Knitting night: Maybe it's not Second Sock Syndrome

I thought I too suffered from second sock syndrome, but the other night I realized that might not be the case. I usually have 3-4 different socks on the needles at any given time (but then again I usually also have 2-3 sweaters, a shawl/wrap and a few misc. items on the needles as well). I really do enjoy knitting socks and once I have completed a sock I feel so good about myself and my work. Socks have very little finishing (finishing really bogs me down) and I like grafting the toes, it is wonderful how perfectly the graft disappears, I love it every time (that's not too weird, is it?) When I have finished a sock I feel such satisfaction, I almost can't wait to cast on the second one. So why don't I? It's not because I don't like the pattern, I have no problem ripping out a pattern I don't like to knit, and it's not because I don't like the yarn, I wouldn't have been able to finish the first sock. Must be that dreaded second sock syndrome. But then again, maybe it's not...

The other night, I finished a wonderful sock. My son gave me the most wonderful alpaca yarn for Christmas, it is so soft! It is a thicker yarn than I usually use for socks so I had to make a trip to my LYS (darn) to get size 4 dpns and I had to rip them about three times to get the right thickness and fit, but finally they were finished and they were perfect! I admired the finished sock for a few minutes and then placed it in my knitting bag. I reached in to get the yarn to start the second sock and that's when I heard something. I looked at my husband, "Did you hear that?" He was in a zombie like T.V. watching trance, "huh?" He didn't hear it. I looked around the room and there on top of the bookshelf was a small basket of the yarn I received for Christmas (O.K. it was more of a medium sized basket, jam packed and overflowing with yarn from Christmas and I few skeins I picked up when I got the size 4 needles). Anyway, the sound, it was the yarn! I swear it was calling to me! "Wait, try me, I'm new, try me!" I responded (not out loud, of course) "No, I already have a sock on #0's and two different socks on #1's. You still need to be wound into a ball and I need some #3's for you guys." I turned my head away to show my resolve and that's when I noticed the closet light had been left on. Great, a distraction, just what I needed. I opened the door and leaned in to turn off the light and there on the counter where I wrap presents was this lonely ball of baby blue yarn. "How did you get there?" I thought. I instinctively picked it up, I guess to put it with the other yarn so it didn't look so lonely, "oh, your soft" I thought. Then I remembered a friend that was going to have a baby in two days, maybe I should make a hat? I sat down, grabbed my #2's and did a quick gauge swatch. Perfect! I quickly did the math and cast on the hat, and the sock, well you knew what was going to happen.

I think this is probably very similar to what happens to most sock knitters. I also have realized that blaming it on Second Sock Syndrome just might be a better idea than trying to explain to people (especially those who don't knit), "It was the voices that made me do it."