1.25mm), #9 (1.15mm ), #10 (1.1mm), #11 (1.05mm), #12 (1.0mm), #13 (0.95mm), #14 (0.9mm), #15 (0.85mm), #16 (0.8mm), #17 (0.75mm), #18 (0.7mm), #19 (0.65mm), #20 (0.6mm), #21 (0.55mm), #22 (0.5mm), #23 (0.45mm)

KnitPicks Options Circular Interchangeable Knitting Needles

Needle Tips:

4,5,6,7,8,9,10,10.5,11,13,15,17

Cords (2 each):

24", 32", 40", 47" and 60"

Boye Interchangeable Crochet Hooks (Vintage)

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14

Assorted Needles (Vintage)

Straight

Probably Bates - 2, 4

Boye - 2,5, 8 (plastic), 10 (plastic),11

Bernat Aero (metal) – 4, 6

Double

0000(?) (I don't have a gauge that small .... yet) - Steel, brand unknown, 9", set of 4

0 - Zephyr brand, 7", 2 sets of 4 (red and green)

1 - 7", pair, and 2 sets of 4

2 - 9", pair

2 - 7", pair

2 - Zephyr brand, 7", set of 4

3 - Plastic?, 5", pair

3 - Plastic?, 6", set of 4

3 - Zephyr brand, 7", set of 4

4 - Marcia Lynn brand, 7", set of 4

5 - Bates, 7", set of 4; Diana, set of 4

11 – Boye, set of 4

Assorted Hooks (Vintage)

Afghan

Bates - 8/5mm

Boye – F

Assorted Circulars (Vintage)

(Probably Boye)

28” – 9, green

32” – 8, pink; 8, blue

Assorted Steel Needles of size less than 0 – more than 25 sets.  *giggle*

MeiMei Crochet Hooks

N

Brittany Crochet Hooks

D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, 7, 10 ¾, 10 7/8

Laffing Horse Square Knitting Needles

Straight

7,8,9,10,10.5,11,13, 15

Double

5

They say if you write them down, they are more likely to be achieved.

1. Flames of Vykaendys by MMario in this silk:
   
   
2. Finishing the handkerchief edging that I’ve been carrying around in my purse for the last month.
3. Shetland Hap Shawl by Liz Lovick of Northern Lace in these silk fleece colors:
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Make some more doilies.
5. Make a lace collar and cuffs for costume.
6. Finish dishcloth, actually following the pattern this time.
7. And of course, finish that present that was supposed to be done last year.

Why can’t I make hats?  Or at least, hats for other people?  Other people in different states whose heads I can’t measure?

Every attempt at making a hat for my mom has failed, and she loves hats, so this disturbs me.  I apparently have a bigger head/like my hats looser than she does, so using my poofy head doesn’t work.  I tried an actual measurement, but then screwed up on the increases/decreases (it was a beret) and ended up with a head devouring mushroom – but the brim was the right size.

Is it because I secretly dislike hats?  Is it because hats are insanely boring?  Or is it just because I only have my own head to use and my head is not yarn-based hat friendly?  Well that’s not true, because the lovely doily-based beret that I made for myself came out just fine.  Hrmmmm… mystery.

8Season Circular Knitting Needles

40 cm: 0/2.0mm, 1/2.25mm, 2.5mm, 2/2.75mm, 3/3.25mm, 4/35.mm, 5/3.75mm, 6/4.0mm, 8/5.0mm, 10/6.0m, 13/9mm, 15/10mm

50cm: 0/2mm, 1/2.25mm, 2/2.75mm, 3/3.25mm, 3mm, 4/3.5mm, 5/3.75mm, 8/5mm, 10.5/6.5mm, 7mm, 7.5mm, 11/8.0mm, 13/9mm, 15/10mm

8Season 9” Single Point Knitting Needles

0/2.0mm, 1/2.25mm, 2/2.75mm, 3/3.25mm, 4/3.5mm, 5/3.75mm, 6/4.0mm, 7/4.5mm, 8/5.0mm, 9/5.5mm, 10/6.0mm, 10.5/6.5mm, 11/8.0mm, 13/9.0mm, 15/10.0mm

Tulip Brand Steel Gold Point Crochet Hooks

#0 (2.1mm), #1 (1.9mm), #2 (1.75mm ), #3 (1.7mm), #4 (1.6mm ), #5 (1.5mm), #6 (1.4mm ), #7 (1.3mm), #8 (1.25mm), #9 (1.15mm ), #10 (1.1mm), #11 (1.05mm), #12 (1.0mm), #13 (0.95mm), #14 (0.9mm), #15 (0.85mm), #16 (0.8mm), #17 (0.75mm), #18 (0.7mm), #19 (0.65mm), #20 (0.6mm), #21 (0.55mm), #22 (0.5mm), #23 (0.45mm)

KnitPicks Options Circular Interchangeable Knitting Needles

Needle Tips:

4,5,6,7,8,9,10,10.5,11,13,15,17

Cords (2 each):

24", 32", 40", 47" and 60"

Boye Interchangeable Crochet Hooks (Vintage)

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14

Assorted Needles (Vintage)

Straight

Probably Bates - 2, 4

Boye - 2,5, 10 (plastic),11

Double

0000(?) (I don't have a gauge that small .... yet) - Steel, brand unknown, 9", set of 4

0 - Zephyr brand, 7", 2 sets of 4 (red and green)

1 - 7", pair, and 2 sets of 4

2 - 9", pair

2 - 7", pair

2 - Zephyr brand, 7", set of 4

3 - Plastic?, 5", pair

3 - Plastic?, 6", set of 4

3 - Zephyr brand, 7", set of 4

4 - Marcia Lynn brand, 7", set of 4

5 - Bates, 7", set of 4

Assorted Hooks (Vintage)

Afghan

Bates - 8/5mm

Boye - F

MeiMei Crochet Hooks

N

Brittany Crochet Hooks

D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, 7, 10 ¾, 10 7/8

Laffing Horse Square Knitting Needles

Straight

7,8,9,10,10.5,11,13, 15

Double

5

RitzCamera.com

Really great bag for large projects!

