KnitPicks short interchangeable needle set review

October 31, 2015 by 4 Comments

Hello everyone, and happy Halloween!  I’m back from the wedding and honeymoon (pictures to come soon, when I get the professional ones; also thank you for your kind words & congratulations!), and I’m ready for more crafting!

If you’re anything like me you might have often bemoaned the fact that there’s no interchangeable needle set for 16″ needles (at least not from KnitPicks), so if you want to make a hat you have to buy each size in fixed circulars.  UNTIL NOW.  I had only a few KnitPicks fixed circulars in the 16″ size so the Options Short Interchangeable Caspian Needle Set still saved me some money and added some convenience.

The set comes with needle sizes US4-10:

knitpicks short needle set

Right now they’re only available in the Caspian needles, the ones colored with blues & greens, but I figured that would just make it more obvious which needles of mine are the interchangeables and which are fixed (all my fixed are the Sunstruck needles).  On the other side of the included pouch are the cables, cable ends, and keys:

knitpicks short needle set

Like in my original KnitPicks interchangeable needle review years ago, I have to share the pros of KnitPicks needles, just in case you don’t already know!  They are much stronger than cheap bamboo needles (and not really more expensive) and thus will not splinter at the tips.  The tips are also sharper than any other brand of needles I’ve tried, so it’s easier to get into tight or complicated stitches.  The cable joins are smooth, and the cables don’t kink and are very flexible.  My original set of the Sunstruck interchangeable is just as good as new years later, so I’m sure these will be a great investment also.  For $44.99 this is definitely worth nabbing, and hopefully soon they will release additional needles in smaller and larger sizes so that I can add to the set.

Now, to get knitting on some hats for Christmas gifts (yep, it’s definitely that time)!  Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried KnitPicks needles before or if you’ve ordered this set — I’d love to know what you think!

Thanks so much for stopping by, see you soon!

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I’m getting married today!

October 17, 2015 by 19 Comments

I wrote this in advance, of course, but I wanted to let you guys know what’s going on!

My fiancé Chris and I are getting married at 1:00!  I’m so excited!  My maid of honor is Chris’ sister (whose name is also Hannah) and his best man is his best friend Jamie.  That’s all the attendants, so we’re trying to keep things as easy as possible!  We’ll sing a hymn during the service and some of my favorite organ pieces will be played (my dad is even going to play the hymn), but for the most part it’ll be short and sweet.

The reception will be at a large, beautiful home in the area, and we’re having mulled cider and pies instead of the traditional cake and punch, which I think is going to be great!

For our honeymoon we were going to go to Charleston, but as some of you may know, there has been some bad flooding there as well as here in Columbia over the past week and a half (we were very, very lucky to have power and running water the whole time and that our house stayed dry), so we’re trying to scramble and re-do our plans — I think we’re going to Asheville, NC instead, which should be beautiful this time of year!

I’m taking off work from the 15th through the 28th (I’ve saved up a lot of vacation hours!) and therefore I probably won’t be posting much during that time.  I do have some things I’ve made already but haven’t had time to photograph and post about (or even block, because we’re under a boil water advisory still and I don’t want to use gross water on my newly made items!), so there should be plenty of things to share when we get back, including pictures (when we get them)!

Thanks for all your well wishes, and I’ll be back soon!  Thanks for stopping by!

-Hannah

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fun containers (yes, containers)!

October 13, 2015 by 8 Comments

How do you store your crochet and knitting stuff?  I like the practical but I also really love the unusual, especially combined with sentimental, and that perfectly describes what I keep [some of] my hooks in next to my armchair:

new header image

It’s an old plant frog, I think they’re called, and it’s made by Camark (a now closed pottery company in Camden, Arkansas, where a family member of mine used to work).  It’s special to me and I’m so happy that I can use it for something I love!  The mug to the left was my grandmother’s, so there’s lots to love in this picture for me (that’s why I made it the new header image for this site a few weeks ago!).

I do use a more practical zippered pencil pouch and a zippered knitting needle pouch for projects on the go, as well as a little tin with my needles and some stitch markers, but this is so much cuter at home and really adds some personality to my storage, hehe.

What do you use to store your stuff?  Do you have any neat containers of your own?

That’s all for today, thanks for stopping by!

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it’s World Mental Health Day!

October 10, 2015 by 7 Comments

Since I work in the mental health field, advocating for the end of stigma and for acceptance, understanding, and proper treatment is part of what I do.  Therefore it seemed natural for me to make a post about it (and yes, I’ll relate it to knitting & crocheting)!

Almost 20% of adults in the United States had a mental illness in 2013 (source), and I feel that that number will get higher as the pressures from society slowly grow and as more people come forward for help.  That’s 1 in 5 adults now, though.  Think about how many adults you know.  Yeah.

Check out this video by John Oliver to learn even more about the mental health situation in the United States (but only if you don’t mind cursing and some dirty jokes).

So what do you do if you think somebody close to you might be having some mental health problems?  Talk to them.  Express your concern, and help them feel accepted and loved by you.  Encourage them to see a clinician (whether it be a counselor, therapist, social worker, psychologist, or psychiatrist).  If there’s ever an immediate danger that someone is posing to themselves or others due to mental illness, call 911, just like you would for other dangers, so that the person can get immediate treatment in a hospital.

But what if it’s not someone else?  What if it’s you?  Well, again I’d encourage you to see a clinician.  Any monetary cost is worth your mental well being, but you can find clinicians with sliding scales who will work with you on fees if you need help.  And again, in an emergency situation, if you feel that you might be harmful to yourself or others, call 911 and go to the hospital for immediate treatment.  If your symptoms are not that severe but you need coping skills to get through each day (and let’s face it, who doesn’t sometimes?), crafting is a really good one.  Knitting, crocheting, or doing other crafts and pleasurable activities can be very beneficial for people, including those suffering from a variety of mental illnesses.  Give it a shot when you’re feeling anxious or depressed or angry (or whatever other negative feelings you might have), and notice if you feel different afterwards.  I bet you will!

If we support each other and try to be understanding of people with different problems than ourselves, we’ll make the world a better place.  Just think about it, and be aware today of those that are suffering.

That’s all for today, thanks for stopping by!

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Hunger Games hat, try #2

October 6, 2015 by 4 Comments

Almost 2 years ago now I made a reversible hat with Purl Soho’s pattern, but I made it a wee bit short, so since I had plenty of leftover yarn I finally decided to make another one!

Hunger Games Hat

The firey yarn is in colorway District 12, and the candy colored one is in colorway Effie Trinket:

Hunger Games Hat

Both yarns were bought on Etsy ages ago, and both are 80% merino, 20% nylon.  Nice and soft!

As I said with the first hat I really like the idea of having a reversible hat that represents two completely opposite ways of life coming together.  Maybe I put too much thought into some projects, and maybe I’m way too nerdy, but whatever, I love my hat!

Hunger Games Hat

Since it’s double layered it should be nice and warm when winter comes (although that much insulation might not be needed often here).

This is a fun and easy knit that doesn’t take too much time or brain power but keeps the hands busy.  Perfect for a break between complicated projects!

Well, that’s all for today, thanks for stopping by!

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