When doing a google search, it isn't enough to put just in a subject....as you discovered, "blind stitch" gave you a lot of sewing info, when what you wanted was knitting. Thus, you need to use the modifying + after your subject. In this case you should have used "blind stitch" +knitting as the entire subject....this would only have given you sites where the words blind stitch AND knitting were included. You may also modify with a - this will NOT give you any 'hits' that contain the - word...such as "blind stitch" +knitting -sewing that should have NOT given you sites that contained sewing but the ones that DO contain knitting. Using the modifying - or + will greatly improve the quality of the hits you get when doing a google!

Unfortunately you've asked a question I love to answer. And answer and answer and answer:-). I have a huge collection of knitting needles, straights, double pointed and circular in every single size, from super-skinny for lace, all the way to jumbo. I always used Aero for years, a British and Canadian make. But this was before the surge in yarns, and now I find that different needle materials really do make a difference. (I began knitting in the days when it was lace weight, sport weight, worsted weight, aran weight and lopi style. Eyelash, roving, bamboo, etc. wasn't even a wink in a wool company's eye.) I do still really like my Aeros for a great deal of my knitting. But I also have some wood ones I really like-- usually ebony, rosewood and some exotic ones from www.winterroseneedles.com. My only complaint about that site is that the sizes are incredibly limited. But they are beautiful and she ships VERY fast. I'm not so fond of bamboo-- just don't get the fuss about it. But the other woods are very enjoyable to work with. I've gotten a couple of glass needles from www.glasspens.com. They are beautiful, although there were some marks in mine. I don't know if that's just the way handmade glass come out, or if there really are defects. I didn't love them at first, but once I got the hang of them, I do now. They work really well! I also have bone needles from Lacis. I LOVE working with bone. It just works so well. But if you're a vegetarian, that won't go over so well with you. I also have been working with cassein, needles made from milk protein. You can get them from www.countrylanefiberarts.homestead.com. They are a bit flexible and if you have sweaty hands they will produce an unpleasant smell! Also, pets seem to like to chew on these (the milk product?) As for aluminium-- they do clatter a bit. Plastic-- I steer clear from it, but interestingly, the Susan Bates Candy Cane collection works very well for me, where as their other plastic doesn't-- www.coatsandclark.com, go to Products, go to Accessories, go to Knitting, go to Needles, go to Gift Sets. So what does this all mean to you? Here's really what it comes down to: The smoother the material of the needles, the slippier they are to knit with. For smoother yarns, you may want a bit of a rougher needle, such as bamboo. For something such as Lion Brand's Microspun, you need needles with a bit of a "catch", or every other stitch will be sliding off the needle. But if you're using say a more "raw" wool, lopi for instance, the smoother the needle the better. It also has to do with your knitting style-- do you throw or knit continental, how tight your guage is-- the tighter the guage the smoother the needle should be and visa versa, and do you like the needles to feel warm or cool in your hands. Also how comfortable you are with a heavier or lighter needle? And if heaviness bothers you, I wouldn't even try straight needles-- instead, use a circular and just turn the fabric over when you get to the end, just as if they were 2 separate straights and not connected by the cord. Oh yes-- some of the cords on circulars are attrocious. Unfortunately, the more expensive needles tend to have much better cords. If you go on the Joann site-- www.joann.com-- they have reviews of most of their products and you can read what other people's experiences have been. And one last thing-- I have just ordered some Harmony Wood needles from knitpicks-- they just looked too pretty not to try. Gosh-- hope this hasn't made it worse with all this information!:-)

You may want to knit back and forth for a couple of rows before you join - the small gap this creates at the beginning is easily closed when you weave in your yarn end. It makes it simpler to join without twisting.

Lilla, I sent you an email also to express how tickled I am to have you help with this knitting project. it is one thing to have it done, and a whole huge thing to have Velleen doing it!! I hope it is not too much, if it is I will certainly understand. I am sending you my 50 year old stocking in with your swap package (great padding) as sister and my stockings were almost identical. An almost 48 year old picture is included too. Thanks for coming to my rescue, my sister will be in tears I am sure. I will fill you all in on the details of my "plan" when sister comes to visit. I have lived here since 1981, and this will be her first time here. Can't wait!! Trin