My New High-Tech Tool

This is my new favorite gadget for making tassels and pom-poms. Yes, this humble sheet of corrugated cardboard, rescued from an Amazon box some books arrived in; this little piece of detritus just bounced into my mind as the perfect size and shape to make tassels for Frothy:

Sure, I have gadgets a-plenty by Susan Bates, Clover, and everyone else who ever made a knitting notion for tassels and pom-poms.

I hate them all. My pom-poms look anemic and tassels are too much trouble to bother with those.

But this little marvel! Here's a nice fat tassel I first made for Frothy, using 100 strands of the CTH baby mohair bouclé:


So fat it pulled the stitches out of shape when attached. After removing it, I reinforced the bottom points of the scarf; I should have doubled the doubled yarn I think when I knitted it, to make the points stronger.

Here's a shot of the end product tassels on the scarf; these are made of 25 doubled strands and are nice and bouncy on Frothy:


I like that the cardboard has just enough give that I can ease a threaded tapestry needle under all the strands and to slide the captured strands off for cutting. However, a test pom-pom looked anemic. For free, one should not expect perfection. I'll keep looking for a better pom-pom maker.

Just one problem: must keep this gadget away from dampness. Or else, when the next batch of books for college-girl DD#2 comes from Amazon, claim the inserts.

Knitting Accessories for Hair: A New Trend?

With D#1's wedding coming up, I'm teaching myself how to make an up-do. While perusing the internet for handy-dandy gadgets (what knitter doesn't like gadgets?), I came across this: Doesn't it look like a stitch holder with a fancy stitch marker strung on it?
+ By the way, these stitch marker come from Chicken Stitches. Non-sheep markers are available too, in case you want some for your hair and your knitting. And of course, you'll want to top off your up-do with your wooden DPNs, right?

Last night was spent repairing the vests. Heartfelt thanks to Merri Williams of The Fiber Addict for the Lamb's Pride. She was kind enough to send me enough to reinforce the cast-on edge all the way around. As for the ripped cable in Rugged, I rewove as best I could; that vest is so well-worn from the years that the yarn is threadbare in many spots, yet DH loves it so. For the ripped V of the Tahki Donegal vest, that was easier than I thought: flipped it inside out and repaired it so it's invisible on the outside. DH promises to be super-careful taking off vests, and has recently bought a new belt; now he won't be ripping out cables or snagging edges on the new rounded buckle. After repairs, vests were washed in Eucalan and are now resting quietly on drying racks and towels. They've been through an ordeal.

Finally, I'd like to show you how Addi, maker of marvelous circular needles, can try to convince you to part with over $100 in gadgets you already have around your house for $0.00. Yep, specialized circs meant to be stitch holders not knitting needles. Seriously, who doesn't have a) some smooth cotton yarn or perle cotton lying around; b) extra circs to pass sts onto, tying off ends with a rubber band? There now, I've just saved you $10.50 a pop for each needle size!