Debatable
I can handle the sniffling and the coughing. I hate it, but it’s tolerable. But when my ears starting ringing at about 12:30 last night, that freaked me right the fuck out. I’m used to a little tinnitus now and again – usually after a concert – but the sudden onset and incredible discomfort that accompanied it had me panicking. After a fitful hour’s worth of sleep in a long, noisy night, I called in sick to work and dragged my ass in to the doctor.
The good news is that the ringing is probably nothing serious – it’s either all the congestion in my head making my ears go wonky, or it’s a side effect of the various over-the-counter medications I’m taking to keep myself upright.
The bad news is, the congestion is from a raging sinus infection, which probably developed when my immune system went down when I caught the flu early last week.
So now there are antibiotics and some super-duper non-ear-ringing decongestants on my bathroom counter. With luck, I’ll be feeling human again in ten days or sooner.
Is it just me, or is the cold and flu season a killer this year?
So, sometime last week I was browsing through one of my favorite online forums, and someone had started a thread asking “What is the Raging Debate in your area of geekery?” It was an interesting discussion, covering everything from the shades of grey on Lego blocks (“old grey” versus “new grey”) to comma use to some sports stuff that I just skimmed. Naturally, i started thinking about common debates in knitting, and was bemused to realize that, for such a loving and pacifistic group, we seem to have a lot of perennial arguments. While I’ve never known two knitters who couldn’t reconcile their circulars-versus-straights differences, we are an opinionated bunch. Some of the debates that sprang immediately to mind:
Circulars versus straights: Probably the longest-running debate in knitting. Circulars take the stress off your wrists! Circulars are nice and self-contained! Straights are traditional! Straights are easier to store! Where I stand: Really, I swing both ways. Circulars can be nice and convenient, but I do love the traditionalism of straights. I use whatever I have handy, in the size I need.
Socks – toe-up or leg-down: Go toe up and use all your yarn! Try them on as you go! Avoid Kitchener stitch! Or go leg down, and have beautiful heel flaps and traditional structure, and avoid the stupid, fiddly toe-start problem. Where I stand: I’ve done it both ways, and there are certainly benefits to both. At this point my inclination is leg-down, because I love me a good heel flap – they fit better, and they make me feel smart.
Socks – magic loop, two circulars, or dpns: Who wants to wrestle a grumpy hedgehog? Use circulars to knit your socks, and wrestle an angry octopus instead! Where I stand: You can have my dpns when you pry them out of my cold, dead hands. Wrestle your octopus, if that’s you’re preference, but I’ll stick with my hedgehog, thanks.
Acrylic versus natural fibers: Wool is itchy! Acrylic squeaks! Where I stand: As a rule, I prefer natural fibers, but as Rabbitch once pointed out, if the recipient of your knitting is likely to vomit on it (babies, crack addicts, old people) acrylic is the way to go.
Where do you stand on the issues? What are some other “raging debates” in knitting?
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1Mouse
wrote on 29 January 2007 at 20:33
There’s also the ever popular discussion on which cast on/cast off method is more finished, quicker, stronger, smarter.. whatever.
I’ll use whatever needles strike my fancy at the moment.. circular or straight.. though I prefer bamboo if we’re doing straight needles and Addi’s if its circular. I do use both magic loop and dpns equally.. for me it boils down to what mood I’m in.
Sorry to hear that you’ve got the crud… my son and I are currently getting slapped with this season’s current “flavor” of flu.
2Melissa
wrote on 29 January 2007 at 21:36
*Metal circ’s all the way. Currently loving my Knit Pick’s Options.
*Leg down, of course! Too fiddly the other way.
*I’ll stab anyone trying to take my dpn’s. I’m stalled on the sleeves for Ariann because I don’t have a set of 5 dpn’s in the required size & gave up after a row of magic loopiness. Who voluntarily submits to that kind of thing?
*There’s some purty darn nice & soft ackrylic out there (see Dark Horse). Overall I’m a wool fan, but I’m willing to think outside the lines.
I suppose another debate is metal vs. plastic vs. wood/bamboo needles. Give me pointy metal needles any day.
3jenifleur
wrote on 29 January 2007 at 22:49
Don’t forget continental vs. throw. Or american or english or whatever you want to call it.
4Debi
wrote on 29 January 2007 at 23:04
Lifelines and/or markers in lace knitting vs. suck it up and take it like a man, so what if you have to tink back 40 rows??
Circs all the way for me but I will put a point protector on the end of a DPN to “make” a straight needle now and again.
Top down 99% of the time – while I LOVE the Turkish Cast-On for toe ups I mostly knit for absentee feet and I’m never quite sure where to begin the heel for a perfect fit. I do all my charity sock knitting toe up bacause like I said, I love the Turkish Cast-On and I figure the socks will fit someone no matter where the heel is.
I’m a DPN girl all the way altho I will do magic loop once in a while just for a change (and especially with toe-ups)
I’m a horrible fiber snob but acrylic has it’s place: for those that won’t handwash and babies as well as in most cottons to lighten them and not kill your wrists!
