Thought you may like to see what I have been up to lately.

A baby jacket, hat and bootees knitting from the DROPS Design website that I added to my favourite knit and crochet links post. All the patterns are free!  For this one, to get the equivalent tension, I had to use 3x 8ply yarns knit together.

A girls cardigan for Agate, plying 7 different yarns together (to use up my stash wisely!), from "The Yarn Girls' Guide to Knits for Older Kids".  Pattern: Marissa.  You can't really see the colour-way but I was extremely pleased with the combination.  Mainly purples, and pinks with a variegated yarn of blues /oranges.  There were a couple of yarns with interesting textures (sort of boucle) that helped blend the colours too.

Next on my list is a boys roll hem jumper called "Touring the Vineyards" from the same book. Of course my tension swatch isn't the same as theirs so I had to tweak the pattern; and I really want to do this knitted in-the-round as I dislike chunky seams. Looks possible but having only ever knitted one jumper in-the-round I will have to refresh my memory on the raglan decrease.  Just hope that the custom-made needles I used for the arms of the original project are the ones I need for this one, otherwise I will have to make some more.

May have to take the book back to the library and get it out again too :)  .  It's one of those books that would be good to own as it has so many patterns I would actually knit - usable, funky and up-to-date (compared to the 1970's and 1980's knitting books the library still has on it's shelves - argh!).

I had been awaiting my long-coveted set of Addi Interchangeable Needles to start this next project. Having had them bookmarked in my browser, for goodness knows how many years, I finally ordered them from Germany using some money I had been gifted.

Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to me!

That extra surgical looking implement is in fact an Addi 15mm circular knitting needle.  Unfortunately the Addi Interchangeable only goes up as far as a size 10mm needle (and their crochet hooks up to 8mm) so I still had to buy the fixed version for the larger sizes.

So what do I think of them so far?

I am really pleased to have held out for them - they are a true treat that hopefully I will never have to replace again nor want for any other needle again.  If I can afford it, I will give a set to Ruby when she leaves home (and will no longer have unlimited access to mine).

I do have some reservations and observations:

• The fixed circular needle tubing seems to 'stick' and not allow the yarn to glide well.  A looser tension is necessary. (Update: After knitting a couple of scarves I wonder if this is the taper of that end of the needle instead of the tubing itself or perhaps the yarn?)
• In the interchangeable crochet hooks there are a few pits on the hooks, which I am not sure are supposed to be there or not.
• The interchangeable needle case does not have any extra spaces for adding other needle pairs.  Currently Addi have 2 further sizes that complement the ones already in their kit - it would have been nice to have a space for additions. [I was able to order the 3.75mm but the 6.5mm were out of stock for weeks and so missed the order being fulfilled].
• I was still a bit reticent about the interchangeables being metal but there was nothing to worry about.  They do not feel cold and in fact appear to warm to your touch.
• I love, love, love the easy bayonet click-lock system.  Just like screwing in a light bulb!
• I am glad I bought an extra set of the cables and connector.
• I was really happy that the knitting needles were silver in colour.  I'm not a fan of the goldy colour of the crochet hooks but it's not a big problem.
• The tink-tink-tink of the needles hitting together isn't annoying, which is a relief, but then again perhaps I haven't been knitting fast enough yet.
• They are sooooo light, it's wonderful.
• The interchangeables do not come with 'ends' so that you can leave work-in-progress on one cable without the fear of it sliding off. (I did buy the Addi teddy bear ends for the tips but I think that something like a 20mm diameter sphere that you can click on each end would be aesthetic and really useful.)
• The interchangeable crochet hooks would have been 'perfect' if they too went up to 10 mm to match the knitting needles.
• The cases for the needles and hooks are really smart.
• The needles have both the US size and the mm measurement on them - yay!
• The metal interchangeable crochet hooks have both sizes stamped on them BUT the acrylic 7mm + 8mm only have the mm size
• The crochet case would be great if it had a pocket for the cables and connector like the knitting case does instead of having to have both handy.
• The cables are really really fine - I do hope they stand up to years of intermittent use.

Roll on project number one!