A Needle Appreciation Post

In knitting circles, there's a lot of yarn appreciation. Why shouldn't there be? Yarn is soft, warm, colorful, fun to squish. It is all of these things, regardless of whether one is a knitter or not, so it can start up a conversation with people who aren't part of the secret society of those who know what the meaning of k1p1,yo means.

Other knitting tools are less appreciated. Tools like needles, ball winders, swifts. It's not that you don't love them, it's just that it's a lot easier for others to understand why you absolutely adore that merino/silk blend you just bought. It's not that you don't love needles, but they are cold to the touch and they hurt you if you try and squish them. Of course you love them, but it's a quiet, more dependent love.

So, this is an appreciation post dedicated to my size 5 (3.75 mm) ChiaoGoo Red Lace stainless steel circulars. These needles are some of the best I've ever worked with. The steel is slick enough for quick knitting, the cable is very flexible and memoryless, and the cable's red color makes me feel like a knitting bad-ass. I bought the ChiaGoos to knit my Aeolian (above) and the second I cast on, they became my closest friend.

The first circulars I ever bought are probably the cheapest circulars I have ever bought. As you can probably see from the image below, they are not magic-loop friendly. They have the memory of a champion speller and the flexibility of a paraplegic. No matter how loosely you cast on, your  ends up too tight. I've used them maybe twice since I bought them.

The ChiaGoos are a complete pleasure. Continuing the metaphor of friendship, ChiaGoos are the friends that pick you up from unpleasant places at the drop of a hat. They always remember your birthday, they know all of your siblings' names, and they threaten to stab anyone who breaks your heart (they're needles - it's their only available recourse).

The needles above, whose brand I have long forgotten, are more like Facebook friends. You met them at some event, they friended you, and you confirmed their request because it might be useful to have them around. They constantly post random junk that conflicts entirely with your political stance and the contact they have with you directly comes entirely in the form of Candy Crush requests.

The Chiagoos are the ones that eventually convince you to unfriend them and get rid of their stressful influence. They were never good enough for you anyway. The ChiaGoos, though? Those are worth appreciating.