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Meet Knit Picks’ Newest Needle

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knit picks sunstruckI’m a big fan of the Knit Picks interchangeable knitting needles. Both the original nickel-plated Options and the wooden Harmony needles are in regular rotation in my house (so much so that there are very few of them actually in their holders right now!) and are usually the first needles I will look for when starting a new project.

Knit Picks has just announced a new member of its knitting needle family: Sunstruck, which is the same laminated birch wood as the Harmony needles, just in a blond finish. The lighter color should make it easier for you to see your stitches when you’re working with dark yarns, and they have the same quality and performance as the original Harmony needles. (They’re also available in straights and fixed circulars, but I’ve only used their interchangeables.)

I haven’t gotten a chance to check these out yet, but I’ll give you a full report as soon as I do!

[Photo by Knit Picks.]

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Comments

  1. I love my Harmonies interchangeable needles, too. I have the Options, also but I use the Harmonies the most. The different colors on the needles does make some of stitches hard to see in certain colors and yarns. I love the different colors, they are so pretty. I will have to try a pair of these.

  2. I really like my bamboo but would be eager to try yur Sunstuck needles. I have made over 125 prayer shawls for local nursing homes so I knit every day.

Have you read?

Textured Baby Blanket Knitting Patterns

There are so many baby blanket knitting patterns out there I could probably do a post a month full of them and not run out for a very long time. This time I thought I’d look specifically at single color baby blankets that are interesting because of the inclusion of textured stitching. This makes them easy enough for new knitters but engaging for knitters of all skill levels. 

Take the Textured Checks Baby Blanket from Janet Dubbelman for example. This project is mostly stockinette stitch, with some what looks like reverse stockinette and garter stitch thrown in to make the ridges. You can use whatever yarn weight you like to make blankets of different sizes. Find the pattern on Ravelry. 

The Seedling from Modern Made Shop is just about as easy as it comes, combining seed stitch with a garter stitch border. It calls for worsted weight yarn and is perfect for beginners. 

The Julie Baby Blanket by Elisabeth Kristiansen is another one with an easy allover stitch pattern that you can knit up in a flash in whatever size you want. (The pattern notes say any gauge but it also says 28 stitches per 4 inches, which would be a superfine or fine weight yarn. Learn more on Ravelry. 

The Oscar Baby Blanket from Snufflebean is another one with an easy repeating stitch pattern that has a really fun, graphic effect. This is also great worked in a bright color, reminding us that babies don’t have to be in pastels! This one uses DK weight yarn. 

If you want to get a little fancier, check out Sammy Bristow’s Georges Blanket. This one alternates blocks of stockinette stitch with boats and anchors made by purling on the right side of the blanket. It calls for DK weight yarn and has multiple sizes for dolls through toddlers. Check it out on Ravelry.

Another cute texture is this heart blanket with diamonds that are a little reminiscent of argyle. Yarn Sonata Patterns has this one, which is worked in DK weight yarn and comes in four sizes. It includes a chart and row by row instructions. 

Or try the pretty Seton Portage baby blanket from Knitted Wishes, which has a border of trees and textured stitches that look like snow falling. The pattern includes different options for snowflakes and doing a mirror image of the trees on each end of the blanket. It’s worked in worsted weight yarn. This one includes charts, written instructions and video tutorials for special stitches.