This feels like knitting with cocktail sticks! These are 2mm needles (circular) and there are 154 stitches on their 40cm length. I'm a slow knitter, so a round takes me a good 15 minutes and I reckon on needing 28 rounds to complete this section (I've done 21 which amounts to 1.5"). It is the ribbing for the tam I mentioned the other day, and when that's finished we go up to a whopping 2.5mm circular to start the colourwork pattern - which is where I may come unstuck - but here is Her Majesty on a 5p coin to give an idea of current scale:
Despite the slow progress, I like the fineness and delicacy of this, and the yarn (50% merino/50% angora) is soft and lovely, so although it feels as though there's little to show for a lot of hours put in, it demands its own pace - and patience on my part!
Once you get settled into this sort of knitting there is something rather relaxing about working at such a gentle pace, meditative almost. It looks beautiful.
Posted by: Rebecca | 12 February 2009 at 11:14 AM
For the inquisitive ignoramus, how small do knitting needles go? Are there people working with 1.5 mm diameter, or less, for example? Does the structural material of the needle change when you go small (I guess you need a high Young's modulus) to minimise bending?
Curious Cat
Posted by: Dark Puss | 12 February 2009 at 11:24 AM
With projects such as these, it is never about speed or progress but with the enjoyment of the process.
Posted by: a simple yarn | 12 February 2009 at 05:30 PM
Keep going - it looks gorgeous so far! We spent Christmas with Scandinavians many of whom wore similarly knitted outfits. Just wonderful!
Posted by: Deirdre | 12 February 2009 at 07:26 PM
At first I thought perhaps you were using some of my husband's handturned Rosewood needles which Purlescence in London carries, until I read 2mm. To answer the Curious Cat's query, Ed has been a professional woodturner most of his adult life. It wasn't until within this last year that he honed his skills to where he can make a good 2.25mm needle that is approximately 6" long without it snapping off the lathe. Most wood needles that are smaller than 4mm are made by machine, something on the order of a huge pencil sharpener. Besides being very hard to successfully turn, even the hardest of woods have a snapping point and knitting demands much of a needle. I've not personally seen a 2mm wooden until this posting. If people are interested, I have a youtube video of Ed lathe-turning a 2.75mm needle.
Posted by: Wanda | 14 February 2009 at 04:21 AM
Such lovely work. And I do like your stitch marker.
Posted by: Pamela | 14 February 2009 at 08:35 PM