Cool topic!
Feel better!
5Marcia
wrote on 29 January 2007 at 23:14
Thanks for not taking a public stand on the comma issue.
I was a purely straight stick chick until I started knitting from the internet and bought my first Denise set for a really wide project. I have a hard time using my straight needles now, but I don’t hate them. Circs are the way to go for knitting in the car.
I have not yet knit a sock.
I’d rather pluck my eyeballs out with an oyster fork than knit with dpns. But I do if I must. I loves me some magic loop.
I do not discriminate against any yarn on the basis of fiber of origin. I have hated some wool in my lifetime. And some cotton. And some acrylic. I’m knitting charity hats out of Encore right now and I’m really liking the feel and the look. The newer Encore is pretty soft. For babies and kids, acrylic is the way to go.
And I’m a thrower.
And a screamer.
And I like bamboo for some yarns and addis for others and my Denises almost always do me good.
6Chris
wrote on 30 January 2007 at 8:13
I make a fine toe-up heel flap with the least fiddly cast on you’ve ever seen.
I hope the meds help quickly!! It has been an evil cold and flu season. I swear, I could make a fortune selling welcome mats that say “Plague House” this winter…
7Anne
wrote on 30 January 2007 at 8:25
I had that bug – took me almost an entire month to be completely rid of the wallpaper glue-like substance in my sinuses. It is nasty – so take care of yourself.
And either – top-down – DPNS – and natural fibers all the way. For what it’s worth (probably not much).
8Rachel H
wrote on 30 January 2007 at 8:31
Did some vitamins come home with those lovely sinus clearning meds? Hm? nag nag.
Circs for me. Great for subway knitting, ability to prevent small hands from ripping the needle out of the work, big projects like blankets. I was never really able to work with straight needles in the easy, graceful looking way my mother and grandmother did and that always bothered me.
Haven’t tried a toe up sock yet or one on two circs or with magic loop but I have to say I’m really comfy with the DPNs so I doubt I’ll change there.
Most of my fibre choice is based on feel and colour. I prefer the idea of knitting with natural fibres but the age and spill/spew tendency of the recipient is certainly a factor. Not against acrylic if I like the look of it enough. And having Amy Knitty, she who is allergic to wool, as part of my SnB I’ve come across some mighty fine and soft and wonderfully drapey man made fibres.
9Lilith Parker
wrote on 30 January 2007 at 8:34
I love circs but I will never, ever give up my Brittany straights.
I’m happy to wrestle an angry hedgehog as long as it doesn’t draw blood.
I refuse to knit socks leg-down, and I hate heel flaps (short rows all the way, baby!).
I prefer natural fibers, but my budget often forces me to use acrylic (as long as it’s soft… no Supersaver, thankyouverymuch).
Wood needles feel better to me than any other material.
As I was reading the entry, another debate popped into my head, but as soon as I went to comment, it popped right back out. Oh well.
10Carrie
wrote on 30 January 2007 at 9:03
So far I like circs better to use, as even just a few rows on straights will have my forearms aching like crazy. I love the look of the straights, though – especially the bright colored metal ones – so I keep them in a bud vase on my desk to look at.
Also, I like socks better on circs, but I can do them either way. I’ve just started some, toe up, on magic loop, and I’m enjoying it – I didn’t want to have to think about how I was going to do cable crosses across dpns. My pathological fear of running out of yarn at the toe makes me knit toe-up, but I do love a good heel flap.
Really, though, I don’t have arguments about them. I knit how I like, and you knit how you like. Don’t try to force me to change, and I won’t have to kill anyone.
11Kelli
wrote on 30 January 2007 at 10:08
definitely more flu crap going around
*I prefer circs, but straights have their merits
*I like a good leg down heel flap, but toe up is fine too
*You can pry my DPNs out of my cold dead hands.
*Natural fibers unless it’s for babies, etc.
12karenology
wrote on 30 January 2007 at 10:52
Socks vs. hates socks! Nobody will see all the hard work I’ve put into my pretty intricate lace socks under my jeans and shoes
Also, knit vs. crochet.
13Lee Ann
wrote on 30 January 2007 at 11:18
For babies, superwash wool is the way to go, because it’s flame retardant. Acrylic is a fire hazard on babies. It melts right to the skin. I have a childhood friend who has an artificial leg and not a whole lot of unscarred skin left thanks to an acrylic blanket in his crib. Scares the crap out of me to think about it, and I know people want to throw baby stuff into the washer (having had a baby, yep, I’m familiar with the massive upswing in barf loads) but that’s what superwash is for.
Serial comma. Totally.
14Sunflowerfairy
wrote on 30 January 2007 at 12:24
Wash your hands more. Do it right- soap, lather while saying the whole alphabet, then rinse. Make dear fiance do the same.
Also, I’ve been taking airborne alot because I’m back at school and the people are funky-germie-filled-wonders there.
I can’t stand people who tell me that I should learn continental. I don’t care about the benefits. I don’t care that your auntie Hilda taught you that way when you were 3. I’m not learning it just to piss you off. heehee.
