I-Cord Knitting Machine

I have just purchased an Embellish Knit i-cord knitting machine. I have been wanting one ever since I saw Betz White use one during her pincushion tutorial on the Martha Stewart show. I opened the packet and, after a few cranks on the handle, got it going fairly easily. I made this pile of i-cord with the yarn provided, which would have taken a few hours if hand knit, in just a few minuets.

One thing I noticed is that the tension of my cord is a bit uneven in a few places. I think this is because I waited a while to move the weight up the cord. This is not a major issue and I will be sure to remember to change the position of the weight more frequently.

This little machine only has four stitches and uses sport weight yarn or thinner. I think I may get one of theses little machines or possibly this one too. I think they will be a great help for making knitted toys.

Finding the right knitting needles

Speaking of knitting needles, I just came across a post about finding the perfect tool over at Knitbuddies. She reviews 13 brands of knitting needles. I find user reviews to be incredibly helpful.

Bamboo Knitting Needles & Crochet hooks in Little Tokyo

Last night I went for a walk in Little Tokyo in downtown LA after dinner to get some fabulous frozen yogurt at Ce Fiore. Along the way I came across a new dollar store in the same spot as the one that just closed down (walkway between 1st & 2nd St). This one has a better selection of merchandise due a larger range of prices.

On the end of one of the aisles there was a small notions section where I discovered bamboo knitting needles and crochet hooks for only $1.49! These needles seem to be the same quality as the ChiaoGoo needles I already own. The needle size is color embossed into the side using Japanese measurements. You can read more about size conversions here.

The Wonders of KnitPro

microRevolt has an amazing product on their website called knitPro. knitPro is a web application that translates digital images into knit, crochet, needlepoint and cross-stitch patterns. You can try it for free, but they appreciate donations.

The Becky at Pesky Pixie has created up a bunch of stuff using this application. Now I just have to find that perfect image and get to work.

DIY Ball Winders

Leethal has just pointed me to this amazing Lego ball winder on Crafster. I think this looks much better than the one I purchased. Now all I need is this Tinkertoy swift.

Lego knitting machine

Thomas Johnson created this amazing Lego knitting machine. I think that making an I cord via dpns will be a little quicker though.

Antique sock knitter

I have been learning more about machine knitting. This quick video showing a antique sock knitting machine in action is really neat.

My Favorite Stitch Markers

I really enjoy knitting in the round and have recently discovered cables. So, I need to use stitch markers all the time. I have purchased several types of stitch markers that have not impressed me.

The first type I purchased were like these split lock markers. The ridge on them was so wide that they created ladders in my knitting.

Next I purchased some metal rings with beads dangling from them that were akin to these. They were really pretty, but I found the dangles were a bit cumbersome and only added extra weight to my project. Extra weight is a problem when you are prone to tendonitis.

Finally, after being unable to find my pile of markers, I ended up tying my scrap yarn into loops. This works perfectly for me. They are extremely inexpensive, and I can color code them for meaning. Green can mean the beginning of a round, red can mean the end of a cable etc. The only downfall to these is if you knit by touch, yarn stitch markers do not have enough texture to tell you hands to ‘do the next thing’.