One Skein Exchange

I'm SO EXCITED about participating in Interweave's One Skein Secret Pal Exchange. I just got my pal and hopefully the pal who got me will be sending me mail soon. I started this blog mostly for that exchange.

Obvious, isn't it, since I have no idea what I'm doing. But hey, at least I can type with some accuracy.

Here are my get-to-know-me answers!

1. Which yarn is most like your personality? 100% wool. Sometimes scratchy, easy to work with at the beginning, but watch out, she might felt up on you if you're not careful, and then she'll stiffen right up on you.

2. What is your favorite color yarn to knit/crochet with? I like blues and greens, often variegated, in cooler shades, like you'd see in rivers, lakes or the ocean, or a northwest forest.

3. Have you ever used variegated or magic yarns? Yes, I adore variegated yarns. I like them mostly within one color group or two closely related colors (such as blue and green).

4. Do you tend to favor certain fibers when choosing yarns? Yes, I have a decided fondness for soft merino wool. I like cotton and other naturals, too. I hate Red Heart, sorry.

5. Do you prefer center-pull or traditionally wound balls of yarn? I think I like center-pull. I thought someone told me that they were supposed to be pulled from the center. Are there more options?

6. Organic yarns? I've tried Blue Sky Organic Cotton, as shown in the Cable scarfs in the One Skein book. That's a fine yarn and I like it a lot (although I hope it stops shedding sometime in the next year). I'd say I'm neutral on the organic yarn thing. Give me organic strawberries anytime, though.

7. Projects in the last year? I started a bulky sweater, had some yarn problems, have to re-do the back of that one. I've made a scarf & hat for step-dau, using Blue Moon Lil Loops + Socks That Rock. That was a cool project and she liked it!! I'm nearly done with a double-cable scarf in Blue Sky Organic Cotton, started a few weeks ago at a class at Lint lead by Leigh Radford herself (how cool!). I've made a seed stitch hat in soft ivory wool for my Nana (she hated it-I have the hat now-it may be donated for charity). I also made her the Coronet hat (from Knitty.com) in white Caron acrylic (she liked that one pretty well). I've made a few watch caps. I'm now working on the EZ Baby Surprise Jacket in Cascade 220 Superwash. I may make a second EZ Baby Surprise Jacket using Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece-that yarn looks lovely. I've also made a set of mother-daughter scarves using Crystal Palace Waikiki in Code Pink for North Neighbor & North Kiddo. Oooh, yeah, used that same yarn to jazz up a cheap set of flip-flops with a crocheted ruffle.

8. Will you be knitting any gifts this year? I'm not sure...maybe lots and lots of scarves & hats for Christmas gifts. Oh, yeah, and my gift for my One-Skein secret pal-what will it be?? This year I am planning on knitting socks for the first time ever. I've never knit a sweater (including arms, that is), either.

9. What is your favorite One Skein project? From the book, I'm excited about doing the beaded wristlets. Leigh brought some to class and, although they're a smaller scale than I've ever attempted, I'm swatching now to start them! I also want to try the baby hats & bibs, and the felted bowls. I'm loving the double-cable scarf, although I'll admit to using a 2nd skein, a la the example blue scarf at Lint, and practically doubling the length.

10. How much yarn in the stash? Not much. Probably 12 skeins...I have it all in a clear plastic tote sitting in the living room so I can get at it. There is not much stash-dom at our house. I try to buy for projects, and then, to finish the projects. But then, I'm just starting.

11. Do you have a favorite stash yarn, so beloved that you can never use or part with it? No. Yarn is to be used and transformed into beautiful or useful objects, not stashed for the sake of stashing.

12. Do you knit less or differently in the summer? Uuhhh...I'm not sure how to answer. I started knitting again a couple of years ago when DH's mother was diagnosed with ALS. We were spending hours and hours every weekend providing respite care for her husband and I was bored stiff. So I started knitting. I knit several felted bags and was starting on some other felted projects when she died in June 2005. With her death, we had our weekends back again, so I didn't knit much last summer, but I'm not sure what's going to happen this summer. I know for sure I won't want a lapful of wool spread out over my legs in the summer heat. Maybe I'll be trying those cotton yarns again in the summer or those nice little projects out of Rowans Kidsilk Haze.

13. Do you belong to any knitting groups (online or inperson)? No, not officially, not yet. I have joined a couple of Yahoo! Groups with knitting themes, but I usually lurk. I also have knit in public at my LYS, the Naked Sheep in North Portland, once. I'm planning on knitting in public later this month at Knit-Purl, another great LYS, in downtown Portland. I'm thinking about finding out about the kntting guild's Master Knitter's program. Hmm....

Am I in danger of burning out? Too much knitting too soon? I hope not. Small projects. Finish them often. Perfect for One Skein knitting!

Still gotta figure out how to blog well, though.