15Gri-chan
wrote on 30 January 2007 at 14:37
yes, dear, it’s been a rotten flu and cold season — ask me how I know! And after taking care of a terminally ill parent, I second Sunflowerfairy’s advice about handwashing. It really does help with the transmission of the icky nasties.
I love my DPN’s, especially the 8 inch long stainless steel Inox ones, which I have learned to grab wherever and whenever I see them. They are great for socks, and as an added benefit, if someone keeps interrupting you as you count stitches…well, let’s just say a bit of poking at can work wonders! *grins*
16BigAlice
wrote on 30 January 2007 at 15:47
I’m with Jenifleur – what about the continental vs. british/pick vs. throw/right vs. left BLAH BLAH BLAH. I say, do what makes you happy. I hold with my left hand because I learned to crochet first and that’s how I held it in crochet.
Circs vs straights: I stick to circs because I am an enormous klutz, and if I can drop a needle, I will. Plus, bonus: can be used for straight, circular, or magic loop
Socks: I have yet to try the toe up, but I’m with you on the heel flap making me feel smart.
DPNs vs circs: I’m in your camp on this one too – I’d rather go for the hedgehog than the octopus. However, I did try magic loop and it wasn’t bad. I prefer it if there’s a lot of patterning (especially those cable crosses). It feels totally different to me than 2 circs, for some reason.
acrylic vs. manmade: y’all, I’m gonna knit with whatever feels good to me and is appropriate to the recipient. That said, I don’t do manmade blends for babies for the specific reason Lee Ann mentioned above: acrylic and polyester melt and can cause horrible burns. Cotton will burn, but can be quickly put out. Wool’s a natural flame retardant, it just smolders. I’ll always pick superwash/machine washable for babies and kids, but I avoid the acrylic for them.
Also, um… how do I say this? Polyester makes me sweat, and it doesn’t breath, so I get sweaty and cold at the same time. It kinda depends on the blend. I love me a fleece jacket, but only one with a zipper. So I guess I lean heavily towards the natural fiber camp, since I don’t care for nasty sweaty. I’m not evangelical about it, ok?
What about wood vs. metal vs. plastic vs. freaky milk needles?
pointy vs. non-pointy?
I just prefer whatever works for the project and the fiber, but gee, some people get awfully, uh, attached to a particular type.
Get well soon! I’m glad you’ve finally got the good drugs.
17janna
wrote on 30 January 2007 at 15:55
Get well!!!
Circs vs. straights – Definitely circs, although I occasionally use straights, although not for anything very long/big (they get heavy). And I prefer bamboo and pointy.
Definitely DPNs – I’ve tried Magic Loop, but I really enjoy the looks on muggles’ faces when they see all those DPN points!
I’m kind of a fiber snob, although I’ll knit with a wool/acrylic blend sometimes.
Socks – I find top-down easier, but like the look of toe-up, so I need more practice, I think.
And I just converted to continental, without much pain (although I’m still a slow knitter). The other day, a fellow knitter said that she thinks people are born to knit either continental or english, and you just have to figure out which one you are. And I think she’s right!
18Plum Texan
wrote on 30 January 2007 at 18:42
About three years ago, I had a horrific sinus infection and my ears had been plugged for three days. Up late one night, blew my nose, right ear opened and gave me vertigo so severe I almost dropped to the floor…and would.not.stop. So I understand the scary – and I hope it’s all better soon. (I recommend peppermint tea and chicken soup with loads of garlic.)
Also:
- Circs, circs, circs; metal, and the slicker, the better (with rare exception). Straights make my hands hurt, plus I’ve only been knitting for three years (so no traditionalism), and I mostly knit blankets and shawls.
- When I get back to learning socks, it will be on DPNs – I like them! It will also be toe-up, using the magic cast-on from Knitty.
- I’m allergic to everything that was a) once animal fur/hair and b) is used for yarn…as in, break out in a rash, sniffle-sneeze, red-eyed allergic. But I do really like good cotton, silk, and various blends thereof. I will add that synthetics (like various microfibers, acrylic, and nylon) have drastically improved from the days when I first learned to crochet (not very well) a couple of decades ago, and blend really nicely with plant fibers. It also depends on the purpose and what I like that day.
- I was taught Combined (unawares) originally. Liked it a lot, but have transitioned to Continental because I’m too lazy to translate lace patterns. Basically, I “throw”/wrap left-handed. Combined is faster; don’t have much interest in English.
- I appreciate crochet and can do just enough to help my knitting or do small flats, but knitting is much more natural to me.
All in all, no matter the question, I have some strong preferences myself…but I think every crafter has to find what works for them, and I don’t think there’s a “wrong way,” “bad fiber,” etc. If you enjoy your craft and achieve (at least, most of the time) what you’re aiming for , I think that’s all that matters.
Finally: Serial commas! Cats *and* dogs! 62 degrees F! Macintosh! Big ‘n’ tall husbands!
19Holly Burnham
wrote on 31 January 2007 at 14:50
Great thoughts….my answers:
Circulars
Top down
2 circulars
Natural fibers