FO: second in a series

Today has been a very good day. Beautiful weather, the end of a taxing project at the journal, the start of a new round of guitar lessons tonight, and I just had a nice telephone chat with my wonderful parents (it's their 49th wedding anniversary today, holy cow!).

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first the knitting...

Second in a series of FO posts, but fourth in a series of Opera Scarves (see #1, #2, and #3).

Pattern: Opera Scarf, by Deb Peterson (rav)
Yarn: The Plucky Knitter Merino Cashmere Nylon Sport, 1 skein
(sadly I'm not sure of the colorway)
Needles: Clover US 9 bamboo straights
~ my ravelry project page ~

Notes:
This pattern's always a quick and easy knit, and I love this yarn! Sarah's MCN sport yarn is so soft and buttery. I only had 1 skein (250 yds.), so the scarf's on the shorter side.

I wish I had dug out my blocking wires, as you can kind of tell where I pinned it out. We moved recently, though, so I'm counting myself lucky just to have found my blocking squares and pins!

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then the swapping...

A lovely, thoughtful parcel arrived on my doorstep today, from Lauree:
So many lovely goodies! This is for the Super Crafty Swap, which I loved doing because it wasn't just an excuse to buy things. It truly was a swap. It's a way to send on perfectly nice things from your stash that you might not get around to using, but that someone else will appreciate. You can include up to $10 worth of goodies, too, but that's not the emphasis. I sent a parcel to Debby.
Not only did Lauree send me a nice array of yarns (including LB Nature's Choice Organic Cotton, which I love), books, super cute ribbon trims, wool for felting, and embroidery floss and designs, but she made me the sweetest little tea carrier, stocked with tea of course. Perfect to pop in my purse for tea on the go! Plus she made a very cute envelope-style needlecase.

I already have plans for the whimsical kitchen-themed fabrics -- a quilted cover for my new/used Kitchen Aid stand mixer!

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and finally the thrifting

Yep, I can't believe I didn't already have one of these either... I stopped by a moving sale on my way home from campus today and picked up this lovely lady, a vintage Kitchen Aid K45, still chugging along just fine.
One other item came home with me from the moving sale. It's a surprise for Paul (for which I've already enlisted the help of my handy father), so I can't reveal that one just yet.

a new day

Not only are we free at last from the dreaded Bush, but Illinois also just said good riddance to bad Blagojevich! Hurray! The only downside is that the local news is going to be much less exciting to follow. The new governor, Pat Quinn, looks like a major improvement already:

"You want to know my philosophy? One day a peacock. The next day a feather duster."
- Pat Quinn, on the spotlight

Now that's something that never would have come out of G-Rod's big mouth.
Paul noted a striking similarity between the Blag's voluminous coiffure and the detachable hair helmets on the Lego-men of our youth.
Maybe I would have liked Legos more if I had the James Bond set? Who knows...

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My Bleepin' Golden Shawl is off the needles, just in need of a good blocking. Name inspired by the Blag's potty mouth (plus the actual name of this shade of Silky Wool), of course, and knit throughout the Blagojevich scandal. And now that my Knitters' Block kit has arrived, I'm golden when it comes to having the proper supplies for it.

The shawl turned out OK, but I made a really dumb mistake with my yarn. I had 10 skeins in one dye lot of "Golden" earmarked for a sweater project (stored in 2 ziploc bags), and 5 skeins in another dye lot set aside for a shawl or small project. Can you guess which bunch I grabbed to knit my shawl? Yep, 5 skeins from the larger lot. D'oh! Plus I just didn't think through how long it would take to knit that project in a much thinner yarn. Not bright choices...

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Paul and I headed up to the Chicago Curling Club last weekend with some friends and gave curling a try! It was great fun. Curling is both a surprisingly good workout (all those core muscles keeping you upright) and a surprisingly social activity. I'd join the club if it weren't way out in the 'burbs.

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Knitters' Coffee Swap 4

QUESTIONS
1. Whole bean or ground?

