I started to try and get this posted a week ago, BEFORE my BIG Conference. Obviously that did not happen. Functioning on 4 hours of sleep for 5 days doesn't give me a good grasp of time or date either now does it...
Part of the reason I got my act together to separate my knitting from my general ranting and raving about daily life was because of SP3. I am still trying to find the time to develop this blog up, but cut a gal a break pretty pretty please, avec une cerise on top.
Anyways here are the responses to the SP3 questions and a bit more that I thought of.
1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high-end/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
Well in general I guess I am a snob. I like wool, a few cotton and some novelty yarns, but in general I am not into acrylic. I love novelty yarns to make fun stuff like the trim to a hat or a scarf. But if I had to preference between wool and cotton, since I am trying to make things I can wear in the reasonable future... wool is probably a safer bet. I would love to try out some of the higher end yarns like Noro or Koigu though, as I like the variagated coloring and well I'd like to :)
2. Do you spin? Crochet?
No I don't spin, at some point I might learn but for now knitting is enough on my hands. I used to know how to crochet, and I want to learn how to make a granny square skirt that one of the "helpers" at my hometown LYS made. But I think I am a ways off from that.
3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
None that I know of. I take that back I am allergic to ignorant and annoying people, but that doesn't include any of you!
4. How long have you been knitting?
Technically since January 2000, but in fits and spurts - I think though that this time it is back for good.
5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I am working on it, it should be up in the next couple of days (sorry Secret Pal, school, research and a conference have been calling)
6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
I don't have one favorite scent, and it must be said I am a bit of a high maintenance product queen. I make no apologies for it, I have fidgety skin too so- once I find stuff that works, you know it is good stuff! But scentwise I kind of alternate them with seasons in general. BUT.... that said, I adore Lemon Verbena scented things, sweet almond is lovely (think amaretto mmmmmm), cinnamon spicy things (cause Fall's a-comin), lavender and mint. But if you happen to be able to get your hands on Red Flower Italian Blood Orange scented things (I know they can be gotten at Liberty in London) I would die and go to heaven. And if you notice that moisturizer tendancy, its cause wool sucks it out of my hands as does colder weather and the pool.
7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
Oh HELL YEAH! Why have dinner, let's go straight to dessert I say. I could go for Cherry Fruit Leather or Crasins if I was trying to be healthy, or a box of strawberry Gushers if I wasn't. I have been craving Cherry Tangy Taffy (notice the fruity chewy trend going on here??) so bad I cannot even begin to describe it.
But living across the pond it's not just sweet things that sound über yummy, and I either can't get these here or they are serious spendy, but they are simple and in almost every grocery store: Yoshida's Regular Sauce would make my attempts at chicken teryiaki (which I desperately miss) much better. Annies Alfredo with Basil sauce packets for my pasta would make dinner yummy too. Even better is idea of chicken Rice-a-Roni, or dear god I can't remember the brand, (maybe Stouffers? in a red box- some one help a brain dead HUNGRY grad student) San Fransicsco flavored Stuffing. People this is all plain grocery store stuff :) Oddly enough Beef Jerky sounds good right about now, but so do goldfish. And since I didn't have breakfast I would DIE for Quaker Apples and Cinnamon oatmeal. Man am I bi-polar between salt and sugar or what?
Oh and the random grocery store buy I would love? Toms of Maine Cinnamint toothpaste. Or Bumble and Bumble Super Rich conditioner. Can't do food with out the bathroom stuff now can I?
Time to go and eat... condition my hair... and then brush my teeth.
8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
Not too many. I used to rubber stamp making my own personal cards, but those supplies are all in the storage unit. Too heavy for the random nomad to carry. Otherwise I am my knits ends. Maybe I will expand my creativity one day, today all I want to do is expand my dissertation word count.
9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if you want to make her a CD)
I like lots of kinds. I can't handle country and that is about it. I'll try to list some CDs I would love to get. In general any salsa style music is great for dancing in the flat and after that any classical music is good for the reading in the flat.
10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer?
Well since anything I start now is going to be for fall and fall colors are my deal... I am an Autumn coloring girl (pasty white but with yellow undertones) and I actually like them lots.
I love red, orange, yellows. Reds in that sunsetty not blood/lipstick tone. Maybe even in burgundy/wine colors (with a berry undertone) as they seem to do well. But for the right shade I would make me-self something in pink (maybe a dusky mauve or a ballerina pink). As for orange- no construction worker orange please, again following the nectar or sunset trend. And as for yellow- well go for the color of the sun (or butter that melts in it :)
Earthy Tones are a blessing. Chocolate (cafe au lait or milky true chocolate) colors are fun and I am wearing more brown now.
Fail safe color are greens (no lime though please- think olive type greens and the likes) greens invariably make my eyes look even greener! I like having green eyes (and red hair)
I would say not too much on blue mostly a seasonal thing as it isn’t too bad on me. Navy is always a safe bet and I could make mittens or something out of a baby blue maybe. Well ok thinking about itI have to take that back as Seeds of Reverie made the R2Tasty sweater and I like it so much that I want to copy and that blue looks interesting. So does her flower pin :)
Also I since I know it bugs some people, but not me (I don’t bug that easily contrary to popular belief) I don’t mind variegated (like tweed colors, or that monochromatic type like some of the other kinds of yarn can be).
