Aaaaaah!

[mousme]

So there I am, knitting along happily as I work on my latest baby blanket (SERIOUSLY, PEOPLE, STOP HAVING BABIES FOR A MINUTE SO I CAN CATCH UP!), using my shiny new knitting needles from Knit Picks, when my shiny new interchangeable knitting needle came unscrewed from its cable and dumped a bunch of stitches into the ether.

GAH!

Some quick thinking rescued them, but let me tell you, that was NOT good for my blood pressure. I shall have to watch out for that in the future.

Comments

[toughlovemuse.livejournal.com]

There is a small piece of bent metal that comes with each set of cables. Once you've screwed on the tips, insert the metal key in the hole at the end of the cable, and use it as a handle to do the final tightening. Your interchangeables should not unscrew after that.

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Oh is that what that's for? I didn't know what the friendly instructions meant about the "cable key".

Duh.

Thank you!

[toughlovemuse.livejournal.com]

Also, as you're knitting along, if your needle is coming unscrewed, you will feel it in the way your stitches slide toward the end of the left-hand needle. There will be a sort of'tug' as you pull them along, almost as if they were too tight on the needles. This is a sign that you should check the join.

(Not that you'll need to do this now that you've tightened the needles with the cable key.)

[owldaughter.livejournal.com]

Baby socks or little jackets are your friends. Less knitting!

[toughlovemuse.livejournal.com]

Yes! Teeny tiny booties!

[owldaughter.livejournal.com]

I was thinking that for my very hypothetical First Pair of Socks I would knit baby socks, then find someone random to give them to.

[toughlovemuse.livejournal.com]

This is an excellent idea. Actually, one of my books has a "class sock" that the author gives to her sock knitting students, so as to finish all the bits in one class.

[taxlady.livejournal.com]

Are you using a circular needle for the extra width of the blanket?

BTW, a crochet hook of the appropriate size is very useful for picking up dropped stitches, especially if the start to "run".

[ai731.livejournal.com]

BTW, a crochet hook of the appropriate size is very useful for picking up dropped stitches, especially if the start to "run".

*nod* I remember my grandmother using a crochet hook to "rescue" my dropped stitches when she was teaching me how to knit!

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Yep, I usually default to circs for my work, it's just easier and keeps my work centered in my lap.

Crochet hooks have saved my kiester in the past, but I find that I can't "rescue" stitches when I'm doing lace patterns: I just don't have the skill yet.

[taxlady.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, lace patterns, they do take a bit more figuring out.