Whole beans. I do buy ground Illy for espresso, though.

2. Fully-loaded or decaf?

Fully-loaded. I'm a grad student, so I can use all the extra energy I can get.

3. Regular or flavored?
I like both -- regular for espresso or French press coffee, and flavored for drip coffee.

4. How do you drink your coffee?
Milk and sugar, sometimes a wee nip o' Baileys.

5. Favorite coffee ever?
Shade-grown coffee beans straight from Costa Rica!

6. Are you fussy about your coffee or will any old bean do?

Medium fussy. I don't like Folgers, but I'm not a huge coffee snob. I don't like coffee to be too bitter or earthy.

7. Favorite treats to have with your coffee?
Chocolate, scones, or cookies. I love baking!

8. Anything else about your coffee preferences?

Not a big Starbucks fan! [I certainly enjoy a latte or mocha there, but their beans don't do much for me.]

9. Yarn/fiber you love?

Soft wool and wool/silk blends. My favs are Malabrigo merino worsted and Manos Silk Blend. I also love knitting with DB Cashmerino, esp. for baby gifts. Really anything soft and woolly.

10. Yarn/fiber you hate?

Sadly I'm allergic to alpaca and mohair. Sniff! Cotton, linen, and hemp yarns are too rough on my hands/wrists. I'm not a big acrylic fan, either. Yarns that are too wildly variegated make me nuts. I'm pretty full up on sock yarn right now, and I'm a SLOW sock knitter.

11. What's on your needles?

A chunky cabled throw in a lovely shade of light blue. So cozy and warm during this chilly winter!

12. Favorite colors?

Light blue, dark blue, cherry red, plum, aqua.

13. Allergies?

Mohair and alpaca. Llama's probably not a great idea, either.

14. Anything you really love, really don't like, or just need to get off your chest?

Looking forward to getting to know you! Hurray for coffee and knitting. :-)

kitchen knits swap + a trip down memory lane

Emily was my partner in the lovely Kitchen Knits Swap organized by Marisol. What a wonderful parcel of kitchen-themed goodies!
All sorts of things that I like and will use! Coffee, fancy champagne vinegar, a clever kitchen shopping list pad, silicone muffin liners (incredibly handy), dried chili peppers (as well as a chili pepper puzzle), Silky Wool in a lovely light grey-blue. There was also some delicious chocolate, but I'm afraid that has already disappeared. Emily even knit me a dishcloth! I love handknit dishcloths, but have too much wrist trouble knitting with cotton to make them for myself.

A few of Emily's favorite recipes:
Quinoa salad, Tomato Lentil Soup, Tomato Spinach Risotto, and Greek Spinach and Orzo Soup. Exactly my kind of cooking!

I whipped up the quinoa salad for dinner tonight. Very delicious and healthy.

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As I was cooking the quinoa, I remebered my first experience with this ancient grain. When my eighth grade "nerd class" (AKA g&t lang arts) organized a future fair, my partner and I designed a booth on "foods of the future," complete with poster presentation, nutritional info, and samples. The two highlighted foods? Soy milk and quinoa. Back then our regular suburban supermarket didn't sell prepared soy milk, so we reconstituted a powdered mix and served both plain and chocolate. We also served very blandly flavored quinoa (hey, it was Minnesota in 1991 after all).

Can you guess how the soy milk and quinoa went over? One word -- poorly (or four words -- like a lead balloon). We were visionaries, I tell you. ;-)

summertime

Not only is today the last day of classes for the quarter, the temperature has climbed into the 80s! I've already turned in grades, and I'm free from teaching until late September. It truly feels like summer now. This summer I'm working only ONE job, and only part-time -- what a luxury. That means more time for my research and writing, as well as for knitting, hitting the farmer's market, going for long walks, and petting all the neighborhood dogs. ;-)

I picked up a couple delicious heirloom tomatoes at the Green City Market yesterday, and put together a Parmesan Tomato Tart for lunch today. Wonderful recipe -- it's all about simplicity and high quality ingredients.

