Squarely Disappointed

I got some Kollage square circular needles, size 1, last month at Stitches West. They are supposed to be easier on your hands and help you knit more even stitches.

Unfortunately, I have no idea whether this is true in the long term, because I won't be using them long enough to find out. The cord on the size 1's is absurdly flimsy and next to impossible to use for magic loop, my preferred method of sock knitting. The join, too, is problematic, but I could get past it if they weren't otherwise so frustrating to use.

From their website's images, it appears that larger needles have more substantial cords. And I imagine that DPNs or regular straights may be better engineered. I am not swearing off on Kollage square needles for good - but this pair will be slipping to the dark, obscure bottom of my knitting supply bin.

Oh well.

Brendon's doing the Jitterbug

Yarn: Colinette Jitterbug, plus remnants of Koigu KPM

Pattern: A top down 3x1 rib with short row heel and standard toe.  

Brendon picked out this yarn (which looks somewhat more brown in person) at Monarch Knitting on a pre-Christmas visit.  These socks proved to be an exercise in proper yardage estimation... I was not planning on contrasting colored heels and toes.  That's right: I finished the first sock and got to halfway through the second foot before realizing, "I don't think 1 skein is enough!"  So I got to frog up to above the heels of both and redo the heels and feet.  

But sometimes a silly mistake like that turns out nice in the end, because I'm rather happy with the way they came out.