Welcome back to part of my stash to our episode regarding tools of the trade
This is part two if you haven't listened to part one, you just need to go back one episode. Otherwise, enjoy
Yeah, this is this is my stopper
with the cords
They're super cute. Oh, I haven't seen the stoppers. I'm only yeah, I have a cord. I have the cord set
Well, the cute the part. Yeah, that's my little skulls. You can put two in there
Yeah, so that's you want to put a cinch it you can that is neat
What it what does that do so you stick the needles in if you have circular I usually go both sides
Yeah, I have a double point you just stick them all in there and hold them together like that
It's like a little plan and they have they have like truck door. It does look like trapping or that's for a little one
I think I gave you on my mid. Where did you get those?
Bead biz I want to say
They're called needle wranglers by
tempestry project
Nice, so
They actually worked. They're really cool
I mean, I'd use it I used to use them all the time until I got my goats and my goats are cuter
I'm sorry, but they these are they're cool and they they work in like so they come in different needle sizes
So that's a good one, too
I like them for the circulars because you can kind of keep it in a kind of circular
Thing of a jigger, but it but it keeps the two points together
So like you don't have one end flying off and like possibly pulling off the end or both together like in one little clip
Which is I like that first for some bigger projects
Another thing that Jess and I both have we got last year at a yarn store in Marblehead in Massachusetts is a oh
God, what's the name of it? No pocket pharmacy?
It's supposed to be for pills. It's supposed to be for pills. It looks like a little suitcase and it has
Oh my god, it has ten little compartments and we use them for stitch markers. Nice
What one of mine actually has beads in it which I need to NTO?
That has blown my mind. Oh, I didn't know you'd never seen it. We've had it for over a year
No, I never saw you pull that out
Yeah, I was gonna get two just for one four beads and then one for stitch markers
Do you know how my stitch markers are right now?
I have like one of those clear accessory bags and it's just thrown in there like
Willy-nilly
I had never considered and I don't remember how much it was. I mean you can get them almost anywhere
You can get them online. We got them at a yarn store
I like this one because it was like a flip keys. Oh god. I love this thing. It's amazing. It's
And it is they're all organized
And I'm super like I love having them like
Sorted. Yeah, like by the style and everything like that. Well now I'm thinking they're all in there and you can see which ones
I have an old
Medicine case that has like the morning afternoon evening. Yeah, those you could do that
You totally could I don't use that anymore because I only take I totally take
I take most of my medication in the morning and then one at night. So it's easy to remember
But yeah, you could totally use that and and I didn't realize that this was a pill case
Honestly when we got it, I just thought wow, that is so cool
But we each got one like this and I just can't believe you guys never saw it
Like we um, yeah, no, I love this thing
And it's I have to say my favorite thing about me is that I have a lot of stuff
The first thing about me is that there is entirely a possibility that you have shown me that that's fair
But you know what tracks yeah me and tina probably have shown us and
Yeah, but i'm going to be excited for it every time I see it because i'm always going to think that it's brand new. Yes
Yeah, I love that. Yay memory issues
Yeah, I don't use those stitch markers because I put stitch markers in with the beads for whatever reason
So apparently those just live there and no that is carefully opening them is smart
The thing I like about the size of that too is that you could stick that in a normal like size notions bag
Yeah, yeah, like that is small enough. It won't take as much space. Yeah
It does it's very small
It's like it's mine now I got my little falcons in there and my crows don't take my bird don't take my birds
It's fine
Didn't I get you all of those yes
I think I may have bought the crows. Yeah, but I definitely got the falcons
But you probably talked me into getting the crow so it counts as you getting them for me
That just blew my mind. No, it's really cool. And you can get them
I mean, I just looked and it's I mean obviously you can get it on amazon
