Friday, September 15, 2006

The Knit-Geek Questionnaire

1. What's your worst habit relating to your knitting?
Startitis. I’ve so many projects screaming about in my head all wanting to be done first. And then there are those skeins of yarn not patiently awaiting their turn to be knit yelling at me!!

2. In what specific ways does your knitting make you a better person?
I’m sure most knitters will say that it’s given them more time to things over, to be patient.


3. How might you or your life be different if you were suddenly unable to knit?

*****speechless*****

4. If money were no object, what one yarn, and what one tool or gadget would you run out and buy first?
ALL of Lobster Pot Cashmere. What Carol does with color just pleases my senses to no end! Gadget? First? Ball winder. No question.

5. What knitting technique or project type are you most afraid of (if any)? What, specifically, do you fear will happen when you try it?
Entralac. No question. The idea of all those bobbins and then having to weave in all those ends. What would happen if I tried it? Insanity, just forward all my mail to St. Elizabeth’s.


6. Who is/are your knitting hero(es), and why?

Elizabeth Zimmermann, for saying just do it and be proud of what you’ve done. Beth Brown Reinsel – come’on. Sweaters without seams and making it easy to understand.

7. Do you consider knitting, for you personally, a mostly social activity, or a mostly solitary activity?
It’s something I do every free moment of the day/evening/night. I always have something with me. I’ve been told that I’m distracted and difficult to talk with if I don’t have any knitting with me, whether I am actually knitting or not.

8. Is there a particular regional tradition in knitting that you feel strongly drawn toward (e.g., Fair Isle, Scandinavian, Celtic, Orenburg lace)? Any theories as to why it calls to you?
Ganseys. I suppose it could be the wee bit of the Irish in me. Or the desire to go to the Isles. But mostly I would have to say that it’s the patterning and mechanics of knits, purls, and cabling that draws me in

9. If you were a yarn, which yarn would you be?
Sorry, can’t even fathom this one. I’m so damned ticklish that just idea of someone handling me sends me into fits.

10. Some statistics:

(a) How many years have passed since you FIRST learned to knit?
Do we have people actually admitting to this one?!

(b) How many total years have you been actively, regularly knitting (i.e., they don't have to have been in a row)?
Geez, just come out and ask me how old I am! LOL (can you tell that age can be a bit touchy with me???)

(c) how many people have you taught to knit? Lots - really!

(d) Roughly what percentage of your FOs do you give away (to anyone besides yourself, i.e., including your immediate family)
98%

11. How often do you KIP (knit in public)? i.e., once a week, once a month, etc. Where do you do it?
I’m truly never without my knitting. I knit at stop lights, in traffic, in backups, waiting for people to get off work/out of school; walking the neighbors’ dogs; just walking in the neighborhood, around town. So the answer is probably daily where ever I happen to be.

12. If a genie granted you one hour to stitch-n-bitch with any one knitter, living or dead, who would you choose and why?

Eleanor Roosevelt. I would love to have a sit down and hear her talk about what was going and the ways that she thought things should go. She was at the helm of our nation for quite a while when her husband was the President. I think it would be a total blast to get into one of those hot political discussions with her.

13. What aspect or task in knitting makes you most impatient?
Seaming, putting all those pieces together.

14. What is it about knitting that never lets you get bored with it?
How just the process of creating a few stitches can calm me and allow me to again think rationally, even if just for a few minutes before the crisis.

15. Describe how and where you most often do your knitting - where do you sit, what is going on around you, what tools do you use and how are they (dis)organized?
Our house is rather small for the amount of people living in it. There are 5 of us and only one bedroom. The bedroom is where the kids sleep, homework, do their reading, talk on the phone (you get the picture.) The living room is my “bedroom” though it is also the living room. So where I knit is on the bed. Usually watching TV/movie; keeping an eye on the kids using the computer (also in the living room); knitting in my lap; pattern to the right; necessary tools to the side of the pattern; book of choice also in my lap. To the left, glass of water or cup of coffee.

16. Which one person is the recipient of more of your knitting than any other?
My niece.

17. What's the oddest thing about your knitting, or yourself as a knitter?
ummmmmmmmmmm....that would imply that I was not a odd person to begin with.

18. What do you see yourself knitting - if anything - twenty years from now?
Hopefully, delightful little sweater sets and socks for the grans.

19. If you were stranded on a deserted island and could have only ONE SKEIN of yarn, which yarn would it be and what would you do with it?
Desert Island, something cotton. Cascade. Lots of yardage, beautiful colors to choose from. A towel/face cloth. A grrl’s gotta be clean!

20. If you were allowed to own only one knitting-related book, which would it be? (you'd be free to browse others, but you couldn't keep them)
Beth Brown Reinsel’s Knitting Gansey’s. I have it in my collection and is probably THE most referred to book I own. Though I’ll admit that I’ve recently checked The Knitting Answer Book by Margaret Radcliffe from the local library.

21. Is knitting the new yoga? Why or why not?
Well, now this is a tough question. Knitting could possibly be almost as old as yoga. It’s just a matter of people finding what works for them in relieving stress, tension, mind invading chatter (yarn screaming from the attic.)

