Do Knitting Needles Get Smarter?

Or is it the yarn that learns how to behave better?

I can't be the only one who has started out a project, split the yarn multiple times, dropped needles, and later on in the project found both yarn and needles behaving perfectly.

And I've noticed that some of the needles I've picked up at Goodwill or other thrift stores seem to be already trained: I knit faster and more smoothly on them. They seem to know how to knit.

Some of this could be due to needle quality. I have older needles that are barely worn. The coating is worn off the very tip, so the metal underneath shows like the ball of a ballpoint pen. Then I have needles I bought new (Boye!) where the coating is chipping off near the tips like a bad paint job.

Speaking of bad needles, a while ago I wrote about treasure-hunting thrift stores for knitting needles. On the one hand, I found an Inox 29" circular for $1 last week, and on the other hand, I went to a thrift store where the needles were taped together and marked $2 a pair. One "pair" was two US size 4's, a 10" and a 14"! Another was a real pair, but one needle was bent at the top, about two inches from the end. Not bent from use, but bent as if it had been slammed in a car door! Yet another store sold knitting needles by the single needle, $1 each. They had two of different sizes for sale. [rolling eyes]

Sock Progress

I'm up to the heel. Knitting on these is going pretty fast. Before I know it, I'll be wearing these around.

And by tomorrow, it looks like daffodils will be blooming!