Hi Roxanne, A few months ago I was watching another podcaster previewing the Chiao Goo needles and because I'm into just about anything miniature I knew I had to have them! Beside yourself, I enjoy watching another master knitter's podcast who recently had a top-down, yoke sweater KAL. The instructions are not a 'pattern' per se but directions for basic style and personal fit using your body measurements for your own creation, and if you wanted a cardigan there are instructions for utilizing a steek__which I knew nothing about until recently__and so bought the instructions for 'up-ing' my skills. Since I presently don't have any yarn for a sweater project I've decided to practice the sweater on a much smaller scale. With my new Chiao Goo mini's and some crochet thread I will be knitting a sweater using my neighbor's Barbie doll as a model! Can't wait to start it and see how it comes out! 😳😺
Hi Roxanne, I'm a spinner and I've processed more than a few fleeces now and I highly recommend that you dump the dirty water outside and don't let it go down your drain. The lanolin can cause plumbing issues. Best of luck with your fleece, I love spinning fleeces!
Ditto on dumping the water! (a.k.a. why I am not allowed to process fleece indoors any more! ha.) Any residual dawn will not hurt the lawn/flowerbed, either.
We don't have a problem with it but then we keep our drains clean. Drain elbows are notorious for clogging up even without dumping lanolin down them. The trick is to use heat. My solution is after anything really greasy or waxy goes down the drain I follow it with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of baking soda and pour 1/2 cup vinegar after it. Then I put the stopper in. The chemical reaction creates a lot of heat and gas and will even dissolve a little bit of hair. If there is a solid bit of grease or lanolin the heat softens it and then the pressure of the carbon dioxide pushes it on past the elbow and down the drain. I learned this trick from a plummer and he recommended everyone do this from time to time especially if their drain smells funky. Most of the nasty things that grow in drains can't survive baking soda and vinegar.
I enjoyed your podcast as usual; always informative. I love my Chiagoo needles. They are my go to needles when I start a project. I have three sets including the mini set. You have to be careful with the minis. One of my needles bent (2.5mm) at the join which made it difficult to remove from and reattach to the cable; the join wasn’t smooth). The threaded end on the needle eventually broke off in the cable. I can’t use the needle or the cable. I’m thinking that’s why there aren’t many (Chiagoo is the only one I’ve seen) mini interchangeable needles out there. So when I use the other minis from the set I will be careful and try not to bend them.
I always question the use of blue Dawn with wool, and it was helpful to know there are different blue Dawns. We used the ‘original ‘ blue Dawn to remove color in cotton fabric in a surface design class I took in Texas with an accomplished fiber artist. I live in Iowa so it was a treat. But I’ve never used or even had blue Dawn in my house anymore, and will look for those enzymes in other, gentler detergents I do use for laundry and wool washing. I don’t ever plan on processing a fleece, but this was interesting from the Dawn use perspective. Thanks once more, Roxie!
There is an even smaller set of ChiaoGoo interchangeable needles that are specific for socks. I believe they are 2” and 3” needle tips , with cables you can make like 9”, 10 , 12, and 16 inch cables. Or use connector
I have the ChiaoGoo 5” Complete, 5” Mini, 4” Small + 9US and I’m getting the Shorties. I LOVE all of them! I also made sure I have two of everything cable length, plus extra stoppers.
That is really a gorgeous cardigan. Thanks for sharing it all. It would be very interesting to see how you block this sweater. I truly have no idea how that would work. Great episode. Very fascinating how you washed the fleece.
Hi Roxanne, I noted you talked about adding ribbon with buttonholes to your cardigan. I have a finished cardigan that I am frightened to wear, as I think the bands will stretch. I want to add ribbon to the bands, but am nervous about putting the buttonholes in the ribbon, so they match the already worked buttonholes in the cardigan band. Would you consider doing a video of adding ribbon to cardigan bands and how to work the buttonholes etc. thanks so much for the great videos. Kaye.
If you're using hot water to melt the lanolin, do you need to worry about lanolin building up in your pipes? Maybe you'd have to do a lot of this over many years before it's an issue. I am not a spinner but I do love seeing how the yarn I love is made.
I like your t-shirt! I love my Chiaogoo set. Great for lace. Also I have a Berroco slippery, splitty cotton yarn and these needles handled it like butter!
Hi Roxanne, thank you so much for these videos. I love your videos. I was wondering if you'd be able to do a technique video on how to do short row shaping when there's a more intricate stitch than just stockinette - especially for something like the seed stitch or lace. I figure there must be a way to do it and keep in pattern, but I can't find anything about it. Would you be able to help?
Thanks for the needle review. I've been very tempted to get them but I guess I'll pass. Too many tiny pieces. I think for me they'd be a problem because I simply can't work with such small things. You saved me money! I wish they would be a good match for my klutzy fingers. :( I'm doomed to fixed circs in small sizes.
They have a nice taper length and a reasonably sharp point. They're rounded enough not to be excessively splitty with the yarn. You can probably find some comparisons of the Chiaogoo minis with other brands in the Tools & Equipment forum on Ravelry. They love to talk (endlessly) about interchangeable needle sets!
![[Full] 4 ต่อ 4 Celebrity EP.920 | 3 พ.ย. 67 | one31](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/KwiW2M_kAg4/mqdefault.jpg)
Hi Roxanne,
A few months ago I was watching another podcaster previewing the Chiao Goo needles and because I'm into just about anything miniature I knew I had to have them! Beside yourself, I enjoy watching another master knitter's podcast who recently had a top-down, yoke sweater KAL. The instructions are not a 'pattern' per se but directions for basic style and personal fit using your body measurements for your own creation, and if you wanted a cardigan there are instructions for utilizing a steek__which I knew nothing about until recently__and so bought the instructions for 'up-ing' my skills. Since I presently don't have any yarn for a sweater project I've decided to practice the sweater on a much smaller scale. With my new Chiao Goo mini's and some crochet thread I will be knitting a sweater using my neighbor's Barbie doll as a model! Can't wait to start it and see how it comes out! 😳😺
Hi Roxanne, I'm a spinner and I've processed more than a few fleeces now and I highly recommend that you dump the dirty water outside and don't let it go down your drain. The lanolin can cause plumbing issues.
