Metal, Plastic, or Wood?

• Metal is my favorite. I have sweaty fingers when I knit (someone else has to have this problem), and the cold metal keeps my fingers cool for a while. They're just the right amount of bendy, and come in pretty colors and most are fairly pointy, which I like. They're affordable, and found in most department stores. They're also really hard to break, which is a plus when you're a clutz. Metal needles are very slippery, which is a negative for some knitters, but I appreciate that I don't have to manually move the stitches over the needles; they slide by themselves, and are good for the stickiest yarns (funfur ick).
• Plastic is ok. Very bendy, and fairly easy to break, plastic needles come in lots of colors and can be found in most stores for fairly affordable prices. Plastic is slowly taking over stores, with less and less metal to be found. There are light-up plastic needles that are expensive. Not nearly as slippery as metal, knitters who have very loose knitting or use slippery silk like these more than metal ones. Plastic needles tend to be blunt, but there are pointy ones out there. Plastic needles are fine for me if I can't find metal ones.
• Wood (bamboo, ebony, etc) I don't like wood. Wood proponents list bendability, warmth, and they say wood needles don't make their hands hurt like metal needles. I don't like wood needles because they're easy to break, they make my hands sweat, and yarn sticks to them. Wood needles are my least favorite.

In other news, I'm trying to finish a slew of projects before I go home next weekend so I can distribute gifts of a knitted nature to my loved ones. Knitting whenever I'm awake, and watching lots of movies and tv, and working on things that aren't my favorite and putting off my favorites (sory lace scarf!). I especially love putting in the 300 minute A&E version of Pride and Prejudice for knitting, because it's mostly talking, and I've watched it so many times that I can pretty much quote the whole show. It's so yummy, especially Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. He is so awesome.

In Which I Discuss Circular Needles and Their Link to the Devil Himself

1. When using straight needles, the yarn pulls itself over the needle with minimal work on your part. Circular needles, especially cheap ones, catch the yarn on their wonky circley circular parts and you have to move each piece up by hand.
2. Circular needles come not only in different sizes, but in different lengths too, so if you have a 16" US 8 needle, but you need a 30" US 8 needle you have to go buy a new needle.
3. You can get cheap straight needles even at most dollar stores. Circular needles are much harder to find, and are more expensive to boot.

Obviously the devil invented circular needles to delude poor knitters into thinking that they are better than regular, historically efficient straight needles. Not only do they cost more, but they are less comfortable and slower to use too.

Tune in next time for further debate: Metal, plastic, or wood?

P.S. If you like circular needles, you go ahead honey. I personally don't, and this post is for fun only, so don't leave me any mad comments, just go on with your bad circular self.