I've switched to Trader Joe's frozen puff pastry rather than the standard Pepperidge Farms stuff after reading Nicole's review. It's packaged flat (rather than folded), so it's much easier to use; also, the ingredient list is much less frightening.

Other recent successes in the kitchen:

- Low Fat Fudgy Brownies ~ semisweet Callebaut chocolate worked very well

- Chicken Souvlaki (from Cooking Light) ~ I doubled the amount of chicken so that we would have leftovers for lunch.

Alison (AKA brainylady) sent me this beautiful sage-green yarn as part of her laceweight leftovers swap. It's just lovely! There's a pretty good amount leftover -- perhaps enough for a whole scarf.

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Is anybody else having trouble with Ravelry and Gmail in Firefox? I've had to use the dreaded IE lately (shudder).

ruby slippers

So I planned to knit up these slippers for my Mom and put them in the holiday gift stash, but I'm not sure I can give them away!

Pattern: Plain or Flowery Slippers, by Sarah Hughes
Yarn: Mission Falls 1824 wool, poppy, 2 skeins
Needles: US 6 Knit Picks Harmony circs (love the Harmony needles!)

So cute and cozy! I really like the Mission Falls wool. It's one of the best superwash wools I've worked with, and the color selection is fabulous. It's a heavy worsted, much thicker than Cascade 220. It's neither plastic-y (Swish) nor scratchy (Lamb's Pride superwash). These slippers fit my big ol' size 9 feet much better than the pocketbook slippers I knit last fall.

So, do I make these flowery or leave them plain? Any thoughts? In Sarah's original pattern she includes a flower that's very fiddly; she recently wrote up another flower that looks more my speed -- the Simple Knitted Rose and Leaf.

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Speaking of knitting for my mom, Gust is nearly done! I'm knitting it much longer than the pattern calls for. I want Mom to be able to really wrap it around her neck. I'm still loving the yarn -- The Plucky Knitter Merino single ply merino lace. As soon as I bind off (which should be within the next day), I'm sending off the leftovers to Joline as part of brainylady Alison's laceweight leftovers swap.

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More baby knits for the gift stash:

Pattern: February Baby Sweater, by Elizabeth Zimmermann
Yarn: Rowan Wool Cotton, "Hiss," 2.25 skeins
Needles: US 5 bamboo circs

Notes: While my gauge swatch was close, I forgot to take into account how loosely I knit lace. So the finished cardi is a little bit cropped. I'm hesitant to frog back the bottom and add a couple inches, but I probably should.

I followed the pattern very closely this time. Next time I'd put the sleeves on waste yarn and knit the body, then come back and knit the sleeves in the round. EZ doesn't mention the buttonholes until you should have already made a couple. I just went with one button.

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The 5 (more like 9) Hour Baby Sweater now sports a white grosgrain ribbon.

more winter highlights

Brr... it's a balmy 1 degree above zero here.

- cozy winter knitting

Pattern: Knitted Kitty, free at Angry T-Rex Roars
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino, grey mix and winter white (oddments)
Needles: US 3 for a nice, thick knit so that the stuffing won't leak out
Stuffing: machine-washable fiberfill

Notes: A cute, quick pattern that's fun to knit. I didn't embroider any details on the faces, since it didn't occur to me until after I had stuffed them! It would be much easier to do the embroidery prior to seaming and stuffing.

Kylie Cat giving the kitties the once-over

- a wonderful Hot Cocoa Swap package from Anne
Not only did she knit me a very cute Kate (who is getting along quite well with Capricha)...
she also sent me some beautiful Petunia sock yarn hand-dyed by Bea at Yarn Pig (etsy):
delicious Fair Trade organic cocoa, lots of yummy fancy chocolates, point protectors...and even "hot chocolate" stitch markers!
Many thanks, Anne! You spoiled me marvelously.

