We all have those moments when we don't think things through.
Right now, I'm working on a versa lace circle jacket. It is lace weight yarn on 60-inch Addi needles. Most yarn shops do not carry the 60-inch length. Even many of the online retailers either do not carry the length or they carry it only in the larger-sized needles. I, of course, somehow came up with a project that needed a couple of 2.5mm needles in the long length. I had to order them from Paradise Fibers in Spokane, Washington. Yes, even Webs (yarn.com) did not stock long Addi needles in the fine lace sizes.
I'm working on a versa lace project. I am knitting it center-out, growing the project to the desired size. The yarn is changing gauge when wet-blocked, so I'm dunking the project as I go and checking what size it really is. A couple weeks ago, I did this in the evening around 6 or 7 PM. I had three needles in the project — two of the working size and a third even smaller even harder-to-find size I was using as a stitch holder. Addi needles are so shiny and pretty I thought they had a special coating.
They don't.
When I went to bed around 11 PM, the needles had spots from getting wet. They were especially bad where the needles had been in contact with the damp yarn. I did not expect this deterioration in only a few hours. However, I really should have known better.
This is a magnified view after cleaning the needles with size 0000 steel wool.
The steel wool got the needles smooth enough and clean enough I could continue to use them for knitting. But I was annoyed at myself. And I was concerned that over time, the needles might oxidize and pit in the discolored places, creating damage that would affect their use. After all, the joy of Addi needles is that they are super slick!
After a few days of thinking about this, I remembered something about using jeweler's rouge to polish musical instruments. I went to my friendly local hardware store. The nice gentleman sold me something called rubbing compound. It is a pinkish-peachy color. Considering how little I need to use to polish needles, the $4 tub is likely to be a lifetime supply. I used a little dab on a soft paper towel. Here's the result:
As you can see, the needles are much restored!
Lessons learned:
Right now, I'm working on a versa lace circle jacket. It is lace weight yarn on 60-inch Addi needles. Most yarn shops do not carry the 60-inch length. Even many of the online retailers either do not carry the length or they carry it only in the larger-sized needles. I, of course, somehow came up with a project that needed a couple of 2.5mm needles in the long length. I had to order them from Paradise Fibers in Spokane, Washington. Yes, even Webs (yarn.com) did not stock long Addi needles in the fine lace sizes.
I'm working on a versa lace project. I am knitting it center-out, growing the project to the desired size. The yarn is changing gauge when wet-blocked, so I'm dunking the project as I go and checking what size it really is. A couple weeks ago, I did this in the evening around 6 or 7 PM. I had three needles in the project — two of the working size and a third even smaller even harder-to-find size I was using as a stitch holder. Addi needles are so shiny and pretty I thought they had a special coating.
They don't.
When I went to bed around 11 PM, the needles had spots from getting wet. They were especially bad where the needles had been in contact with the damp yarn. I did not expect this deterioration in only a few hours. However, I really should have known better.
This is a magnified view after cleaning the needles with size 0000 steel wool.
The steel wool got the needles smooth enough and clean enough I could continue to use them for knitting. But I was annoyed at myself. And I was concerned that over time, the needles might oxidize and pit in the discolored places, creating damage that would affect their use. After all, the joy of Addi needles is that they are super slick!
After a few days of thinking about this, I remembered something about using jeweler's rouge to polish musical instruments. I went to my friendly local hardware store. The nice gentleman sold me something called rubbing compound. It is a pinkish-peachy color. Considering how little I need to use to polish needles, the $4 tub is likely to be a lifetime supply. I used a little dab on a soft paper towel. Here's the result:
As you can see, the needles are much restored!
Lessons learned:
- If you dunk-block something with an Addi needle in it, wipe the needle completely dry and protect it from the wet yarn.
- If you forget, a paper towel with a little rubbing compound can reverse your indiscretion.
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