Niddy noddys and sockies
First, the coolest thing ever.
I’ve been wanting a niddy noddy for a while. For you non-knitters/spinners, here is a picture of one in use. It essentially allows you to wind yarn and estimate yardage at the same time. There aren’t many occasions when I need to know the yardage of any yarn that I am working with, but there are times when being able to measure it out easily would be useful. For instance, if I ever want to knit 2 socks at one time, being able to measure the yardage so that I can split a skein evenly would mean that I could do so without having to work from the inside and outside of the skein simultaneously. Also, it’ll be easier to recycle yarn from old projects if I can measure how much yarn I’m reclaiming once the object is frogged. So, I had this idea. I’ve seen instructions on the web on how to make a niddy noddy from PVC pipe. I haven’t been too thrilled with that idea since white plastic pipe is not very attractive. Cheap? Yes. Aesthetically pleasing? No. Then one day Wendy was showing me this structure hanging from her guest bedroom wall that Pete made out of copper pipe. It looks a bit like a curtain rod, but shorter, and instead of curtains hanging from it, there are pictures hanging from it with wire. See, Pete is a plumber and has access to copper pipe. He’s been using it as a decorating medium around the house. I LOVE copper accents, so I had the idea that maybe he could make me a niddy noddy out of copper pipe. A couple of weeks ago, I was at Wendy and Pete’s house so I chatted with him about my idea. I just mentioned it, figuring I’d draw him a schematic later. I must have explained the whole thing better than I thought because a few days later he produced the above. It’s a perfect 9” niddy noddy. One revolution around it will equal 1 yard. It leaves my hands smelling like metal, but it’s so pretty that I don’t care. And it’s not as heavy as I feared it would be. The pipe is probably ½” to ¾” in diameter, so it’s actually really light. I can’t wait to find a reason to use it. Thank you Pete!! You’re the best!!
Next, my finished Mokey socks.
Yarn: Koigu PPPM, 2 skeins
Needles: 32” size 1 Addis (Magic Loop method)
Modifications: The pattern repeat is 16 stitches wide. I needed to be able to cast on at least 72 stitches, so I added one stitch at the beginning and one in the middle (after the 8th stitch) of each repeat. The modification worked really well; the untrained eye wouldn’t even notice it.
Comments: The heel flap on this one seems really large to me. I think maybe it’s because it is worked in stockinette instead of being slip-stitched. Conversely, the toe is a bit too pointy. In hind-sight, I would have changed to a slip-stitched heel, and rounded the toe more by stacking the decrease rounds one-after-another for the last few rows instead of alternating with plain knit rows to the end. Overall, though, I like them. Too bad it’s now too warm to wear them. They will sit patiently in my drawer until fall.
I must say, Koigu is amazing yarn. So soft, so sproingy, and the colors... Oy. I've only used 2 other types of sock yarn before, but this is definitely my favorite. I already have 2 more skeins wound for my next pair of socks. Knitting with this stuff is such a joy!
I’ve been wanting a niddy noddy for a while. For you non-knitters/spinners, here is a picture of one in use. It essentially allows you to wind yarn and estimate yardage at the same time. There aren’t many occasions when I need to know the yardage of any yarn that I am working with, but there are times when being able to measure it out easily would be useful. For instance, if I ever want to knit 2 socks at one time, being able to measure the yardage so that I can split a skein evenly would mean that I could do so without having to work from the inside and outside of the skein simultaneously. Also, it’ll be easier to recycle yarn from old projects if I can measure how much yarn I’m reclaiming once the object is frogged. So, I had this idea. I’ve seen instructions on the web on how to make a niddy noddy from PVC pipe. I haven’t been too thrilled with that idea since white plastic pipe is not very attractive. Cheap? Yes. Aesthetically pleasing? No. Then one day Wendy was showing me this structure hanging from her guest bedroom wall that Pete made out of copper pipe. It looks a bit like a curtain rod, but shorter, and instead of curtains hanging from it, there are pictures hanging from it with wire. See, Pete is a plumber and has access to copper pipe. He’s been using it as a decorating medium around the house. I LOVE copper accents, so I had the idea that maybe he could make me a niddy noddy out of copper pipe. A couple of weeks ago, I was at Wendy and Pete’s house so I chatted with him about my idea. I just mentioned it, figuring I’d draw him a schematic later. I must have explained the whole thing better than I thought because a few days later he produced the above. It’s a perfect 9” niddy noddy. One revolution around it will equal 1 yard. It leaves my hands smelling like metal, but it’s so pretty that I don’t care. And it’s not as heavy as I feared it would be. The pipe is probably ½” to ¾” in diameter, so it’s actually really light. I can’t wait to find a reason to use it. Thank you Pete!! You’re the best!!
Next, my finished Mokey socks.
Yarn: Koigu PPPM, 2 skeins
Needles: 32” size 1 Addis (Magic Loop method)
Modifications: The pattern repeat is 16 stitches wide. I needed to be able to cast on at least 72 stitches, so I added one stitch at the beginning and one in the middle (after the 8th stitch) of each repeat. The modification worked really well; the untrained eye wouldn’t even notice it.
Comments: The heel flap on this one seems really large to me. I think maybe it’s because it is worked in stockinette instead of being slip-stitched. Conversely, the toe is a bit too pointy. In hind-sight, I would have changed to a slip-stitched heel, and rounded the toe more by stacking the decrease rounds one-after-another for the last few rows instead of alternating with plain knit rows to the end. Overall, though, I like them. Too bad it’s now too warm to wear them. They will sit patiently in my drawer until fall.
I must say, Koigu is amazing yarn. So soft, so sproingy, and the colors... Oy. I've only used 2 other types of sock yarn before, but this is definitely my favorite. I already have 2 more skeins wound for my next pair of socks. Knitting with this stuff is such a joy!
posted by Beverly at 3:50 PM
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