- j'aime l'hiver scarves
I'm smitten with this scarf made by Lulette. I was tipped off to this web shop by Emily at (Inside A Black Apple). All the scarves are knit right here in the midwest. Too cute!

another snow day

While I didn't wake up to the winter wonderland that was predicted, plenty of big, wet snowflakes are swirling through the air now. I declared today a snow day and stayed home to read for my exam, grade papers, make soup, and knit. Thank goodness for my trusty space heater... our old radiators barely crank out any heat during the day.
What's this?

Can it be that I'm knitting socks again? The yarn is "Dahlia" by Sundara Yarn, and the pattern is "Little Shell Socks." The color is perfect for the current Project Spectrum theme: fire. Skipping the lace pattern for the foot makes for quick knitting. Note to self: knit some plain stockinette socks for stashbusting purposes. On the subject of socks, I'm absolutely in love with this free pattern that I just discovered via Ravelry.

A wonderful No-More-Humdrum-Mittens Swap parcel from Amy arrived today. What gorgeous mittens! They fit perfectly, and they coordinate beautifully with my black down coat with the pink lining. I'll don them tonight as I brave the snow for my knitting group.
Amy sent many other marvelous goodies, too. Chocolates, candy from Hong Kong, a special edition tea, and some gorgeous yarn from Beaverslide Dry Goods, which I have been dying to try for a long time. The McTaggart Tweed has a soft and fluffy texture, and the colors are beautiful. I'm thinking of a Thorpe hat perhaps? Thanks so much, Amy!
Also, if you're looking for some quick, cute Valentine's gifts to knit, check out the Valentine Mug Cozy from the Classic Elite newsletter.

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

Yesterday's snowfall:
A side street right near Wrigley Field:
There's more snow in the forecast for tonight, too. :-)

Marianne sent me a wonderful parcel of goodies from the UK for the Fingerless Mitts Swap -- neat magazines, yummy biscuits, chocolate, and tea, fancy soap (always a big hit with me), a twinkly tree pin that I will wear on our annual Christmas sweater pub crawl tomorrow night:
Best of all (aside from the great mitts), there's this super soft yarn in scrumptious colors:
It's Rooster Almerino Aran, a 50/50 merino/alpaca blend that's just not sold in the US, as far as I can tell. The darker teal is destined for a pair of Fetching mitts. Thanks, Marianne!

December already?!?

A winter storm dropped 5 inches of the white stuff on Chicago last night. Paul and I went for a moonlit walk in the snow, and it was absolutely magical. Our neighborhood is mainly comprised of 20- and 30-somethings densely packed into condos and apartments, so it was a delightful surprise to see people out throwing snowballs, building snowmen, and walking their dogs.

The quarter is almost over; I've been too swamped with grading and schoolwork to post, although I have desperately wanted to and there are plenty of things to share. The grey dreariness of November is also to blame -- decent photography has been nearly impossible. The reflection off the snow really helps with the photography.

Inspired by brainylady, I knit up a pair of pocketbook slippers. What a fast and easy pattern!
They don't look too much like slippers, do they? Here's an action shot:

Project Details

Pattern: Pocketbook Slippers, a free pattern from Knitwits Heaven
Yarn: Lamb's Pride Superwash, less than 1 skein (maybe 150 yds?), Blue Diamond
Needles: US 7 Brittany Victorian walnut, the old pretty dark brown ones that are discontinued
(one of mine is held together by Scotch tape -- very classy)

These are incredibly easy, and the results are interesting. A little odd, but also strangely charming, possibly even elven. They're cozy, very stretchy, and they fit my size 9 feet quite well. I used a skein of Lamb's Pride Superwash that had been marinating in my stash for quite some time, courtesy of Micki.

Next time I would try the modifications by Miss Twiss, available here. Why? The button is very cute, and the button/strap combo looks much nicer than the lumpy seam in the original pattern.

