So tiny! Testing out Addi 20cm circulars

I have umm'ed and ahh'ed over buying a pair of these teeny tiny needles for ages. I can magic loop with a regular circular and I can use DPNs (Double Pointed Needles), so did I really need to try out another way of knitting socks?
Well, of course! I have joined a number of sock knitting groups on Facebook, the main one connected to Winwick Mum (Aka, Christine, check out her book Super Socks: Knit a pair of socks with Winwick Mum). Lots of the members there are knitting on these tiny sock circulars and love them. So I decided to take the plunge. Amazon were sold out of 2.5mm and so were all the other places I found! I put a post up in the group and a WAHM (Work At Home Mum) said she had some in stock. Score! I usually knit socks on 2.75mm, but my last pair were feeling a little baggy so I decided to size down and see how I got on.
They arrived the day after Kate at Hand Dyed by Kate posted them. So customer service was fantastic! I am now lusting after her yarns, yum. Anyway, I opened the parcel after a day at church volunteering and the school run. THEY WERE SO CUTE AND TINY! (Apologies for the rubbish dark photo taken on my phone....)

I spent the afternoon deciding what pattern to use and eventually tried to cast on that night after the hatchlings were in bed. Nope. It was not happening. I just couldn't get the hang of them and put them down in a huff. It was too dark and I was stupidly trying to cast on with dark coloured yarn. (I've since read in the Winwick Mum Super Socks book, that she likes to cast on to DPNs and transfer to the mini-circ.)

I've been ill over the weekend and all of this week, so whilst I've had my feet up it's been the perfect excuse to knit socks. So the next day, I made myself a cup of tea, printed out the Rose City Rollers pattern, sat down in my PJs and tried again. And managed! Woohoo! (Yes, that's a dino stitch marker....)

At first, they were awkward to use. They are so tiny, my hands weren't used to holding them. I felt like I was knitting with my fingertips! Probably because I was trying to knit with my finger tips! But after a few rounds they felt less awkward, and by the time I was doing the heel flap of the sock, I was in love. They felt so easy and quick.
Picking up the gusset stitches were awkward, and I ended up using a couple of DPNs to pick up, just for space. But I squished the stitches back onto the mini-circular after picking them up and it wasn't too bad actually! Definitely easier than doing it magic loop or with DPNs.

So, my verdict? I love them! I've actually just asked Kate to let me know when she has more stock so I can buy a second circular and matching DPNs, as I like to knit two socks at once other wise I end up with second sock syndrome. If you fancy them, then give them a go! But give them a couple of days of use. You really have to let your hands get used to a different way of holding the needles. It felt so clunky and awkward at the start, but after a few days my hands adjusted to the different way of holding them and now I find them much faster than magic loop and I don't get the ridge or ladders that I get with DPNs (No matter how careful I am with my tension I always get one or the other!). And they're much more portable too. No lengths of wire or multiple pointy sticks. Although I do suggest a couple of DPNs or a spare needle of some kind to pick up stitches should you do a heel flap.

I'm now at the toe section of the first sock and about to start my toe decreases. (I've got a wooden DPN in there with a few stitches on so I don't loose any stitches off the tiny circ while stretching the sock over my foot) I've been reading about the anatomical toes and I think that's what I'll be doing this time rather than the standard finish in the pattern. I'll do another post about my socks though, as they're my first pair of my twelve! ;)



(Just a little disclaimer, I haven't been paid by Addi, Winwick Mum or Hand Dyed by Kate for this post, all thoughts and opinions are my own, yadda yadda...)

Twelve in twelve

I love hand knit socks. I adore them. They're so comfy and soft and colourful. I have enough sock yarn to sink a ship. I just need motivation to actually get it made into beautiful squishy socks! And the time. And more hands.... So I've decided to give my self a little challenge. Want to join me?

I've seen a lot of people over the years doing 52 in 52. 52 pairs of socks in a year, so one a week. I'm smart enough to know I would never ever manage a pair of socks a week. I have big feet and like longer legs to my socks. And have two kiddies to run around after. Quite literally, now that TinyDino is crawling and cruising! So I've decided to do 12 in 12.
That's 12 pairs of socks in the year, one a month. If I manage extra pairs then even better! And to start myself off on the right foot (Hahaha, yes pun intended!) I'm finishing the poor unloved socks which have sat on my needles for..... about 2 years? Yeeeeeah...... I attempted a new way of doing the heels and fell out with them big time and they got thrown in a bag in the bottom of my knitting bag and mumbled at every now and again.
They are awesome socks, the yarn is just beautiful, but this new heel made me loose the love totally. So I dug them out of their shallow grave, ripped them back and will do my usual after thought heel instead (You can just see the scrap yarn on the needles in this photo)

I have a small pile of sock yarn to pick from for my first pair, and I'm signed up to a yarn box from The Yarn Tree for almost every other month of 2016! In fact, all of the yarns in my pile for the first pair are also from The Yarn Tree! If you haven't already, you should check her out. Mel dyes some of the most fantastic colourways and her prices are very good too!

I have (L-R) Harley Quinn vs Poison Ivy (From the Superhero yarn box), We're Simply Meant To Be and Tis The Season To Be Jolly (Both from the Nightmare before Xmas yarn box)

 I also have the sock blank "I Love Rainbow Dash" from the My Little Pony yarn box.

And "The Flash" which was also in the Superhero yarn box.

Ignore my rubbish photography skills and look at how gorgeous those sock blanks are! Love at first sight. But which do I pick first?! I have a few more days to decide!

If you want to join me in 12 in 12, leave me a little comment! :D

Knitting catch-up

Here's a selection of the knitted items I've made over the last few years :)

                

Crochet catch-up

So I thought I would start the blog with a few posts about some of the things I've made in the past. I do so many crafts, that I could fill a blog if I were to do a post on each item! So I decided to break it into separate posts for different crafts.
Here are some of my past crochet makes! I am yet to master making 3D shapes with crochet so they're all blankets.

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