Eni Mini Minie Moe

Is it ever hot in Topanga, California! You may not know this, but I'm convinced that all of Southern California is actually a desert. They have managed to disguise this fact by copious use of irrigation and propaganda shots of the seemingly lush foliage and ocean views. But I'm no longer fooled. I just have to walk outside and I know I'm living in the desert.

Luckily I have air conditioning and therefore my knitting continues unimpeded right through the peak of the summer heat! My current project is Haven, a Kim Hargreaves design from her Heartfelt - The Dark House Collection. But I've changed it's name to "My Totally Opulent Scarf" because the yarn is so very rich and scrummy.

As I was savoring the pleasure of knitting with my Crystal Palace needles, I thought about how using the right needles makes such a difference to the knitting experience.

I'm not even going to attempt to describe all the various needle choices out there. I'll just say there are a great many choices, and I've tried most of them. What it boils down to for me is what causes the least friction (i.e. wear and tear on my hands) when I knit. My favorite needles are as follows:

Socks: Lantern Moon, rosewood needles;
Heavy Wool Garments: Crystal Palace, Bamboo; and
Lace: Susan Bates, Silverado (I believe this is the style I use - I no longer have the package)

Every project has it's unique issues, though, and it's nice to have an assortment of needles so that you can pick and chose what characteristics of needle are best suited to your project.


Here's a picture of Haven from the Heartfelt Book. I'm modifying it to create more a traditional scarf. You will have a chance to see it both ways, though, because my neighbor and I are having our own mini Knit Along (aka: "KAL") and she is making the scarf exactly as designed. I think we will have to have a little tea party to celebrate when we finish!

Mr Puffy has offered to model it for me if it's too hot for me. Bless his little furry heart.