What else? I'd go down to size 6 needles; I might even use a heavy worsted. These would be heavenly in Malabrigo, but superwash seems like a better idea for slippers. Especially since these would make great quick gifts (esp. combined with other cozy things, like fancy hot cocoa mix and a wintry mug).

Why, oh why isn't there a superwash yarn as soft and lovely as Malabrigo? Any suggestions, you guys? My stash contains hardly any worsted weight superwash.

I'm working on a very basic stockinette watchcap from Charlene Schuch's Hats On for my dad. He's a no-frills kind of guy. The yarn is Queensland Collection Kathmandu Aran Tweed, in a dark blue (surprisingly enough, not purchased in the big WEBS sale).
The unfortunate part? This is a horrible thing to knit. The dark blue is hard to see, the tweedy bits in the yarn are hard on my hands, and the Knitpicks metal circs are killing me. And it might be too big. At least it's just a hat and should be over soon. :-)

Marianne sent me a lovely pair of fingerless mitts for the Fall Fingerless Mitts swap:
It's the Miss Potter pattern from Yarn Forward, and they're absolutely perfect for me. I've been wearing them a ton already, even at the very cold library while typing. The yarn is Freedom Spirit by Twilleys of Stamford, and it's quite nice and woolly. I've never seen it in the US! Marianne sent loads of other thoughtful goodies, too, which I'll share in my next post.

Another nice surprise -- the new Knitty is up! I quite like the Matrix mittens.

Back to grading term papers...

swaps and things

Wow! There's a lot of dedicated sock knitters out there! Thanks to all for entering my little contest. I'll keep taking entries for the rest of today, and I'll draw a couple names tomorrow.

Unless you're one of my swap partners, this entry is probably not too interesting.

KNITTERS’ COFFEESWAP QUESTIONS

1. Whole bean or ground?
Whole bean

2. Fully-loaded or decaf?
Fully-loaded, full-throttle

3. Regular or flavored?
Either! Flavored usually wins out, but really good regular is awesome, too.

4. How do you drink your coffee?
I make a pot of drip coffee just about every morning, and drink my coffee with fat-free half & half (thank you, modern science) and sugar as I check my email. I sometimes break out the espresso maker or the French press. For a special treat, I add a nip o’ Bailey’s to my coffee.

5. Favorite coffee ever?
Steep & Brew’s Icing on the Cake, from the State St. shop in Madison, Green Mountain Coffee’s pumpkin coffee

6. Are you fussy about your coffee or will any old bean do?
Medium-fussy. Not a big fan of my mom’s Folgers or my in-laws’ Maxwell House.

7. Favorite treats to have with your coffee?
Biscotti, scones, coffee cake, cookies. I grew up in a Minnesotan-Scandinavian-Lutheran household like in Lake Wobegon. Sweet tooth, lots of coffee. I’m trying not to eat too many sweets, though, so please don't go on overboard on treats.

8. Anything else about your coffee preferences?
I love trying new coffees from indie roasters, esp. flavored coffees.

9. Yarn/fiber you love?
Soft, natural-fiber yarns are the best! I’m a big fan of Malabrigo, Rowan 4-ply soft, Mission Falls 1824 Wool, and Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran (yes, it’s a blend, but it’s amazing for baby knits).

10. Yarn/fiber you hate?
Not a fan of 100% acrylic, boucle, or anything too wild.

11. What's on your needles?
- “Hattie’s Rose Garden” shawl in Mountain Colors alpaca blend, in deep shades of raspberry, blue, brown, and green.

- diagonal striped baby blanket in DB Cashmerino Aran - lots of colors!

- Mr. Greenjeans cardi in violet Malabrigo

- squirrel and oak mittens in Knit Picks’ Wool of the Andes

12. Favorite colors?
Blue (light or dark), plum, dark red, lavender, chocolate brown, green, natural, wine... Not a fan of really bright or pastel colors.