Pros: Practical, Spacious, Water Resistant, Organized, Light

Cons: Color Choice

Best Uses: Crochet, Knitting, Game night, Sewing, Commuting with crafts

I am going to use it to carry works in progess, including large knitted objects like a poncho. It also has good organization for circular needles and embroidery thread. The multiple sections make it easy to organize things, or just dump them into separate sections and pretend you've organized. It fits my crochet hook case and my knitting needles and my bag of embellishments for beading. I can also put sewing patterns into the plastic-covered side pockets and zip them up separately. Three yards of cotton fabric also fit in there with all the other stuff with no problem. Very nice. My only complaint is I would have preferred a different pattern on the outside fabric, those dots are not what I would have picked if I had been able to choose.

Hey, if there is anyone out there with any leftover Anna Burda, Rebecca, Diana or similar German crochet/knitting/needlework magazines, hook me up!

I'm also trying to find out if there are any similar French magazines, and if so, I want some of those too.

And why in heaven's name aren't there any comparable ENGLISH magazines?  With clear instructions, things that people might actually want to make, and some charts?  Is this really so hard?  There are tons of people who make individual patterns and sell them online, but I like the organization in the German magazines especially.  Also, I like themes.

Anyway, if you have some that you don't want, let me know.

Tulip Brand Steel Gold Point Crochet Hooks

#0 (2.1mm), #1 (1.9mm), #2 (1.75mm ), #3 (1.7mm), #4 (1.6mm ), #5 (1.5mm), #6 (1.4mm ), #7 (1.3mm), #8 (1.25mm), #9 (1.15mm ), #10 (1.1mm), #11 (1.05mm), #12 (1.0mm), #13 (0.95mm), #14 (0.9mm), #15 (0.85mm), #16 (0.8mm), #17 (0.75mm), #18 (0.7mm), #19 (0.65mm), #20 (0.6mm), #21 (0.55mm), #22 (0.5mm), #23 (0.45mm)

KnitPicks Options Circular Interchangeable Knitting Needles

Needle Tips:

4,5,6,7,8,9,10,10.5,11,13,15,17

Cords (2 each):

24", 32", 40", 47" and 60"

Boye Interchangeable Crochet Hooks (Vintage)

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14

Assorted Needles (Vintage)

Straight

Probably Bates - 2, 4

Boye - 2,5, 10 (plastic),11

Double

0000(?) (I don't have a gauge that small .... yet) - Steel, brand unknown, 9", set of 4

0 - Zephyr brand, 7", 2 sets of 4 (red and green)

1 - 7", pair, and 2 sets of 4

2 - 9", pair

2 - 7", pair

2 - Zephyr brand, 7", set of 4

3 - Plastic?, 5", pair

3 - Plastic?, 6", set of 4

3 - Zephyr brand, 7", set of 4

4 - Marcia Lynn brand, 7", set of 4

5 - Bates, 7", set of 4

Assorted Hooks (Vintage)

Afghan

Bates - 8/5mm

Boye - F

MeiMei Crochet Hooks

N

Brittany Crochet Hooks

D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, 7, 10 ¾, 10 7/8

Laffing Horse Square Knitting Needles

Straight

7,8,9,10,10.5,11,13, 15

Double

5

So I've discovered a few holes where I accidentally did my increases backwards.  What should I do with them?  Fill them in with yarn patches?  (I could, I have a crochet hook.)  Ignore them and hope it comes right when blocking?  (I doubt that very much, unless I accidentally felt it.)  At any rate, I'm resolved to be more careful in the future but that really proves nothing.  Although I did fix the light bulb so I can see clearly again.

KnitPicks Options Circular Interchangeable Knitting Needles

Needle Tips:

4,5,6,7,8,9,10,10.5,11,13,15,17

Cords (2 each):

24", 32", 40", 47" and 60"

Boye Interchangeable Crochet Hooks (Vintage)

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14

Assorted Needles (Vintage)

Straight

Probably Bates - 2, 4

Boye - 2,5, 10 (plastic),11

Double

0000(?) (I don't have a gauge that small .... yet) - Steel, brand unknown, 9", set of 4

0 - Zephyr brand, 7", 2 sets of 4 (red and green)

1 - 7", pair, and 2 sets of 4

2 - 9", pair

2 - 7", pair

2 - Zephyr brand, 7", set of 4

3 - Plastic?, 5", pair

3 - Plastic?, 6", set of 4

3 - Zephyr brand, 7", set of 4

4 - Marcia Lynn brand, 7", set of 4

5 - Bates, 7", set of 4

Assorted Hooks (Vintage)

Afghan

Bates - 8/5mm

Boye - F

MeiMei Crochet Hooks

N

Brittany Crochet Hooks

D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, 7, 10 ¾, 10 7/8

Laffing Horse Square Knitting Needles

Straight

7,8,9,10,10.5,11,13, 15

Double

5