But you can get it pretty much anywhere and they're not expensive. Yeah. No, no
Yeah, I wouldn't think they would be because you know, they don't realize what kind of market they have
Yeah, and they only had two left too when we were there because I don't remember that but i'm sure you're right
Because I wanted to get a second. I remember wanting to get a second one for just for beads and they didn't have another one
Yeah, they were cool
Yeah those I love finding new solutions to common problems
Shout out to marblehead knits for uh identifying a market
Market people were like, oh these are for pills and they're like the hell they are
These are for stitch markers. These are a knitting tool. No, seriously that was that was super smart
So but we yeah, we've had them for over a year now and definitely love them
Yeah, you probably have shown us but I don't I don't remember now. You can show me that again in six months
I'll be equally excited for it
That unless I have one of my own by then in which case i'll be like, oh look I have one too
What about needles guys
Needles, yeah, I have our opinions on on needles change. I uh, yes. Um, I can no longer recommend the gratitude set
What i'm sorry if anyone bought the gratitude set from because I recommended it I really apologize
Um, no my so, okay. I'm actually it's turning into kind of a fiasco. I I my
Actual wire not the piece that attaches to the needle the wire itself came apart. Yeah, I remember so you can see like the the metal
Uh cord inside of it like it just it just split. I don't know. Yeah. Yeah
um, so I contacted knitter's pride and they were like yeah, you gotta you gotta uh,
You gotta contact the store that you bought it from while I bought it from webs. They won't respond to me
I'm really sad about it
So but they they say that they have like a a full warranty on it
But it has it has not been an easy process to do that. I do have the receipt thankfully
Um of when I bought it, which was last may it's not that old like I haven't had it that long. Yeah, um
so I've been sticking with
My chiagos if I want to do metal and I do my nitpicks
Uh wooden I think they're called
Caspian it's like the green ones. Yeah, and I've been sticking with those
The interchangeable for the wood ones, but I can't recommend
nitpicks
Caspian like those that brand for the double points because twice they've broken on me. Yeah
Um, and i'm not a tight knitter
So I know that that's like that is not me all of my needles are metal for a reason
So it's like I knit Kevlar
No, I don't. No, I'm kidding. You don't. I used to
I've loosened up quite a bit if I were you know, one for bragging. Lucy Guzy
Nag what do you got for needles? Um, i'm still a big
Aficionado of the knitter's pride carbons. Those are my absolute favorites. Those are very good. Um, I also I mean
I don't have a full set but I have a few um
Adi turbos and I love those. Those are nice. That's these that's like lightning fast. Sorry
That's my chunker hit the mic and I do love those
That's probably my second favorite. Yeah
Um, but I really do. I really do love the carbons. I think they have a nice feel
the only thing that they're not great for is um
They're not super super sharp. They have a mid midpoint tip. Yeah, so um, if you're doing something like
bobbles or a lace or something you might want to go with a
with a
Sharper tip, you know, what's interesting is the chiagos
I don't feel like have a crazy sharp tip, but I do really well with bobbles with my chiagos
Those are I mean look at are they sharp? I don't even look. Take a look compare that to the carbons. Yeah, they're a lot sharper than the carbons
Yeah, I guess a lot sharper. Maybe okay. Well, yeah
That's the thing and a lot of it is relative. Yours is more blunt than me
You don't you don't think that they're super sharp, but then if you compare them
Adi's are actually known for not being super sharp. Right? Yeah. No, they're fast
Yeah, they're super fast. They're just chunkers. But they are yeah, they're generally pretty blunt. I love them
Yeah, they're generally pretty blunt. I love how you're like they're they're chonkers, but you're holding up like a size 18 needle
Those are 15
Not all adi's are chonkers just the ones that Tina is splashing around here
Well, I I do I don't like using interchangeables for the thick needles
I find that they've come apart a lot easier no matter the brand you use. So I always get the fixed
Circulars when i'm dealing with chonkers
It's fair. What are they chonkers?
