You can knit if you want to

Last night I decided that I would post about how I’m pining to order from a new (to me) yarn retailer. (Well…when I say decided, I mean that my fiancé suggested I write about it, since he’s been subjected to my obsession for a few days now and I think he wants to share the wealth.)

However, when I sat down to write said post, I found myself distracted by something I read about a few days ago. I’d list the original source, but a) I can’t remember where I saw it and b) sadly this topic is ubiquitous enough that you’ve probably already encountered it. Therefore, I will let you draw from your own experience with this ongoing discussion, while I continue with abbreviated preamble.

Apparently some people think that being a knitter makes me a bad feminist. Now, I’m not going to kid myself—there are a lot of things about me that make me a “bad” feminist in other people’s eyes. I like to wear dresses, I cook, I played with doll’s as a kid, I hope to be able to stay home with my children when they’re small, and from time to time I’m not averse to watching a sappy romantic comedy or a period film. The list of “feminine” clichés could go on, but I don’t think either you or I would find it very interesting.

As you can tell from my use of scare quotes, I don’t agree with either of the aforementioned designations. In my opinion, “bad” is subjective and “feminine” is a cultural construct. For the sake of avoiding too much unnecessary chatter, I’m going to focus on the latter. Femininity is not a universal concept—or rather, our Western conception of femininity is not shared wholesale around the world. Some of the most fascinating articles I read during my time as an anthropology student focused on cultures that had conceptions of gender that varied from our own—one of my favorite of which concerned a tribe where women were seen as the tough, valuable workers while men adorned themselves in jewelry and fancy robes to attract wives. (At some point, I should dig through my books and find this specific reference.)

The assumption that being a woman means (or worse should mean) any one thing is ill conceived at best and offensive at worst—which is why I find it so frustrating that some people have decided that feminism must entail the eschewing of all “feminine” trappings. Feminism is about fighting for equality between the genders, not homogeneity, yet so often it seems that people equate feminism with women attempting to be men—or at least trying to distance themselves from the image of “woman”. Yes, I believe that women should be allowed (and encouraged) to take on traditionally “male” roles, if that is what they so desire—but I don’t think they should be forced into being less “feminine” if they don’t want to be. To me that smacks of agreeing that being male is somehow better than being female—and doesn’t that defeat the purpose?

The most recent article I read about this was written by a knitter who had been told by another woman that she was a bad feminist for engaging in craftwork. At the end of the article, the knitter said that she didn’t care if she was a bad feminist, she was going to knit because she liked it. I am going to take it a step further: I am a good feminist because I knit. I refuse to be pigeonholed. I’m not going to cook, clean, wear a dress, or knit because someone tells me that I should because it will make me a better woman—but I’m also not going to give up these just because someone says that doing so will make me a better feminist.

For me, feminism is about supporting women in the pursuit of their own happiness. Women shouldn’t be limited by anyone else’s expectations; women should be free to define themselves.

At this point, I could also bring up the long history of male knitters, but that feels tangential (if not contradictory) to my point.* So instead, I will stop preaching to the choir, and go drool over some more yarn.

*However, I’ll probably do another post on it later in the year, because I think it is really cool!

Part Deux

As promised (I know you've all been eagerly awaiting it, after all), here is the second half of my Takumi Clover Interchangeable Bamboo Needles set review. (Word order may vary.):



Yup. They're amazing alright.

The Join:

I really like the join. It comes together easily, and stays together for the most part. I tried the Knit Picks Sampler interchangeable kit a few months ago, but found that I frequently had to tighten the joins while I worked. It was especially frustrating while working with lace, as my yarn would decide it was in love with the gap created between tip and cable and, like head strong teenagers sure that this was the end all and be all of life, it would take way too much frustration and cursing to untangle needle from the yarn. So far, I have only had this issue arise a smattering of times—and only on the needle in my right hand. I’ve found that checking the join every few rows eliminates this problem entirely.

Also, the join is tapered nicely—I’ve had no trouble transferring my yarn from cable to needle, even when I’ve been using the magic loop method. (Magic loop plays havoc with my gauge; I tend to tighten like crazy to prevent ladders, and have had a lot of trouble inching the working stitches up joins in the past. Expect an exasperated post about it at some point.)

The Needle Tips:

Initially, I was very underwhelmed by the tips. As a long time clover enthusiast, I figured I couldn’t go wrong buying their set. I’d read a few reviews that talked about the tips being a little coarse—one even mentioned having to sand and refinish them—but I dismissed that given that most of the negative reviewers also mentioned not being big fans of clover needles in general. For various reasons (namely my own unflappable ability to set my expectations ridiculously high as well as a few product descriptions that described “silky” finishes and “finer grains”), I thought the needles would fall somewhere on the spectrum between the regular Takumi needles and the Velvet Takumis. In the interest of full disclosure…I also forgot which set was the nicer of the two types; I mistakenly thought that Clover was the designation for the nicer needle finishes, not Velvet.

