We took a little road trip to Atlanta this weekend and in the car I finished Toasty Toe Sock Number 1 and made it to the heel of Toasty Toe Sock Number 2. The whole thing went much faster as soon as I gave up on trying to force the color pattern of Lagoon to work with the stitch pattern I wanted to use. Garter rib socks it is!
The colors want to make this nice spiral down the leg. It was easier to just let the yarn have its own way.
I spent the weekend cat sitting my Mom’s cat (ironic since we had to hire a cat sitter for our cats while I was watching hers as a favor).
Usually pictures of Gracie look like the lens cap is still on the camera, so I am pleased wtih this one.
I also ran some errands with my Darling Sister and her hubby on Saturday. One of the things I wanted to get this weekend was a US size two circular for Great Gran who needs a new one to finish the cardigan she’s working on. She is partial to bamboo, but the connections on the Crystal Palace ones pretty much suck (in our opinions) and Clover doesn’t make them that small so she was going to end up with aluminum. This story is actually part of a much larger saga, so brace yourself:
What size is a US size 2 anyway?
Is it 2.75mm like my gauge tool says or 3mm like KnitPicks would have me believe? I ordered two US2 circulars from KnitPicks (I got two so I could do socks when Great Gran was finished), and they looked too big to me. So I tried to shove them through my gauge thingy and they wouldn’t go. Which is when I read the package and saw that they were actually 3mm needles. Which caused me to say “What Gives? That’s a pretty big mistake for a knitting company.” I ran to the computer to do some research.
Yarn Forward and All Fiber Arts both claim that the US2 is 2.75mm (the Canadian 12 is 3mm). Boye, Susan Bates, Bryspun, Clover and Crystal Palace size their US2s at 2.75mm. According to Skacel, US2s measure 3mm. Inox and Swallow think so too. Pony kindly provides both US2 and US2.5 (2.75mm and 3mm respectivly). Lacking a definitive standard (unless one of y’all has further insight), I can only conclude that 2.75mm is the proper size for US2s. This is based solely on the fact that the majority of needle manufacturers appear to have gone that route.
Nease’s Needlework was out of size 2 circs of any dimension, so I had souvenir sock yarn and a smoothie instead.
Bearfoot in “Red Tail Hawk” and Tropical Smoothie in “Strawberry”.
I am off to order some 2.75mm circular needles so that Great Gran can be happy and finish that sweater. But first, a snack. Googling makes me hungry!
Who knew needle sizes could be so complicated? I think there needs to be a national summit to come up with the proper mm on the sizes and everyone should agree.
Love the new sock yarn. I haven’t been to Neese’s. I’ll have to go next time I’m home.
Very pretty socks! Good luck in finding the right needles for Great Gran!
The TT looks are looking great in that pattern/color combo. You have a lucky pal!
Only a good daughter would make arrangements to have a pet sitter so she could driver for hours to sit with her mother’s cat! What a good daughter you are!! LOL! Love the Gracie pic!!
And the needle info???? Could NOT have been more perfectly timed! Just completed my first sock using circs and it was too big (so I told my DH it was made especially for him! LOL)…..I used the same pattern that I used with my clover dpn and the previous socks have fit fine…..hmmm…..my most recent sock was knit on size 2 knitpicks circs!! Very interesting! I would have thought a 2 was a 2 was a 2 no matter who you purchased from!!
I like your reasoning….take two yarns, one smoothie and call me in the morning!! LOL!!
Only a good daughter would make arrangements to have a pet sitter so she could driver for hours to sit with her mother’s cat! What a good daughter you are!! LOL! Love the Gracie pic!!
And the needle info???? Could NOT have been more perfectly timed! Just completed my first sock using circs and it was too big (so I told my DH it was made especially for him! LOL)…..I used the same pattern that I used with my clover dpn and the previous socks have fit fine…..hmmm…..my most recent sock was knit on size 2 knitpicks circs!! Very interesting! I would have thought a 2 was a 2 was a 2 no matter who you purchased from!!
I like your reasoning….take two yarns, one smoothie and call me in the morning!! LOL!!
