The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good

Progress. Progress.

My step-mother-in-law's socks are well on their way to donedom. They'd be done already if I hadn't poked a teeny hole in my right index finger. I took one for the team, yo!

I've also spent a few hours here and there slogging through the Ogee Skirt. It's about 70 percent-ish done. Ta da!

I'll go on record saying that I don't like all this lacey knitting on floppy circular needles stuff. If I didn't want the final object so badly, I'd have ditched this long ago. And what a mess it is! With the provisional cast-on, the lifeline, all those ends... ugh.

Anyway, it's getting there. Slowly, but surely.

The Bad

Addi needle makers, I dunno how you did it. You sly devils, geniuses of marketing, you.

There I was lamenting the splittyness of a certain Panda Cotton, when it dawned on me, "The new Addi lace needles are supposed to be pointier. I'll get me some of those."

I ordered. They came. I went to cast on, and uhm...

The one on top is my regular 2.5mm circular. The one on the bottom is the new 2.5mm lace needle. Do you see a difference? Aside from the color, I mean.

I don't either. The lace needles are no pointier than the regular ones. That is, unless you consider that the lace one tapers just a hair more than the regular one. But the tippy-tips, they are not sharper.

I they aren't any pointier, then do their other claims (suppler chord, lighter weight) ring true? I decided that I needed to conduct some more experiments.

Supple chord test: I squeezed, squished and flippy-flopped both chords. Conclusion: I don't find the lace chord to be any suppler than the regular one.

Weightlessness test: I also held one needle in each hand and made a scale-balancing gesture. Conclusion: The lace needles are not noticeably lighter than the regular ones. They might actually be, but then the difference would be so slight as to be not worth mentioning.

Shame on you, Addi. Shame.

The Ugly

I couldn't help myself. I cast on another pair of socks. No I haven't finished anything else. You gotta problem with that? You wanna take it outside?

This is that old pooling Colinette Jitterbug. You'll see that the pattern, Belatrix, isn't doing much to combat the pooling. And let's face it, this is ugly yarn. However, the overall affect seems to be working so far. I'm going for a heroine chiq/cat fight in the alley behind CBGB's kinda look.

Don't ask me where I'll wear this pair of socks. My punk rawk days are long gone. I'm making them anyway because, all together, I knit what I want! And for some reason, I really want these ugly socks.

Comments

[Grad School Knitter]

Way to take one for the team! The same thing happened to me when I was working on the space invader socks for my brother... and of course, every time I worked on them I'd poke at the same hole in my finger!

[the Lady]

Have you tried Knit Picks needles for sharp and pointy? I just got some, and man, they are so pointy and sharp I've poked myself painfully a few times. I love my Addis, but the Knit Picks can definitely inflict more damage.

[Jeannie]

Ugh, I know about poking a hole in your finger. I had one at the start of sos. I'm using Knitpicks circulars and those things are dangerous, especially the teeny size 0 needles. Your Mom's socks look great! I like the Jitterbug socks too. Jitterbug pooled for me too. As for where to wear the socks, I say wear them with anything. I wear my loud socks with whatever. I don't care if people think I'm crazy--I probably am. ;-)

[KelInCal]

Ogee is looking good! Don't give up! The MIL socks look lovely and the Jitterbug socks are, uh, nice. Good idea to cast on for those! *Shifty eyes* I like it inside.

I agree with the Lady re Knit Picks needles - mine are sure pointy. However, I've seen other reviews of the Addi Lace needles where they are compared to Knit Picks, and I thought they were still pretty close to the same. I wouldn't know, though - I don't have any Addi Lace needles.

[Dave]

Great looking knits, but I am so stealing your word "donedom", if I can remember it. :-)

[Shannon]

The skirt looks so good! And I am glad you scientifically proved that Addi Turbo vs Addi Lace are not different except the taper since I was thinking of buying them since I like the pointy.

I like loud socks. I always wear crazy socks - it's my thing or something.

[becky]

Now that I have my new list of favorite sayings on my side bar, "I knit what I want!" is so going on it!

You have some serious perserverence on that Ogee. I'm looking forward to see how it wears.

[Heather]

Jen, you are awfully witty for a gal that's about to move house across the Atlantic!:) Maybe you should start thinking of those Jitterbug socks as being 'jolie laide(s)', that way it wouldn't hurt as much...and I always knew Addi was running a game. Did you also know that their needles ARE NOT true to size??

[Jennie]

Oohhh thanks for the review about the Addi Lace needles. I was thinking of getting them to knit some socks since I heard they were pointier, but now, hmmmm. Plus I would think the cable would be more flexible too. Gosh, this really makes me sad. I wanted them. Oh well.
The SMIL socks are lookin' sooo squishy and fun! :)
And even with all the craziness going on with your shawl, I think it looks fantastic! Sooo purty.

[stacey]

I love your mother-in-law's socks - they look great. And that skrit is pretty amazing too!

[Diane]

The needles look the same to me too. Knitpicks option needles are nice and pointy; great for lace knitting. Good price too.

[tiennie]

Hmm...I do use the Addi Laces a lot and I do find them pointier than the other ones. At first, I didn't notice much of a difference but after using them (in all the sizes available) I reach for them before I reach for the old Addis.

[olga]

took one for the team-heh heh. good one.
And I'm not listening that Jitterbug pools ugly-lala lala lala-Can't hear you cuz' I need to use mine soon-la lala I DO Believe in Jitterbugs! I DO!!!!!

[Jessica]

The skirt is going to be amazing. Hang in there! I actually like the lace needles except for the stickiness of them. The taper does seem to help.