As you can guess, my dismay upon opening the case was palpable, but not unrelenting. The needles are a little bit coarser than the regular Clovers—which stinks if you’re expecting Velvets, but isn’t so bad ridiculous expectations aside. So far I’ve worked with superwash merino in a variety of gauges (even lace) and have had absolutely no problem. The needles also smooth out after a few hours knitting, so I recommend breaking them in on something like cotton if you are really worried about them snagging more delicate yarns.

***

Overall, I’m happy that I bought the set. It’s not as fantastic as I hoped it would be, but for a hundred bucks I feel like it was a good deal. These needles will last me for at least a few years, and it will ultimately be cheaper than buying individual needles. If you are interested in getting a set of your own, I highly recommend purchasing them from either Amazon or Nancy’s Notions, as both shops provide a sizeable discount—and frankly, given the finish on the needles, I don’t think they are worth the full price.

Whew…that was a whopper of a review—I promise future attempts will be a bit more streamlined. (And hopefully quite a bit funnier. I found as I wrote the review, most of my jokes tended to be based in innuendos and inappropriate puns, so I figured I would spare you. All two of you.)

Interchangeable days

First off, let me apologize for such a long absence. We celebrated my fiance’s birthday this weekend in what can only be described as a bonanza of family activities—several of which I spent last week planning. My mastery of automated reservation services aside, it meant that I didn’t have a great deal of time to devote to personal projects. A flimsy excuse, perhaps, but sometimes weeks are just like that.

Now, sitting here in my tidier, more festive apartment, I find that I finally have time to get around to a blog post that has been percolating in the back of my head for a few weeks. In a show of very uncharacteristic foresight, I managed to snap pictures for this post more than a week ago. (Of course, I assumed that these pictures would be utilized the next day.) Without further ado, then, I present:

The First EVER Twitchknits Review!

*Disclaimer*: This review represents my own personal opinions. I am in no way affiliated with the company that produces this product, nor have I contacted them about creating this review. As a consumer, I know that I appreciate being able to read my peers’ reviews of the products they use; I’m simply trying to contribute to my community.

Please remember that just as every knitter’s gauge is personal, every knitter’s experiences and opinions are subjective as well. This review reflects only my opinion; your experience with this product may vary.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to the good stuff.

After a period of intense rumination and internet scouring, I finally purchased a set of interchangeable needles. I had been searching for a set that met my criteria (bamboo, 16’’ cords included, good value) with the intention of saving over the fall—when I saw these on Amazon, I pounced, much to the chagrin of my savings plan.

^ That's my excited face, apparently. Not to be confused with my "somebody let me have too much sugar" or "nope I'm not crazy from lack of sleep" faces.

I find it easier to organize my thoughts if I provide myself some sort of structure, so I’m going to write this in order of what I noticed about the set, and then give an overall impression. Please feel free to skip to the end at any time, as I may start a’ramblin’!

Case:

The case is no more than I expected it to be—unlike some of the fancier sets the Takumi Clover set comes in a very basic, black vinyl case. It smelled a little of plastic at first, but now that it’s aired out for a week or two, the fumes have dissipated. The layout of the case is intuitive—well organized, with snug bands for the needles and a deep pocket for the cables. Because the bands are snug, I’m a little concerned about scratching the bamboo tips as I remove them from the case; however this may just be regular Twitch paranoia.

Cables:

Admittedly, the cables (along with the price point) are what sold me on this set. I’m a creature of habit, and 16” cables are my weapon of choice—they’re essential for hats and are great for scarves. I was so disappointed to find that most interchangeable sets don’t include them. (After reading a few interesting google responses, I think that this has to do with the length of most interchangeable needle tips; they are usually too long to be used for shorter circulars.)

The cables are easily my favorite part of the set. They come in their own separate pouch, complete with a diagram for telling the needles apart based on which pocket they’re in.

They are flexible, but don’t fall completely slack. In the past, I’ve had trouble with the regular clover circulars bending back on themselves and or remaining crimped in a certain position after storage. So far neither of these issues has arisen with my interchangeable—it’s fantastic. The only negative thing I can say is that the cables squeak and creak sometimes as I’m using them. However this is extremely faint.

Alright, as I'm being my usual verbose self, I've decided to leave this blog as *bumBUMbum*

To Be Continued...

Return tomorrow for an action packed* review of the sets joins and needle tips, as well as my overall recommendation!

I know, it's exciting right?! I'm totally not doing this as an easy way to get two blog posts this week...I would never do that....this is all about streamlining the content.....yeah......

*Much like recent action movies, the action-packed-ness of tomorrow's blog post may be grossly exaggerated.

Unbridled Enthusiasm

One of my favorite parts of knitting is the rush I get when I start a new project. The clack of needles as I cast on and the feel of new yarn rushing through my fingers.

