Sometimes I doubt my sanity

I have a rug that sits in my kitchen that I love. It's various shades of blue and grey with flecks of black. Sadly, it's a cheap rug and between washing it and the dog, it's starting to come apart. As it sat soaking the other night I thought about what pattern and color theme I would do if I were to ever knit one.

Insert insane idea the first. I've considered various rugs for various reasons over the years but the truth is it seems like an overwhelming and daunting project. I let the idea float on by and went about my day. I started another project that had nothing to do with knitting but included jute.

Insert insane idea the second. Jute is sturdy. It comes in a nice neutral color (brown) and is available all over the place. It's cheap. It can come in various size cones/rounds and is cheap. Have I mentioned it's cheap? Since I had leftovers from my other craft I started to wonder what I could do with it.

This is when I combined insane ideas one and two to bring about a third.

I started a jute rug this afternoon. It will be large. And when I say large, I actually mean extra large. I want it to be, roughly, the same size as the other one. I'm using the Ten Stitch Zig Zag pattern and size 10 needles. Even with that size it's hard on my hands and will be slow going. It'll be awesome though. I think. I hope.

It's been spun: Daffodil

Remember the blanket ill received? Around the time I bought it, I also bought some merino top in a colorway called Daffodil. I bought a lot. I also got some solid yellow to go along with it. I have a LOT of this stuff. I was rearranging a box the other day and came across the first bobbin I had started in the daffodil and decided to finish it up. I have one skein done and the first single of a second waiting. To say I love it would be an understatement.

Fiber: Merino Top
Color: Daffodil
Yardage: 105
Weight: 100 grams
WPI: 9-11 (light worsted-worsted) The variations are seen at the beginning and end of the skein and in some spots where new pieces were proving difficult to connect.

The color in this first picture is pretty true to life.

I'm pretty pleased with it. I have/had a total of 2lbs worth in each color so it'll be a bit of spinning before I'm done but having this first skein done is the boost of motivation I need.

Coming soon.....

A new pattern! Taking suggestions on names.

The real FO

I know that teaser was a horrible placeholder but trust me. It was worth it. This shawl was...my Mount Everest. I had many starts (5) and my many moments of frustration were within that first part. I'm not an expert knitter. I don't claim to be. I can do lace but I don't. I do not hold my abilities for pattern reading on a pedestal waiting for the moment to brag about them. As far as knitting and patterns go I am rather ordinary I would say.

That said....I hated this pattern. At first. I should have taken a hint when reading the main page of it on Ravelry. The author has obviously had many complaints about the way it was written because right there, for all to see, is a mini rant of her own. What does she say? Basically, if you don't like it don't knit it. She comes off as very defensive. Based on her comments and the issues I had I know what was said to her and I see her reply as arrogant and rude. The hints/tips/suggestions were meant to help with the overall written pattern. The author wasn't down with that I guess. I was so flabbergasted at the main page (I hadn't even clicked the pattern yet) that I called someone and read it to them to see if maybe I was just being picky. They had the same reaction. I ignored that small red flag and decided to knit it anyway. After the 3rd or 4th restart I went back to the gallery. I had been through it a couple times before hoping to see what I was doing wrong. Obviously, the pattern worked because there are lots of them.

Maybe I am way more green when it comes to charts and how to knit them than I thought. I've done lace before though so I didn't think that was really the case. It was on this last wandering through other projects that I came across a chart. A chart so brilliantly laid out and with notes so perfect in wording that I was more than happy to restart it. There were stitch counts and clear directions. Repeated parts were in another color. It was clear. It was concise. It was what should have been in the original pattern. So much so that I have been tempted to write the author and suggest that they consider it. I doubt they will though. On the new chart it plainly says it is intended to supplement the pattern, not replace it. Once I printed it out though I did replace the pattern with it. I wouldn't use the original again if I were to make a second. I was so pleased with this chart that if others were to ask for the pattern I'd probably link to it only. I know that isn't fair to the author though.

 I know it was a free pattern and that some think you (general you) shouldn't complain in that situation but the frustration and irritation over something as simple as wording and clear directions is...well frustrating and irritating. This isn't a difficult pattern. I wouldn't rate it as master level. I might do it as a light intermediate but it isn't difficult. The original pattern was just awkward and made it less than enjoyable to knit. Which is a shame because it's a beautiful shawl. I think it's going to be absolutely beautiful for the intended wedding.

