My Favorite Knitting Tools

Knitting Baltic has required me to search for the right tools to create complicated patterns on many stitches to make smallish articles of clothing for hands or for feet. Some of these tools are not readily available to me in just any old yarn shop. 

• Double pointed needles, circular needles
• Yarns
• Stitch markers, notions, and finishing tools
• Notions

Needles (or those sharp pointy sticks)

I have some double pointed needles (dpns) that were my grandmother’s and also some of my great grandmother’s. Included in my collection is a pair of bicycle spoke sharpened metal pins from WWII. The metal pins, as Gram called them, were long with erratic points. These were sharpened after war for the women to knit and recycle old sweaters in the Displaced Person camps of Germany. This pair of needles I actually did try knitting with. But I didn’t continue for long. They are NOT my favorite (extra sharp and can draw blood!) so they in turn made me really appreciate a pair of great dpns. Signature Needles Arts makes a mean pair of double points. They are crafted to give the knitter sharp points, light and easy on the hands, and color coded by different sizes. They are also a pretty penny to buy a set. They come in a nice tube that fits easily into any knitting bag. One can order them with an extra (sixth) needle for the just-in-case-I-lose-one. The drawback (besides the price) is that they only go down to US#1’s. 

For extra small double points I go to Hiya Hiya’s brand. They have smaller metal dpns that are all the way down to 000000! These little needles are not to be taken lightly in the strength, durability and amazing lovability factor. I like mine little, and I like them sharp! I don’t want to dig at my yarns, nor do I want to split my 2 ply while trying to get a tight K2tog or SSK at the beginning of my rounds. Another plus is cost. Hiya Hiya double pointed needles are not expensive. 

Circular needles I tend to lean towards my trusty Addi’s. I like the different lengths and I like that they offer a pretty nice size 0 16” length needle in a circular needle. They are well made, have smooth joins and the metal is light but sturdy. They are mediocre in price. I have used less expensive brands and have found the joins to be rough, give out quickly (separate) and I find the metal parts sometimes bend if dropped in certain situations. I haven't used Addi's double pointed needles. 

My final thoughts on needle choice; 

1. Try them in single sets before buying a whole set of different sizes, find out if the feel of the needle type, bamboo versus metal versus wood versus plastic works in YOUR hands. 
2. Check the joins. Do they snag yarns? Are the joins bigger in diameter or smaller so that they don’t allow the stitches to flow along as you knit? 
3. Do the double pointed ones have blunt ends or sharp ones? Do the needles break easily? What about bend factor? I have several bent metal double points as I just put a lot of pressure on them as I knit along. They bend as the sock grows. I have bamboos that have snapped easily leaving me one needle short. I have wood ones that have splintered and actually injured a finger once when the cracked dpn sliced my palm as I was happily and blissfully unaware knitting with a friend. That pair went into the garbage and from then on I was determined to use only metal ones. Shortly after this vow, I impaled a leg on a sharp metal needle sitting on a cushy couch. This hurt too! I then revamped my vow and decided that whatever works for me at the time, is my choice and I am allowed to change my mind, make adjustments and throw away at will. No guilt. No condemnation. Just perspective and preference.
4. Do not take needle choices lightly. Pick with care and be not afraid to live a little and invest in a great set of needles for your Latvian knitting. 

YARNS (more than pretty string)

Yarns are varied, yarns carry color factor, softness factor and strength factors all in one. It’s a package deal. Some knitters will tell you with Latvian socks and mittens the most important thing is the color. 

1. Are they traditional colors? If so, this will limit your choices as many yarn lines cater to the newest fad in color ways. If you are a traditionalist, the color hues will be a big factor in your choice of yarn for your sock project. My favorite traditional yarn choices are the following based on color: Gauja Yarns from Headwater Wool, Finullgarn or Hifa 2 (Ask) from Rauma Yarns. Satakieli by Vuorelma is another favorite, sadly no longer available.  What about contemporary Latvian socks? Spud & Chloe sock yarns are my favorite. I used that in the Baltic Anklet sock for Olann and. (that's a freebie pattern BTW!) My current favorite for anything, (and I mean ANYTHING Baltic) is Tines yarns. YOU CAN'T beat this yarn for color. No knots. Not much veggie matter (eh, some traditional yarns are bad for that!) and they promptly ship all over the world. 
2. Brighter is always better? Not necessarily. There are some applications that make a sock pattern “pop” with a more dramatic graduation of color hues rather than the extreme end of the rainbow spectrum. 
3. And of course, its all in personal taste.
4. Okay, what about the softness factors? All four yarns listed above have the traditional factor of “worsted spun” which can have a scratchy factor. Satakieli softens with a slight haze after blocking, Gauja relaxes a bit after blocking and the Rauma yarns just plain soften. Experiment with swatches if you must. Tines yarns hold up in color and in integrity. Fuzz factor, just a titch with wear and love. I've been know to splurge with a mitten liner of alpaca. Again, Blue Sky Fibers Suri is AMAZING for soft mitten liners. 
5. Check your gauge often before and after swatching with any yarn. 
6. Also, pay attention to which needles work best with your choice of yarns. For example, with my pick of Gauja yarns on my trusty dpns, I knit tighter than if I was knitting the yarn with my favorite circulars. Why? I am not sure other than the way I hold the needles as I knit in the round must be different. Tines yarns I love my metal needles, circular or dpns. 
7. Lastly for yarns, factor in strength. Durability is important to me, especially with children that wear socks out quickly sliding on wood floors in an old Victorian house. Those heels are mended frequently. I can’t take the slide out of the kids, but I can put in heels that require less darning. Don’t forget reinforcing threads on those heels and balls of the feet if needed.

NOTIONS (necessary add-ons in my knitting bag)

1. Never underestimate the power of a stitch marker. How do I know this? Even the best concentration needs little help. I use all kinds! Open, closed, rings (metal and plastic) split and homemade. I’ve been known to use a paper clip in a pinch. 😃 
2. Scissors. Small and sharp. 
3. Pattern holder: minds the paper and the row/rounds and keeps my place. 
4. Stitch holders. (large safety pins work for holding thumb stitches).
5. Don't forget graph paper, calculator and colors pens/pencils. Scribbling is encouraged. 

Favorite knitting tools are necessary in any knitter’s bag. Not just Baltic knitters. Hoping your bag of tricks holds your favorite tools too! Feel free to share here. 

~GO BALTIC~