All I can say is WOW! Your response to the Downton Abby KAL is astounding!  We all, especially Kristen, are thrilled by how much interest there is from all of you!  I'm so looking forward to starting my mystery project too. I adore mysteries so this will be lots of fun!!!  Like many of you I don't have TV so I've watched season one of Downton Abbey online and will be purchasing season two this weekend so I can be ready to start watching season three next week!

With the KAL in mind, I thought today that I would talk a little about needles and needle sizing to help you get your gauge and be all set to start knitting on Sunday.

 I don't know how many of you know but US needle sizes can vary in actual metric size depending on the brand and country of the manufacturer.  Now that the knitting and crochet world has become so international, in a large part due to Ravelry.com, you can't always assume the pattern you are about to knit, lists needles in your country's size scale. The surest way to know if you are using the correct needle for a pattern is to look at what the metric size is of the needle called for in the pattern and compare it to the metric size of the needle you're intending to use.  A great example of this discrepancy can be seen in comparing US size 2 needles.

Addi Turbo US 2 needle measures 3.0 millimeters (mm) in diameter
Clover US 2 is 2.75 mm
Crystal Palace US 2 is 2.75 mm
Knitter's Pride US 2 is 2.75

So the question to answer by looking at your pattern is: do you need a 2.75 mm needle or a 3 mm needle?  If you need a 2.75mm and want an Addi needle you will need to buy the needle that they label as 2.75.  If you need a 3.0mm needle and want a brand other than Addi you will need to buy a US 2.5 (3mm).

Of course not all sizes are different, other sizes that can cause a problem are:
US 6 can be 4.0 mm or 4.25 mm especially if they are older needles. Most brands except Crystal Palace are now 4.0 mm
US 17 is usually 12.0 mm but in Clover needles a US 17 measures 12.75 mm
US 19 is usually 15.0 mm but in Crystal Palace needle a it measures 15.6 mm

And be aware that the needle gauges made by each of the companies reflects these size differences!

I understand from our IT people that they are working to improve the search engine for needles on our website to show both US & metric sizes.  In the meantime, here's a quick reference chart that I hope helps.

US Size	Metric (mm)	Addi US Size	Clover Exceptions	Crystal Palace Exceptions
000	1.5	0
00	1.75	0
0	2	0
1	2.25
1 1/2	2.5	1
2	2.75
2 1/2	3	2
3	3.25	3
4	3.5	4
5	3.75	5
6	4	6		4.25mm
7	4.5	7
8	5	8
9	5.5	9
10	6	10
10.5	6.5	10.5
	7	10.75
11	8	11
13	9	13
15	10	15
17	12	17	12.75 mm
19	15	19		15.6 mm
	20	36
50	25

		If you usually get gauge and are having trouble, then double checking your needle size is a good first step in figuring out what may be going wrong. Another good thing to pay attention to is how slippery your needle is and how tightly or loosely you normally knit.  I find that having tight knitters switch to slippery needles like the nickle plated Addi Turbos help them to loosen up.  Conversely, if someone habitually knits too loosely then switching to wooden or bamboo needles helps them to tighten up their stitches. Don't be afraid to change you needles size up or down to get gauge, this is what you're supposed to do.  The pattern gauge is what you need to get and it doesn't matter what size needle you use to achieve it if you're using the correct weight of yarn.  It can matter if you are substituting yarns but that is another subject for another day. For a thorough explanation of gauge please see the video I did with Diane Soucy!
		How to Measure Your Gauge Correctly and the video Jeanne did How to Adjust Your Needle Size to Get Gauge . I hope these suggestions help and if you still find you have questions or need help I will be happy to help, just drop an email to askTerry@jimmybeanswool.com. And I'm John Bates (see Kristen's blog for the link to find out which Downton character you are) Happy Mystery Knitting! Terry

I'm so excited that the drop spindles from Wool Tree Mill have finally arrived! In fact, I had to buy one first thing! These are lovely, light weight walnut spindles with hooks on both ends so you can use as either a top or bottom whorl.  I tend to like bottom whorl spindles while Alison, our yarn logistics expert, prefers top whorl spindles. They come in three sizes, small which weighs around 3/4 of an ounce, medium which weighs around 1.4 ounces and the large which weighs around 1.6 ounces.

I bought the large one and it works nicely to spin up Imperial Yarn's Bulky 2-strand pencil roving without drafting any thinner.



We also received Lucets from Wool Tree Mill.  A Lucet is a handy little tool for creating cording for your projects.  The cord created is firmer and denser than an i-cord.  The Lucet comes with a very nice card with step by step instructions with photos on how to use it.  These are also made from walnut and are very pretty to look at.  They will make a pretty and practical addition to your fiber tools!

So if you're looking for small last-minute gifts and stocking stuffers here's a list of my personal favorites to choose from:

1) Wool Tree Mill Drop Spindles (Pictured above)
2) Wool Tree Mill Lucet
3) Bar Maids products: Lo Lo Body Bars, Lo Lo to Go, Lip Balm, For Feets Sake, Lo Lo Travel Pacs, and Almost Everything bags.
4) Alsatian Soaps & Bath Products: Knitter's Hand Gift Bag, Heart Soap, Knitter's Hands, & Knit Happens Hand Therapy
5) Debra's Garden: Sheep Soap, Needle Gauge Pendent, Sock & Lace Needle Gauge Pendent, Row Counter & Yarn Cutter Pendent, & Faux Leather Tape Measures
6) Then there just so many options in Lantern Moon accessories that I'll just link to the search page.

Don't forget to check out our books and bags for larger gifts. And there are always Gift Certificates available in just about any amount.

If you need help selecting gifts please give us a call, we'll be happy to help!

Terry