Enough of my kvetching. I know you are only here for pictures. :) The yarn is Madeline Tosh sock in Smokey Orchid.

FO of an epic degree

It's blocking so for now you can have a teaser of horrible picture quality. :)

Knits in action

The little lace hats made it safely to the intended destination. As did the baby for the photoshoot they were meant for! Here's a shot of the sweet little girl in each one(I have permission from the photographer). It turned out perfect if I do say so myself. It's always nice to see my knits in action.

FO: Yoked Cardigan

Another one that is. :) I actually finished this up a few days ago, before the hats.

This one is a bit bigger than the first (as it's intended for a bigger baby) but not by much. I used the needle size the pattern calls for and made the 2nd size but the yarn is a thinner worsted so it's not quite gauge (not off by much...I think it was only one stitch).

I love the colors of this one about half the time. It was Lion Brand Amazing in Strawberry Fields. I expected more reds and greens than I got. I'm somewhat surprised by the amount of yellow/gold. If I really think about what strawberry plants look like I can see why they named the colorway that but it still doesn't scream that to me. Oh well. I'm not in charge of Lion Brand color names. :)

I was quite pleased with the way the colors played out. The total sweater took little more than one skein. The arms match up really well even though they were done from different spots of two different skeins (one was the remaining amount of the first and the second was a bit of that plus a bit of middle from the second skein). I wasn't intending to have them match but it played out taht way. Once again, I used some Hobby Lobby buttons. I was leaning towards natural colored ones but the majority of people I asked said to use the blue green you see there. I think they were perfect in the end.

And another....

To say that I am in love with this pattern is an understatement. A massive one. I whipped out another one last night and have plans for one more.

The yarn is a different blend I picked up around this time last year. There is less mohair in it than the Kidsilk and I think that allows for the pattern to pop a bit more. There is acrylic in it and while not a lot it's obvious when you block it. Sharp creases and an almost flat appearance to the color.



It worked out really well for it though. Next to the pink one and it seems so bright!



I love how, even though they are both the same the stitch definition is so different. On the Kidsilk one it's more a hazy hint. The white one is sturdy. I love them both equally. The one I have in the works is done with some handspun I did a couple years back. I can't wait to be done with it, just to see if my idea is/was as good as I imagined.

FO: Lace Pixie Hat

The other night I was browsing a forum I frequent when I noticed a post asking for a knitter. I clicked in to see what was needed and volunteered for the job. So happy I did.

I was being asked to make an Angel Lace Pix Hat. I got the pattern one night, went and picked up the yarn the following day, and whipped out the knitting portion in a matter of hours. I stopped by the store today and got instructiono n how to do the crochet portion (I can do a drawstring but nothing more than that...until today that is!), went home and finished it up.

The pattern, the yarn (Rowan KidSilk Have in color Grace), and tiny size (newborn only). It's all lovely and an enjoyable knit. I used my Addi Clicks (oh! Have I mentioned I have ADDI CLICKS!? No? They are are great.) and I have to say this is one time I wished I had opted for the lace tips. They worked fine and once I got past the first couple rows I didn't notice it as much but man, blunt tips make lace work in lace weight mohair a bit tricky!

Enough talking. You want pictures right?









(Yarn head is Manos Silk)

WIP: A first

I was asked not too long ago to make a shawl for a friend's wedding. I said sure and she sent me 4 or 5 links to ones she liked. I picked one that I liked the most, bought the yarn (Madeline Tosh Sock in Smokey Orchid) and went about my business. The pattern was in German. I don't speak German. I got some help translating but seeing as patterns can be hard enough in your native language and it was my first time ever doing a shawl (and lace to this extent) I opted for a second pattern.

It was a very pretty pattern but was porrly written. There were a total of 7 stitches uncharted (I can handle edge stitches not charted but center ones, even if they move and shift position, should be) and the directions were somewhat vauge. It wasn't a beginner pattern and really only because of the lack of details. It would be easy to make it more user friendly. Oh well. THat's neither here nor there.

