meme me

27 Nov 2005 in journal

it’s 6 in the morning – i woke up an hour and a half ago to sirens screaming their way down the road and for the next twenty minutes the cats and me sat huddled on the bed waiting to see what would happen. whatever it was must have been really nearby because the lights from one of the many firetrucks was flickering on my wall. i tried to calm the cats while in my mind i was racing to think what would i take with me, besides the cats obviously, if someone knocked on my door and said we had to evacuate. scary thoughts, but somehow calming. anyhow, nothing happened, thank goodness, but now i can’t go to sleep. so! what better than to complete this meme – thanks to kittykitty at knitbuddies for tagging me.

~ What is your all time favorite yarn to knit with?
my favorite so far has probably been the lovely squishy yarn kimberli sent me that i turned into the ella top, my first cabling ever. it’s a cushy sproingy yarn that still feels very crisp and cool, very cotton.

then, for purely sentimental reasons, kntting with your own handspun is pretty thrilling, too. and, though i usually don’t like variegated yarn at all at all, i love spinning it and, in this case, loved the knitting of it – isn’t my scarf handsome!

~ Your favorite needles?
i haven’t tried the fancy crystal palace needles yet, and i’m not wowed by addi’s so i’ll have to say my trusty denise set. after seeing winnie’s a while back, i went straight home and ordered them and i don’t regret it for a second. i’m a pretty tight knitter so being able to go up a size or two or three without any hassle is so very nice.

~ The worst thing you’ve ever knit?
hmmm, tasty from r2. i love the colors of the yarn and the papery texture is fun. but i was a brand new knitter and that was, i see now, not the best choice for me. that was also when i had the first of many encounters with my dreaded nemesis, Evil Row Gauge.

~ Most valuable knitting technique?
(this is the best question of all, i love reading other people’s answers…) so i’ve been thinking about mine for a while, and i think i’d have to say, somewhat relucatantly because i’m stubborn and it goes against my short-sighted/impetuous nature: planning ahead. this means knitting up a swatch, washing it, yes. it also means carefully deciding on alternate yarns, looking not only at gauge and yardage but also composition – is the fiber appropriate for the pattern? also, research a bit, especially using wiseneedle or yarndex – do other knitters like this yarn? do they report immediate pilling? have to re-block every time they wash it? etc etc*

of course, i’m very good at talking the talk. walking it? not so much.

[ * for all these considerations, check out any of the knitty articles jenna wilson wrote, they’re excellent.]

~ Your most favorite knit pattern?
whatever i’m knitting at the moment. really! right now, it’s a bea ellis hat and let me just say it is fabulous. i meant to only cast on on turkey day and the next thing i knew, i had half of the hat knit. mmm, so fun. (and makes me look at things like this bag and think ‘i could do that!’ )

besides that general caveat, i love simple knits like my first knitted thing ever, this pretty felted bag. it has a double bottom for extra sturdiness, a graceful shape, the pefect length, and was a joy to knit. really, felting is such a great first knitting project because it hides all the mistakes!

~ Best knit book or magazine?
for magazines, i’d say interweaves’ knits, hands down. then, phildar’s tendances. for books, anything by priscilla gibson-roberts. her writing style is direct and excellent and she really explains the whys of knitting rather than just ‘do this, do that’, plus she throws in some history and i always love that.

~ Your favorite knitwear designer(s)?
i’ve written about them before: delphine wilson & solveig hisdal. they do incredible things with cables and color, and i just get all sighy and dreamy-eyed when i look at their stuff. with that said, i also enjoy many teva durham patterns, and think anne modesitt is zany but great.

~ Your favorite knit blogs?
too many to list. i’m partial to those that are about more than knitting, especially if they include spinning!, and as everyone does, i love a funny writer. mostly though, as long as there’s good pictures and a somewhat clean web design (can’t stand me a messy flashing slow-loading page..), i’ll read. lately, well-organized categories and archives have been making me jealous. be ready to see some re-organization around here, as a result (i hope).

~ The knit item you wear the most?
my scarf, pictured above, and my first sweater. it’s pilling a bit, in a weird cotton way, with long strings rather than little balls, but i still love it so and wear it pretty often. plus the neckline is always flattering, yay.

~ Who should I tag?
hm. how about the pregnant knitters? hey, heidi, christine, i know you’re just oh a tad busy, but if ya have time..

so. phew, i do like knitting also, see? i must say, after this past month’s spinning madness, i was a tad worried i wasn’t really into knitting much anymore, but then, thanks to mj’s knit-a-long, my worries have been put to rest. it’s a pretty silly worry, actually – though one i see many a spinner writing about..