Hiya Hiya, New Friends

Say hello to my new little friends! (Please ignore the fact that blogger insists on making these pictures upside down.)

So I started making mini Strawberry Market Bags, and very, very, VERY, very quickly ran into a problem. My fail-proof plan of halving everything fell apart because I couldn't get smaller than 29" circulars from the craft store trifecta (Jo-ann's, Hobby Lobby, and Michael's) unless I went to bamboo, and me and bamboo's are not on friendly terms. So I decided it was time to make an investment in a good circular set. A night of research later, I was off to a local-ish yarn shop that Hiya Hiya's website said carried their products.

 Now I had every intention of just getting the small set of Hiya Hiya interchangeable steel needles. (It's never good when you start a paragraph like that.) This contains size 2-8 needles plus 16", 24", 36", and 40" cables in a cute brocade bag. I will readily admit I wanted the navy blue bag, and I could have saved a couple of bucks by buying online, BUT I couldn't find a site that let you choose the bag color. I really didn't want to end up with the red or purple bags. I was also looking to purchase a #9 needle as that is what I am currently knitting on, and really needed the most, but I also needed #5 and #7. I generally like the way smaller stitches come out.

When I got to the store they only had one set of each the large and small for the Hiya Hiya in the turquoise bag. The turquoise is really lovely, and when your choice is fish (meaning there is no choice) it's the only other color I would have accepted. They didn't carry anything else of Hiya Hiya aside from these 2 kits, so no spare cables or single needles. Buying both sets put this into Addi territory, and the woman at the shop was fairly adamant that I should buy the Addi's for the same price. I got to play with both the Addi's and Hiya Hiya's before I made a choice at least. I didn't like the Addi's because they were longer, didn't create a smooth join where they click together, and you got less needles (4-15 minus a 10.5) and no 16" cable. Both Hiya Hiya sets gave 2-15, with 10.5, 2 cases, and double the cables for the same price. I like the idea that I can have a travel set with the needle sizes I'm working with, and leave the main set at home. Hiya Hiya's pouch is very compact.

I have been knitting with them for a day and love them. They screw on, so there is a risk that they will unscrew, but I haven't seen any indication of that. I didn't use the rubber tighteners that came with the needles to see how they work. I love that the cord swivels at the bottom, so it doesn't kink up and and doesn't unscrew trying to untwist the kinks. They are more blunt that the Velocity's I have been using, but that hasn't been an issue yet getting into stitches. Also my fingers love them. No more stabbing while I push, and they weigh less. Most important of all....

I can have #9, 16" circulars! Hooray!

1 Down! Strawberry Market Bag Complete!

I started a fun little project AND actually finished it! 10 days from start to finish for the Strawberry Market Bag. This turned out really well, and knit up super fast. So fast I decided I was going to knit up some mini ones to give out Christmas gifts in (it's the right colors amirite?) It really taught me to loosen up my knitting, and that went well until I got to the DPN bottom, then I went back to Capt'n Tight-Stitches and had a HARD time with my decreases. Oh well, live and learn, the bag looks terrific.

Strawberry Market Bag

I got bored with the seemingly endless straps on my beach bag, so I hopped into a new project the Strawberry Market Bag. Because I am neglectful in posting, I will post up my pics from beginning to near end for this one. Partly because it knit very, very fast, and mostly because I'm neglectful.

False start! I knitted the picot hem to start the project while chatting with a friend. After they left I realized I had failed "knitting in the round 101" and twisted my stitches. D'oh!

2nd try, while being VERY sure about how the stitches were twisting before joining the first round. This time around I used a white waste yarn for my provisional cast on and just pulled it out after the hem was complete.

 2 nights in - The rows are just the right amount of mindless and addictive that I hated to put it down. You always seem to be starting the next round before you get to a point where you could stop, thus one more round for this completionist.

Clipping along with the rounds. My pinkie gave me progressively more trouble until I started splinting it. Then I figured out a different way to hold the yarn that would accommodate not moving it. I think I managed to injure it some way during my moving week off, and just continued to aggravate it by knitting non stop. It is now almost fully healed and I have a more comfortable way to hold the yarn.

Starting on the bottom with the devil DPNs. Those things were sharp! Sharp good when you knit tight, sharp baaaaaddddd when you push with your finger. At least it is nearing the home stretch!

Straps!

Finally working on the straps for the Medano Beach Bag! I had a lovely lunch with some friends from work. They showed me how to knitting is supposed to come out, and that there are MANY ways to get it there. Very fun! There is some serious rolling on the sides of the straps, but that's just how stockinette rolls.

After a weeks vacation, stitching like a fiend, my pinkie has been killing me. I have a feeling my death grip on the yarn is the culprit, so tonight I crocheted up a little ball ring from some baby acrylic to force my pinkie to relax. I already notice a difference in the amount of pain, still have pain, but not so much. I know the true solution would be to rest it for a week or so, but that's no fun!

Jogless Stripes

Yay! I found a way to try to correct the wonky seam when working stripes in the round with Jogless Stripes! I stumbled upon this link which I found rather helpful (even more helpful than several others I found when I just googled "Jogless stripes") Now my color changes are less noticeable~ish.

I'm still not in love with how it looks, maybe I will try the traveling jogless strip next time. Where I already had the seam going at the bottom, I figured I'd keep it in a straight line up.

I am nearing the end of the main body part. Only another inch to go, then I start decreasing, binding off, and working the straps. I hit Jo-ann's today with coupons galore to pick up the last 2 circular sizes I need for my next project, the Strawberry Market Bag. I was bummed to find out that the Jo-ann's near my new place will only accept 3 coupons at a time =( No worries, I only had 4 items this time so it worked out well.

 My sweet kitty approves of this bag, and can't wait till I'm done so he can make it his new bed.

Works in Progress

After having successfully moved, I wanted to start a new project. I love bags so I started with the Medano Beach Bag. It looked easy, a great way to practice changing color annnnddddd it used yarn I already had lying around. Bonus!

I'm not really sure if that weird seam is normal or because I've been screwing up again. Ah the joys of learning. Apparently I knitted my entire wrist warmer through the back loop rather than actually knitting. I fixed that quick enough, but I'm not sure I have it right. The bottom stitches of my beach bag are definitely right, but the body stitches pull apart as if I did it though the back loop even though I didn't =S Here's hoping it is just a quirk of circulars! I will put up pics of my wrist warmers soon. About half way through the second one (not done through the back loop!)