Of socks and crocheted scarves

I don't understand my fascination with making socks. I'm scared to death of double pointed needles, because every time I finish a hat with them I feel so awkward. I don't screw anything up, but I feel like I will any minute. And once the snow melts, I don't even wear socks unless I absolutely have to. My toes are freed at the first opportunity. So why my obsession with learning to make socks? I have all this sock yarn that I haven't even touched, because I'm apprehensive about trying.

Yes, I know it's only pulling loops of yarn through other loops of yarn, and it's not dangerous like open heart surgery or anything. But in my warped little mind, socks are the thing you have to be able to make to be able to say, "Yes. I am a knitter." Sweaters? Bah. I'm making one right now. It's just a hell of a lot of easy knitting. You increase and decrease when you're making hats, and I've made a ton of those. Lace? No big deal. Yarn overs are easy. Color work? Not really interested yet. Socks. OMG. You have to use those tiny double pointed needles, you have to use tiny little yarn, you have to *gasp* turn a heel and use short rows...damn. I will not be a knitter until I've made a sock. Well, preferably a pair of socks. Until then, I am just a random person who knits a lot. There is a subtle difference.

And I finally figured out what the deal was with my tension on my crochet scarf. I was leafing through my "Learn to Crochet Fast and Save the World" (okay, that's not really the title) book and found that I was putting my yarn over the hook in the wrong direction. So I made an effort to do it right and lo and behold, my stitches are looser and the scarf feels like a scarf and not a piece of particleboard! Rawk. (I'm still amazed by the size of this hook...it's 15 millimeters! I don't have knitting needles that big!)