Jess what about you? Um, i'm still a big fan of the nurse pride mindful lace
Needles, those are nice. I like the lace ones. Oh, they're so good. I I like the carbons
I use yours a lot. You do use mine a lot. I do but I do like I like the the mindful lace because they're like
They're pointy as heck man, like
You can catch any thread with that
um
So those are my go-to I kind of want I I tried using the uh, those square ones
Uh, dray, I know you like the cubics. Yeah, but I I don't like the way they feel they upset my hands
But I kind of want to try there's ones that look like unicorn horns. They're supposed to have kind of a sim. Yeah
They're like swirly. Yeah, I've seen them and they're supposed to have like a similar effect, but they're still round
So I kind of wanted to give those a try just to see because who makes valves. I don't know
I've seen them though. I have seen them hang. I don't know if it's still knitters pride
Is it called unicorn? No, I don't think so
I just think that they look like a unicorn horn because they're spirally but yeah
They're supposed to kind of have the same thing where they're supposed to kind of like add more friction or something to it
so you're not losing like the
Tension the tension. Um, this is the same kind of way that the cubics would work only instead of having the corners
It's still round. So I had seen them and I kind of wanted to give them a try but I have not yet
So I cannot actually speak for them. My crochet hooks
I am a cheap dork that loses all my crochet hooks all the time. He really so
Susan bates it is man. That's what people carry
All reliable. I do have a nicer set and I can't remember what they are of smaller crochet hooks
Um that were a gift that do I have one in my bag because I just chucked those ones have the handles, right?
I have one that has a handle but it's susan bates. Um, no, I think this is bates too
It's just fancier and tiny
um
I do have a set of nice ones with handles and I don't know where those are right now. They're in a box
I have a question for you jess because i've seen um, I saw this video where someone stuck a tennis ball on a susan
So oh I did too was that is that a thing? That is a thing you can do tennis balls
My hands are too small. It would be uncomfortable
but
um
You can actually get and people sell them and i've actually looked at some of them because they look kind of nice where you can
Get like grips that you can add
To it. Um, i've seen someone do kind of like a clay cast for themselves and then they like
And they just cast that and then it was so it was a better grip for the hand
So you can do it a tennis ball is a quick easy if you have
Bigger hands like it totally works. My hands are stupid tiny. So it's like super uncomfortable
I wonder if I could get more like a smaller one though, because sometimes they sell the smaller kid like this falls
I don't know. Um
I feel like I would like more of like a football shape though. I feel like that's more comfortable for my hand
I don't know when like when I saw them using it with the tennis ball. I was like that doesn't look comfortable
No, it depends
honestly, the biggest thing is is and I can completely understand it because I do feel it and
It's probably the way I hold my hook is god awful. I'm sure but my fingers curl too far around
So what the tennis ball does is basically makes their hand stay open. So you're not like
Giving yourself carpal tunnel. Yeah, exactly. So
Um, that that's basically what it's for. I'm sure it's a learning curve for using it
But it probably in the long run makes their hands and wrists feel a lot better because my hands do cramp up afterward
Like i'll stop every once in a while and have to you know, I wonder if you could get like a football shaped
Stressed toy. Yeah
That's smart. Yeah, something like that. Um, because yeah, most of the time, you know, you just got the it's just
It's like a needle but it's I don't know
It's it's weird when you're holding it because the way you hold crochet hooks and again, i'm probably doing it
God awful
People probably look at me. You're like why would you do that? Does it work?
But it works exactly exactly. So you're not doing it wrong
So it's fantastic for me if it's a dumb idea, but it works
I think i'm finally crocheting in the quote unquote correct
Like not backwards and upside down as I used to because
I don't have to flip my projects right side out anymore when I get to the end
That was the thing that I thought everybody had to do. No, it was just me
I was going backwards
It worked but when I got to the end, I was like, wow, the inside looks so much better though
the inside
I was I was knitting inside
I would I would like flip it and then just seal it off at the last possible minute
Sweet summer child and then and then I watched a video and i'm like wait a minute
That looks so much better from the start
Okay
Listen so so yeah, but yeah hook options. Those are mine lace needles
Like I said, I do like the mindful lace and susan bates man
You can find find them anywhere except for the smaller sizes
You kind of have to order special for those they tend to like
Start at d and up for crochet hooks for whatever reason most most of the stores
And most most of the stores every time most people are doing every time i'm like, okay
I need a size b. They're like nah, man. You can have an f
Well, yeah, no syria if you go to the big box stores
You can't find any like you can't even find knitting needles below like a six unless you get the cover ones
And then they have like the size 50. I'm like who's using that you can have this broomstick. Yeah
But you can't have a size three
Oh god, you heard it was to find three
We stopped at three different ones in a row because none of the
Size three none of the knitting shops are open because I think it was a sunday and they were closed
But we're like, oh, we'll just stop it joanne's are like, oh no michael's we'll stop it michael's
No, no, what about target like no target doesn't have anything
Do you know what I have a million of now?
