Just for youwannaknowmyname, and well anyone else that may want to knw my deep, dark secrets :-).

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand?

I love the high quality and natural stuff - but it’s all about value for me. I’m a yarn sale snob - nothing makes me happier than a great yarn at a great price. But to finish the question I have not really used Red Heart - but I do have some Lion Brand (growing) in my stash. I’m loving the wool ease for kids stuff, and I’ve been picking up their fishermans wool at JoAnns with the 40% coupon lately.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?

Yes, yes. My spinning is improving - but I really don’t spend the time with it lately like I should. Now that the tree is out of the livingroom and the wheel home again - hopefully this will improve. One of my goals this year is to really become a competent spinner. My crochet skills lately are used for just edging. Although I did just flag a cute crocheted shrug to add to my maybe in the future list.

3. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

Here I’m very bad - they are in the top drawer of my knitting dresser. I keep buying material to make some cases- but, but, but. The actual time to drag out the machine has not been found.

**Just a side note - I really miss having a whole room to craft in. With everything spread all over the house and hidden here and there - it makes it hard!! And yes I’m whining!! But this is also why I knit so much now, it is very portable knitting is. Okay end of side note**

4. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

Knitting full-force al little over a year now. Well actually counting on my fingers 1 year and 5 months :-) I consider myself very much the beginner - but I don’t let that influence my pattern selections.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

Yes I do. You can find the link in the sidebar.

6. What’s your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)

Food!! Fresh clean food smells that is. Anything with a citrus type of smell-especially for the body. Orange, grapefruit, mangos, apple pie, etc. :-)

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

Uh, yes. My new favorite are those jr caramels. Oh boy!! I love how you can eat a whole box of those, and not even know it. You know they do not leave that “oh I just ate the whole thing” blob feeling in the bottom of your belly. I am a chocoholic - and very proud of it.. Another favorite candy that I absolutely love are see’s lollipops - oh my. I received some as a gift this Christmas, and I had forgotten how much I loved these things. We don’t have See’s stores here in NY so it had been awhile - but boy did it bring back the memories, and the need for more.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?

Home decor type of stuff, collage, altered books, quilting, a bit of beading. I like to do many, time-wise I’m hurting. That’s why knitting is so cool. Easy to pick up and put down again, no fuss - no mess.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

I mostly listen to christian or talk on the radio. But my taste is wide open - I am a child of the 80’s you know. My all time favorites (voice wise) are Anne Lenox, Lisa Loeb, and Merril Bainbridge. But I also love Led Zepplin,(in throught the out doors is my album choice if I had to be locked in a room forever with only one choice to continuously listen to) Echo and the Bunnyman, Green Day, Doris Day, I’m all over the place. Oh and Reggae is my absolute favorite genre - there’s nothing there that I don’t like. Even a sad, slow reggae song can put you in a good mood, and get you moving to boot!!

10. What’s your favorite color? Or–do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can’t stand?

I love color - you just can’t always tell from my yarn selections :-)
Yarn wise I’m all about brown. Now I’m trying to move on but I wear much brown - so you know I must knit much brown. But I’m adding some pinks, blues, and greens to the mix. I love color - but I’m not to much into the neon looking stuff. I love the soft subtle stuff. Oh and my all time favorite color is orange - but I can’t wear it. Well at least not on the top half - I look awful in orange. It’s a sad thing.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

No pets, but I do have a husband and some kids.

12. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

Yes I do!! Now you would think I would have a truck load of such items for myself - but no. I finally have 2 scarves for myself that I did myself but just recently (Nov/Dec) Hats, all my hats are basically from old navy and such. I still have not done one of those for myself. Mittens, see hats. Ponchos, not wearing them like I used to. Now that little man is getting bigger and I’m not breastfeading all over the place - my poncho wearing days are few. But for all you breastfeeding mothers out there (especially in cooler climates) these are the best “I’m descretly feeding my baby” cover-ups there are. They don’t fall off your shoulders all the time like a blanket does. Plus the kid has great fun sticking his wee little fingers through the knit. It’s a cover-up and a toy all in one.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?

Soft and smooshy yarns are the asolute best. I love alpaca and alpaca blends. I’m really growing fond of the merino wool and wool blends. My all time favorite yarn is Cascade 220- because you can do just about anything with that stuff. From sweaters to slippers, it’s a good thing. And not rough on the fingers to boot.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

Anything that pills before it’s time, and yarns that split while knitting to easily. Splitting yarn just agravates me way to much., and a yarn that starts the pilling process while still knitting with it just makes me mad.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?

Cables,cables, cables. I’m finishing up a hiking scarf for the husband, and I love this pattern I think I’m going to do one for myself and a couple for gifts. I’m getting ready to start Rogue, and I finally orderd the pattern book for “Crossed in Translation” because I could not hold out anymore. It may take me the whole year(or two) to finish, but I’m going to go for it. I’m also getting ready to start a cabled sweater for my littest out of denim yarn and a Mrs Beas pattern.

