I never really favored knitting with circular needles until I ordered a set of Options from Knitpicks. It was mostly the cable I thought. I hated having to go through the whole hot water ritual to get the cable to unkink, and when faced with the option of storing them in a neat carrying case or hanger where they could rest relaxed, my inner organization Nazi went for the tidy case. So most of the time whenever I could manage to knit with straights I did, and of course I had grown to prefer my bamboo needles over any other material.

So when the Options arrived on my doorstep I really was hooked and lo and behold I began using circulars anytime I got the chance. Unfortunately I have this thing with metallic things in general. Sometimes the feel, or texture or temperature or something creeps me out about metal. I remember once coming into contact with a new tool set the banker had gotten for Christmas with that funny smell and odd coating, and to this day it makes me have goosebumps! I have the same reaction to the paper that newspaper is printed on, cornstarch and chalk. I know that this confession probably qualifies me for entry into the nut house, but there it is. So anyway I was having some creepy feelings about my options set and had started seeing what kind of needle sets were out there. I wasn’t terribly impressed with any of the bamboo options I had seen and was beginning to despair…until the Knitpicks email arrived. I had seen the same wood in knife handles and it was gorgeous so I went ahead and ordered the set. I am in love with my new harmony wood needles, and the case is quite handy too. I think I actually prefer it to the binder. I’m already fiending for the rest of the tips, some DPNs and some smaller fixed circs.

So knitting has been less productive than I’d like. I have never understood people’s boredom with endless rows of stockinette, because to me it is peaceful, but the endless garter stitch of Ladybug’s bog jacket is likely to lull me into a coma. Paying attention to the pattern in order to insert all the little EZ extras at the proper time has become a challenge while simultaneously coping with garter stitch lethargy. I find myself itching to get onto the next project and my sketchbook is seriously calling my name. Ironic that a handful of posts ago I was yearning for simple knitting, no?