![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.argoknot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/12-3-12a-001.jpg\" "\\"OLYMPUS")
<\/a><\/p>\nIt just doesn’t get any better! \u00a0Today feels like June in New England. \u00a0It is quite reminiscent of rare, lazy mornings on the front porch in either my old house in New Jersey, or my new Connecticut house. \u00a0I could become a little homesick, but I’ll just remind myself that it’s December<\/em> and there is no sitting on porches there right now!<\/p>\n I haven’t mentioned the “Ann Jacket” in about a week, have I? \u00a0Well, it couldn’t be going any slower ….. it’s like I just learned how to knit yesterday! \u00a0It took me over a week to knit one<\/em> sleeve, and it was some of the most frustrating knitting.<\/p>\n In the end it comes down to having good tools. \u00a0I’ve always known that. \u00a0But in this case I didn’t plan ahead to make sure I’d have the best tools on hand. \u00a0My options were to knit the sleeve flat, and this would have been my fastest option since I had the perfect needles for doing that….the very needles I used for the entire sweater. \u00a0But I didn’t want to sew at the end of project, especially this project which was so cleverly designed with no sewing. \u00a0I opted to pick up stitches around the armscye and knit circularly.<\/p>\n Now you know where I’m going with this… \u00a0I either have to use double points, two circulars, or one long circular as a magic loop. \u00a0I tried the double points first since I have them. \u00a0Ugh. \u00a0With the entire weight of the sweater hanging on those small double points (no matter how carefully I tried to keep the weight of the sweater balanced in my lap) at least one of those needles was always falling out. \u00a0Big time burner, constantly picking up the stitches from the needles that wouldn’t stay in the knitting!<\/p>\n Next big idea: \u00a0two circulars. \u00a0Maybe this is being a tad particular, but I find it quite frustrating to zip along on my best needle and then have to \u00a0s-l-o-w \u00a0d-o-w-n<\/em>\u00a0for the second half of the row on the less than best needle. \u00a0Ugh. \u00a0I gave that a go for quite a while before deciding that I was just getting too angry. \u00a0I can’t let knitting make me angry!<\/p>\n Third attempt: magic loop. \u00a0Well, this works best with a really long circular needle. \u00a0My favorite fast #3 circular is only 24″ long. \u00a0I had a lot of stitches on that needle, and there was just barely enough cable left to force that magic loop. \u00a0More frustration and a bit more angry knitting. \u00a0Not acceptable.<\/p>\n Compromise: I went back to two needles and finished the first sleeve this way. \u00a0More than a week for one sleeve! \u00a0Sheesh! \u00a0I knit an entire body panel in multiple colors and multiple directions faster than one simple sleeve. \u00a0Maybe I should have worked flat and sewn….<\/p>\n So yesterday I visited the Knit and Stitch<\/a> in Cocoa (and it was as good as promised!) to buy myself a better second needle, hoping there wouldn’t be such a disparity in speed and ease between them. \u00a0Everyone swears by Addi Turbos as being the fastest needles, and I do have a small battalion of them in my stash. \u00a0But there’s another brand of needles that I bought decades ago at Patternworks, when they were in Poughkeepsie, and I love them more. \u00a0They are some kind of “plastic” covered metal, in a stone grey color, and they had a German name. \u00a0I love them<\/em>.<\/p>\n So now I’m only slightly limping along between my fast needle and my new Addi Turbo. \u00a0I’m sure I’ll have a warm sweater jacket to wear home next week! \u00a0But I won’t be very far along at all on my ruffled cardigan. \u00a0I guess I will bring it along to knit on the plane!<\/p>\n Knit and Stitch<\/a> is a great store. \u00a0It was Monday afternoon, and there was a crowd of women sitting at the central table, working on different projects. \u00a0Two employees were sitting helping the knitters, one more was behind the counter helping me. \u00a0There was lots of lively conversation and friendly atmosphere. \u00a0The shelves were full to brimming with yarns, although it was hard to get to some of them due to all the knitters! \u00a0Not a bad thing! \u00a0And true to their website, there is coffee, tea, chocolate, and wine! It wasn’t long before the woman behind the counter offered for me to sit down and get to my knitting while she poured me coffee…or wine, and “please help yourself to some chocolate.” \u00a0I might go back there today and indulge!<\/p>\n I bought the pattern and background yarn for this fun project! It requires lots of small bits of contrasting yarns, and I figure I have plenty of that. The yarn I bought is Noro’s cotton\/wool\/silk\/nylon called “Taiyo Sock Yarn.” Check out Knitting At Noon Designs.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n