I started a 3rd pattern last night. After severeal, probably 6 or 7 in all honesty, I got the pattern and yarn working together in a way that made me happy. I plugged through the first chart repeat (37 rows) despite blurry eyes (though I shouldn't have) and am quite happy that I ended up with this pattern. It looks much better in person than photograph I think. I made 2 mistakes and am one stitch short BUT (and this is a huge but) it's all in the last 2 rows so it is easily fixable. When I noticed my whoops! my first thought was about using a lifeline. I think it's simple enough I won't need one but I might put one in just in case. Given the luck I've seemed to have so far it might be a good idea. You know, don't tempt the fates. Hopefully I can finish this in a speedy fashion. You gain 80ish stitches each repeat so the others will take me longer obviously but it's a nice, simple pattern that doesn't require a lot of thinking.

Post Holiday FO's

Woah. I just sort of slunk away in the night there. Sorry about that. Between holidays and various colds blogging hasn't been high on my list.

First catch up:
The beekeeper- Unfinished. After some construction changes I got plugging along and have 4.5 strips complete. I did buy my second lot of yarn, not because I ran but because I wanted it already. I was aiming for it to become a birthday present but that isn't going to happen either. At this point it'll either be a Mother's Day gift or a random whenever it gets done gift. :)
Surprise sweater- undone and actually frogged. After a gauge check went wrong I started frogging intending to make the next size up. Then I realized I had measured wrong and that my gauge was actaully spot on. Frogging 3 strands (sometimes single and sometimes doubled) was actually a huge pain in the backside. I have a clump of yarn tangled beyond recognition sitting in a drawer now. I have found a different pattern and will start that soon enough.

Now on to the FO's! I have 2. One is a pair of basic kids socks (in fact I think the pattern is called exactly that) and the other is quite possibly my most faovrite small person sweater in the universe.

Socks: The yarn is Madeline Tosh but I cannot for the life of me remember the color. I did do these 2 at a time with magic loop and while I'm still not a lover of the technique, it did result in instant gratification.

Yoked Cardigan

I love this little thing more than words can say. I had some Lion Brand Amazing that was intended to be for another project but was perfect colors for this. The color here is Pink Sands. I used 5's since the yarn is thinner than the pattern calls for. Since I have had bad luck with gauge as of late I double checked it after a couple inches and ended up restarting in the 2nd size (this is intended for a tiny newborn). It came out perfectly if I do say so myself. THe pattern is quick and easy and clearly written. It also goes up to adult sizes! There are more in the works. :)

I wanted to share the bind off I did. All knitters, at one point or another, are going to fight with a tight bind off. I attempted to do the bottom (this is a top down pattern) 3 times. The first 2 were with my standard stretchy bind off and the 3rd was with a sewn bind off. None of them were working. I didn't need the bottom to be elastic but I knew the arms and button band would do me in if I couldn't even get the bottom working. I googled "stretchy bind off" and the first 5 or so results were for only one. I had never heard of it so I clicked the first video link. It was for a project worked in the round and not applicable for what I needed (ribbing). The next video was though so I sat and watched Cat Bordhi for 6 minutes show me how to do this.

The results are amazing. The amount of stretch is ridiculous. It leaves a nice clean (and almost picot like) edge. It's easy. It's fast. Most importantly it really is stretchy.

Try it today!

Watch the whole video. She gives a handy tip for the last stitch and how to tack it down AND she shows just how much stretch you can get.

Mostly notes...

because I know I will forget and likely loose tags. I'm up to 10 skeins for the beekeeper.

Lorna's Laces: Patina
Lorna's Laces: Monkeyshines
Malabrigo: Butter
Lorna's Laces: Magnificent Mile
Madeline Tosh Vintage: Ginger
Malabrigo: Rich Chocolate
Malabrigo: Applewood
Madeline Tosh Vintage: Dusk
Lorna's Laces: The Bean
Araucania Coliumo Solid: Color 24

I need to make a decision soon. Either just keep adding random colors (in my scheme obviously) or consider those a good amount of variety and go buy more skeins in each one. I'm not sure yet. I'm leaning towards that being plenty.

Spinning Coi

Awhile back, close to 3ish years ago, I bought a bunch of fiber off Etsy. Some of it got spun super fast but one sat. Unloved. Untouched. It was Coi.


As you can see it was gorgeous. In person, it was even better but the colors are hard. The changes are on the width and I know when I bought them, I thought they were on the length. It was gorgeous but I didn't know what to do with it.

