Taking Inventory
So the other night when I was typing up my survey for the secret pal thingie, it got me thinking about my knitting needles and reminded me that I have a list of them written up. It's actually typed up, in my Sidekick, which I carry with me most of the time and can refer to if I'm ever in a yarn shop and looking at needles and wondering if I should buy a new set for some reason or another. I never remember to look at this list in the moment, and this list is really not helpful in that situation because what I really need is a knitting-needle wish list. Because I never know what I'm going to need for a given project while I'm in the store. I know what I need at midnight in my living room when I'm dressed in my flying-pig pajamas.
So I looked up my inventory and ran around the house tracking down needles in projects and in all the various places where they hang out, updated the list and came up with this:
Knitting Needle Inventory
0 (2 mm)
6" Pony Pearl dpn (6)
6" Inox dpn (2)
6" Crystal Palace dpn
32" Addi Turbo (2)
1 (2.25 mm)
6" Pony Pearl dpn (1 4/5)
8" Pony Pearl dpn
7.5" Brittany dpn (4/5)
1.5 (2.5 mm)
6" Skacel dpn
1.75 (2.75 mm)
5" Bryspun
7.5" Brittany dpn (4/5)
2 (3.0 mm)
7.5" Swallow Casein dpn
8" Pony Pearl dpn
20" Addi Turbo
32" Bamboo - Korea
3 (3.25 mm)
6" Pony Pearl dpn (3)
24" Inox
12" Addi Turbo
24" Addi Turbo (2)
32" Addi Turbo
32" Bamboo - Korea
4 (3.5 mm)
6" Pony Pearl dpn
7.5" Brittany dpn
20" Addi Turbo
29" Susan Bates
32" Addi Turbo
5 (3.75 mm)
8" Crystal Palace dpn
16" Susan Bates
26" Crystal Palace bamboo
29" Susan Bates
40" Addi Turbo
6 (4.0 mm)
5" Brittany dpn
10" Pony Pearl dpn
24" Inox
32" Addi Turbo
36" Susan Bates
7 (4.5 mm)
8" Bryspun dpn
20" Clover bamboo
8 (5 mm)
5" Brittany dpn
16" Susan Bates
24" Susan Bates
29" Susan Bates
10 (6 mm)
32" Addi Turbo
It probably needs a bit of decryption, especially for any non-knitters reading along. The first line of each group is the US size of needle gauge, followed by the millimeter size. This number refers to the diameter of the needles. Things get a little tricky between size 1 and 2 because different manufacturers have different ideas about sizing. Okay, each line after the first in a group describes a type of needle. The length, the brand name, dpn if they are the straight double-pointed variety (versus circulars, the type with nylon wire in the middle), and if I own more than one set then the number owned in parenthesis.
Why on Earth, one might ask, does a girl need six sets of size zero 6" Pony Pearl dpn knitting needles? Maybe because she hasn't gotten around to buying sets seven and eight? Maybe because these are her favorite knitting needles in the world and she is afraid they will some day be discontinued. Maybe because she is guilty of occasionally having six fingering-weight socks on the needles simultaneously. Maybe just because she is a knitter, and knitters tend to hoarde the materials we love. (But don't we all). But this leads to another point I would like to make. One really should have multiple sets of dpns for each size. If I'm making sleeves or pant legs, I want to be able to have both on the needles at the same time. Why? Because that makes me happy. Because I can make weird changes to the second item in the pair before I forget that I made the weird change in the first one. Don't talk to me about taking good notes.
There is one more notation used in this list a couple places. It looks something like this: (4/5)
and represents the fact that I tracked the set down and it now contains only four out of the five original needles. At some point, one of the needles in the set has either been lost or broken. But as long as there are still four needles left, one certainly doesn't discard the set. I can't tell you how many individual size 0 6" Pony Pearls I have lost in time, but eventually it all evens out in the end.
Updating this list made me a little sad because most of the additions since the last time the list was updated belonged to my friend Julie. My best friend from college who died last year from ovarian cancer. Her family gave me all of her knitting gear (seeing as how it was my fault she had gotten into it). So now I have some bamboo needles that I never would have bought on my own, but that I am happy to have and sad to hold. I wish Julie were still here trying to knit with them. I miss my friend very much. I was looking through the box of wedding proofs that I brought home from the photographer's the other day, and it made me really want to be back there on that day. The last day that I was with her before we knew the horrors that awaited. The last day of innocent friendship, gossiping and laughing together. I didn't mean to go all sappy and sad here. I'm just being honest.
Anyway, speaking of old friends. I've got another old friend, my best friend from junior high school, coming into town on Thursday. I haven't seen her in about ten years. She'll be staying with us for a couple of nights and it should be interesting getting reacquainted. It might mean no posts for a few days, as I'll be busy having fun and entertaining, and the computer is in the guest bedroom. You'll understand, I'm sure.
