What a cutie!

From the bonny banks of Clyde (Kilbowie, Scotland) meet Ailsa -- a Singer 99K hand crank, 3/4 sized sewing machine. This wee lassie was 'born' sometime after August 1, 1927. How she made her way from Scotland to a dealer in Texas to a new home in central Virginia is anyone's guess. She's a smaller version of the Red Eye treadle seen here previously, but powered by hand rather than foot.

Mr. MinglingYarn is probably hoping that this concludes the collecting portion of my current mania -- especially given the state of his lower back -- but you just never know, do you?

Poor, neglected Cassidy

In all the excitement of trying out my new treadle sewing machine, I've totally forgotten to post about my finished Cassidy, although I did manage to get it up on Ravelry. So, just in time for it to be put away for the season...

Stats: Knit from Araucania worsted weight wool, purchased ages ago on sale at Elann. Pattern is 'Cassidy' by Chic Knits. No modifications to an excellent pattern, although I probably could have shortened the sleeves just a bit. If I'd finished knitting this one sooner it would have certainly been my "go to" sweater for cozy winter comfort. Love it!

Is it just me, or are we having a particularly nice Spring -- perhaps to make up for Snow-mageddon? Walking outside these days is like being in a ticker tape parade with all the cherry blossoms drifting down from above!

At long last...

...some crochet!

Stats: free pattern courtesy of Naturally Caron (you'll have to Google -- too lazy to link!) 'Spa' yarn (acrylic/bamboo blend), smallest size. Mods: shortened by a pattern repeat in total length -- shortened sleeves by 4 rows. Another delightful Doris Chan design!

What a workout...

...but I have my first TFO (treadled finished object) -- a napkin!

More to come, but I was so excited to actually get it working that I had to show it off. I'm not sure that the stitching really shows that well in the photo (no close up lens, but you can click for bigger), but I'm really pleased with it. What is actually showing on the top of the napkin is the bobbin stitch -- since I was making a narrow mitered hem I wanted to see what I was doing and had the back side on top. I could have gone with a longer stitch length, and probably will for the rest of them. Unlike modern machines there is no convenient little numbered dial to set that -- you simply turn an unmarked screw one way or the other to change length. That will take a little getting used to! I have a feeling that I didn't get the leather treadle belt tight enough, so that will need looking after, but other than that -- what fun!

Look what followed me home...

...Can I keep it, Ma?

It's a circa 1922 Singer "Red Eye" treadle, not in the most pristine of condition, but I'd like to actually use it, rather than have it be a display piece, so that was OK with me. I've cleaned it up a bit, given it a nice drink of oil, and all that's left is to replace the leather treadle belt and the old girl should be good to go. I've been procrastinating on the belt replacement -- I'm not the most mechanical of people and recently almost set fire to myself while trying to repair a spinning wheel drive band (it was plastic; you need to melt it, yadda, yadda). Fortunately, no fire is involved in a treadle belt replacement, although I have read a hint about piercing the leather strap with an ice pick...

At any rate, I look forward to some 'green' sewing -- I shall laugh in the face of power outages! And who knows, maybe all that treadling will be a nice fitness regime? Heaven knows getting that heavy old cast iron treadle up to the second floor of our house was a real workout -- many thanks to Mr. Mingling Yarn who shouldered the lion's share of that load!

And on a seasonal note --dare we hope?

Oops...

...I seem to have fallen down a rabbit hole again. How about a needle review to make up for lost time?

I have previously reviewed the Options Harmony (wooden) interchangeable needles from KnitPicks. To recap: LOVE the sharp points, LOVE the price, like the flexible cable and HATE the fact that the needles pop out of the metal connectors at inopportune moments. Yes, KnitPicks is very good about replacing defective needles, but that is small comfort when you are dealing with a lap full of slippery lace stitches. So, that's not a brand that I would feel comfortable recommending, despite some very attractive features.

My next stop at finding a reliable interchangeable needle was at Webs. Their Valley Yarns brand of needles are made from bamboo (a favorite material of mine) and are available in sizes 3US (3.25mm) to 15US (10mm). Two different cables are available -- thin, for needle sizes 3 - 6, and a thicker cable for all other sizes. They come in 3 lengths, 16, 24 or 32 inches, however for $1US you can buy connectors that allow you to combine cables (of similar diameter) for longer lengths. A set of all needles EXCEPT size 3 is available for $109US -- I purchased my needles/cables individually in a couple of sizes that I use frequently.

Hopefully you can see in this slightly blurry photo (click for bigger) the difference in point sharpness -- KnitPicks Harmony is the top needle, two different sized Valley Yarns needles are below. Can you also make out another nice aspect of the Webs needles? They have their sizes printed on the needle -- no more hunting for a needle gauge! At the very bottom of the photo you can see the part of the KnitPicks needles that gave me such a fit -- the metal connector, from which the wooden needle spews forth. Notice that there is more than one connector there, which represents more than one occasion that I've had a problem with them. Sadly, this doesn't represent every occasion they have failed, only the ones I didn't replace, or re-glue.

So, what's my verdict (and please remember that these are MY opinions, your mileage may vary!)?
Well, first and foremost, the needle tips are blunter than some others you may find in the marketplace. That might be a real deal-breaker for many knitters -- I thought it might be for me, as I really enjoy knitting lacier stitches. However, while using them to knit a lacy shawlette (Haruni) I didn't find the blunt tips to be much of a problem for me. Hmmm, have I been poking holes in my fingers from sharp points all these years for no reason? Be aware of this though, should you decide to try them.
Next the cable -- LOVE, LOVE these! They are clear, and hollow tubes, and they are nicely flexible. NOTE: I only used the thinner cables, as I was using smaller sized needles. The joins seemed nice and smooth (and SECURE) and nothing untwisted or came apart from the metal connectors while in use. Now, granted this was one use, however, my problems with the other brand showed up (in every case) during my first use of the needles. So, on that score I have high hopes for this brand. Fingers crossed!

All in all, I was very pleased with this purchase. Yes, they are blunter than I would like, and that may prove to be a problem for some projects, but I think for most applications (the points) will be just fine. Cables are great, connection seems good, good range of sizes, decent price (although a bit higher than KnitPicks) -- so, well done Webs!

I'll repeat, these are my honest, no affiliation, opinions. Your experience may be different, and I'd love to hear other knitters experiences with these needles, so don't be shy about expressing your opinion if it differs from mine!

And speaking of Haruni --


Stats: Jojoland Melody, slightly over 3 balls.

The Lost Weekend

No, not the Ray Milland kind (classic movie reference), but rather hours of knitting time spent on a cardigan front band that turned out to be Just Not Right. My own fault entirely, but painful nonetheless. So, instead of a photo of a completed Chic Knits Cassidy, how about a couple of little knits heretofor unseen?

Basket Whip Cowl, a free pattern from Classic Elite yarns. Knit in Frog Tree Hollow alpaca.

Or how about Chic Knits Mondo Cable Cap? Knit in Mountain Colors Mountain Goat (I 'think' -- the label is long since gone), Ruby River colorway.

There was much more to show, however in a fit of computer housekeeping I seem to have deleted those shots. Why is it I'm never compelled to do actual house housekeeping?