Sometimes, I think the best part of the Secret Pal exchange is the way we are given writing prompts for those days (er, weeks, months...) when I can't be bothered to photograph FOs. For the first contest, we were asked the following questions:
1. What is the one knitting accessory you could not live without?
There are a lot of knitting accessories I tend to do without. I use scrap yarn instead of stitch holders, and rubber bands or yarn for stitch markers. I got into these habits in the early days of knitting, when I couldn't afford all the paraphernalia suggested for new knitters, and just haven't changed my ways yet. From a practical point of view, I'd be inclined to say my scissors or tape measure, but that rather lacks imagination. I suppose it is a tie between my Lantern Moon needle case, which makes it so much easier to bring knitting with me on holiday, and a jewelry box I've converted into a knitting organiser. Knowing where everything is makes it much easier to work on projects.
2. If you're heading on vacation, do you take knitting with you? If
so, how much and what type of project?
It depends on the sort of holiday. If it's a mini-break, then no. I want to cram as much exploring as possible into that weekend! For longer holidays, I usually bring whatever I'm working on at the moment, assuming it's not too big. I've worked on Sahara and Wisp on recent holidays.
3. Where have you travelled to that you'd consider your favorite spot?
This is impossible to answer. Istanbul would be very high on the list, but I also loved Prague and Venice. However, I also occasionally need to get far away from cities, and for that nothing beats the mountains, Lake Tahoe in particular.
4. What is your favorite knitting book at the moment? Do you own it?
For basic instructions, I still go back to Stitch 'n' Bitch over and over again, though I still haven't made any of the patterns. I also love looking through the stitch dictionary in the big Vogue Knitting book. I own both those books. I'm currently in love with the patterns in Knitting Lingerie Style, Romantic Hand Knits and Knitting Classic Style. Sadly, I don't own those three at the moment, but they are definitely on the list.
5. Do you listen to podcasts? Which is your favorite(s)?
I don't listen to any knitting podcasts. For me, knitting is something that should be seen and, ideally, felt. Hearing about it just isn't the same! I do listen to Coverville (an all-covers podcast) and, of course, Tim Gunn's Project Runway podcast, but that's about it at the moment. I'm afraid that's a very dull answer.
Perhaps this week I will gussy myself up enough to take a photo of the tunic. I'm not thrilled with the fit, but I suppose I should at least post photos as a warning to others with a similar body type.
Wednesday 22 August 2007
Tuesday 14 August 2007
Secret Pal 11 Questionnaire
Even though I'm still waiting to have some issues from secret pal 10 sorted out, I decided to give it another try and signed up for secret pal 11. I love the idea of the exchange and felt it deserved another chance. Of course, this means filling out another questionnaire. If it seems like I just did this, that's likely because I did. But the answers might be different this time. I might surprise you! Really - don't go!
1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I just love yarn, you know? I don't discriminate too much between the different fibres -- I'll use anything (with the exception of acrylic, which I rather consign to its own category). I am particularly partial to the softness of alpaca or cashmere and to the sheen of silk, but I'm still exploring and learning about all the different fibres and am eager to try them all at some point.
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a Lantern Moon needle case that holds my most commonly used circulars, the ones sized 3.5-4.5 mm. The rest are broken up into four small drawers, based on size (S, M, L and XL). It seems to work quite well. My straights, which I rarely use, are on a shelf, resting in a carafe I appropriated from the kitchen. Someday, I'll find a vase I like for them and I will return the carafe to its proper role of holding sangria.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I started knitting eight months ago and haven't really stopped since. I would say that I'm creeping into the intermediate category, as I've tackled a few fitted garments and lace pieces, but I'm still a ways off advanced.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I have one on amazon.com, started when I was living in the US (I'm an expat) and kept for my family there. I'm moving things over to amazon.co.uk, but it's a slow process.
5. What's your favorite scent?
I love amber and ginger. I like spicy florals and spicy foodie scents, too, but I need some spice or musk to cut the sweetness. A straight up floral or food scent would cause me to wrinkle my nose in a most unbecoming way.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I like sweets, but I am currently trying to abstain a bit in a bid to lose the weight I gained upon moving to the UK. It's not so much a diet as a less gluttonous approach to food. I like chocolate and baked goods too much to ever really diet. I don't really eat the sort of sweet you can buy at the corner shop, though -- if I'm going to splurge, it's going to be something really good, not Cadbury's.
