I Think I'm in Love

Those of you who've followed me for a bit know that before I was a quilter, I was an embroiderer, and before that, a knitter.  I am all three all the time now (phew! no wonder I get tired!), but I am always and forever will be a knitter.  In fact, I imagine Heaven is the home of the most fabulous yarn shoppe... but I digress.

For the past decade (or so it seems), I've been inordinately fond of knitting socks.  My favourite needles for socks are 2.75 mm. double points (DPNs).  I've used bamboo (merely okay) and birch (okay) but far and away prefer metal.  Until recently, my collection of 2.5 mm - 3.00 mm. DPNs looked like this:

What a motley crew!  My grandfather would've described this collection as 'six of a dozen, assorted' -- and rightly so!  Bent, misshapen, varying lengths and quantities.  Sigh.

What's a sock-knitter to do?

Well. 'Nuff said.  I went to Lori at The Crafty Lady in Lacombe for a DPN 'fix', and came home with a set of these babies:

Knitter's Pride Nova

They're Knitter's Pride Nova DPNs, 2.75 mm, five in a set, 6" long, shiny, lightweight, smooth, sharp-pointed (but not so you'd prick your finger), and perfect for my latest project.  Here you see them being modelled in the first of a pair of Short n Sweet Fingerless Mitts, designed by Anne Sahakian, and available as a free download on Ravelry.

The yarn is Peruvian Baby Silk (80% baby alpaca; 20% silk), from Elann's Peruvian collection.  I amassed an inordinate amount of this (and it's look-alike, Baby Cashmere) in raspberry -- and a bit in other colours -- several years ago, and tend to knit it up in delicious 1, 2 or 3-ball projects (this one takes 2) for special people's special occasions.  (In this case, my friend B is having a birthday at the beginning of February.)  My hands love to knit with this yarn, and now, on these needles...well, as I said, I think I'm in love!