Addi Turbos + my sweaty hands = ARGH!
Finally managed to dig out at work. I’ve been working on putting together my first issue of a journal that I just took over as Managing Editor. I have lived and breathed that issue for the last week, and now that’s it’s turned in, I can get caught up on other stuff, work- and nonwork-related.
I am still working away on the Diamante socks. One is finished, and I am almost finished with the heel flap on the other. Looking at the first one, I think I’m going to have to rip out the ribbing in the cuff and rework it on size 0 needles. It’s really loose right now. I tend to slouch my socks anyway when I wear them, so the looseness doesn’t bother me in that respect. It’s just that the ribbing doesn’t look very good. I figure it won’t take too long to frog it and redo the 8 rows on smaller needles. It’ll give me a chance to practice Elizabeth Zimmerman’s sewn bind-off, which is the stretchy bind-off I chose, and which I rather enjoyed the first time. I’ll post pictures of the before and after once I finish the second sock.
In knitting these toe-up socks, a pattern which I am really enjoying, mostly because I am new to the toe-up technique and find it really intriguing, I have had a rather annoying problem. Near the end of the first sock, I noticed that the finish on the Addi Turbo needles I was using was rubbed off in some small spots on each needle. By the time I was finished with the sock, the finish had rubbed off about 1/3 of each needle, including the tips. Knitting the last couple of rows was really tedious because the stitches were not sliding over the needles as they should, but rather were getting stuck on the “bare” spots on the metal. There was no way that I could knit the second sock on these needles. Thankfully, I remembered that I had a set of 32” Addis in size 1 in my needle inventory, so I took them out to start the second sock. Not knowing what was wrong with the other needles, I asked one of the women at Yarn Barn when I went in there to get yarn for my SP. She suggested that my sweat was probably reacting with the nickel plating and rubbing it off. Not wanting to believe this is true because of what it would mean for my future with any Addi Turbo needles, I shrugged my shoulders and went home. Halfway into the second sock, I noticed the finish starting to rub off the alternate set of needles. Dammit! Looks like I’m not ever going to be able to use Addis without this happening. I went digging through my needles and found a set of 29” Inox size 1s. In theory, they should work okay for Magic Loop on future sock projects, but I’m worried that the cord won’t be flexible enough. The finish on them is Teflon, and I know that it won’t rub off because I have several other pairs in larger sizes that I use all the time. We’ll see how it all works out.
The chemistry problem that my hands seem to have with nickel plating was reinforced this morning when I put on my jewelry before going to work. Last year I bought a ring in Estes Park that I thought was sterling. It is a simple thin band with turquoise inlay. I haven’t worn it in a long time, so I decided to wear it today. Looking down at the finish rubbing off of it, I was reminded why I haven’t worn it in so long. I discovered after purchasing it that it was not sterling, but rather, nickel plated. Same problem as with the Addis. Dammit again!
I am still working away on the Diamante socks. One is finished, and I am almost finished with the heel flap on the other. Looking at the first one, I think I’m going to have to rip out the ribbing in the cuff and rework it on size 0 needles. It’s really loose right now. I tend to slouch my socks anyway when I wear them, so the looseness doesn’t bother me in that respect. It’s just that the ribbing doesn’t look very good. I figure it won’t take too long to frog it and redo the 8 rows on smaller needles. It’ll give me a chance to practice Elizabeth Zimmerman’s sewn bind-off, which is the stretchy bind-off I chose, and which I rather enjoyed the first time. I’ll post pictures of the before and after once I finish the second sock.
In knitting these toe-up socks, a pattern which I am really enjoying, mostly because I am new to the toe-up technique and find it really intriguing, I have had a rather annoying problem. Near the end of the first sock, I noticed that the finish on the Addi Turbo needles I was using was rubbed off in some small spots on each needle. By the time I was finished with the sock, the finish had rubbed off about 1/3 of each needle, including the tips. Knitting the last couple of rows was really tedious because the stitches were not sliding over the needles as they should, but rather were getting stuck on the “bare” spots on the metal. There was no way that I could knit the second sock on these needles. Thankfully, I remembered that I had a set of 32” Addis in size 1 in my needle inventory, so I took them out to start the second sock. Not knowing what was wrong with the other needles, I asked one of the women at Yarn Barn when I went in there to get yarn for my SP. She suggested that my sweat was probably reacting with the nickel plating and rubbing it off. Not wanting to believe this is true because of what it would mean for my future with any Addi Turbo needles, I shrugged my shoulders and went home. Halfway into the second sock, I noticed the finish starting to rub off the alternate set of needles. Dammit! Looks like I’m not ever going to be able to use Addis without this happening. I went digging through my needles and found a set of 29” Inox size 1s. In theory, they should work okay for Magic Loop on future sock projects, but I’m worried that the cord won’t be flexible enough. The finish on them is Teflon, and I know that it won’t rub off because I have several other pairs in larger sizes that I use all the time. We’ll see how it all works out.
The chemistry problem that my hands seem to have with nickel plating was reinforced this morning when I put on my jewelry before going to work. Last year I bought a ring in Estes Park that I thought was sterling. It is a simple thin band with turquoise inlay. I haven’t worn it in a long time, so I decided to wear it today. Looking down at the finish rubbing off of it, I was reminded why I haven’t worn it in so long. I discovered after purchasing it that it was not sterling, but rather, nickel plated. Same problem as with the Addis. Dammit again!
posted by Beverly at 3:02 PM
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