2.26.2007

PRGE Poll

I'll probably take a few days to work on this since it is soo. darned. long.
1. How long have you been knitting/crocheting/spinning?
Five or six years, give or take.
2. Do you consider yourself a beginner, novice or experienced yarn artist?
Novice. I'm above scarves and dishclothes, but have trouble piling up the fo's.
3. What fibers (materials) have you knit/crochet with?
Cotton, wool, acrylic, viscose, bamboo, banana, alpaca
4. What are your favorite yarns?
Knitpicks! Merino style, elegance, and wool of the andes (I'm a cheap date.)
5. What fibers are you dying to try?
Cashmere
6. Do you prefer solid, self striping, or handpainted yarns?
It totally depends on the project. I guess I would have to pick handpainted because those are usually more luxurious and the color combinations are more sophisticated than with a run-of-the-mill self striper.
7. What fibers do you dislike?
I'm not an acrylic cheerleader, but I'll use it with little cajoling. I also find raw silk a bit testy (and there's only so much you can do with raw silk.) Do I have to mention novelty yarn should be banned in the free world? Because I think THAT should be obvious.
8. What are your favorite colors?
Chocolate brown, bubblegum pink, black, red, purple, olive green, robin's egg blue, there aren't many I don't like.
9. What are your least favorite colors?
rust, mustard, teal, all the obnoxious ones.
10. How did you learn to knit/crochet/spin?
I'm self-taught
11. What projects are you currently working on?
Endpaper Mitts, DNA scarf, wavy lace shawl
12. How old is your oldest UFO?
Years old What is it? It is a triangle shawl from Vogue Vintage Knits I started for my mom in her school colors (she's a teacher) Will it ever be finished? Well, she teaches at a new school that is the rival of the old school so there's not a huge demand for a shawl in the wrong colors (it might get her car keyed). Its a shame, too, because there are only a few rows left to do.
13. What is the most heartbreaking project that you ever frogged?
The Hush, Hush from knitty. I ran out of yarn and couldn't find a substitute. I think that's a recurring theme with this project.
14. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
I like to knit with straights better, but you can't beat circs for convenience.
15. Do you own a swift and/or a winder?
Not technically, but my five year old does a good job.
16. Where do you keep your needles?
In an overstuffed mug. I really need something better (hint, hint).
17. Do you enjoy helpful hints about your knitting or does it just piss you off?
Generally, they piss me off unless I ask for them.
18. What techniques are you still a virgin in (lace, cables, ect.) and are you interested in trying them?
I am working on my first fair isle project now, the endpaper mitts. I'd like to try intarsia and I have a pattern for a world map afghan that I'll get to one day.
19. What knitting magazines do you subscribe to?
None, and I've put myself on a strict no-new-magazine diet until I get some things done.
20. Are there any books, needles, yarn, patterns that you are dying to get your hands on?
I'd love some knit picks circs. I have the size 0 and I love them! Now I need to get the other sizes, and two of each so I can try to make some socks on two circs.
21. Do you enjoy knitting socks? I've started about 3 pairs and never got far enough to even mention. I think the dpn's were holding me back. I'm doing the endpaper mitts on 2 circs and it's going much smoother. How big are your feet? US size 5.5.
22. Do you have a wish list?
I do.
23. What are your non-knitting, crochet, spinning hobbies?
Sewing, building my dream house, making soap and lotion
24. How do you feel about sports?
I'm an LSU fan and usually attend all the football games. I like basketball and used to be a good golfer. However, I am not athletic by any means.
25. What is your favorite season? Fall/ Spring, Beautiful sunny and cool weather. Least favorite season? Why? Winter and summer suck *ss in Louisiana. Winter is rainy and cold, summer is ridiculously hot. Last year the water in my pool got too hot to swim in!
26. What is your favorite holiday? Halloween, of course.
27. Do you like handmade gifts? Who doesn't?
28. Do you wear jewelry that isn't real? Yes, but I never underestimate the good stuff.
29. What are your favorite foods? I have a huge sweet tooth but I am banned from my favorites- chocolate and coffee- due to a fast heart rate. (Sometimes I cheat.) Scents that you love? Gardenia is my favorite, evah!
30. What is your family situation? Do you live alone?
Married with 3 children ages 5, 3, and 1, and a part-time chihuahua.
31. Do you have any pets? see above.
32. What kind of music do you like? Just about anything except country. I like to listen to college radio. Can your computer/stereo play MP3's? Yes.
33. What are your favorite movies? When Harry Met Sally, Breakfast Club, Kill Bill v.2. TV shows? Ghost Hunters, Heroes, CSI (although they are starting to lose my patience. Come on, perpetual zoom and clean up on photos?) Actors? Ed Norton, Val kilmer, guys who can play a range. I don't understand how Jack Nicholson and Robert DiNiro are called actors when they are always. the. same. guy.
34. What do you collect? music boxes, bells, vintage patterns (sewing and knitting- I'm a vintage size 14.)
35. What do you do in real life -- besides knit and blog? I'm an education research analyst
36. When is your birthday? March 19 Is it a national holiday or just another day? it should be a national holiday!
37. Do you have any allergies, medical conditions or disorders that your pal should be aware of (ie. diabetes, food/pet allergies, ect.)? I am not allowed to ingest caffeine in any form- chocolate, coffee, soda, although those are my most favorite foods on earth. (Due to an abnormally high resting heart rate.)
38. Are there any scents, phobias, or sensory thing (ie, the way certain objects feel) that your pal should be aware of?
Violin music is unbearable to my ears. The sound of it makes my body want to cough up my soul.
39. What is the most difficult thing that you have ever knit/crochet? There's nothing that doesn't get easy with practice. Each project is hard until you get the hang of it.
40. What is your personal style? Classic but quirky is there a time period/fashion movement that you take your cues from? all ranges. I really like the 20's through 60's, I know that's a wide range. I collect vintage patterns from those eras and knit/sew them.
41. Anything else that you would like to say? I like violets, skull and crossbones, coffee mugs, I can't help but steal pencils and pens (its a teacher thing), and I'm addicted to paper stationery, especially personalized and handmade.