Only a good daughter would make arrangements to have a pet sitter so she could driver for hours to sit with her mother’s cat! What a good daughter you are!! LOL! Love the Gracie pic!!
And the needle info???? Could NOT have been more perfectly timed! Just completed my first sock using circs and it was too big (so I told my DH it was made especially for him! LOL)…..I used the same pattern that I used with my clover dpn and the previous socks have fit fine…..hmmm…..my most recent sock was knit on size 2 knitpicks circs!! Very interesting! I would have thought a 2 was a 2 was a 2 no matter who you purchased from!!
I like your reasoning….take two yarns, one smoothie and call me in the morning!! LOL!!
Only a good daughter would make arrangements to have a pet sitter so she could driver for hours to sit with her mother’s cat! What a good daughter you are!! LOL! Love the Gracie pic!!
And the needle info???? Could NOT have been more perfectly timed! Just completed my first sock using circs and it was too big (so I told my DH it was made especially for him! LOL)…..I used the same pattern that I used with my clover dpn and the previous socks have fit fine…..hmmm…..my most recent sock was knit on size 2 knitpicks circs!! Very interesting! I would have thought a 2 was a 2 was a 2 no matter who you purchased from!!
I like your reasoning….take two yarns, one smoothie and call me in the morning!! LOL!!
Only a good daughter would make arrangements to have a pet sitter so she could driver for hours to sit with her mother’s cat! What a good daughter you are!! LOL! Love the Gracie pic!!
And the needle info???? Could NOT have been more perfectly timed! Just completed my first sock using circs and it was too big (so I told my DH it was made especially for him! LOL)…..I used the same pattern that I used with my clover dpn and the previous socks have fit fine…..hmmm…..my most recent sock was knit on size 2 knitpicks circs!! Very interesting! I would have thought a 2 was a 2 was a 2 no matter who you purchased from!!
I like your reasoning….take two yarns, one smoothie and call me in the morning!! LOL!!
Only a good daughter would make arrangements to have a pet sitter so she could driver for hours to sit with her mother’s cat! What a good daughter you are!! LOL! Love the Gracie pic!!
And the needle info???? Could NOT have been more perfectly timed! Just completed my first sock using circs and it was too big (so I told my DH it was made especially for him! LOL)…..I used the same pattern that I used with my clover dpn and the previous socks have fit fine…..hmmm…..my most recent sock was knit on size 2 knitpicks circs!! Very interesting! I would have thought a 2 was a 2 was a 2 no matter who you purchased from!!
I like your reasoning….take two yarns, one smoothie and call me in the morning!! LOL!!
Only a good daughter would make arrangements to have a pet sitter so she could driver for hours to sit with her mother’s cat! What a good daughter you are!! LOL! Love the Gracie pic!!
And the needle info???? Could NOT have been more perfectly timed! Just completed my first sock using circs and it was too big (so I told my DH it was made especially for him! LOL)…..I used the same pattern that I used with my clover dpn and the previous socks have fit fine…..hmmm…..my most recent sock was knit on size 2 knitpicks circs!! Very interesting! I would have thought a 2 was a 2 was a 2 no matter who you purchased from!!
I like your reasoning….take two yarns, one smoothie and call me in the morning!! LOL!!
Only a good daughter would make arrangements to have a pet sitter so she could driver for hours to sit with her mother’s cat! What a good daughter you are!! LOL! Love the Gracie pic!!
And the needle info???? Could NOT have been more perfectly timed! Just completed my first sock using circs and it was too big (so I told my DH it was made especially for him! LOL)…..I used the same pattern that I used with my clover dpn and the previous socks have fit fine…..hmmm…..my most recent sock was knit on size 2 knitpicks circs!! Very interesting! I would have thought a 2 was a 2 was a 2 no matter who you purchased from!!
I like your reasoning….take two yarns, one smoothie and call me in the morning!! LOL!!
Only a good daughter would make arrangements to have a pet sitter so she could driver for hours to sit with her mother’s cat! What a good daughter you are!! LOL! Love the Gracie pic!!
