Saturday, November 15, 2008

A Knitting Interruption

In the midst of all of the knitting, I found out that I needed to do...more knitting! My niece's baby shower is tomorrow, and it turns out that all of the nieces have come to "expect" a "created by Aunt Kim" baby sweater. Oof - no pressure there! Soooo...I raided my stash, found 2 skeins of Wool of the Andes Bare, and dyed it emerald. On Monday night, I started the Peapod Baby Sweater and I finished it on Thursday night. This is the 3 month size, and it took about 325 yards.

Kyle picked out the buttons, as usual
(sorry about the fuzzy button picture!)

Now - back to work! Too much knitting, too little time!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

SP13 questionnaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I love any natural fiber - especially wool. I love Wool of the Andes, Jamieson & Smith, Bartlett, Briggs and Little, Harrisville, Cestari, most small-mill yarns, and anything that Schoolhouse Press sells. I love knitting with pencil roving, too. I won't knit with anything acrylic (except for WoolEase in a pinch) or anything that looks like the pelt of Grover.
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? Since I got the Options set, I've been using that almost exclusively. For everything else, though, I have a 2-sided worm binder from Bass Pro Shops; I have at least 40 pairs of circulars, crochet hooks, markers, tape measures, etc.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? My Grandma Benefiel taught me when I was six, so I've been knitting for nearly 37 years. I knit for the KnitPicks catalog and for knitting magazines, so I would have to say that I'm an advanced knitter.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? It's right here
5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.) I make a lot of my own bath products, but I love a good, straight-out vanilla.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Dark Chocolate!! And Gummies! I LOVE Jaffa Cakes, but they're not available in the states.
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I spin, quilt, sew, make soap and lotions, crochet a bit, cross stitch, garden, and can food for the winter.
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 nearly everything except rap and hip-hop.
9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? I love maroon, dark blue, purples, dark reds...anything in the warm category. I don't like orange, yellow, gold, light green - I have nothing personal against those colors, but if I wear them next to my skin, people keep asking me if I'm going to be sick. :-)
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I have a husband and 2 children. My boys are 16 and almost 14. I have 2 dogs (a Mini-Dachsund named Tick and an Airedale named Gracie) and 5 cats (Moe, Repo, Rambo, Sparky and Itty-Bitty)
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Yes, Yes, Yes, and NoNoNodeargodNO.
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I love knitting sweaters, shawls, socks, and anything that catches my fancy at the moment
13. What are you knitting right now? I'm knitting the Peapod Baby set for a baby shower, a cardigan for Louis Young/Knitter's magazine, and a pair of baby leggings for KnitPicks. I'll start on my Christmas knitting soon.
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes!!!
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I don't use straights (except to hold spinning bobbins), and my favorite needles are my Options and my Inox greys. I love my Holz & Stein needles, too.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Yes to both!
17. How old is your oldest UFO? About 3 years - I have several sweaters in progress
18. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas or Thanksgiving - anytime family gets together
19. Is there anything that you collect? Pre-1960's cookbooks, vintage knitting patterns, stitch dictionaries, roving and yarn!
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 love Hazel Carter's lace patterns and Fiddlesticks shawls. All of my magazine subscriptions have lapsed, but I really like Vogue Knitting and Interweave Knits
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I'd love to learn combination knitting
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? I love to knit socks! I wear a US 8-1/2.
23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd) 12/17
24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? I'm SanityKnit

I'm really looking forward to this round!