An obsession with socks

It seems that all the knitters I know are knitting socks at the moment and socks are all I seem to knit these days. I always use four dpns and have not knitted on regular needles for well over a month now.

My first pair began in January during the holidays. I just had the urge to learn how to knit socks and that would need new yarn. I raced to my local yarn shop and chose some Opal Petticoat sock yarn. It took me some time to get my head around the knitting in the round thing, but I quickly got the hang of it, managed to turn the heel with help from a friend and within a fortnight I had a pair of socks.

After that I bought more sock yarn and made a belated Christmas present for a friend in Opal Feeling. Then I made another pair for myself in Opal Acapulco. Then another friend got a birthday pair of socks in some blue Lana Grossa. Then it was a pair for my boyfriend's grandad in Opal Hundertwasser. Then a pair for myself in a different Opal Hundertwasser. Then I made myself another pair in Opal Crazy and now I'm making my boyfriend a pair in Opal Rainforest animals. I feel so prolific as I'll finish my eighth pair later this week.

All this sounds fantastic, but knitting socks has become addictive. I have many obsessions in life and have an addictive personality and I cannot break the cycle of casting on another pair of socks. They are just so satisfying and I find the colours and patterns enthralling. Yesterday I went to my local yarn shop and bought another four balls of sock yarn and whilst I have every intention of knitting them all, my ambition exceeds the time I have available to complete them. I may only be 28 but already I am looking forward to my retirement and dream of knitting socks all day every day. Is this normal?

The trouble is I have other projects in the stash waiting for completion. I have the back to Rowan's tulip in a beautiful cerise and purple mix waiting for a left and right side so it can be sewn up and worn. I really want to finish it, but it seems to difficult compared to socks. I love knitting, but sewing up drives me mad.

I think I need to make a commitment here and now in writing that the next project after these socks will be Tulip. After all, it will actually be worn this summer whereas these lovely woolly socks aren't really suitable for the warm weather we're having. I keep saying that I need to think about my Christmas presents and make a good start as everyone's getting socks this year. But that's surely premature.

Therefore, I, McKnitty, do solemnly swear that I will finish Tulip before completing another pair of socks.

Let's hope I'm a woman of my word.