A very chilly June day - good for new socks!

These socks are fraternal twins in that the “back seam” of each is different. I made a sort of cross stitch design on the first, and checkered pattern to match the heels on the second. I thought it would be an improvement, but now am not sure which I like better. The yarns used are Noro Sock yarn and Kauni, both rather thin yarns. I had gotten a set of ebony Lantern Moon needles in my Easter basket several years ago, and had not used them until now. They are lovely, and I felt and admired them frequently, but until this pair of socks, they didn’t seem like the best choice. At the very end of the first sock, one of the needles developed a sliver which made it impossible to slide the yarn along the needle, so I switched to some bamboo needles in the same size. I knitted the tops of the second pair with the bamboo, and the gauge was way tighter. I mean waaaaay tighter. I didn’t notice till I had done the whole edging and the little braided border, so I was a trifle upset. I switched to grey metal needles in the same size and the problem was solved. I didn’t redo the top and this was a mistake, as when I initially tried them on, the one seemed quite tight at the top, giving me a good dose of anxiety. However blocking made it all better.
Rebecca, who had been the Easter Bunny, said I should call the Lantern Moon company, which I did. They said the sliver was probably caused by a flaw in the wood, and immediately sent two replacement needles.