Nothing to needle about
29 Aug 2010 Leave a Comment
Isn’t it strange how we get preferences about needles? In fact some knitters can get right needled over it all. It can be to do with material, style and type.
I dislike the traditional grey metal needles – common from makes like Pony. There is nothing wrong with them, my dislike is personal, they set my teeth on edge when I’ve knitted with them. I even get squirmy if I sit to close to someone else knitting with then, especially if they are knitting with a squeaky yarn as well.
I do like wooden needles and have some in birch, bamboo, rosewood and ebony. I like circular needles over straights but will still knit on short straight needles if the need arises – long ones make my wrists ache for some reason. I knit socks on doubles points and circulars, depending on the pattern or style and again I use both metal and wood. As long as I can knit something, then I am happy and if cheap/old metal straights is all that’s going, then that is what I’ll use, because to me it’s the being able to knit that counts.
The above is why it bemuses me so much when knitters can get their knickers in a knot over needle preference – it can a form of ‘know-it-allism’ – I knit with these and I am a knitter par excellence ergo I know better than you, it can be a case of ‘knit-snobbery’ - Ohhhh you use those do you – the cheap ones? Mine cost £’s or are exclusive and it can also be a case of ‘I use these cos all the cool knitters do’ – I read here or saw there that these are what such-an-such uses.
I haven’t been on the receiving end of this (much) but have witnessed it on occasions. I am waiting for the day when the beleaguered knitter in question tells the ‘font of all knit knowledge’ to “Fuck off and mind their own business!” When they do I’ll buy that person a large slice of cake cos it needs to happen.
