To thine own self be true

I was speeding along knitting a pair of socks for the sister-in-law we only see 2x a year (they are turning out FABULOUS! Pretty colors and self-patterning yarn always keeps me happy and that's good because I have 48 hours to knit the pair) and starting wondering why the other sock project that has been hanging around for the past 2 months has been... well, hanging around for the past 2 months. I love knitting socks, it doesn't take me too long, and there's enough major changes in the pattern to keep me interested. I'm already further on this current pair than that one and I started it 2 days ago and was carrying it with me EVERYWHERE just in case I got the chance to knit it. I even carried to one of the niece's school Christmas plays and Hubby said absolutely not was I going to knit while waiting for the play to start. I resisted the temptation to fling myself on the floor and have a "but I wannnnaaaa!" fit and just sat, itching to DO SOMETHING. Sitting still doesn't work well with me. Maybe that's why I taught lower elementary? But I digress...

I really was wondering what was it about that older pair of socks that made me not want to knit it. I had piddled with it a little but always by-passed it for any of the other projects, as in ALL of the projects I've been working on since September. It's been great to get them finished but these socks are part of Christmas too and they need to be done. I took them out of their little bag (I use the free cosmetic bags given to me by my make-up wearing M-i-l and Lola) and gave them a good look over. You know what it was? The needles. That's it. The needles were the reason why I was refusing to knit them. They are a different brand/kind than what I usually use and I had been trying them out to see if they were worth recommending to my beginner sock students. They are square and supposed to ease tension and stress put on hands while knitting, especially if you are arthritic. I'm not arthritic but anything that might make knitting faster and easier is worth trying. Instead, I had more trouble with my tension and laddering than usual and things seemed too slippery rather than that silky ease I get from my Addis. Note to reader: I am an Addi nut. I don't even care for Lantern Moon needles. Have heard Knit Picks might be worth it (and they come in such pretty colors) but I'll take Addi hands down any form any day. I do like Lantern Moon accessories though...

I don't care for square needles (obviously!) but I know others who swear by them and even prefer the 9" circulars that are square for their socks. I don't care for circulars while knitting socks either (too small a work space) but I'm certainly not going to knock it if that's what other's like. Too each his own, totally.