Best of luck with your fleece, I love spinning fleeces!
Ditto on dumping the water! (a.k.a. why I am not allowed to process fleece indoors any more! ha.) Any residual dawn will not hurt the lawn/flowerbed, either.
We don't have a problem with it but then we keep our drains clean. Drain elbows are notorious for clogging up even without dumping lanolin down them. The trick is to use heat. My solution is after anything really greasy or waxy goes down the drain I follow it with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of baking soda and pour 1/2 cup vinegar after it. Then I put the stopper in. The chemical reaction creates a lot of heat and gas and will even dissolve a little bit of hair. If there is a solid bit of grease or lanolin the heat softens it and then the pressure of the carbon dioxide pushes it on past the elbow and down the drain. I learned this trick from a plummer and he recommended everyone do this from time to time especially if their drain smells funky. Most of the nasty things that grow in drains can't survive baking soda and vinegar.
I enjoyed your podcast as usual; always informative. I love my Chiagoo needles. They are my go to needles when I start a project. I have three sets including the mini set. You have to be careful with the minis. One of my needles bent (2.5mm) at the join which made it difficult to remove from and reattach to the cable; the join wasn’t smooth). The threaded end on the needle eventually broke off in the cable. I can’t use the needle or the cable. I’m thinking that’s why there aren’t many (Chiagoo is the only one I’ve seen) mini interchangeable needles out there. So when I use the other minis from the set I will be careful and try not to bend them.
I always question the use of blue Dawn with wool, and it was helpful to know there are different blue Dawns. We used the ‘original ‘ blue Dawn to remove color in cotton fabric in a surface design class I took in Texas with an accomplished fiber artist. I live in Iowa so it was a treat. But I’ve never used or even had blue Dawn in my house anymore, and will look for those enzymes in other, gentler detergents I do use for laundry and wool washing. I don’t ever plan on processing a fleece, but this was interesting from the Dawn use perspective. Thanks once more, Roxie!
wow, good idea about the litter box , adding that to my list of things to get
There is an even smaller set of ChiaoGoo interchangeable needles that are specific for socks. I believe they are 2” and 3” needle tips , with cables you can make like 9”, 10 , 12, and 16 inch cables. Or use connector
I have the ChiaoGoo 5” Complete, 5” Mini, 4” Small + 9US and I’m getting the Shorties. I LOVE all of them! I also made sure I have two of everything cable length, plus extra stoppers.
How interesting, that cat litter box could be used for washing finished projects, too.
I hope you’ll show us the next thing that you do with your clean fleece.
That is really a gorgeous cardigan. Thanks for sharing it all. It would be very interesting to see how you block this sweater. I truly have no idea how that would work. Great episode. Very fascinating how you washed the fleece.
Hi Roxanne,
I noted you talked about adding ribbon with buttonholes to your cardigan. I have a finished cardigan that I am frightened to wear, as I think the bands will stretch. I want to add ribbon to the bands, but am nervous about putting the buttonholes in the ribbon, so they match the already worked buttonholes in the cardigan band. Would you consider doing a video of adding ribbon to cardigan bands and how to work the buttonholes etc. thanks so much for the great videos.
Kaye.
If you're using hot water to melt the lanolin, do you need to worry about lanolin building up in your pipes? Maybe you'd have to do a lot of this over many years before it's an issue.
I am not a spinner but I do love seeing how the yarn I love is made.
💕 the Vintage sweater!
I like your t-shirt! I love my Chiaogoo set. Great for lace. Also I have a Berroco slippery, splitty cotton yarn and these needles handled it like butter!
Thanks for the sleeve explanation. More to it than I imagined! Maggie in Vermont.
That was really interesting,
I love ChaiGoo Red Lace Needles. The minis are cute, but I don’t do socks... Enjoy💜
Hi Roxanne, thank you so much for these videos. I love your videos. I was wondering if you'd be able to do a technique video on how to do short row shaping when there's a more intricate stitch than just stockinette - especially for something like the seed stitch or lace. I figure there must be a way to do it and keep in pattern, but I can't find anything about it. Would you be able to help?
Thanks for your suggestion. I'll add it to the list. Some stitch patterns are easy to short row (such as seed stitch). Others are trickier.
@@RoxanneRichardson, thank you very much. I look forward to it. :)
Could you show us a picture of your daughter wearing your Edwardian sweater? It was so fascinating.
She doesn't have the sweater yet -- it's in Minneapolis, and she's in Chicago. As soon as it gets to her, she will be photographed wearing it!
Thanks for the needle review. I've been very tempted to get them but I guess I'll pass. Too many tiny pieces. I think for me they'd be a problem because I simply can't work with such small things. You saved me money! I wish they would be a good match for my klutzy fingers. :( I'm doomed to fixed circs in small sizes.
I wish I could have seen the tiny needles better. I like ones that have sharp points. Do these?
They have a nice taper length and a reasonably sharp point. They're rounded enough not to be excessively splitty with the yarn. You can probably find some comparisons of the Chiaogoo minis with other brands in the Tools & Equipment forum on Ravelry. They love to talk (endlessly) about interchangeable needle sets!
Do you the oldest and still open knitting yarn store?? I do...