Thursday, May 01, 2008

Twizzlers vs. RedVines

Hi Knitters,
Are you a Twizzler or a RedVine? Just checking. I got a two-for-one deal and I can't decide. Please chime in! This is important stuff.
More hats are flying off my needles for family members. I wish these new babies were being born in my family but we are all getting old around here. These two hats are for my sister-in-law's relatives having babies, lucky dogs. A boy and a girl are on the way.

The hats are made in Tahki Cotton Classic and the flower hat is a pattern that I will make available here in the near future. The blue stripey is just a variation on a variation from Itty-Bitty Hats. They were both a pleasure to knit. It never gets old.

Granny Square update: 52

I have been sewing the completed squares together with a simple whip stitch using the ends that I leave on at the end. At this point I would just about have a perfect baby blanket but I am determined to keep going to make a regular-sized blanket for big people. I have no deadlines so I can take my sweet time. Good times, the squares and me.

Are you tired of sweet peas yet? I'm not. I cranked these two teeny-tiny newborn sweet peas out for my sister's friend who is having twins, a girl and a boy. I can almost fit the two hats on my hand. I loved knitting up this pattern. What is it about sweet peas and babies going so well together? Love it and wish I could see the babies in the hats.

I got the sweetest (pea) email from Lucinda Guy the other day. She listened to the It's a Purl, Man podcast where I mentioned my love her designs and she wrote a note of thanks. I was touched. Lucinda has a new website, give it a look, it's cute.

Okay, one last non-knitting thing. I bought my daughter a new bandana the other day and it came with a tag that listed 50 craft uses for a bandana. My kids thought some of the uses were so funny and I thought you might enjoy them as well. I am not listing all 50, just a few favorites. Here it goes (with my comments in parentheses):

Hot pad (not smart and ouch!)

Measuring tool (but you'd have to measure it first to know)

Emergency diaper (what?) (yuck.) (for who?) (my kids' favorite use, of course)

Cover a cigar box for a purse (huh?)

Create a desk set (how?)

Guitar or purse strap (peace)

Make a girls skirt (with more than one, I hope)

Make a bikini (along the lines of the "skanky knitted bikini"-my favorite header ever from Stephanie Pearl-McPhee)

Wall hanging (?)

Curtain valance (no thanks)

Sew into a soft wallet (wow and peace, again)

Who knew, Knitters, who knew.
best, susie

37 comments:

Brittney said...

Red Vines win out in overall taste and texture, but I do have a soft spot for Twizzlers Pull & Peel. Regular Twizzlers... not so much.
Loving all the hats! Your baby patterns are probably my most favorite. :-)

Unknown said...

Twizzler's... Hands down. But I'm a midwestern girl!

Denise said...

I've never heard of Red Vines, nor seen them in our stores? So it's Twizzlers for me :)
I love all your hats, they are just so cute. I clicked on Linda Guy's site but there's only one page and nothing else to click on? Is it a work in progress?

Denise said...

OK, forget that last bit, I just rolled my mouse over the circles at the top!!!

Susan B. Anderson said...

Don't they sell RedVines in Texas? Are Twizzlers a midwestern thing? I am learning, people, learning...

Yes, Lucinda's site is a little tricky. There are blank circles at the top with the different pages to click on. I think it is fairly new so I am sure they are working things out. I can't wait to see what her products are going to be.
Oh, and there is a free owl pattern available on there! Very cute!
susan

Anonymous said...

Twizzlers, Red Vines? Neither, YUK!!!!!

peaknits said...

Twizzlers - pull and peel - favorite! I gave them up for lent:) What darling hats - love the flowers atop!

TJ said...

Twizzlers for sure!

KCina said...

RedVines all the way....Twizzlers (strawberry) just don't like me as much. Maybe Twizzlers are just a midwest thing....Pacfic NW - we are all about the RedVines.

LOVE the new hats! Boy, your sisters friend & her soon-to-be twins are LUCKY!!!

Happy Knitting!
~ Kathy C. (Oregon)

Anonymous said...

Twizzlers, no way! Red Vines, hooray!

Anonymous said...

Twizzlers all the way. I am wild about all your hat patterns but the sweet pea hat is my Very Favorite.

Sara in WI said...

Now Susan....You must know that Twizzlers are tops in Wisconsin...especially fruity flavored ones. Carol Anderson brought some Pina Colada Twizzlers to Knitting Camp last year and they just disappeared within minutes! Mmmmm. Love the strawberry ones best myself.
Sara in WI

Anonymous said...

Twizzlers, pull and peel for sure. Red vines are okay but Twizzlers make your mouth happy! I love the sweet pea hats, they're adorable.

Tracy Batchelder said...

