All I Want to Do is Knit Socks

While getting dressed this morning, I opened my sock drawer to discover that I only have four pairs of wearable hand-knit socks. I have two other pairs that just need a bit of darning in one spot each, but those aren't going into my shoes until those spots have been mended. That leaves me with merely a work week's worth of comfort and warmth for my feet.
Now I am sure many of you reading this might think of wool socks as those same ones you jam into your snowboard boots. Perhaps you are thinking of those thickly knit slipper socks you got as a kid from an ambitious knitting relative. Or you could be like me and know about the delightful merino/nylon blends available to hand knitters in every color of the rainbow. If you are the latter, please bear with me, and remember not everyone knows that we are knitting socks with something other than Red Heart of Homespun (which certainly have a place in the hand-crafting world...it just doesn't happen to be on my feet).
The yarns I use to knit socks are much thinner than any craft yarn you have seen. I shared a pair with some friends this last weekend, and they commented how similar they were to the Smart Wool brand. Which, of course, they are. The idea behind the Smart Wool is to utilize the same characteristics hand knitters have known about wool for centuries. All wool will wick moisture away from your skin (preventing a leading cause of blisters), insulate the warmth of your body even when wet, and is a naturally wavy fiber resulting in a lot of elasticity. In addition to all of these wonderful characteristics of wool, the yarn is spun tighter creating a smooth, even, and durable surface, and then in many cases 3 or 4 strands are plied together to create a very round final yarn. While hand-knit socks do tend to be thicker, it is not by very much, and this thickness contributes to the delightfully warm final product.
My sock knitting habits lately are a bit wacky. I have two types of socks on the needles right now: a pair of Cookie A's Lindsey socks and a pair of plain vanilla stockinette socks for my husband. Would you believe its the vanilla socks that are giving me trouble?! Here is why, I typically knit my own socks two at a time using a magic loop. With the vanilla socks I wanted something even smaller to carry around with me, so I started them on double pointed needles. What a wild ride that has been. It has been surprising to me how changing up something I have never thought of as a routine really messed with my..well...routine! More on that later.