Knitting Tools I LOVE #1

I hate double pointed needles. Now please don't take it personally, I just find that they are awkward and have too many points. My preferred sock needle is a 12 inch Addi Turbo - usually a 2.0mm as I am a bit loose (as a knitter that is).

My usual sock is 64 stitches to start and 8 or 9 st to the inch. Sometimes I start with 68 or 72 if I think I am going to make a longer sock or am using a 2 colour fair isle pattern that I know will be a little less flexible. The first row or 3 can be a little tight but after that there is no issue with the needle being too long.

The only issue I had when I first started with them was how to hold them. I learned to knit with the pencil grip - right hand under the needle. This does not work at all with the short ends of the 12 inch Addi so I now hold them with both hands over the needles. I knit about 1 and 1/2 socks before this felt comfortable but it was well worth the short term pain.

If for no other reason, the 12 inch circs make knitting 2 colour fair isle patterns so much easier - so much so that I likely wouldn't have tried designing in 2 colours were it not for the little circ.

Other reasons:

I can knit faster - stocking stitch just whips by with no needle changes
No chance of losing one of your dpns (anyone heard Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's story about her lost needle? HILARIOUS!)
No ladders between stitches at the "corners" - since there are no needle changes!
Smoooooothe!
No pointy sticks to poke through your knitting bag (mine is usually a ziplock bag - not the height of elegance but easily replaced)
Makes for a nice neat compact package to pop in your bag on the way out the door.

Try it - you might like it too!

Cheers to all