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
Are you kidding? Between a full-time teaching job and a serious addiction to both books and the Internet, I barely have time to knit. I''m not adding any more distractions! When I am an independent woman of leisure, I will review this attitude, but at the moment I'm full up.
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like lots of different music, though I don't listen to a lot of mainstream stuff. If it's often played on Radio 1, it's probably not in my collection. I am currently in love with Okkervil River, the Arcade Fire and Iron & Wine, though my obsessions change on a weekly basis. Last week it was Iggy Pop and Loretta Lynn.
9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
This is an answer that never seems to change. I love shades of red, purple, green and gold. Jewel tones are good. Pastels very rarely appeal to me, I tend to find blue a bit dull, and I've yet to find an orange I would want in my house.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I have two Bengal cats that make frequent appearances in this blog, and right now that's enough for me.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes, yes, only when it's very cold, never.
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I love making tops of any kind -- tees, tanks, jumpers. I haven't tried a cardigan yet, but that's definitely on the list for this winter.
13. What are you knitting right now?
I'm just finishing up Clapotis and about to start some cushion covers I've been planning for a while. I've been wanting to create something without a pattern and that seems like the perfect place to start.
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Sure, why not?
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Circulars, all the way. I wanted to be a traditionalist and use straights, but I haven't touched them in months. When I first started knitting, I bought complete sets of bamboo circs off ebay, and they get the job done, but I really love wood needles (I've only used rosewood so far, but would love to try other kinds). I like the Lantern Moon circs a lot, though the joins aren't seamless. I recently bought a couple of Addi turbos, too, which are great for speed, though a bit hard on my hands if I'm pulling a knitting marathon. I'm not a fan of plastic at all.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
*sigh* No. I'd like one, but it's really not that much of a pain to wind my own balls, and I can spend the money I save on more yarn.
17. How old is your oldest UFO?
January? It's a jumper that I finished knitting but never seamed, and at this point I'm a much better knitter than I was at the time, so I'm in no hurry to finish up that big shapeless brown mess.
18. What is your favorite holiday?
Any day I don't work is a good day, but for food and family and presents and decoration, nothing beats Christmas.
19. Is there anything that you collect?
Cat hair? Other than that, nothing. Like I said above, I really don't need any new hobbies.
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I would love to get Fitted Knits or AlterKnits, and I keep meaning to get a subscription to Vogue Knitting or Interweave Knits. I just signed up for a trial run of Knitting, though I'm not convinced yet. Knit.1 also looks interesting.
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I still want to give fair isle or intarsia a go, but I plan to do that with the cushion covers.
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I feel like I'm missing out on some kind of knitting obsession, but I don't knit socks. This is partly because I don't have any DPNs, but mainly I'm just not that into socks. When it's cold, I wear black or white ones around the house, and when it's warm I go barefoot. Maybe once I try it, I'll be sucked into the sock obsession, but at the moment I am still free. Plus, I have crazy long feet, so they would take longer than normal-footed people -- another reason to put it off for a bit longer.
23. When is your birthday?
16 September.
24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
I am! I signed up in a hurry as shinyobject, for no reason I could explain other than that it was late at night and I wanted to get on quickly. I will be changing that ID at the first opportunity.
ETA: And now it's been changed. To marcia, which may lack creativity but is at least straight-forward.
1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I just love yarn, you know? I don't discriminate too much between the different fibres -- I'll use anything (with the exception of acrylic, which I rather consign to its own category). I am particularly partial to the softness of alpaca or cashmere and to the sheen of silk, but I'm still exploring and learning about all the different fibres and am eager to try them all at some point.
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a Lantern Moon needle case that holds my most commonly used circulars, the ones sized 3.5-4.5 mm. The rest are broken up into four small drawers, based on size (S, M, L and XL). It seems to work quite well. My straights, which I rarely use, are on a shelf, resting in a carafe I appropriated from the kitchen. Someday, I'll find a vase I like for them and I will return the carafe to its proper role of holding sangria.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I started knitting eight months ago and haven't really stopped since. I would say that I'm creeping into the intermediate category, as I've tackled a few fitted garments and lace pieces, but I'm still a ways off advanced.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I have one on amazon.com, started when I was living in the US (I'm an expat) and kept for my family there. I'm moving things over to amazon.co.uk, but it's a slow process.
