Brilliant Row Counter

I have this thing about working on one project at a time. I know how I am, and how if left unchecked, I'd start many, many things and never finish any of them. So generally I don't allow myself to start a new project until the one I'm working on is actually complete, or I decide I never want to finish it. I think though, that with all these socks I've planned to make as gifts I can actually relax my rule for myself since there is the Christmas deadline and so therefore I really do have to complete whatever I start.

So...I cast on for a pair of Hedera socks last night, on my size 1 Addi Turbos. After using the new sharp Knitpicks circulars, working with the Addis was like knitting with telephone poles. The Hedera pattern has a lot of decreases and increases within each row and it was relative torture trying to work them with the blunt Addis. So, these particular socks will just have to languish on hold until I can get around to ordering some size 1's from Knitpicks.

And now for something simple but brilliant:



This little beaded doohickey is a row counter for keeping track of pattern rows. This particular one is for a 4 row repeat. Each jump ring loop (between the seed bead sections) represents a pattern row. The red bead on the end is a heavy one and there to be an anchor. To use the row counter, you simply place it at the beginning of a row, like a stitch marker, and just slip the next loop down when you come around to it. I cannot take credit for inventing this, alas. The idea and the instructions for putting one together are here.

As soon as I saw this post I had to throw one together. It took all of 5 minutes, and that included the time it took me to find the tools and parts.