Wednesday, 21 June 2017

Circular Broomsticks


Last week, I dashed out to buy some circular knitting needles…

Two sets of grey plastic circular knitting needles on a dark background. The cables are coiled at the top and the needle ends are pointing down. The set on the left are smaller and thinner than those on the right: 12 mm and 15 mm wide respectively.
New needle sets for the collection.
(L–R) 12 mm and 15 mm sizes, 80 cm length.


No, I haven't lost my enthusiasm for crochet 
nor have I travelled to a mythical 'dark side'! 

It's just that I want to do some broomstick crochet in the round.  
I bought sets of 12 mm and 15 mm. They are 80 cm long because that was the only size in stock at the shop but it will do and it is a versatile length. 

They cost me around $24 for  both of them altogether and I could probably find them cheaper on the Internet but I like having 'bricks and mortar' shops where one can browse and inspect the products. 

There was a cheaper set on display–much cheaper in price–but unfortunately they were cheaper in quality as well.  These subjective attributes cannot be gleaned from an Internet listing. 

I already had a set of 15 mm circular needles–the ones that came with this year's BHG Knitting & Crochet Collection but they were 1 metre long;  w-a-a-ay too long and impractical for the small samples I'm making. 

A set of 15 mm plastic circular knitting needles in it's cardboard-backed blister pack. The needles are white with teal coloured points. The cable is clear plastic and coiled in a circle on the right hand side of the package. The label says "FREE Circular Knitting Needles! 1 x pair of 15 mm circular knitting needles with 1 m cable." The fine print on the right hand side says "Only available with the Better Homes and Gardens Knitting and Crochet Collection 2017. One set per product purchase while stocks last."
The free circular knitting needles that came with the
BHG Knitting & Crochet magazine (Australia 2017)

Feedback from others suggest that the magazine's circular needles are rough and catch on the yarn.  There was a warning on the packet to that effect though:

"Where yarn does not slide smoothly across circular needle joins for your tension swatch,  lightly sand joins with a fine grit emery board before starting project to assist yarn to move easily"

Seriously,  what were people expecting from a magazine's mass-produced 'freebie'? Disclaimers like that are a signal that quality control is either inconsistent or not a priority. I haven't even opened that package yet because of that. I always keep sandpaper and files around the house and in my crochet kit anyway for smoothing burrs on hooks etc. 

I'm working on some prototypes for my next project at the moment and experimenting with tension squares. 

Can you guess what the finished product might be? 

A ball of rainbow coloured yarn on the right hand side with two small samples linked to it by a dark section of yarn. The largest sample starts with light blue to green to yellow horizontal striped ribbing above which are two rows of broomstick eyelets in light blue and dark blue. Following on from that sample, attached by a length of dark yarn, a sample of darkest blue post stitch ribbing. The crochet hook is still inserted into the active loop at the top of the dark sample. The hook is powdercoated aluminium with a red plastic handle. There is a white label attached with the size '2.50 mm' printed on the label. The size '2.5 mm' is also embossed on the side of the red handle in fine white lettering.
Experimenting for the next design.
Yarn: Katia 'Darling' (colour 201). Hook: 2.5 mm.


If you want to play the guessing game, please type your guesses into the comment boxes below. Make as many guesses as you like; they can be serious or funny but not rude!

The game is purely for fun and your prize for getting it right will 
be the self-satisfaction that you guessed it!

The answer will be revealed at the end of the month (if not before).


Until next time, be good and enjoy  your crafting!
xxx



Related posts on Lupey Loops


"BHG's Knitting & Crochet Collection 2017", 25 May 2017: http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2017/05/bhgs-knitting-crochet-collection-2017.html

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12 comments:

  1. mamasmercantile21/06/2017, 20:59

    Always fun to guess what the end product is going to be I imagine a scarf would be a popular answer or a throw.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tamara21/06/2017, 21:23

    What a coincidence. Yesterday I just bought some new size US 3 circular needles after the yarn kept snagging on the joins of the old ones I bought in an estate sale. It was driving me crazy. Yes I am knitting for a change (but I'm also working on finishing a big crochet log cabin blanket) - just a little blip. I love the look of broomstick but have not made anything with it before. I think you may be making a sweater....am I right?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jodiebodie21/06/2017, 22:42

      That *is* a coincidence, Tamara, in needle *and* the catching problem. What a shame about the yard sale ones. I like to rummage through vintage needles and hooks. There is a better quality of manufacture in tools of a certain vintage. It's disappointing to find just what you want only to realise it is damaged or flawed in some way.

      Are you right with guessing a sweater? It's too early for me to say! :-P ;-)

      Delete
  3. Michelle23/06/2017, 09:35

    Beanie!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jodiebodie23/06/2017, 10:58

      And "Beanie!" to you too! ;-)

      Guess what Michelle! I'm actually going to the opening day of the 'Beanies to Berets' Art Exhibition today! It is being held at the Onkaparinga Arts Centre in Port Noarlunga, South Australia.

      Details about the exhibition are here:
      http://onkaparingacity.com/events/2017/06/23/beanies_to_berets_exhibition.jsp

      Their Facebook page has photos here:
      https://www.facebook.com/pg/OnkaparingaArts/photos/

      Their main web page is here:
      http://onkaparingacity.com/onka/discover/arts_culture/the_arts_centre.jsp

      I just saw a picture on that main page showing steps leading up to a door... there had better be another door that is wheelchair accessible or I will be very upset.

      Unfortunately, I didn't get enough notice that one could enter a beanie or beret design to exhibit otherwise I would have shared that news. Have fun browsing these URLs and, if I'm allowed, I will take some photos.

      Delete
    2. Michelle30/06/2017, 21:28

      Ooh thank you!!

      Delete
  4. Meredith23/06/2017, 22:48

    I am thinking a very fun scarf, but won't everyone guess that. How about a broomstick case for a witch as you are actually doing broomstick lace!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jodiebodie24/06/2017, 14:13

      HAHAHAHA! I LOVE that, Meredith! Sounds better than a 'lipstick case' (to put notches on as references in the Mayday post).
      Now you have sent my mind on a new tangent...
      ...and you thought you weren't particularly creative? I insist that you ARE and I love it. :-)

      Delete
  5. Jodiebodie30/06/2017, 21:37

    Dear Lorraine, Tamara, Michelle and Meredith,

    Thank you all for your guesses. I will post the answer in a new blog entry so that this message doesn't spoil the game for anyone else who comes along here still wanting to play.

    The answer can be found here:
    http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2017/06/guessing-game-answer.html

    Thank you for humoring me! ;-)
    Happy hugs to you. xxxx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Breathing Life28/07/2017, 12:39

    Well I can't play because I am reading your blog posts backwards so I already know the answer. I love that colourway. So cheerful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jodiebodie28/07/2017, 21:19

      Oh dear! Of course you are reading the posts in reverse order (as one does on blogs). Why didn't I think of that? Thanks for making me realise that fault, Mary-Anne. That's a shame that the 'reverse nature' of blogs has spoilt the fun. Do you think I should add a disclaimer at the start of the post? What I will do in the meantime is add another link in the text about 'invited everyone to guess'. I'm glad you like the colours. We need something bright during dreary grey winters.

      Delete

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