5. What's your favorite scent?
I love amber and ginger. I like spicy florals and spicy foodie scents, too, but I need some spice or musk to cut the sweetness. A straight up floral or food scent would cause me to wrinkle my nose in a most unbecoming way.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I like sweets, but I am currently trying to abstain a bit in a bid to lose the weight I gained upon moving to the UK. It's not so much a diet as a less gluttonous approach to food. I like chocolate and baked goods too much to ever really diet. I don't really eat the sort of sweet you can buy at the corner shop, though -- if I'm going to splurge, it's going to be something really good, not Cadbury's.
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
Are you kidding? Between a full-time teaching job and a serious addiction to both books and the Internet, I barely have time to knit. I''m not adding any more distractions! When I am an independent woman of leisure, I will review this attitude, but at the moment I'm full up.
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like lots of different music, though I don't listen to a lot of mainstream stuff. If it's often played on Radio 1, it's probably not in my collection. I am currently in love with Okkervil River, the Arcade Fire and Iron & Wine, though my obsessions change on a weekly basis. Last week it was Iggy Pop and Loretta Lynn.
9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
This is an answer that never seems to change. I love shades of red, purple, green and gold. Jewel tones are good. Pastels very rarely appeal to me, I tend to find blue a bit dull, and I've yet to find an orange I would want in my house.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I have two Bengal cats that make frequent appearances in this blog, and right now that's enough for me.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes, yes, only when it's very cold, never.
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I love making tops of any kind -- tees, tanks, jumpers. I haven't tried a cardigan yet, but that's definitely on the list for this winter.
13. What are you knitting right now?
I'm just finishing up Clapotis and about to start some cushion covers I've been planning for a while. I've been wanting to create something without a pattern and that seems like the perfect place to start.
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Sure, why not?
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Circulars, all the way. I wanted to be a traditionalist and use straights, but I haven't touched them in months. When I first started knitting, I bought complete sets of bamboo circs off ebay, and they get the job done, but I really love wood needles (I've only used rosewood so far, but would love to try other kinds). I like the Lantern Moon circs a lot, though the joins aren't seamless. I recently bought a couple of Addi turbos, too, which are great for speed, though a bit hard on my hands if I'm pulling a knitting marathon. I'm not a fan of plastic at all.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
*sigh* No. I'd like one, but it's really not that much of a pain to wind my own balls, and I can spend the money I save on more yarn.
17. How old is your oldest UFO?
January? It's a jumper that I finished knitting but never seamed, and at this point I'm a much better knitter than I was at the time, so I'm in no hurry to finish up that big shapeless brown mess.
18. What is your favorite holiday?
Any day I don't work is a good day, but for food and family and presents and decoration, nothing beats Christmas.
19. Is there anything that you collect?
Cat hair? Other than that, nothing. Like I said above, I really don't need any new hobbies.
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I would love to get Fitted Knits or AlterKnits, and I keep meaning to get a subscription to Vogue Knitting or Interweave Knits. I just signed up for a trial run of Knitting, though I'm not convinced yet. Knit.1 also looks interesting.
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I still want to give fair isle or intarsia a go, but I plan to do that with the cushion covers.
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I feel like I'm missing out on some kind of knitting obsession, but I don't knit socks. This is partly because I don't have any DPNs, but mainly I'm just not that into socks. When it's cold, I wear black or white ones around the house, and when it's warm I go barefoot. Maybe once I try it, I'll be sucked into the sock obsession, but at the moment I am still free. Plus, I have crazy long feet, so they would take longer than normal-footed people -- another reason to put it off for a bit longer.
23. When is your birthday?
16 September.
24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
I am! I signed up in a hurry as shinyobject, for no reason I could explain other than that it was late at night and I wanted to get on quickly. I will be changing that ID at the first opportunity.
ETA: And now it's been changed. To marcia, which may lack creativity but is at least straight-forward.
Progress report
Although I am, deep down, terribly lazy, I do occasionally have fits of productivity in which I finish projects I have been procrastinating on for weeks. Such was the case last night, when I finally grabbed the summertime tunic and wove in all the ends. There were a TON of ends, because the yarn was very knotty and needed to be cut far too often. It took me well over an hour, but this morning she was washed and is now christening my blocking board:
I also bought ribbon and beads for the straps, so this one should get a proper FO post soon -- only two months after I finished knitting it. I was hoping it would be done by this evening, but today turned out to be a cold, rainy day, and nothing is drying quickly in this weather.