Fast forward to 2 nights ago. The youngest has a birthday coming up and I'm in the process of making her a doll. Dolls need hair. Hair is usually lovely yarn. I had nothing in my stash that was worthy. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Coi and knew it was meant to be. I dusted off the wheel (it's been a year since I last spun!) and got to working.


In the end I got 2 large skeins (unsure of yardage) and 2 mini skeins. One mini isn't a real one since it was more an issue of running out of bobbin room. I ended up plying a lavender thread into it as well (which you can see here...I swear the spinning isn't as sloppy as it looks!).

In the end, having a mini skein of just one color (one single was longer) worked out in my favor. I have enough there to do the scalp portion of hair without the added fussiness of COLOR! to distract the eye. All the multi colored parts will be able to stand on their own against a solid back.

I don't know that I love the yarn. I expected it to be brighter. The green and peach tones in the center were kind of murky once spun which was a bummer. I do like (just not love) it though and it'll rock as doll hair I think. It's a tad thicker than I normally spin but I was hoping to get as much texture as possible. Between that and the thread I think it worked out in my favor.

Why did I let myself go long without spinning? It was so nice to feel the pull of the fiber through my fingers as I peddled. My wheel needed a bit of love to get it ready (moving wasn't easy on it) but once it was in top top shape it was a dream. I'm glad I pulled it out.

Consumed

Do you ever get a project going that consumes you? One of those ones that you think about all the time, that you refer to by pattern name as if it were its own person, maybe even dream about?

I have one.

It's not cooperating.

It started with some yarn (as all projects do). This yarn to be exact.


Prairie Silks It's from the Brown Sheep Company and, sadly, a discontinued line. It is a blend of silk (10%), mohair (18%), and wool (72%) and while it's lovely the mohair in it is bothering my hands. I have a lot of this. A LOT. I bought a small lot of 14 skeins, with 9 being in the color you see above (Ruble Red). Other colors in the box are: Bolivar Blue, Franc Framboise, Burnished Copper, Green Back, and Baht Blue. A color card can be found here.

The skeins are tiny. 1.75 ounces and a whoppin' 88 yards. What on earth could I make with that!?

Enter Abalone.

I've had this lovely cardigan in my queue for awhile. Browsing Ravelry the night after I got my yarn, looking for motivation to work on ANYTHING, I came across it again. I did a check on yardage and double checked my new stash and sure enough I had plenty!

It started out very well.


The color is awesome and the drape of the fabric is nice. I suppose I could easily go up one needle size and have a much drappier fabric but it's working on the ones the pattern calls for. I've worked on this for a week now. The entire body is done. The sleeves are seamed. The arm cuffs are complete.

Yet this sweater sits, disgruntled, in the chair behind me. Unfinished. Festering. Uncooperating.

The pattern is more of a guideline by the time you get to the edge. While I am ok with this, the actual cardigan doesn't seem to be. I'm on my THIRD go round of it. The first time was only a half attempt. I had made a mistake and frogged it for the sake of doing it right.

The second time? Well here, take a look.


Lots of puckering and it pulled in so much that the bottom, the part that SHOULD come around my hips, was sitting on my back near my ribs. It was like a tight bolero. Frogged.

I asked for help online and got suggestions. I picked up less stitches last night and placed markers for my corners. FAIL. I could tell 3 rounds in that it wasn't working. Did I frog it?

No.

I was hoping that if I got a couple more rounds in things would lay right and I'd be in the home stretch. It doesn't seem to be that way.


At this point, I have a feeling the all consuming focus is more about just finishing it, than it is about being in love with it. I WILL finish it. I WILL do it soon. I still haven't frogged it. I tried to convince myself earlier that if I just finished it, I could try and block out the puckering that's happening. I know it won't work. Which is why it sits in the chair behind me.

What's consuming you lately?

**This post is a perfect example of why red tones are difficult to photograph. The most accurate color is the second picture.

