More Circular Needles

I finally found my FAVORITE Circular Knitting Needles! The COLONIAL ROSEWOOD Circular Needles! Yes, they are pricey - very pricey - but are absolutely FABULOUS! The points are sharp, the join is smooth, the cables are soft (but not sticky), and DO NOT COIL! These are fantastic!

Here are some pictures:

The Colonial Rosewood in size US6 and the Colonial Bamboo in size US11



Points of the Colonial Needles







Join on the Colonial Needles







Holz and Stein Needles - Points
Rosewood Size US5 and Ebony Size US3





Holz and Stein - Join







Pony Pearl Circs (Orange)/Balene II (White), both size US11 - Points








Pony Pearls and Balene IIs - Join








See how Straight the Colonials are? They are the ones with the black cable.







The Clover Bamboo needles are okay, but I find the tip to be somewhat blunt. If you are working with lace yarn, you will go crazy with them (unless you sharpen them). The join on the Clovers is very similar to the Pony Pearl and Balene IIs, as is the cable.

I went to the LYS and looked at some Addi's too. I have decided that it looks like most of the Circs are now being made with a similar, if not the same join as pictured above, and the cables are all that stiff fishing line type material.

So - I have decided that my Favorite Circs are the Colonial Rosewoods, with the Colonial Bamboo following. I love everything about these needles - the tips, join, and high quality wood/bamboo used to make them - but I especially love the cable! The only downside is the price, but you get what you pay for!

My next choice is Holz and Stein. I like the woods, the tip and the join, but am not entirely thrilled with the cable. The price isn't too horribly bad.

Next I would choose between Addi Natura and Clover Bamboo. The stiff cables still drive me crazy. I'm not sure why, but for some reason I still like the Clover Bamboo, even though they are blunt with a stiff cable - there's just something about them. Maybe its the price.

I sort of liked the Tips on the Balene II, but not the cable. The plastic material isn't bad either, but I prefer wood or bamboo.

And last but not least are the Pony Pearls. I thought the tip was a little blunt, but manageble with the right yarns. Again its the plastic thing with me, its just not my all time favorite.

Oh Wait! - Lets not forget about the Denise Interchangable Needles. These are nice for travelling or quick projects - I like the tips and the soft cable, but the join drives me insane. I am constantly hanging up on the little finger cut outs at the join. I have been told to turn the needles slightly, but it doesn't seem to make a difference. The cable is soft and nice, but somewhat sticky. I have to push my yarn along to get it to go around. I find the needle length to be a little shorter than what I can comfortably work with too. What is nice about this set is the convenience. It is really nice to have the different size needles with varying lengths of cable, all packaged in a nice case that you can take just about anywhere.

Favorite Circular Needle?

I am on the hunt for the perfect circular needle. One with a nice point, cable which does not coil, and a joint which doesn't snag my yarn. I posted the question about What's the perfect circ? to one of the Yahoo groups and here are the choices of those that responded.

Addi Turbos – 6 votes
Addi Naturas – 3 votes
Holz & Stein – 2 votes
Aero metals – 1 vote
Clover – 1 vote
Pony Pearls -1 vote
Crystal Palace Bamboo – 1 vote
Nylon “Taffy” Needles – no longer being manufactured – 1 vote

So it appears the clear winner is Addi. - at least so far....

I am now trying out several of these needles. I just got back from the LYS and Boy-o-Boy did I get a deal! They had some Holz and Stein needles left (these are no longer being imported) so I bought what they had. 7 circs, all 40" long (which is fine since I really like the magic loop method) in different sizes ranging from US1-13. A few Rosewoods, and a few Ebonys. How much did I pay? Here's the best part of all - Only $10 each! Boy was I smiling on my way home! :)

So I of course had to try them out right away - and they sure are nice. Very nice point, great join, cable is a little stiff like most, but managable after softening in some hot water.

I have a set of Pony Pearls and Balene IIs waiting for me to try out too. They are waiting patiently in my knitting bag until I find just the right project. What I really should do is knit a swatch out of the same yarn on all of them, so that I am comparing apples to apples. Anyway, I'll post about those as soon as I try them.

Also, Colonial Needle has just introduced some new Rosewood and Bamboo circular needles which I am anxious to try out. They are premium needles at a premium price, so I am hopeful that I will get what I pay for.

Addi Naturas will be my next purchase...

In the mean time - I would love to hear your Circular Needle Reviews. Please post and share your experiences!

Women over 30...

I saw this on another Blog and just loved it!!!

