Review & Giveaway: Knitter’s Pride Karbonz Interchangeable Needles

Excellent review and a giveaway! Check it out!!

shoelaceswitcher's avatarWoolen Diversions

I’ve officially become enamored with a new-to-me knitting tool: Knitter’s Pride Karbonz needles. These needles are made from carbon fiber and have slick nickel-plated brass tips.

IMG_6235 Oooooh, shiny.

As you may have noticed over the last few months, I’ve been slowly transitioning from the colorful Knit Picks Harmony needles I’ve used almost exclusively for the last few years to sleek, black KP Karbonz needles. It began when I realized I was mending far too many holes in my socks and needed to tighten my gauge. However, I wanted to knit with size 0 (2.0 mm) DPNs that didn’t feel like bendable, careful-or-they’ll-snap-in-half toothpicks. So I ordered some Karbonz DPNs and loved them.

IMG_6568 Current sock in progress. Click for project page.

And I thought — maybe the Harmony’s are NOT the be-all-end-all of knitting needles. I first learned to knit on Susan Bates metal needles but have been fiercely anti-metal since…

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WIP Wednesday: One Sock Down

My #sockswithsarah progress has been slow but progressing. I finally finished my first plain rye sock.

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I’m using Knit Picks Swish Worsted in Squirrel Heather using the Rye pattern by TinCanKnits.

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And to avoid SSS or second sock syndrome I’ve already cast on the mate!

Are you following along with Socks With Sarah?

WIP Wednesday: Little By Little

I haven’t exactly been a ball of fire lately but I’ve finally made some progress on a hat for Jellybean.

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I’m making the smallest size of Barley by Tin Can Knits. The yarn is Knit Picks Brava worsted in Wine.

This had been a quick and easy knit so far. Excellent for pregnancy brain knitting, lol. I’m itching to make some sort of Minion hat for Jellybean too. I just need to get my needles free!!!

Timing Is Everything

The birds finally accepted my offerings! Remember my cobbled together “yarn feeder” I put out last summer? Well it sat completely full all summer, fall and winter. I guess I missed prime best building season.

But spring has sprung and my yarn bits are quickly disappearing!

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And they don’t appear to be picky. The cotton, wool, blends, and acrylic are all being used.

Now if only I could spot some nests with my bright bits sticking out!

WIP Wednesday: Barley

Balancing my fatigue/all the time mornning sickness and desire to make adorable things for Jellybean is killing me! I have barely started my hexi-ghan. And by barely starting, I mean I have picked out two colors to alternate stripes in red-ish cotton and purple cotton.

Maybe I need something smaller and portable? After my success with Rye by Tin Can Knits, I thought about Barley by the same designer….

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(All photo rights to Tin Can Knits and their Ravelry page)

A nice worsted weight project with some neat design elements without being too masculine or feminine. Maybe in some nice Knit Picks Brava Worsted in a nice deep wine color?

Happy Wednesday!

A Little Creativity In The Family

My hubby wanted a cute way to let our friends and family know about Jellybean. He is an avid video gamer and found the cutest T-shirts online. Originally we wanted to take a photo wearing the t-shirts….but I’m 5’6″ and he’s 6’3″. Let’s just say we couldn’t get our middles to line up right. So he designed this….

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He can be pretty creative in between video games 🙂 It’s not knitting but it’s pretty adorable anyway.

Happy Monday!

Big Changes

I have alluded several times to some medical issues over the past couple of months. And not to worry….they are for a good reason! I’m proud to announce that the Hubby and I are having a baby!!

We are over the moon excited and due sometime early to mid October. As of today I’m around 12-13 weeks and moving into the second trimester! It’s been sooo hard to keep this a secret!!!

That being said…..I’ve been MISERABLY sick since about week four. My mother’s side has a history of hyperemesis gravidarum. This condition was highlighted famously last year by Duchess Catherine or Princess Kate, whichever you prefer. While I didn’t have to be hospitalized I did have a steep learning curve to finding ways to cope with the debilitating symptoms. I’ll spare you the gory details but around week two of symptoms I asked my Hubby if he was okay with only one child, lol. It has since become more manageable.

I am currently taking an anti-emetic medicine, eating a very high fiber and high protein diet, a B-6/Unisom combo for bed time nausea, I drink enough water to fill a swimming pool every day, and take a gummy prenatal vitamin because they are easier on the tummy. I eat almost no sugar, no caffeine at all, very little fried food, and eat 5-6 smalls meals a day instead of 3 large ones. I seriously feel like a gastric bypass patient. But most days it works for me. And the plus side that is all this morning sickness (or all day sickness) means a healthy baby, or so I’m told.

I still have a lot of symptoms but I can at least manage to make it through work. I’m hoping this tapers off in the second trimester. But my own mother had symptoms for her entire pregnancy. I’m praying that I don’t have to do the same….

I’m BONE TIRED most days and sleep 8-9 hours every night. I have had little energy to knit or anything fun. I can barely make sure the house has groceries and the laundry gets done once or twice a week. A big apology to my husband for all the sandwiches and chicken nuggets on the menu lately. Seriously, he’s been such a trooper and takes great care of me!

I can’t wait to start our nursery and pulling out all my baby hand knits I’ve been storing up over the years! Not to mention feeling better some day! Stay tuned for updates on our little Jellybean! (I don’t know want to find out the sex so I picked a gender neutral monicker lol)

Hallelujah, I Finally Have A LYS!!!

Hallelujah and Praise the fiber gods!! My happy hamlet of Topeka, KS has officially opened a LYS!

I introduce to you….Yak ‘n Yarn!

They are all about knitting, crochet, spinning, weaving, and so much more! I have been following their Facebook page and their Grand Opening at the end of March. They are going to even offer classes and Knit Nights! My inner knitting nerd is doing back flips! They have sort of odd hours right now so I sadly haven’t been able to get in there and explore the store. I am definitely going remedy that soon!

What is your favorite part of having a LYS near you?