I have purchased a garter bar set on ebay

I was thinking about my next project for my 5 year old grand daughter.  I wanted to knit a band of  tuck stitch around it in the variegated yarn I bought but tuck stitch knits back to front.  So I was wondering how I could reverse my knitting so that the better side of the tuck stitch would come out on the front.

Reading one of my knitting books and saw the garter bar.  There was my answer!

So, off to the computer  I went.  I looked up some youtube videos on how to use a garter bar and what they consist of then proceeded to ebay with trepidation.  You know I have a love hate relationship with ebay  ☺.

I found one that was ending in two hours and it was a full set.  Two bars that join together to make it long enough to do all 200 needles.  The two adjustable needle stoppers to lock the needles, a shorter bar, something with some sponge on, the two weird plastic clothes peg looking things and the instructions in English.  Still had the original box too. The start off price was $35.  It seemed a lot but the postage was only $9.  No bidders at that timebut someone had asked a question so there had been interest.

I sweated for the nearly two hours, had intense conversation with my husband about my bidding strategy and the maximum price I would pay.  Only a few minutes to go so I put in my $35 bid and hoped no one else was sitting in front of their computer too.    I put in my maximum price, encouraged by my husband I put in $62.59.  I thought that was a bit rash but heck, it's his ebay account and he pays.

I walked away and sat down to watch TV, the tension is just too much for me lol.  Anyway, I went back after the time elapsed and I won it for $53. Phew!  So much for no one else sitting at their computer waiting to grab it at the last minute.  They gave up at $52.

I had looked at others too.  One was a buy it now price and was for sale in the UK at £80.  I thought that was a bit steep plus there would be postage on top of that.  Another was in Canada and it only had one bid of $25 but there were three more days to go and the postage was quite high too. (Just out of interest I added that to my watch list and it finally went for $120.....I was blown away by how much it went for)

So I am eagerly awaiting it's arrival.

I have just the armbands to do on the second tank top which I will finish probably today then I will wait for the garter bar set to arrive and start on the top for my grand daughter.

Here is the tank top pre-armbands.  I did the neck a little deeper than the last one and it came out quite well this time.

Yesterday's bug of the day!  I think it is a preying mantis

When I get the garter bar I may have to set up the original Studio 700 too as I read it was easier to use a garter bar on a flat bed as opposed to one set up with the ribber attached (which is how mine is set up now).  Oh darn!, I won't have to sell it after all.  The desk I use for my machine has a deep lip on the back  so I could attach it to that.

But, and there is a but, I would like to get a better chunky machine than the one I bought last year which is like a Bond and to afford that I will have to sell one of the 700's.  Decisions, decisions!

But for now I will set it up on the back of the desk so I can use the garter bar on the flat bed.

Also, as a side note, I discovered symbols using the alt key.  No more GBP for this old gal, I know how to make a pound sign now, and a smiley face and a bunch of other things.  Progress indeed!