13. Allergies?
Cigarette smoke, dogs, molds, pollens – nothing too much to worry about. No yarn spun from Golden Retriever fur, I suppose. I'm allergic to cats, too, but that doesn't stop me from having two of them. :-)

14. Anything you really love, really don't like, or just need to get off your chest?
I’m looking forward to trying some new coffee and getting to know some knitters! I really like mugs – ones with UK or sheep themes, Polish blue floral pottery mugs, even plastic travel mugs.

No-More-Humdrum Mittens Swap Questionnaire

1. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn?

Almost 2 years. I learned at a coffee shop here in Chicago.

2. Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

Intermediate. I’m fairly new to colorwork, and so far I love it! I’m into cables and easy lace.

3. What are your favorite colors? Any you dislike?

Blue is my absolute favorite color, pretty much all shades from periwinkle to navy. I also like dark red, plum, green, lavender, aqua, chocolate brown, and cream/natural. I’m not a fan of really loud or bright colors or pastels.

4. Do you like Latvian type patterns? If so, what are your favorite patterns?

I love how they look, but I haven’t tackled any actual Lativan patterns yet! I’m pretty excited about Scandinavian-style mittens, as well as whimsical variations. My favorite pattern is “Squirrel and Oak” mittens from Hello Yarn. I’m working on a pair in chocolate brown and tan.

5. Do you desire mittens for yourself, your "special someone else" or your child?

Me! My husband wouldn’t wear mittens, and we don’t have any kids yet (just cats).

6. What other things do you enjoy knitting?

Baby stuff, socks, shawls/wraps, hats, scarves…

7. What sort of needles do you enjoy working with? (straights vs circs, bamboo vs aluminum)

Straights or circs. I haven’t tried magic loop yet. I stick to bamboo or wood most of the time, but I do like Pony pearls for socks and the Knitpicks metal circs. I would like to try Swallow flexible casein needles at some point.

8. What’s one project you’ve not yet tried but are dying to make?

Squirrelly Swedish Mittens! Close runner-up = Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Norwegian Mittens

9. What’s one yarn you’ve not yet tried but are dying to work with?

Beaverslide!

10. What other hobbies do you have? Do you spin? Sew? Garden? Cook?

I’m very into cooking and baking (love Cooking Light magazine). I’m a big reader (mainly fiction), I’m into music (indie rock but also things like Simon & Garfunkel), and I like to quilt, embroider, and cross-stitch.

11. Besides yarn, do you collect anything?

I like mugs – esp the blue floral Polish pottery mugs, mugs with UK themes, and mugs with sheep/knitting themes. Books, too!

12. What kind of goodies do you enjoy? Sweets? Salty? Anything you hate or are allergic to?

I like sweets – chocolate (milk or dark), mint chocolate, scones, biscotti, and dried fruit. I’m trying to lose a few pounds, so not too many goodies, please! I love trying new teas and coffees. I’m not into gummy or hard candies.

13. Do you have any kids? Pets?

No kids yet. We have two beloved brown tabby cats, Capricha and Kylie.

14. What is your favorite part of Winter?

Almost everything! Snowflakes, cold air, snuggling under a down comforter, ice skating, sledding, cross country skiing, ice-covered trees, wearing handknit woolen socks and mittens, drinking hot cocoa in front of my wood-burning stove… I grew up in Minnesota, and winter is my favorite season.

15. What is your least favorite part of Winter?

Driving in Chicago and trying to parallel park between snowpiles.

sockapa-worried

This is how far I am on my sockapalooza socks. Not good. I need to kick the knitting into high gear. The Fleece Artist merino sock yarn is a joy to knit, and the colors are perfect for my pal.

Sonya sent me a lovely Colorswap package. Blue was the theme for June -- how could I resist? There are tons of lovely goodies in here, including some gorgeous Manos Cotton Stria, a yarn that I have been wanting to try for quite a while. Her son even included one of his favorite blue rocks from his rock collection. Isn't that sweet?

Manos Cotton Stria

Gloriana over at A Mingled Yarn knit the cutest baby kimono with this yarn, and I'm going to follow in her footsteps!

