Today I would like to show you my most precious possession:
I call him Golden Boy.*
Golden Boy may look like an ordinary barrel-style row counter to you, but he is so much more. So much more. For he is a barrel-style row counter that works. And works well.
When I advance his numbers, they move well, but with the merest whisper of resistance. Enough resistance to ensure that the numbers do not change when you shove Golden Boy and your work in progress into your knitting bag. But he is not so stiff that it is difficult to change his numbers. He is the perfect blend of resistance and ease.
But Golden Boy is dying.
Every time I turn a number my heart aches a little, because I know that with each turn, his mechanism is wearing out just a little bit more. I treat him gently and with respect, but I know it is not enough. Someday, Golden Boy will die.
Because I am a fickle woman, I have sought to replace Golden Boy. I’ve bought countless barrel-style row counters, but none of them come close to Golden Boy’s smooth elegance. They are all either unyielding or too loose. I’ve tried to use katcha-katcha counters, but am annoyed because it is not attached to my knitting. Golden Boy fits perfectly on the small stitch-holder that has been his home lo, these many years.
Sigh . . . I will miss Golden Boy when he finally gives up on life.
Oh yeah. I finished the first of the Ivy League socks last night.
Lucy Sez:
“Sometimes my momma worries me.”
*with apologies to Jerry Seinfeld
I have a Clover peach colored GB and try not to let it outa my sight!! I also have the same brand as you and love it as much. I havent tried the Kacha Kacha COunters yet but would imagine that the clicking sond would attract my boy cats and would cause the loss of a new row counter LOL!
Oh, poor Wendy.
I cannot sympathize with the quest for the perfect row counter because I count rows with a hot pink Sharpie, but you wrote about him in your book, so he must be something special.
“Do not go gentle into that good night,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light,” to complete the thought of Ida.
The sock is truly beautiful. I’m hoping you offer it as a freebie, but that seems doubtful as it looks like an original pattern.
Two PS’s: first, I love the “glamour shots” with the pearls and the velvet. J’adore, mon cherie! And second: Lucy is the only cat I have ever seen whose tail is fluffier than my cat’s.
ok, that’s one of the funniest knitting blog posts i’ve read. i feel the same way about numerous implements in my life, albeit not knitting ones, which is why i try to buy two of things i really like, in preparation of their eventual demise.
live long and prosper, Golden Boy.
elises last blog post..time to fight back
I know how you feel. For me, my most prized possession is a size J crochet hook that used to be my Grandmothers. It is old and nicked up, but it is the first hook I reach for and would be heart broken if I lost it. Enjoy the time you still have.
Beverly (aka bjtilt)s last blog post..Nanner Socks!
Love your writing Wendy, your sense of humour really shows through! (Seinfeld is one of my most fav shows so I enjoy seeing the references)
And I absolutely *adore* Lucy.
I have to ‘fess up that sometimes I come to your blog just to see the Lucy pics(she’s such a star in my books). Then when I have more time and am less tired, I go back and read your posts. Truly she does have the fluffiest tail I’ve ever seen!
I have one like Golden Boy and it works great ( keeping tract of my rows on a hyacinth colored Shetland shawl I’m working on ). I also have one that hangs from a loop off a circ needle that works great. Somewhere, I have a blue and white one but I think it may have run away with my tiny scissors and tape measure ( they haven’t been seen for about 6 months ) or Chloe found them and is playing with them while I’m at work. Must check her toy box!!!!
Benitas last blog post..
http://www.paviyarns.co.uk/cgi-bin/trolleyed_public.cgi?action=showprod_CL328
this counter looks classy; better quality than some I have seen
To prolong the life of your row counter, you might want to use the left digit as the “ones” digit as the right digit as the “tens,” and read the counter from right to left. I’m guessing the “ones” digit gets more use, so is looser.
After many years of frustration, I have abandoned row counters in favor of pen and paper. I have a couple different methods, depending on the pattern. If it’s something where I need to keep track of, say, neck and armscye shaping at the same time, I make a little graph with row numbers and shaping point. Each row of the section has a row on the chart and each shaping point is marked with an “i” or “d” under the correct shaping point header.
For patterns where I’m just doing something like decreasing every X stitches Y times, I just indicate how many rows in each shaping segment (say 5 rows) and make a box for each shaping point (say, 7 times) and just tick off each row until I hit a shaping point, then move to the next box. Harder to explain than do.
It’s a little hard, at first, to remember to always tick off the rows, but I’ve never had the number of tick marks change on me, in my bag and I never have to worry about what would happen if I didn’t remember to pack a row counter.
I’m sorry to hear about Golden Boy, but you know, we’re all gonna die of sumthin’ ! He’s had a very good life and hopefully will live a bit longer. Maybe you could have him bronzed
Lucy, Lucy you a one beautiful kitty! luv.m.
My new favorite – mentioned by others – is the counter with the loop on the end that you can hang from your needles.
Every time I order from KnitPicks, I add one or two to my cart:
Knitting Row Counter and I have never received one that did not have good tension.