And the needle info???? Could NOT have been more perfectly timed! Just completed my first sock using circs and it was too big (so I told my DH it was made especially for him! LOL)…..I used the same pattern that I used with my clover dpn and the previous socks have fit fine…..hmmm…..my most recent sock was knit on size 2 knitpicks circs!! Very interesting! I would have thought a 2 was a 2 was a 2 no matter who you purchased from!!
I like your reasoning….take two yarns, one smoothie and call me in the morning!! LOL!!
You let the yarn win?? I can’t believe you cracked.
I need to do some similar research on size 4 needles — I’m having some serious gauge issues on a sweater — the body knit on size 4 Addis does not in any way resemble the fabric I’m getting when I knit the sleeves on size 4 DPNs of some undetermined brand.
After getting the wonderful knitpicks needles and seeing that they were sized like addi’s, I just try to remember to the mm size of the projects that I am working on instead of the US needle size.
I’m using Crystal Pallace size 2 circs for Icarus, and I will attest to the joins being about as good as a really cheap prostitute.
I also think my size 2 addis are a bit bigger than the crystal pallace ones.
Sometimes you just have to let the yarn decide what to do. In the case of the TT socks, it definitely worked. The simple pattern showcases the beautiful colors of the yarn. Your pal will be happy.
I don’t know why all needle manufacturers can’t just throw out the different sizing for different countries deal and just go with the metric sizing. It would really make things so much easier.
Well, nice to see I am no longer the Darling Sister, and just the sister now. Hurumph.
The socks look fabulous. For me ?!?!?!
Glad to see you posting again! I was starting to wonder if you were okay.
I have some size 2s (maybe Prym? Not sure) that are 2.5mm. Go figure.
And to Rachel, if you read this – I get a smaller gauge when I am working with dpns and always have to use a size larger than the circular.
Try looking for Addi Natura bamboo circulars – they are sized in the normal US sizes even though Addi Turbos are not. I think they make a size US2 Addi Natura. I really like them. Check at http://www.theknitter.com. Free shipping with no minimum order and they ship FAST!
Sometimes you just gotta let the yarn win – especially when you’re on a knitting deadline. I need to send you some yarn anyway – I’ll be sure it doesn’t pool, ‘kay? 🙂
Knitting – like poker – the house (yarn) always wins.
I went through the needle sizing issues not that long ago when I was looking for some new dp’s. I ended up buying 2.5 mm and 3.0 mm (US 1 1/2 and 2 1/2) That is the sizes I like best for socks.
Your TT socks are pretty! Good decision to let them do what they wanted. 🙂
I had the same issue with size 2 circulars recently!! I thought I was a moron (and eventually came to the same conclusion 2.75mm) – go gran!! I love your sock and I am in LOVE with the black kitty – just beautiful!
Yeah, I went through my needles one day and checked them against a needle sizer. There was quite a bit of variation. I was surprised. I hadn’t really paid that much attention until then.
I have INOX in 2.50mm they use to offer both 2.50 and 2.75mm also the elusive 2.25mm.
You might find this interesting.
“Until recently there was no standardization for US needle sizes. This means that if a pattern gives both mm and US sizing for a needle (2.5mm/US 2) they may not match up with the new standard (2.75mm/US 2)
With the standardization of US sizes, some of the “non-standard” sizes, such as 2.5mm & 3 mm, have become very difficult to find. ”
That is from the http://spinblessing.com/inox.htm site. No wonder I can’t find any 2.50mm circs. I had better take better care of the needles I have. Who knew, and no one asked the knitters what they would like
Who knew that different companies had different sizes for a US 2!?!
Who knew that different companies had different sizes for a US 2!?!
*News of the Day* Soon to be found on yarnmiracle.com: a sharp upswing in the amount of little bitty knitting projects. i.e. little bitty sweaters, little bitty socks, little bitty hats, little bitty blankets… who can see where I’m going with this? I’m going to be a Darling Aunt!
Now that is definitely a happy mailbox find!!! Gracie is just adorable 🙂
I was wondering what William Henry was up to – it is long time since I checked in last. Strange cat sitting habbits in your family 😉 You are a good daughter and the picture of Gracie is very cute. It’s so funny to discover that your socks do look a lot like the ones I am knitting for Toasty Toes. The lagoon spiral is nice, lucky pal.