a little (too much) about me

Participating in the One Skein project has given me a lot of questions to ask my secret pal, and to answer for someone else out there. If any of these musings are of interest in general, all the better (but I don't expect that to turn out to be true!)

1. Yarn most like my personality: bulky variegated wool
2. Favorite color yarn to work with: any shade of blue
3. Have you ever used variegated or magic yarn? See #1. Frequently!
4. Do you favor certain fibers when choosing yarns? Yes, non-itchy ones! But I truly like all natural fibers (banana fiber was heavy and kind of stiff though), and have never tried bamboo, but will someday. I also liked mulberry and made one of my best scarves ever from a hank of that.
5. Center-pull or traditionally wound balls of yarn? No preference.
6. Every worked with organic yarns? No, I don't think I have, but yes, I would be interested.
7. Projects in the last year: innumerable scarves to learn different patterns, with innumerable types of yarn. I have also begun to make hats and a few other things that are slightly more challenging. See this blog for entries on my projects and photos.
8. Going to knit any gifts this year? Well, is the Pope Catholic?
9. What is your favorite one-skein project? I don't know, but am game to try something new!
10. How much yarn do you have in your stash and how do you store it? Good question, as two weekends ago, I totally organized it and put it into one of those rolling sets of drawers from Costco. Two deep drawers for bulky and heavier yarns, four smaller drawers for the small skeins and some partials. Top drawer for doodads. I have two skeins of several things, since when I see yarn I like, I don't have to have a project in mind. I'll have Sophi take a picture of this embarrassment of riches and I will add it to this post.
11. Do you have a yarn in your stash that you love so much you an never use it or part with it? Nah. Everything turns into something even better, and I love gifting my knitting to people. Seeing someone wearing something I knitted is better than any drug.
12. Do you knit less or differently in the summer? Never did knit in the summer before, but the bug got me this year, and I intend to find air-conditioned rooms and even use a fan if necessary so I can keep knitting. I could guess I'll try to use cotton or acrylic yarns, less fuzzy stuff, but realistically I know I will want to use other things too. So turn down the thermostat. I'll be having foot surgery in July that will lay me up for four weeks, and it will be knitting heaven in the cool cool living room.
13. Belong to any knitting groups? Yes online I regularly read and participate in Knitting Novices, because that's me. :^) I hope to become an intermediate knitter in the next year, with more courageous efforts.
14. Other things that I thought of to say about myself as a knitter: I love my continental knitting style, but am realizing that sometimes it makes a stitch or technique baffling to learn. For ex., how will I learn to do YOs when I don't throw???
15. I learned to knit in the round a month or so ago and it is awesome. I intend to do a top-down child's sweater this way soon.
16. I am saving fur from my four shedding cats (combined color is deep gray) to have spun into a hank of mohair sort of yarn. All my daughters think this is soooooo weird, but my husband is totally for it and combs the cats vigorously every day. So it's a win-win situation anyway since if someone didn't comb them they'd be hawkin' up hairballs even more than they already do!
17. I used to knit little troll people from a Waldorf school brochure, and they are quick and fun, and seeing the girls playing with them was gratifying. Now that a few friends have little ones, this would also be a fun thing to revisit.
18. As for other crafts, well nothing in the fiber arts but I make earrings sometimes, and I have done various paper crafts in the past. Mainly I like to read and that keeps me from crafty things.
19. Favorite scent: One of my daughters' just washed hair! They always use such fragrant shampoo. I guess I don't have a favorite. I hate the scent of perfume that has vanilla notes in it. Blech. I don't care for lemon verbena type scents either I guess.
20. I store my straight needles in a flower vase, my new set of rosewood straights in a needle case my beloved sister gave me for Christmas, and my circulars in a section of that. I just got the Boye circular set too, so I have that. I'm presently knitting something that I will felt to make a case that I can use for various things. I don't prefer one type of needle over another, but different yarns "want" different needles, and some patterns are better done with circular needles, obviously. I do love the points on my rosewood straights, since they make it so easy to pick up the next stitch and knit it.
21. Started knitting as a kid (see first blog entry) but have really not been brave this go-round about trying more than scarves and hats. I am taking my time.
22. I don't have UFOs, since I just feel so compelled to finish things in order to give them to the recipient. It's a selfish thing, wanting to give them a gift, but it works for me.
23. I have to wear reading glasses these days to do anything. So I like knitting in good light with my "crutches" on so that it is all very clear. Never wore glasses until last year, and am still belly-aching about it. :^/
24. I love where I live, Northern California. I like visiting the rest of the world but can always want to get back home soon. We have a bit of heaven right here.
25. Life is good. :^)