Knitting, Knitting Books, and Knitting Plans

Tomorrow I am going to Barnes & Noble for a bit of writing and, if all goes well, to pick up a replacement copy of a knitting book I cannot find at all here in my humble abode.  I just cannot find my copy of Vintage Knits: 30 Knitting Designs from Rowan for Women and Men.  I have looked everywhere and I simply cannot find it!  Yes, annoying is not the word for the feeling I have at the moment.  It is downright...flabbergasting!  This means I am going to have to use one of my Barnes & Noble gift cards to replace a book I already own in order to complete a couple of sweater projects for husband and best friend for Christmas!  I am really not liking this, but there is nothing else for me to do other than just swallow hard and go on and make the purchase and then start knitting like a mad-woman.

Since the weather has turned off cooler I am actually looking forward to knitting again.  For one thing it will help with calming the nerves and for another it will provide two of the more important Christmas presents on my Christmas list.  I am also thinking of looking into knitting a little something for another friend of mine.  It should be delicate and possibly pink.  The only problem is - I am not at all positive she likes pink at all!  It could be Christmasy colors, of course, but I'm not at all certain I have enough red and green to to what needs to be done for the project I have in mind. 

Another friend of mine has also been talking about loom knitting and how she did some loom socks.  Loom socks have me just a little intrigued.  That would indeed be faster, but I'm afraid I would make them too tight for my own feet, much less anyone else's.  How would that work?  She said she learned from watching a video on YouTube; she also said she had to watch it over-and-over again before she figured out the binding off process for the loom.  Would this make sock making easier for me?  I know just straight tube socks for me it would make a snap, but the intricate pattern socks would still need to be done with my needles because, well, that is just the way it is done and how I know I can make the pattern turn out the way it is supposed too: some things are best not fiddled with in my world.

Since the weather is cooler it would be best if a couple of pairs of socks were indeed finished in my world: a) my feet would be warmer; and b) no one else would have the socks I would have, at least more realistically.  Lately, being individual and being me has been far more important (and being warm) than almost anything else.  Perhaps it has something to do with age, perhaps it doesn't - I haven't quite made up my mind on that one yet.