Tuesday, September 1, 2009

New beginnings



Finally released today is my new set of tools for hand spinners. I have been making the WPI (wraps per inch) tool since the beginning of KaratStix, but the diz and the plying templates are finally in production after having been tested and approved of by a very nice supporter of KaratStix - Destiknit - since I am not yet a spinner myself, although I desperately want to be :). She also has an excellent podcast where she shares lots of great information for knitters and spinners and reviews lots of good stuff. You can find her podcasts here: http://destiknit.com/destiknit-the-podcast/


Another item, which is still in R&D is a stand to hold interchangeable knitting needles. And, I'll be working on ideas I have to do something similar for DPNs and straights as well. I personally have a few glass vases that I store my non-circular needles in (OK, I confess, there is a couple circular needles stuck in one of them too) and it is annoyingly untidy to look at, and I'm always trying to dig around to find just the one I need (I use them all the time to test my needle gauges). It would be so much easier if they stayed organized with their mates and looked nice and neat too, and would be so much more efficient for selecting the right size. I have been wanting to work on this idea for years, but now a couple of interested people has suggested that it would be great if I would try to do this so I have finally begun.




This one is a team effort with my brother -- I did the disk layouts and gathered the materials together (the bottom is cork and the pillars are bamboo chopsticks) and Tom, my brother modified the layouts to incorporate the chopstick pillars and cut everything out and glued it all together. This one is sized for the Hiya-Hiya interchangeable needles (so it fits size 2 up to size 15 needles). The diameter of the disk (not counting the protrusions that support the pillars) is just 3" and the height is approximately 3.75". It's a needle gauge and a stand :). The cork bottom ensures that your tips are cushioned should you point them down, and protects your furniture. The top layer has the US size markings on it and the bottom layer has the metric size markings on it. Of course there is room in the center for a sheep :).

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