Dysfunctional? Yes, but sooo much fun.

My family has never been big on sensitivity. I learned early on, and the hard way, that my mom would never give me a shoulder to cry on. Not a leaf on my family tree has so much as a caterpillar of sympathy knawing on it.
Yesterday, I got a phone call that my grandmother took a spill and broke her leg? hip? no one was sure just yet, but surgery was definately in the cards. While most people would have made the drive to the hospital in worried silence- at least- I piled into the car with my parents and made the hour-long trip LAUGHING THE WHOLE WAY.
You see, my grandmother fell down an escalator. I don't know if you realize, but that's funny stuff. Imagine an old lady going ass-over-end down the whole length of an escalator and not find something funny in it. Okay, its just me? Whatever.
It only gets better from there. You see, all 6 of my aunts and uncles and every cousin had the same first question upon hearing the news: Oh God, was she wearing underwear? I won't explain why that's a valid question, but leave it to suffice, you can't NOT laugh when someone says that.
To our defense, my Maman (that's what we call her, my kids call her Maman Doris) was making some of the best jokes. From telling the paramedic, "Honey you ain't THAT good looking" when he had to cut off her pants (and underwear, she WAS wearing underwear!) to telling me it crossed her mind to yell, "I've fallen and I can't get up!"
But all jokes aside, she's got a broken hip and will need surgery today. She's also a diabetic so recovery will be a bit dicey.
I started the endpaper mitts in Knitpicks Merino Style when I got home. Flog me later. I had a rough day.

2.23.2007

Welcome to my new place!

While I am sad to see my old blog go the way of the dinosaur (I wonder if that means dinosaurs are 404), I understand that sometimes it is necessary to walk away. I can't promise I'll be a better blogger because of the move, but you never know, do you?

In news related to throwing in the towel, I am resigned to frogging the Brown Cabled Cardi that I was not enjoying.
The cables in the photo weren't really visible and when knit up, well, they looked like crap. They were branchy and organic, while I like my cables neat and somewhat symmetrical. I think I would get along with Starsky better. I am also trying to not cast on for Eunny Jang's endpaper mitts because I have a million ufo's flying around at the moment.
Don't believe me?
wavy lace stole
tweed coat
sofa slipcover-no pattern
dna scarf
duro dress
and too many other socks, scarves, stoles, and
Knucks to count.
I'm uncontrollable.

BTW- Britney,
WTF?