My poor fiance is frequently subjected to my surge of excitement—usually in the form of me calling for him to come and look at my (sweater/ hat/shawl, etc). Invariably, this occurs just after I’ve completed one of the first few rows. Like a toddler with her crayon scribble family portrait, I’ll proudly direct him to look at my fledgling project. (“See the Hat? Can’t you tell it’s going to be an awesome hat?”) He’ll admire my mass of freshly created yarn loops—sometimes he’ll even muster up a nod or a somewhat befuddled noise of appreciation. We both know that I don’t actually expect him to see the hat (sweater/shawl/monster doll); it’s enough that I know what it will be, I just need to enthuse to someone outside of my head for a little bit. In a few days (weeks/months/three years later when I find it in the stash and finish it) Daniel will look at it again, and this time his nod will be grander, his noise less befuddled. (He is really fantastic about reacting to my projects.)

This exuberance has only increased now that I’ve started designing my own patterns. It’s no longer just yarn loops that I show off—no, sir. Now I have random letters and charts with strange symbols. He takes it in stride, being one of the best of men.

But today…today I’m going to give him a break.

Look! See the shirt! Doesn’t it look like it’s going to be a great shirt?!!!?

That familiar feeling

It happens to me every August. Maybe it’s something to do with the sweltering heat or the fumes radiating off of new school supplies, but for some reason every August, I have the sudden, intense urge to overhaul my life. To sit back, take stock, and then rearrange my schedule and goals jigsaw style. Some people make New Year’s resolutions (and I’ve tried those, too, to mixed success), but for me Fall is the time for change.

Perhaps it’s a bit of hardwiring leftover from my all too recent student days. From kindergarten to college, Fall meant new beginnings: new teachers, new lessons, and, most importantly, new books. The calendar may start in January, but my year starts in August.

So it came as no surprise to me last week when I noticed the itch to set new goals, establish new habits, and resume forgotten campaigns. I restarted the blog, finally started a knitting project (pictures—and pattern!—hopefully up soon), and set up my list of goals.

First and foremost on the list, as it is nearly every time this mad urge to reconstruct myself occurs, is weight loss. Now, I have no intention of transforming this blog into a fitness blog. The internet has more than enough already, and (honestly) that’s a level of privacy that I’m not willing to give up yet. Mostly, though, I know that even if I tried, my posts would eventually lapse back into a yarny fervor. Today’s post will be an anomaly; it’s constructed out of one part distraction (I’ve been thinking about it all this week), two parts flim-flam (I know that I don’t have any patterns or pictures ready, but I wanted to post something), and several parts (more than I’d like to admit) the knowledge that by making some sort of public declaration will ultimately keep me from straying when the way gets hard.

Needless to say, I am quite overweight and I want to change this. Mostly for health reasons—I’m young and relatively unaffected at the moment, but I know that the hammer will eventually fall. I have myriad other reasons, but they are not really the stuff of public posts.

The only reason that this blog should concern itself with, of course, is knitting economy. Losing weight means smaller sized garments, less yarn consumption, and a shorter knitting process. I, frankly, cannot wait!

To these ends, I’m employing several strategies, with the hope that a few will actually stick. Daniel and I are training for a 5k—we’re set to race at the end of September. I’ve restarted my Kettleworx program. (Not to sound like a salesperson or anything, but if you’re interested in toning/weight lifting, this is a fantastic system. I did it for twelve weeks last year—another fall resolution—and friends told me I looked like I had lost twenty pounds. It’s a wee bit pricey, but I think it is well worth the cost, especially if you can get it on sale through sports authority, like we did!) I’ve also set up a list of rules for myself:

-I have to drink water with all meals. (I’m allowed exceptions when we go out.)

-I have to get up and move every 45 minutes.

-I have to walk for 15 minutes after every meal.

On that happy note, I think my 45 minutes are up. I’m off to pace around the apartment like a loony!

Coming Soon

I know that the first post after such an extended absence (almost two years, I'll be impressed if anyone even remembers that I have this blog!) should be something grand and thought provoking. It should dazzle the readers (ha. readers.) into forgetting that I had been negligent.

Failing that, it should at least have the decency to look the other way and pretend that it's unaware of my previous bloggy failings.

I prefer to face things head on, though. Or at least I'm telling myself that these days.


Yes, I've been horrendously bad about regular posting in the past. I'm not entirely sure that this will change in the future, but I'm going to do my best. Sorry.

and

Yes, this is really I'll I'm posting (for now). In the coming weeks there will hopefully be carefully crafted posts about different techniques, yarn reviews, and (cue the exciting, if trite, crescendo) Free Patterns! Yup, that's right. I'm a pattern designer, of sorts, now.

Until then. Hello! For those of you who added me to some sort of google reader or notification system SURPRISE! I'm Back. Bet you forgot you did that!