lwood

When I started knitting, I began with aluminum needles, because they were least expensive, and dammit aluminum crochet hooks were good enough for my mum, so they were good enough for me.

Then I bought a most excellent book, as the little book that came with the "Learn to Knit!" kit was bloody useless, and it said, "Yeah, aluminum's cheap and comes in pretty colors, but really what you want to start with is bamboo or wooden needles.

So I bought them, and they were fine, and I knitted many Harry Potter scarves, including my own.

Then the movie came out, and I laid that task aside, and wanted to knit something else. The year was 2004, I was stuck in New York while The Notorious DLP was meeting with those dread, fantastic beasts known as Editors, a meeting that would result in a contract for a little book about religious extremists and the search for identity. I, however, was left with

camwyn and we were left to Our Own Nefarious Device, which were pursued to a Den of Iniquity and a wretched hive of scum and villany.

In the Den of Iniquity, I learned about the Addi Turbo, those sleek, silvery, sinuously steel beasties that really look like the Absolutely Last Thing That Ought to Be Allowed on a Plane, and yet my brethren and sisteren, verily I say unto thee that all knitting needles and crochet hooks are Permitted to Fly, even if what you have are four-inch long steel stilettos connected by a handy plastic garotte, by which I mean an Addi Turbo circular needle.

I bought my first, it was not my last, and I made Many More Things.

Now I'm doing a lace scarf with yarn I bought accidentally while looking for what I needed to complete another project. And I found that the Addi Turbo's very sleek swiftness was cramping my style, because it's hard to get the traction needed to knit three stitches into one with such skinny yarn on such comparatively needles.

But lo! An opportunity presented itself. I worked my way to a Den of Extra-Special Vintage and Antique Iniquity, because they, of all the stores I knew, were the only people who carried....don't look at the next paragraph,

purplevenus...

Straight knitting needles made of bone.

I admit, I bought them for the cachet, but actually? They feel quite comfortable in the hand, somewhat warmer than wood, and are slicker than the Clover bamboo, but with a little more grip than the Crystal Palace bamboo.

I think I've found my new favorite knitting needle material...

-- Lorrie