This is for all you ladies 30 years and over.... and for those who are turning 30, and for those who are scared of moving into their 30's...AND for guys who are scared of women over 30!!!!...This was written by Andy Rooney from CBS 60 Minutes. Andy Rooney says: As I grow in age, I value women who are over 30 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why: A woman over 30 will never wake you in the middle of the night to ask, "What are you thinking?"She doesn't care what you think.If a woman over 30 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it.She does something she wants to do. And, it's usually something more interesting.A woman over 30 knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants and from whom. Few women past the age of 30 give a hoot what you might think about her or what she's doing.Women over 30 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you, if they think they can get away with it.Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it's like to be unappreciated.A woman over 30 has the self-assurance to introduce you to her women friends. A younger woman with a man will often ignore even her best friend because she doesn't trust the guy with other women. Women over 30 couldn't care less if you're attracted to her friends because she knows her friends won't betray her.Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 30. They always know.A woman over 30 looks good wearing bright red lipstick. This is not true of younger women. Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 30 is far sexier than her younger counterpart. Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk if you are acting like one! You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.Yes, we praise women over 30 for a multitude of reasons.Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed hot woman of 30+, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year-old waitress.Ladies, I apologise.For all those men who say, "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free". Here's an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage, why? Because women realise it's not worth buying an entire Pig, just to get a little sausage.Remember:"It's better to have loved and lost than to do forty pounds of laundry a week."

Making Progress

Wow! Its really working! The FlyLady system has actually got me going. I am on my way to having a clean and tidy house! Yippee! What I found was that I really had to sit down and look at where all my time and energy was being drained. Yep - the computer. Now that I have greatly limited my time on it, I am actually getting things done, spending time with my kids, knitting and spinning, and just plain feeling better.

Here is what I did this week....














A pair of mittens for my Son - pictured before and after felting/fulling. I used Naturally Colourworks yarn and the Fiber Trends "Snow Country Mittens" pattern, size US 11 DPNs. It worked wonderfully! I am so pleased with the outcome of these - and my son loves them.

BUT WAIT - There's More! (See how much fun you can have when you're not online?)

A small pouch - using Luxury DK wool/mohair yarn and Fiber Trends "Pouch and Belt Bag" pattern, size US 10 DPNs. This yarn is FABULOUS for felting! I absolutely love the way it turned out! Next in line - A hat and some slippers! :)

And some handspun stuff I did while demoing at BOW...

And finally - Here's a picture of the Possum Lace Shawl I started on our road trip... It's an easy pattern, but I'm having too much fun with the felted stuff!

Me? An Addict?

Hi - I'm Christine and I'm a Web-a-Holic.

I spend countless hours each day checking emails, working on my website and occasionally this Blog, checking emails again and"surfing" the web. I have 5 pages of Yahoo groups (simple list) which I subscribe to.

I have denied the effect this is having on those I love the most. I've been blinded by the screen - not recognizing that my children and husband miss me and want to spend time with me. Wondering why in the world the kids get upset when they see me entering the computer room.

My house is in shambles. I need to read just one more email, add one more product, or see one more site - and then I'll get to it... Meanwhile the dishes are piled high, the workshop floor has disappeared, kid's toys are everywhere, weeds in the garden... Why is it that keeping house seems so ENORMOUSLY difficult these days??? Why is it so time consuming???

My mind has become as cluttered and disorganized as my home. I don't know where things are, I am forgetting things within seconds of being reminded, stress is beginning to take over and -"silly me"- I can't figure out why. Where has all my time gone?

I forgot how to relax. Put me in front of a computer, and I'm closed to the world around me, much like a happy clam in it's shell. Get me out of the house for a vacation, and it takes 3 days to finally forget about the damn computer waiting for me at home. THREE DAYS to begin to enjoy myself again. BUT, as soon as we walk in the door --- you guessed it -- computer is on with me parked like a zombie in front of it. Imagine trying to enjoy a one day outing when feeling pressured to get back home - "To take care of business".

Sleeping? What the hell is that??? Isn't 5 hours a night enough? Why the hell would I be grumpy? I went to bed early and got 6 hours.... (What are these Dark circles under my eyes?)

And what about doing the things I love most? Family time, spinning, knitting, felting, dancing.... They have all fallen by the wayside. A project which normally should take a week or so to complete, now takes months. It has become another source of stress. Why is it taking me so long to finish??? Once again, I don't have the time. Where has my creative spirit gone? Has it been sucked into this computer too? My initiative to create has been vastly diminished. What once was sheer enjoyment and relaxation has become burdensome and unenjoyable...

My life has turned to complete CHAOS! (Completely Helpless Against Online Surfing)

BUT NO MORE!!!!!!!!!

My computer time is now going to be greatly limited. I MUST GET BACK TO MY PRIORITIES!!! My priorities are FAMILY, HOME, and HEALTH.

I will play with the kids FIRST
I will clean the house
I will get enough sleep
I will RELAX once again!!!



For those of you who can relate to this - Please - do yourself a favor, turn off the computer NOW! If you have read this far you might be an addict too....

THANK YOU to the Blessed Soul who suggested I visit the FlyLady.net website. I was trying to figure out why my home was so cluttered... But after implimenting just a few of FlyLady's suggestions - and some SERIOUS Soul Searching on my part - I have come to realize my real problem... It's ME - and my choice to spend this much time on this damn computer...

Recovery begins with just one step at a time.