Knitting

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Square Knitting Needles

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Now I ask you, who would imagine that square needles would be the next greatest thing in [tag]knitting[/tag]? I’m old school and still use my [tag]Susan Bates[/tag] and [tag]Berna[/tag]t needles that are 30 years old. Though I will admit I did buy a new turbo 40” circular needle to do the [tag]Magic Loop[/tag] sock thing – more in another posting, LOL.

 

Square NeedlesQuite by accident I found [tag]Kollage Yarns[/tag] advertising [tag]square needles[/tag]. The Kollage website writes that they are easier on the hands and enable you to knit faster with more uniform stitches. Well, I wanted to put them to the test so I went in search of a pair at my LYS. My LYS only had needles sized 9 and up, darn I wanted an 8 to do a dishcloth. Oh well, 9 it is!

Yes, they really are easier on your hands!Round needles are hard to hold especially if you have arthritis, carpal tunnel, or stiffness in your hands and fingers like I do.I was able to easily knit with these needles and did not have square stitches!

Another bonus – when you cast on, your stitches lay nice and straight on the “flat” side of the needle and don’t get twisted, sister! Makes it easier to do that first row.

I want to do a whole project with these needles to see if square needles change the look of a pattern, but that will need to wait for a bit. Need to find a store that sells smaller sizes and finish some of my other projects.

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Comments

  1. I have used the square needles on multiple projects now. They really do improve teh consistency of teh guage and are erally very nice to use. I find that I am able to knit llonger without my hands starting to ach. If you are still looking, http://www.yarmbazaar.com seems to always have the full selection of sizes in stock.

  3. I have not used them I think they look great probably easier on the hands to knit with I need to get some
    Louise

Have you read?

A Knit Vest to Get You Ready for Summer

I know that my posts can be read at different times of year and in different years by different people, but as I write this we’re on teh cusp of summer. And I know a lot of people don’t knit as much, and certainly don’t wear a lot of knits in the summer, but I want to encourage you to make and to wear your makes no matter the temperature.

To introduce you to the joys of summer garment knitting, I offer the Tied Vest from Lion Brand Yarn.

This easy project is great to make and wear throughout the year but it’s especially good for summer. It’s worked flat in one piece from the bottom up, mostly in stockinette stitch with a seed stitch edging. The I-cord ties are worked directly onto the garment so you don’t have to sew them on.

The project uses worsted weight yarn, and calls for a blend of cotton and hemp that’s great for warm weather.

There are eight size options, ranging from a finished chest measurement of 35 to 62.5 inches, or 89 to 159 cm. That makes it sound like it should be worn with at least a few inches of positive ease, but the pattern doesn’t specify.

The ties at the front give it a casual look and make it great to wear over a tank top or T-shirt when the weather is warm.

I also think this one would be good to knit in wool or a warmer fiber, too, to make a version you could wear more comfortably in the winter months, too. Though of course you could layer the summer version over a long-sleeved shirt and wear it throughout the year, too.

The tied vest is a free pattern available from Lion Brand. You can also purchase a kit that includes the yarn and optional needles and stitch markers if you need them.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

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