And it's because I couldn't find the smaller sizes. Uh when I first started knitting socks
I kept losing, you know sock needles sock needles. That's right. Can you say you have like 50 pairs?
Of like size twos so
It's not just the twos meg. Oh, I thought it was just the twos. I thought that was like your
Preferred. Yeah, it is my preferred. Yeah, when uh, you need a need a knitting needle right now
And you don't have one it's in a cat
That's why I have so many crochet hooks because they sell the smaller ones in a set of six
Yeah, you can get it and then I lose a smaller one again
So now I have like 80 size d's and no size b's anywhere. You can get a pack of
Zero double zero zero one two
beautiful and you can get like
I don't I don't know like 20 needles in there because it's like full sets of uh, the double points
Yeah, and then you lose two of the number twos. Yeah, and then you're buying a whole other pack
So I've got like a million freaking tiny needles that i'm never going to use because I don't do lace
You know you keep them with you and when someone like does something you be like scatter and just chuck them at their feet like ninja stars
One day one day one day. Just do it. It'd be hilarious
What would they do if you're being chased? I'd stop i'd be like what just happened. Did you talk about needles yet?
I did not. Okay. So trea. What about you? I'm still on the knitter's pride
um
Nova platina cubics, I like the square needles. I know jess doesn't like them, but I just don't like the feel on my fingers
But they're my favorite, but I know you like them
But they're my favorite and I like that, you know, they don't roll away when i'm using them and I don't know. I I just
They're my favorite. They're good. They feel good in my hands
and I like using them and i've probably replaced all of my um,
all of my circulars and all of my double points
By now with with the square ones and I don't think i'll go back
Well, I think that's the important thing when you find the style you like. It's worth the investment in getting
You know even if it's slow
Like changing over to getting a full set
I mean i'm not gonna lie if i'm in a pinch and I need something and like again the all the stores are closed the
The local yarn stores and I gotta go get some clovers. I will I don't like the clovers. Yeah, I don't like the feel
But yeah, like, you know in a pinch if I can't wait
I mean, you know, that's kind of sad. I could wait
No, you know what I mean? You know what I mean?
You're in the middle of it and you're like, oh, I just want to go
I don't want to stop when the feeling is here
You need to acknowledge the feeling and you need to go with the feeling
sometimes the feeling tells you you need to buy the needles right now and
Even though you hate the needles, it doesn't matter
It's not I don't know like I don't I have bought so many I do i'm not a fan of wooden needles
I'm not either at all and I used to only knit exclusively with wooden needles. I just don't like the feel
I have nothing wrong with clovers, but I I don't like my cats eat them. I have sat on too many and broken them
It honestly depends on the project for me. There's certain projects like I find if I have a lot of stitches
In a big project that's small. I like the wooden needles, but that's just stick they stick better
Yeah, then on the well that when you drop 50 stitches, man, it is sad
disheartening very disheartening
There's nothing though like waking up in the morning and picking up your knitting and seeing that somebody has chewed the whole point
You're like great I have to get a needle and transfer stitches. Thanks
With the yarn dragging over the bite marks y'all have food
Side note real quick always keep the paper clip
I forgot about you and the paper clip
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Sure, check out next week for more laughs love and llamas
Yeah, pardon my stash.