(nearly) FO + Knitflix

The easy baby cardi just needs some sort of fasteners. The pattern suggests crocheted yarn cords or ribbons, so I need to do a little thinking on this one. Alyssa just knit a very cute, hoodless verson of this same sweater, and she decided to omit fasteners altogether.
Pattern: Easy Baby Cardigan, by Diane Soucy (Knitting Pure & Simple)
Yarn: Jaeger Baby Merino DK - "Marbles"
Needles: Clover US 6 bamboo circular and DPNs
Size: 6 months

Notes: I love the pattern because it's so easy to follow. There is just one seam to sew up -- the hood. Next time I'll try the hoodless version. The yarn was OK to knit with, but not great. It had that slightly unpleasant, sticky superwash feel. The sleeves seem really long to me (and the body very short), but I don't have that much experience with babies' arm length, so I'll wait and see.

I went down a needle size to get gauge knitting flat. I learned that my gauge is definitely different on DPNs -- I should have gone up to size 7 for the sleeves.

Amy sent me a fabulous Knitflix swap package!
Kylie's helping with the photo shoot, of course. Like me, Amy is a self-professed Anglophile, and she sent me the BBC adaptation of the Elizabeth Gaskell novel North and South that I have been wanting to see ever since I saw Wives and Daughters.

I start teaching an intensive Latin class tomorrow, and this is going to be the perfect way to relax on weeknights. There's also some yummy looking short bread (which will be perfect with a spot of tea and some knitting) and lots of beautiful Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, which I adore. The card is a Degas painting from the Art Institute of Chicago. Thanks, Amy! You read my mind on this one.

knitters treat exchange

I'm a bit hooked on swaps lately. I like getting to know new people and trying new crafting ideas. This is my last swap for a while, though, since I'm saving my pennies for a newer, less high-maintenance car. On a related note, I highly recommend never buying a 2001 Chevy Malibu.

Knitters Treat Exchange Questionnaire

1. What's your favourite type of yarn?
Merino wool, especially Malabrigo.

2. What's your least favourite type of yarn?
Anything that's too wildly textured, like Fun Fur or boucle

3. What's the first thing you do when you visit a new yarn shop?
Look at all the colors! I naturally gravitate toward blue.

4. What other crafts do you do / would like to do?
I cross-stitch and sew a bit. I'm slowly learning to crochet. I would like to learn needle felting, and I would like to improve at sewing and quilting.

5. What magazines do you currently subscribe to?
Interweave Knits, Martha Stewart Living, Cottage Living, Country Living, Midwest Living, Blueprint.

6. Put this type of magazine in order of preference:
Knitting / Crochet / Other Craft / Food / Home / Fashion / Celebrity Gossip / Garden

Knitting / Other Craft / Home / Food / Fashion / Celebrity Gossip / Garden

7. What items do you like to knit / crochet?
Socks, hats, scarves, baby sweaters and blankets.

8. Are you allergic to anything?
The usual hay fever suspects, smoke, dogs, cats (but I have two cats nonetheless). I'm allergic to Bath and Body Works' Flowering Herbs products.

9. What do you like to* smell of?
(*This is not a typo. The question is: What do you like to smell of)
Something natural -- citrus, almond, milk, lavender/vanilla combinations.

10. What's your favourite way to relax?
A cup of tea + a good novel or some knitting = perfect relaxation

11. You're stood in front of a Victorian style sweetshop, an Italian cafe, an old fashioned bakery and a dainty tea room. Where do you go first?
The tea room, for sure.

12. What do you come out with?
A cup of fruity black or green tea.

13. Where do you go next?
The old fashioned bakery, where hopefully I will find an apple fritter or a scone or an almond-filled croissant.

14. Any other words of wisdom for your pal?
I love trying new things and getting mail. Blue is my absolute favorite color, but I also like lavender, plum, sage green, cherry red, dark chocolate brown, and neutrals. I'm not a fan of orange, yellow, olive green, or bright pinks.