November 24, 2004Knitting Recipe Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with cooking or Thanksgiving, but it will make your knitting experience with certain circulars a lot more fun. Given the choice, I will always turn to my Addi Turbos first. They have a smooth join and they never get kinked. However, occasionally I need to use bamboo instead or I find myself without the appropriate length Addi. We all know that those other needles kink in a really annoying manner. Simmering your needles will solve the problem. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer (in this case, simmer means that little bubles have collected around the edges - there is no popping of the bubbles involved.) Turn off the heat and toss in your needles. Wait two to three minutes and then put on a pair of kitchen mitts and fish your needles out with some tongs. With your mitts on (the needles will be hot), stretch the needles out straight. Allow to rest and cool for a few minutes and then use. Voila! No kinks. Happy Thanksgiving! Posted by Julia at November 24, 2004 02:12 PMIn main
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i've got to try that one, thank you...hope you had a wonderful thanskgiving! Posted by: mrspilkington at November 26, 2004 07:43 PMThanks for the info! It will come in handy one day. Since it's Thanksgiving, I'm going to come out from the shadows as simply a blog reader to say: Thanks! For a great place with beautiful ideas and examples that a newbie knitter like me uses to build courage in my knitting! Your gorgeous projects have motivated me to increase my stash and try techniques I'd never thought I'd be using this early! Thanks again, and have a Happy Thanksgiving! Also, as a native New Yorker (Foothills of the Adirondacks, not the city) who lives in Alabama, I like to think that I have my own Mind of Winter. It's good to see I'm not alone! Posted by: Julie at November 24, 2004 05:11 PMReally? I will try that...hopefully, I won't burn them. Posted by: elisabeth at November 24, 2004 04:53 PMNeat! What I like to do is steam the dickens out of the cord using the iron. Posted by: Becky at November 24, 2004 12:49 PMHope your turkey works out as well. Have a super weekend and a wonderul Thanksgiving. Posted by: margene at November 24, 2004 11:12 AMActually, I've used this trick on bamboo without ill effects. The secret is making sure that the water isn't too hot and taking the time to wipe them dry right afterward. The bamboos that I work with (Clover and Plymouth) are fairly water-resistant. You might want to be careful with a brand like Brittany (if they even make circs, do they?) because they don't appear to coat their needles with anything. If you are concerned, try Emma's "warm water" rather than my simmered water approach, or simply don't put the tips in. The big danger is probably leaving the needles in the water too long. If you have distractions (dogs, kids, husbands!) - beware! Posted by: Julia at November 24, 2004 10:44 AMThis trick really helps a lot with some of my less-than-wonderful needles. One caveat: I wouldn't toss bamboo needles in water since they might swell. Posted by: Amy at November 24, 2004 09:43 AMSuch a good idea - it annoys me so much when they bend around the wrong way! Thanks for the idea! Posted by: jen at November 24, 2004 06:36 AMthanks for the tip! Posted by: froggy at November 24, 2004 05:36 AMi've got to try that. Posted by: froggy at November 24, 2004 05:33 AMwow...it's the simplest things that give the most amazing results! kinky circulars(sounds funny!)...thought it was something i had to live with for always. thanks for the tip! and happy holidays to you. Posted by: kathi at November 24, 2004 01:42 AMI have a pair that are incredibly kinked (my daughter used them to 'knit' which really meant weaving them in and out of a ball of yarn) and I tried pouring boiling water on them with little result. I'll have to try this! Thanks!! Posted by: Libby at November 23, 2004 07:37 PMMuch easier than my method of storing them closed into a dictionary! Probably much more effective too. Posted by: Emily at November 23, 2004 07:07 PMI just put mine in a bowl of hot tap water ! Works fine. |