I never get tired of knitting hats for babies either. Yes, a bandanna can be used a wall hanging. When my husband was in college he rented a shabby apartment and to cover a hole in the wall, he hung a bandanna over it. We laugh about that still.

Malgados 5 said...

I wasn't going to comment, but with all the Twizzlers votes I just had to chime in... RED VINES are the best!

Thanks for all the fun knitting inspiration!

Susan B. Anderson said...

Oh, Wool Winder Tracey, that made me laugh. That's awesome!
susan

Barbara C. said...

Red Vines!!!
LOve the hats.
Barbara

Jeanie said...

Red Vines all the way for me:) Yummy!!

Cricket said...

I'm not typically a commenter, but I'm going to stand up proudly and admit it: I have used a bandana as an emergency diaper. In fact, I have used a bandana as an emergency diaper after I have blown my nose in it. But I knit the soaker, so that makes it okay, right? And at least it wasn't the other way around.

Susan B. Anderson said...

Cricket,
You gotta do what you gotta do! I am glad you are defending the bandana emergency diaper. Desperate times call for desperate measures and I could see myself doing the same thing you did.
Glad you chimed in:)
susan

Aunt Marti said...

Twizzlers, definitely. I'm from Idaho, not quite the midwest. "I was eatin' Twizzlers before low-fat was fashionable!"

Leah said...

Red Vines + Mr. Pibb are crazy delicious! (See SNL's Chronicles of Narnia digital short for the reference.)

I tried Red Vines here in NYC a few years ago and they remind me of the red licorice we used to get at the skating rink when I was a kid. I love the flavor.

Anonymous said...

Twizzlers, hands-down. Red Vines creep me out--they're kind of slimy, I think.

I have a tutorial bookmarked somewhere on how to make shorts for tots out of bandanas--I bought three, but they're stored somewhere in my sewing stuff. Hopefully I'll get to them before fall? What am I thinking; it's hot until November in TX. I have plenty of time!

The granny squares look great! I have a 70 year old one my grandmother made for her mother that I need to patch up. Also in storage somewhere :)

(This is Sarah--I can't remember my password for some reason!)

Caryn said...

How many stitches did you cast on for the little sweet pea hats? I have the pattern and would like to make a smaller size than the pattern calls for. Twizzlers get my vote. I must admit I read the bandanna story quite fast and thought you were talking about a BANANA which makes the uses even more odd!

ahousefullofboys said...

Red Vines of course. I have to say they need to be fresh soft Red Vines though.

Susan B. Anderson said...

Caryn,
I cast on 56 stitches and since the decrease in the pattern goes by a multiple of 8 it works out just right. I usually go up about 5-inches or a little less for the length before the decrease. You may have to use dpns or a 12-inch circular, too.
susan

Annie said...

I'll have to ask my hubby about the licorice taste test. I'm a chocolate lover and never have understood the licorice thing. He can eat a whole bag in less than a day.
Very sweet baby hats and I'm loving your granny squares. I was going to jump on board with you but then figured out I didn't know how to crochet :P
I just received Lucinda's crochet book and it's darling just like the rest of her stuff.

Anonymous said...

These hats are super cute, and you are so right they are always fun!

Caroline, the SockPixie

Lisa said...

Its all about twizzlers!!!

Anonymous said...

Ohh!!! TWIZZLERS FOR SURE!! Although, Red Vines have a definite use as a straw....

Anonymous said...

Red Vines. I'm not a knitter, but crochet like crazy and read you a lot. Have a day!

Funky Kim

funkykim@comcast.net

Unknown said...

Twizzlers definitely. My husband is a Red Vine man. So we compromise and switch each movie visit. :)

Anonymous said...

Okay, I'm slow on this but we only have one car and I usually don't have it. Today I did and I got a package of each. Cherry Twizzlers and Red Vines. To a person, everyone here prefers the Red Vines. Said the Twizzlers tasted plastic. Did I pick the wrong flavor of Twizzlers? LOL!

Anonymous said...

For the lady that was looking for Red Vines stockists in Texas... I found this list of retailers on their website for this state. I am visiting from the UK and was on a mission to find them... cos they are awesome - and I couldnt do Twizzlers as a substitute... yuck:

Albertsons, Costco, Eckerd Drug, Hastings Entertainment, HEB, Kent Oil, kroger, Pak-A-Sak, Rip Griffin, Skinny's, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart

Red Vines are also available online at CandyCabinet.com.

Anonymous said...

TWIZLER!!!

Anonymous said...

not all of the Pacific NW like red vines, I much prefer twizlers, and I'm an Alaskan.

Dawn said...

I am in total aw of your granny square blanket. It is a beauty! Just found your blog through a google search. Love it!