22. What important thing are you trying to put off doing whenever you knit?
Talking on the phone. I really hate talking on the phone and I’ve friends (bless them really, I love them all) who like nothing better then to call and talk, talk, talk, talk.

Okay, so much for the questionnaire. Now that I've completely bored you sillier then silly.....in knitting news

First commerical (just kidding!!) Here's a photo taken somewhere out West taken by my newly graduated son while traveling from here to Atlantic City, Nevada. It's for Sandy who is always sharing and inspiring others to share "Sky Shots." By the way, WARM HANDS is back!!!! Go check out Sandy's blog.




I've finally finished a pair of mittens for our friend, Alex. She's a grrl who works with my DH and has most graciously bailed us out of a couple of tight spots. I thought a neat pair of mittens would be in order (you know, warm hands, warm heart.) I did not manage to get a pic of them. I will however get DH to take the camera with him to work to possibly get a photo.

The gansey that I've been working for a neighbor will be taken out of the knitting bag today and worked on possibly finished. That reminds me, I need to call the Yarn Gardne and see if I can get that last skein of Cestari.

And now a shot of above mentioned son (also called The Tall One) with his grrlfriend.



And two life shaking events have happened....

1) I have a JOB INTERVIEW!! OMG! What am I going to wear? What shoes should I wear? OMG my hair!!! I need a shot! JIM!! JACK!! JOHNNY?!?! Jose!!!

2) ---> You might want to sit down for this one..... Thee Wyldman informed me the other day that he is no longer a knitted sweater kinda guy.

nuff said.

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Something different



Here are a couple of pics taken of two of Baltimore's finest. DH and I took these while shopping in Fells Point this past Friday.



And of course one cannot visit Fells Point and not stop in at A Good Yarn. Lorraine is carrying a fine line of sock yarns now. One that has really caught my eye and that I do believe once I have some free size 1 needles (or decide I can't wait and just go out and buy more) is Austermann from Skacel. It's called "Step" and is a LARGE ball (you can get a rather long pair of socks from it.) Each ball is 75% new wool, 25% nylon; 420 meters; and has aloe vera and jojoba oils in it that will last for at least 40 washings!

She's also carrying one of my favorite sock yarn Trekking XXL in lots of great colors with more on the way!

I have been knitting. Really. Tomorrow night is Annapolis Knits & Crochets at the Borders Cafe in the Annapolis Mall. I've volunteered to teach a two-color mitten class so I've been putting together notes, gathering graphs, and supplies to make this a good class. Wanna see?



What you see here (besides it being a bit blurry) is:
a book of graph paper - the blocks are two sizes!;
4 sets of spare needles;
little sock needle holders
stitch markers
colored paper
pencil
pencil sharpener
more needles (from my own collection)
bright green cotton yarn for thumb marking
bobbins and sticky notes
Folk Knitting in Estonia by Nancy Bush
Sweaters from New England Sheep Farms by
Candance Eisner Strick

Also I've knit two little mitts sans the thumbs using some the technics that I'll be helping my friends with. One of the things I'm trying to stress with this class is to be creative and design something on the mitten that you like.



So, that's it for tonite. Oh, would you like to join us? Monday night, 7:00pm - until we're thrown out; Annapolis Mall Borders Cafe. Upstairs. Wave your knitting and the people in Borders will point you in the right direction.

Get on with yer bad knitterly self!!

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Real Life Knitting!!`


This is a "knit blog" after all. But first, here's a photo of what we've been dealing with for the past couple of days.

So last week we had these really incredibly hot days (my kitchen was 93 degrees F) then Friday it decides to rain. The weatherperson called it a tropical depression -- Ernesto to be exact. Came to visit from the Florida area. With the storm we lost all power. So what does any sane knitter (hmmm, is there such a thing as a sane knitter?) do when power is lost? Cast on socks. Hold on to yours, here's some proof that I have been knitting.



These are Regia 4Fadig in all their stripy goodness. Done on size 0 needles with a cast on of 72 stitches and traditional type heel flap. These will go to Socks for Soldiers.



These are the official start of holiday knitting and intended for a special young lady in my family. They are done with Fortissima Colori 1000 on size 1 needles with a provisional cast on (with crocheted chain) with 64 stitches and again traditional heel flap, just not as deep. These girls don't have much of an arch to their feet.

I'll finish off both socks with a star toe down to 8 stitches and then kitchener the rest. Myla has said that the socks are more comfortable that way.

Also, I was asked to knit a sweater for friend. So here's a pic of the progress as of last Thursday. I can knit socks in the dark, but not ganseys.



This is being done in a cotton wool blend from Cestari (spelled?) Farms. The pattern is partly my own, learned from the fabulous Beth Brown Reinsel and her book Knitting Ganseys. It's a green heather color and the size is probably between 12 and 18 months. I've put a button placket on the shoulder just to make dressing a bit easier. Also, I love buttons and am always looking for ways to use them.

So folks, I'm off to finish a sock and cast on for it's mate. Speaking of mates, I for one am going to miss "The Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin."

And because it is after all my blog, here's a pic of the rapidly growing Guji. Though it's really a pic for Miri. You can check her out here.