I’m also really getting into socks. I have my first big pair still in the works - they were set to the side for awhile to finish up holiday knits, and as soon as I clean up a few more wips they will be going again. I have a couple of new sock books and I want to knit them all. Plus I feel the biggest need to try Socks that Rock yarn (blog reading I tell you).

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

Quick and easies that don’t look quick nor easy, and items with little seaming. Because the seaming stuff I tend to put off forever for whatever reason.

17. What are you knitting right now?

I’m still on the taming the wips game, so I have not started any new projects yet this year. Besides the scarf and the socks already mentioned, I have a pair of slippers that I’m still sewing the soles on (that seaming stufff), one sock and one mitten still needing their mates for little man, a pair of fingerless gloves for myself (one just needs the thumb and the other is yet to be started), and my angelina sweater. Angelina and the scarf are what I have been reallly working on lately. When I have time to actually sit and knit it’s the sweater. When I need knitting for the car, or just have a few quick moments its the scarf.

18. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Yes I do!! I actually prefer handmade gifts. Some one taking the time just for “you”, you know? It just gives me warm fuzzies all over.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?

Circular. Even when I’m knitting straight I use them. And now that I have conquered the two circular method I’m circular all the way baby.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

Depends on what I’m knitting. Those who know me well though know I love these old plastic circular needles I picked up at a thrift store awhile back. They are the best. Work on all yarns I’ve tried so far. They warm up with your knitting and bend and pick so nicely. They have a very decent point,and a awesome join. They are one big piece and just taper down for the join - they snag on nothing I tell you. Since my quest for more of these precious babies has not panned out I have to use other needles also. Lately my new purchases have been addi turbos. I’m loving these for the two circular method, and I’m buying one pair at a length that when I want to learn the magic loop method I’m good to go.

I have them all. I use them all. It just depends on what I’m knitting.

21. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

I just bought a yarn winder, yabba dabba doo!! Cheap too!!I bought it at a lys sale on new years day. It was used and marked down to $25 then it was also 30% of that. I don’t have a swift yet though.

22. How did you learn to knit?

In 97 my children and I had to go to a shelter for domestic violence. I learned to knit during our three month stay there from a wonderful lady named Sandra. When we left, I got busy restarting life and such that it sort of took a back seat. Then about 3 years ago my secret prayer partner from church was a knitter. I wanted to get her a small gift and stopped at one of the local yarn stores. It was like walking into Disneyland for me. I left there with the gift, but also a pair of needles and two skeins of multi-colored yarn for myself. (That I still have by the way)Even though I knew I could do it, and even had all these fancy stiched swatches I had done in the shelter, it wasn’t happening for me. I was pearling backwards or something and my stockinett had bumps on both sides. Life got busy again, needles were set to the side once more. Then when I was pregnant with my newest one - I felt the need to create again. Started the quilting, and altered art stuff again. After having the baby I was in the library one day and saw the Stich and Bitch book, picked it up and checked it out. The pictures and such in that book were so clear (much more understanding than my GH needleart book I was attempting to re-learn from) that I got it, and I also figured out what my problem was. Sandra taught me to knit holding yarn in left hand. When I was attempting to relearn myself I was holding the yarn in my right (because those pictures made more sense at the time) but instinctively doing it from my left. (Are you lost yet) Anyways I was doing this wackadoo backwards thing-once I dropped that I was good to go. Then because I was a new mom, and it was getting close to the holidays, yadda, yadda, yadda. I’ve been going strong ever since then.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?

That would be the Angelina sweater mentioned a couple of times already. I started that in the summertime. She got put down for awhile, but I’m going strong on her now.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?

Curious George, and Marvin the martian are my favorite animated characters. Animal is the monkey. I love my monkeys!! But I would never own one as a pet or anything, I’m talking the sock variety.

25. What is your favorite holiday?

This year it’s Thanksgiving. It’s like Christmas without the stress.

26. Is there anything that you collect?

Monkeys!! I love sock monkeys, and now there is so much monkey paraphernalia out there I’m in monkey heaven. Oh and salt and pepper shakers those I collect also.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

I have none so far. Rowan, Vogue, and Interweave are the ones I always buy and one day will get a subscription to.

28. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on?

Books - my amazon wish list is basically all books. Yarns - art yarns regal silk, and their super and ultramerino, socks that rock yarn , and koigu, are all yarns on my list to try when the time comes. Patterns - The wonderful Wallaby from Cottage Creations, and this Corset tank top

29. Are there any new techniques you’d like to learn?

Magic loop, and knitting cables without a cable needle.

30. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

If you have read this far, you know I’m a wanna-be sock knitter, and my foot measurements are 9 1/4″ at the widest part on the bottom, and what do you know the length is the same.

31. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)

October 23rd

Now that’s a mouthful. I know there are probably many errors and typos in this here post. Fixing will be for another day though-bed is calling my name.

Posted in Spew on Jan 9th, 2006