Clapotis has been teaching me very a important lesson about hand-dyed yarn. And that lesson is: never use it again for projects that require more than one skein. The first two I used were perfectly matched. Then I started happily knitting with the third, only to discover (after knitting about three inches, of course) that it was noticeably darker than the rest. Frog frog frog. Next skein was better, but seemed to be missing most of the red tones. Snip that yarn, start a new ball. The one after was fine. The next one had a perfect blend of colours, but the overall tone was a bit darker. So now, as I enter the home stretch, I'm alternating the two balls that were only a bit off in order to produce a more even effect overall. And, once again, creating too many damn ends that I'll have to weave in.
The next time I feel productive, that is. Not now, for goodness sake.
I also bought ribbon and beads for the straps, so this one should get a proper FO post soon -- only two months after I finished knitting it. I was hoping it would be done by this evening, but today turned out to be a cold, rainy day, and nothing is drying quickly in this weather.
Clapotis has been teaching me very a important lesson about hand-dyed yarn. And that lesson is: never use it again for projects that require more than one skein. The first two I used were perfectly matched. Then I started happily knitting with the third, only to discover (after knitting about three inches, of course) that it was noticeably darker than the rest. Frog frog frog. Next skein was better, but seemed to be missing most of the red tones. Snip that yarn, start a new ball. The one after was fine. The next one had a perfect blend of colours, but the overall tone was a bit darker. So now, as I enter the home stretch, I'm alternating the two balls that were only a bit off in order to produce a more even effect overall. And, once again, creating too many damn ends that I'll have to weave in.
The next time I feel productive, that is. Not now, for goodness sake.
Thursday 9 August 2007
Always a WIP, never a FO
I am beginning to wonder whether I will ever finish another project. Forget the sweater curse; I have the curse of the never-ending WIP. This is another way of saying that the ends on the summertime tunic still have not been woven in and Wisp, well, Wisp is having issues. I was finished. FINISHED, I tell you. However, despite going up a needle size and binding off loosely, the cast-off edge was still too tight. And the yarn knotted when I undid it. Until, eventually, in a fit of rage, I cut off the cast-off edge and tried to recreate my stitches. I managed to pick them all up -- no dropped ones, it seems, but I didn't manage to pick them all up from the same row and still need to find a loose end of yarn to start the actual knitting. It is in time out for the moment.
So, instead of dealing with these two projects, I became one of the last knitters in the world to knit Clapotis.
Here it is, halfway done. I'm using Araucania alpaca which, despite being unseasonal, is so soft that I am really enjoying knitting with it. I'm not sure yet if this will be for me; I suspect it will go in the pile of knitted Christmas gifts, and I'll figure out who gets what in December.
So, instead of dealing with these two projects, I became one of the last knitters in the world to knit Clapotis.
Here it is, halfway done. I'm using Araucania alpaca which, despite being unseasonal, is so soft that I am really enjoying knitting with it. I'm not sure yet if this will be for me; I suspect it will go in the pile of knitted Christmas gifts, and I'll figure out who gets what in December.
Friday 3 August 2007
Feeling crafty
What do you get when you combine the top of a now-broken IKEA Lack table, some batting, a bit of fabric, and a liberally applied staple gun?
A brand new blocking board! Cat feet are provided for scale.
The fabric is a 1" x 1" checked pattern, making it very easy to block to size. I'm rather in love with this project right now. It might even be enough to convince me to finally weave in all the ends on the summertime tunic so that I can give it a trial run.
Lots of knitting going on right now, but it's all very ADD. I keep starting things, getting new ideas, ripping them out, starting new things, etc. I hope to have some FOs sometime in August.
A brand new blocking board! Cat feet are provided for scale.
The fabric is a 1" x 1" checked pattern, making it very easy to block to size. I'm rather in love with this project right now. It might even be enough to convince me to finally weave in all the ends on the summertime tunic so that I can give it a trial run.
Lots of knitting going on right now, but it's all very ADD. I keep starting things, getting new ideas, ripping them out, starting new things, etc. I hope to have some FOs sometime in August.
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