It's been knit (in the past): A pretty hat

This hat has been waiting for it's day in the spotlight for about a year now. I knit this last year, intending to gift it, and due to random life occurances I never had the chance. I don't remember who it was knit for now! I do know that I ended up making it a bit longer than the pattern (Ear Warmer Cap) says too. I also opted for no texture on it. The body of the hat is Knit Picks Wool of The Andes. I don't remember the color name but it reminds of sweet cream butter. It's a gorgeous yellow without being neon or Crayola hued.
The flower and ruffled part are my favorite thing about this hat. For longtime readers of this blog you might remember seeing the yarns before. Both handspuns were used to make baby items for my last kiddo. Each skein had just enough leftover that I wanted to keep it (in the case of Tumble it was quite a bit). I think both of them complimented the yellow of the hat perfectly.
It was geared to fit a young child (my oldest here is 6) but has enough length and stretch that I can easily wear this. The flowers are on their nice and snug (and were a pain to knit! that's a lot of ruffle!) and help make the hat feel more sturdy. Wool of the Andes isn't the thickest of yarns so I actually really appreciate that fact. I love the hat. I know someone else will too (the oldest has declared it not for her). Eventually this hat will get some lovin'. In the meantime, it'll sit on my finished items shelf and make me happy everytime I see it. What more could I ask for?

It's been knit: Halloween 2011 v.2

The youngest is a fiesty thing. She has spunk. The amount of delightful mischief twirling around insider her is enough to make anyone giggle. As such, we call her something. We call her it a lot actually. It fits, across the board, for any mood she might be in.

Turkey.

She's a turkey, plain and simple. A sweet turkey but a turkey none the less.

This year, I'm in charge of trick or treating by myself. The Spouse will be gone to a convention and the idea of trick or treating with 3 small people by myself seems a but overwhelming. As I sat here pondering my plan of attack one evening I decided I'd wrap the youngest on my back. She'll be out of the way of other trick or treaters and I will have 2 hands free.

The left her costume though. If she were going to be walking she'd have been a bee. A bee just won't fit on my back though so she was stuck with a hat again.

A turkey hat.

Because she's a turkey.



What? Not what you were expecting when I said turkey? :)



I have to say this is one of the worst patterns I've used in a long time. My hat base is slightly different than the pattern calls for in that I did a seed stitch brim (wouldn't it be awesome done in some bobbles and red yarn...you know...like cranberry sauce) and I made it a tad longer. The pattern is written for a 12m size and the youngest is 2 so I added half an inch or so before starting the decreases. The pattern, as written, does not do a flat top. It has shaping and a finish that looks like a turkey would (the bone piece of the cavity basically). I wanted a flat top so skipped that part.



The drumsticks are easy but a pain. The pattern numbers are wrong. As are line numbers. It was easy enough to figure it out since the only changes are on 2ish rounds. As written, you pick up stitches so that there is no stitching them on. I did one that way and the other was done off. I think I prefer them done off and stitched on to be honest. They seem to lay better and I can manipulate positioning easier.



It doesn't have any ties right now but I'll likely add some before Halloween. A simple icord most likely. While the hat itself doesn't need it (it comes down plenty far to cover ears) and the kid knows to keep hats on I'd rather secure it's presence just in case.

Halloween knitting is done! I haven't looked around the Blogworld to see what others are making but I'm thinking I might. It's such a fun time of year for this!

It's been knit: Halloween Edition 2011

Last year we had Vikings and an Alien. They were awesome and well received.

This year, I had a more vocal crowd. The middle child wanted to be a MERMAID!!! and she knew I was up to it. MERMAID!!! she is.

I'd like to claim the blurriness in these pics is due to her being a really fast MERMAID!!! but the fact of the matter is she doesn't hold still and we don't have a replacement camera yet. :)



That yarn. Oh boy. That yarn is really very ugly. It works fantastically for anything with scales though. The bottom fin, surprisingly enough, blocks out well with a quick blast from my iron. I considered buying some wire to weave into it and give it a bit of strength but this will work just fine.



I love the stitch pattern. I've seen it elsewhere (mostly in shawls or sweaters) but not in such numbers. Really pulls off the scale look and helps keep things tight. The only change in fit that I made was length. I could have (and probably should have given the stretch of the body) gone with less stitches. The waistband, as written, is large. The pattern says for 5-6 years old and this is baggy on my 6yr old and even more so on the intended 4yr old. I did a quickie belt for it though which actually helps in the end. It allows the ribbing to sort of flare and be "more fancy like the WHOLE THING!!!".





I think I only cut out a total of maybe 6 pattern repeats. It's just long enough to flip up when she walks but not long to trip on. The front is shorter than I would like but only because I had a set idea in mind.