So I looked up my inventory and ran around the house tracking down needles in projects and in all the various places where they hang out, updated the list and came up with this:
Knitting Needle Inventory
0 (2 mm)
6" Pony Pearl dpn (6)
6" Inox dpn (2)
6" Crystal Palace dpn
32" Addi Turbo (2)
1 (2.25 mm)
6" Pony Pearl dpn (1 4/5)
8" Pony Pearl dpn
7.5" Brittany dpn (4/5)
1.5 (2.5 mm)
6" Skacel dpn
1.75 (2.75 mm)
5" Bryspun
7.5" Brittany dpn (4/5)
2 (3.0 mm)
7.5" Swallow Casein dpn
8" Pony Pearl dpn
20" Addi Turbo
32" Bamboo - Korea
3 (3.25 mm)
6" Pony Pearl dpn (3)
24" Inox
12" Addi Turbo
24" Addi Turbo (2)
32" Addi Turbo
32" Bamboo - Korea
4 (3.5 mm)
6" Pony Pearl dpn
7.5" Brittany dpn
20" Addi Turbo
29" Susan Bates
32" Addi Turbo
5 (3.75 mm)
8" Crystal Palace dpn
16" Susan Bates
26" Crystal Palace bamboo
29" Susan Bates
40" Addi Turbo
6 (4.0 mm)
5" Brittany dpn
10" Pony Pearl dpn
24" Inox
32" Addi Turbo
36" Susan Bates
7 (4.5 mm)
8" Bryspun dpn
20" Clover bamboo
8 (5 mm)
5" Brittany dpn
16" Susan Bates
24" Susan Bates
29" Susan Bates
10 (6 mm)
32" Addi Turbo
It probably needs a bit of decryption, especially for any non-knitters reading along. The first line of each group is the US size of needle gauge, followed by the millimeter size. This number refers to the diameter of the needles. Things get a little tricky between size 1 and 2 because different manufacturers have different ideas about sizing. Okay, each line after the first in a group describes a type of needle. The length, the brand name, dpn if they are the straight double-pointed variety (versus circulars, the type with nylon wire in the middle), and if I own more than one set then the number owned in parenthesis.
Why on Earth, one might ask, does a girl need six sets of size zero 6" Pony Pearl dpn knitting needles? Maybe because she hasn't gotten around to buying sets seven and eight? Maybe because these are her favorite knitting needles in the world and she is afraid they will some day be discontinued. Maybe because she is guilty of occasionally having six fingering-weight socks on the needles simultaneously. Maybe just because she is a knitter, and knitters tend to hoarde the materials we love. (But don't we all). But this leads to another point I would like to make. One really should have multiple sets of dpns for each size. If I'm making sleeves or pant legs, I want to be able to have both on the needles at the same time. Why? Because that makes me happy. Because I can make weird changes to the second item in the pair before I forget that I made the weird change in the first one. Don't talk to me about taking good notes.
There is one more notation used in this list a couple places. It looks something like this: (4/5)
and represents the fact that I tracked the set down and it now contains only four out of the five original needles. At some point, one of the needles in the set has either been lost or broken. But as long as there are still four needles left, one certainly doesn't discard the set. I can't tell you how many individual size 0 6" Pony Pearls I have lost in time, but eventually it all evens out in the end.
Updating this list made me a little sad because most of the additions since the last time the list was updated belonged to my friend Julie. My best friend from college who died last year from ovarian cancer. Her family gave me all of her knitting gear (seeing as how it was my fault she had gotten into it). So now I have some bamboo needles that I never would have bought on my own, but that I am happy to have and sad to hold. I wish Julie were still here trying to knit with them. I miss my friend very much. I was looking through the box of wedding proofs that I brought home from the photographer's the other day, and it made me really want to be back there on that day. The last day that I was with her before we knew the horrors that awaited. The last day of innocent friendship, gossiping and laughing together. I didn't mean to go all sappy and sad here. I'm just being honest.
Anyway, speaking of old friends. I've got another old friend, my best friend from junior high school, coming into town on Thursday. I haven't seen her in about ten years. She'll be staying with us for a couple of nights and it should be interesting getting reacquainted. It might mean no posts for a few days, as I'll be busy having fun and entertaining, and the computer is in the guest bedroom. You'll understand, I'm sure.
posted by Shelly Kang at 11:59 PM
5 Comments:
It's lovely to have some of your friends things to remember her by. Don't worry about being sappy and sad, sometimes we need to stop and acknowledge the people who made a difference in our lives. One of my best friends from college died this year and I understand your thoughts.
crocomber@hbc.ac.za
Thinking of your friend is sad and happy and a tribute to your friendship.
I saw an old friend I hadn't seen in 20 years last fall. It was such fun - a four-hour dinner, that could have gone 10 if there hadn't been a plane to catch! Enjoy the visit. And take lots of photos! My photos were taken in the parking lot in the dark in a rush - and I'm so glad I have them.
"Maybe just because she is a knitter, and knitters tend to hoarde the materials we love."
Oh God, it's so true. I've been knitting for years, but only recently accepted the fact that there were skeins of yarn I was just never going to want to actually knit up. They're just too pretty or special to even try.
I really love the feel and color of this one pair of metal size 6 DPNs, and so I'm weirdly hesistant about using them outside my apartment lest I drop or lose one.
Sorry about your friend. I can't even imagine how hard that must be. Hopefully blogging helps a little bit. I know I've always found there's therapeutic value in saying aloud (or typing, I guess) what you're sad or angry about.
Boy this post sure did tug at my heartstrings. *sigh*
Your friend was very blessed to have you to keep her memory alive.
I hate to hear about the loss of your friend...so sad, she was so young! It's nice to have something to remember her by, though, that you can actually hold and use and that triggers good memories.
Post a Comment
<< Home