Hand knit socks make the world a better place

One of the fun things about working in a library is that every once in a while, we get a title before the release date so the catalogers and processors can have it ready to circulate the day it hits shelves everywhere else. Imagine my glee when the new Wendy Knits sock book arrived at work today! [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="240" caption="Socks From the Toe Up - Photo from Amazon.com™"][/caption] Too early and not enough time to do a proper review, but I must say I have a good feeling about this book. The photos are wonderful. I would hang up some of them, but people think I'm weird enough already. Framed pictures of socks might just get me committed. Anyway, I do believe my name is going on the waiting list for this book. I've never done toe-ups before, so maybe this is a sign that I must teach myself how. In thumbing through the techniques section of the book, it occurred to me that there must be a thousand different ways to knit a sock. Toe-up, top down, two-at-once, on DPNs, on 2 circulars, magic loop method, and don't get me started on all the different heels and toes! There's just something about hand-knit socks that make the effort, frustration, and SSS (Second Sock Syndrome) worth it in the end. You get the satisfaction of something that is truly custom fit. They're comfortable, beautiful, and more often than not you'll be center of attention when you wear them. Store-bought socks just don't compare. Hand knit socks are even a good anti-depressant in a pinch! Think about it. You're feeling down. You look at your feet. Suddenly you realize that there, on your body is something beautiful and useful that you made YOURSELF. If you can be proud of your socks, the world can't be all that bad, can it? Ok, so maybe I'm stretching things with the anti-depressant bit. But you can't deny that a finished pair can be a real mood lifter. The arrival of the sock book today may have been just what I needed to break me out of my SSS and finish the pair on the needles at the moment. It's going to be a pretty wild pair, but that's the way I like my socks :)