11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I am a Cancer, I am single and to be tacky yes I do like long walks on the beach, actually make that runs with a swim on the beach too. Now let's stop sounding like a personals ad :) I do have a Border Terrier (who learned real quick to keep his nose away from the knitting and yarn), but beacuse I was moving soooo much he is in the States with a friend until I I have a "stable address." I miss him bunches and call him Monsterboy
12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
Right now to finish my bloody dissertation. Beyond that to stay in Europe till next Fall and then start another graduate studies program then. I am a glutton for punishment, proof- I want to make Birch In Kidsilk Haze, like no one's business!
13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
Well for everyday type projects I have used and loved Rowan Yarns, Debbie Bliss yarns, Cascade 220 and some of the others they have look gorgeous. For novelty well- it was what ever struck my fancy at the LYS. And in sock yarn Opal and Regia are great fun. The pattern books that are tops on my list tend to come from them, though I would really love to try Jacke en Apricot from Rebecca 27 in GGH Java after hearing Fluffa talk about it like that.
14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I don't have really any problems with any fibers, but as I stated above in general I am a quality over quantity "high maintenance" kind of low maintenance girl and would prefer not to get Acrylic yarns- unless they are part acrylic in a fun novelty yarn or something like that.
15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
Hmmm... I want to make a cardigan- like NOW and I want to recreate this angora wrap top that I saw at Moonsoon in London last month. Those are serious on the list. Becoming a Rowanette is becoming close to an obsession too.
16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I actually really like scarves and socks, cause they are quick. And mindless, I like doing mindless knitting while watching the TV; my aran died an untimely death as it took TOO MUCH attention. But now that I am finding patterns for myself that I kind of like (I am a bit picky) I really want to make a project that I will wear.
17. What are you knitting right now?
Right now just a pair of socks, I need to make a decision and see about getting that next project started soon though. If I ever catch some air from working on this dissertation.
18. What do you think about ponchos? (this is really a curiousity question for us)
Well some of the ones I have seen look really nice. I wouldn't mind making one, but I am not sure it would look that great on me. None of the ones I have tried on have, but that said there are some AWESOME shawls (I am 20 something who thought I would be talking about shawls??) that might become my next project. Did I mention Birch?
19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
In general I prefer circular needles and besides my Denise set they have all been Inox needles.
20. How did you learn to knit?
Well there is a post below on that but short and long of it I lived through a Norwegian winter, and well besides cross country ski up a glacier- lots of Scando people knit. So that is what I did too.
21. How old is your oldest UFO?
Really I don't think I have any. I have yarn that was designated for projects that has gone back into the pool, but leaving the stash mostly behind when I moved across the pond means that I really try to finish UFO's. That said Foxy is waiting for me to get the last ball to finish knitting up and put her together, and Daydream is waiting for a Kir to block and steam her so I can send it to Miss Teyha.
Now to my other questions:
Ones I thought might be interesting and if nothing else would take up more space in this already long post... if you can't tell either I am a give people every bit of information that they MIGHT need to make their own informed decisions :)
Still knitting related:
Technically I don't NEED gadgets but I LIKE gadgets. I was pretty restrictive in my trip across the ocean. I am not that picky about needles- I usually do not notice the difference. I know that is bad, but it is true; My circulars tend to be metal (Inox) and I have a few hand-me-down wood straight needles (with pretty balls on the ends) that I love to use (for scarves etc). Gadgets that I have seen which look intersting are the Clover Stich Holders. A Needle Organizer would be extremely useful. Hey when you live in 19 sq meters (200 sq ft) you need to organize!!! Another thing that seems like it would be light to port around with me is stich holder making things. I could get really cool beads here at La Drougerie if I had the ring thingys and knew how to make them.
Hmmmm... now to non knitting related:
Eternal student desires: Well mine would be for books not related to this thesis. I haven't read a book not related to my research for at LEAST 6 months. Dave Sedaris sounds good as does Bill Bryson, they would make me laugh and I REALLY need to laugh. I would love to catch up on a few of the classics also, you know that I want to be a well rounded person schtick. But I could use a knitting book or two that have been mentioned as must haves. I'll get that Amazon list up soon I promise!
Now if you really wanted to entertain me, DVD's would be great too. I only have 3 of them I can watch (they have to US coded!!! Otherwise my laptop will become unhappy, and I can't afford that). A girl can only watch Bridget Jones so many times with out getting sad. Even better are television series (like ones from the BBC- I love british humor) cause I can get more for the money out of them :) I'll list those too on that Amazon list, now that I am thinking about it.
And just cause I want to be really random, what do I mean want- I AM really random. The oddest thing that would make my day? A fitted Jersey sheet for a full size futon/bed (in black). I refuse to spend 90 euros on a basic jersey sheet.
I think that is enough of my I want, I Want, I WANT tirade for the day. But really anything will be appreciated!
Anything more you could want to know?? I didn't think so :)