She loves it and that's good enough for me. :) Stay tuned for this years hat.

Over the moon and then some!

Can you believe it!? That right there, is my 3rd place blanket from Rhinebeck!!! After a couple days of fretting, it made it's way back home safe and sound. I have horrible luck with the postal system so when my delivery confirmation code wasn't working right away on Monday I panicked a bit. It finally went in the mail a day or so later. I assumed I hadn't won/placed at all. They had my email and my phone number. I assumed that if I had, they'd contact me. I'm glad they didn't. The excitement and pride I have coursing through me right now is enough to jumpstart a space shuttle.

I won 3rd place!!! In my first ever time entering anything I PLACED THIRD. They left me a note on one of my tags as well. It says:

Nicely knit. The gauge is a bit tight for the yarn. A looser knit would have made a larger and softer blanket.

I knew this. I knit tight. It's a drawback of mine but one that I am very aware of. This blanket is thick. It's scrunchy and thick. I could have easily gone up 2 needles and been fine. I am also, however, a purist when it comes to patterns. I have a hard time making alterations unless I've done the pattern at least once. I don't know why but my mind balks at the thought. I'm happy with this though. It was made in a colder climate and I didn't want to make it too loose.

I GOT THIRD PLACE! and I'm so incredibly proud of myself right now.

Under the weather

My body (specifically my lungs) has decided to revolt against me. Also? Our camera was recently stolen so this post will be as drab as the weather is gray today.

* Almost done with the mermaid tail. After noticing the total length was supposed to be 34" and knowing that the intended kidlet was only 20.5" from waist to ground I decided to shorten it. I STILL needed another skein of the horrible yarn though. I have maybe 4 inches total left to do and the majority of that will be the waistband ribbing.
* I have 2 new skeins of yarn for the beekeeper quilt. Madeline Tosh and something else that escapes my brain fog right now. Color names and maybe a picture to come later.
* Started a second side slip cloche last night (on new needles!) in a delicious plum purple.
* While getting new beekeeper yarn I also snagged some Rowan Chunky (more like worsted). Same evening I bought Koolhass. I think they'll be a lovely match and I can't wait to get started. I've adored that pattern for far too long.

I think that's it for now. Being picture-less makes it hard for me to see what I'm wanting to share. :)

Progressing my WIPs

First off...the giveaway is over! Congrats to Lorraine. I hope she loves the hat as much as I do. :)

Moving on to WIPs.

This year, kidlet 2 wants to be a mermaid. I have been dying to make a mermaid tail since the first kidlet was tiny. Our last trip to the library I checked out New Knits on the Block which happens to have a tail (and matching top) in it. So I took her to the store to let her pick her yarn. Do you know what happens when you let a 4 year old pick BEAUTIFUL yarn?



They pick something that makes your retinas bleed. Let's get a closer look.



It's called Bonbon print and reminds me cotton candy throw up. From the state fair. After a whirly ride. Lucky for her I happen to be quite fond of her and wil lcontinue to plow through. It's an interesting pattern. You start with the tail fin and work your way up. I'm liking the part that makes the scales (a butterfly stitch). Quick and easy and aside from garish colors an enjoyable knit.

BEEKEEPER:

I'm up to 26.5 hexapuffs (not counting the one on the needles). Woot. I have officially finished off 2 skeins and am on to the 3rd (out of 7).



I am rethinking making the half ones. I'm not sure I like it. While the clean symmetrical shape of the final blanket appeals to me MASSIVELY, I feel the bind off warps the shape a bit. They seem a bit too long. The other night at knitting night I was contemplating the options with someone and neither of us could agree. There are perks to both ways. IF I nix them I'll mix and match yarns once I get to the end of skeins. It'll add a bit more variety and interest I think.



Still not sure on the blue one. I like that it provides such a stark contrast and it reminds of the dead cells in an actual hive BUT I only have enough for 2 puffs.



I did a quick look around at available yarns the other night in preparation of my future needs. I'm liking the theme I have going with it but don't want to rebuy the same skeins. I want to add a bit more variety in tones and what not but there is a limited honeycomb range it seems. If I end up just getting the same stuff that'll be fine. The intended person isn't going to care. It's just a personal quirk of mine. :) I am contemplating getting another skein of blue. I'm not sure, if I keep it in, that I can handle having only two.