Man I'll freak you out

I've officially been tagged by my Dirty Knitter partner-in-crime, Craft Junkie. So, without further ado, I give you 6 weird things about me:

1. I can reach all the way around my head and touch my ear. That is, using my right hand I can reach around my head and touch my right ear. Using my left hand, I can reach around and touch my left ear. Go ahead, try it. Can't do it, can you? Aren't you just a little jealous now?

2. My big toe is the same length as my pinkie finger. I can't explain why I find this intriguing, I just do.

3. I tell my mother everything, but then I get mad at her when she meddles. It seems counter-intuitive, I know, and every time she gets too involved I try to stop telling her everything, but I can't help myself.

4. I am an aggressive driver. I like to honk and I get pissed off easily while driving. I especially get annoyed when people honk at me, which again seems a little unfair given that I enjoy honking at others.

5. I have enormous feet. I wear a size 11 narrow. It's very hard to find shoes that fit comfortably, but this is actually a good thing. I think that if it was easy to find shoes in my size, I might need a second apartment just to hold all of the shoes. I am slightly in love with buying shoes.

6. I find it impossible to buy gifts until the very last minute. It's an annoying habit that I've tried so hard to break but I just can't do it. I might start looking for a Chrismukkah gift (yes, I did in fact google that to check the spelling) in November, but I am absolutely incapable of purchasing anything until December 20th at the earliest. I think I have this paranoia that I'll find something better if I wait just a little longer. Despite this problem, I've been told that I'm an excellent gift-giver. I have no idea how I manage to pull this off.

So there you have it folks, six weird things about me.

Also, I have a little eye candy for you. I finished a project!



Specs:
Pattern: Backyard Leaves scarf by Annie Modesitt, from IK Holiday 2006
Needles: US 7
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Avocado, 3 skeins
Pattern Notes: This was an entertaining knit. I found it easy to follow the pattern, but it does take a lot of concentration. Every so often I got lost in the chart, but it was fairly simple to find my way back. I found it helpful to highlight every other row to make it easier to keep my place. Also, I blocked it by ironing with the wool setting. It was pretty amazing to watch it grow and flatten out. Blocking it might have been my favorite part! This is a gift for my secret pal, but I really like it and wouldn't mind having one for myself. I guess that's the sign of a really great gift!



Previous title: ACDC, "Back in Black"

I've been too long, I'm glad to be back

I was looking back in my archives for December and I realized that I only got in three posts over the whole month. I'm going to try to be more consistent in January. But when January comes to an end, please don't remind me that I said that.

You would think that with all of this non-blogging time, I'd have lots of knitting projects to show you. Not quite. It seems that I have been forgetting to take pictures of FOs. Well, here's what I do have to show you:



Those are two pairs of gift socks. Both have been gifted and were well-received. Score!

Specs - socks on the left:
Pattern: Baudelaire from Knitty
Needles: US 1
Yarn: Koigu KPPPM in color P451
Pattern Notes: I can't get enough of this pattern. Cookie is the best!

Specs - socks on the right:
Pattern: Elfine Socks from Amelia Raitte (click on "Fashion for Free")
Needles: US 1
Yarn: Koigu KPPPM in color P538
Pattern Notes: Elfine is another great pattern. Fun to knit AND well-written. One small problem though - it's not your imagination. The sock on the right is indeed more blue while the sock on the left is more yellow. Apparently I forgot to check the dye lot when I bought this yarn. Ah, well, that's the beauty of a hand-knit gift I guess. I'm sure the recipient of these socks won't be too bothered by it.

I also have a second SP9 gift to show off. Look what I found in my mailbox yesterday:



Thanks for the chocolate goodies and the Chibi. I'm always losing my needles, so this will be very handy.

And finally, for any non-knitters still hanging out around these parts, take a look at this little guy:



That's my favorite nephew. Well, my favorite non-human nephew. Also, he's not really my nephew, but somehow I became "Auntie Rachel" when this guy showed up, so I'll just call him my nephew. It's only fair. Please disregard the chest hair peeking out from his jacket. He is apparently going through a John Travolta/Saturday Night Fever phase. Happy Thursday - and happy ALMOST FINALLY Friday!



Previous title: Michael Buble, "Feeling Good"

It's a new dawn, it's a new day . . . and I'm feeling good

Okay, so a little editing out was needed to keep the title short on this one. Happy 2007 everyone! I'm still here, just been crazy busy as always. I've been finishing up my Harvard application (sent!), my holiday knitting (complete and mostly gifted already!), and visiting friends and family. It's nice to be back home, but I REALLY don't want to go back to work tomorrow. I'm sure that's what everyone's thinking right about now, so I'll try to keep my whining to a minimum. I have some fun FOs to share, but I'm going to save that for later this week. Until then, enjoy playing with all of your new gifts and eating all of those leftover chocolates and cookies and other treats, because you know you're going to, no matter what your New Year's Resolution was about. Happy Holidays!



Previous title: Queen, "Killer Queen"

Insatiable an appetite

I've been holding out on you. While studying for the GREs, I decided I needed a little treat. You know, a little something just for me since I'd been working so hard all the time. I visited the Blue Moon website and decided to treat myself to a skein of Socks that Rock. Well, there are just so many to choose from. How does one possibly pick from all of those gorgeous colorways? So I figured it would be ok to order two or three. Or maybe just five. Everyone's gotta have socks, right? Check these babies out:



Class Roster (left to right): Puck's Mischief, Nodding Violet, Terra Firma, Chapman Springs, and Love-in-Idleness

Despite this splurge, I've been doing really well at keeping them well hidden from view so I won't be tempted to stray from my holiday gift knitting. It's been about two or three weeks and I haven't taken them out yet, but boy is it tempting! Just a few more things on my list to finish up, and then I'll dive right in. Can't wait!

In other news, some thoughtful person sent me a magazine subscription. Was it you?



So the only thing is, I'm not sure who it's from. I think if it was a friend or a family member, they probably would have asked for delivery to start after the holidays, but it could be. I keep forgetting to ask people when I see them. I'm also thinking it could be from a secret pal. So if it was you, please let me know so I can properly thank you. For know, just know I'm very excited to get a new magazine!


Previous Post: Weird Al Yankovic, "White and Nerdy" - Sorry! It just fit so well!

The pens in my pocket, I must protect 'em

You'll have to forgive me while I go out and buy a pocket protector, because I think I just put the geek in computer geek.

Translation: I kicked some ETS ass this morning, and Harvard will be lucky to get me. Oh, did I not mention that the school, yes THE SCHOOL, as in THE ONLY SCHOOL, that I'm applying to is Harvard. Why this seemed like a smart idea I can't really even begin to explain, but it seems dreams just might come true.

It seems to be a perfect day. Not only did I ace the GREs, but when I went to my favorite deli for lunch, the owner gave me a free whoopie pie, just because that's the kind of guy he is. Then I got home only to find out there is a brand-spanking new Knitty just waiting to be poured over. Oh yeah, and that JDate guy that I haven't told you about yet, yeah, he sent me another e-mail.

Le sigh . . .



Previous title: The Ramones, "I Wanna Be Sedated"

Twenty-twenty-twenty four hours to go I wanna be sedated

Wish me luck tomorrow!



Previous title: The Monkees, "Theme from the Monkees"

People say we monkey around

When Heatherly first posted about the Monkees hat contest for her SP9 group, I thought it was a little silly. With all this gift knitting I'm trying to get through, why would I spend time making a monkey hat? Then I realized I already had made one, and number two was in the works. At any rate and without further ado, I give you the monkey hats:




Specs:
Pattern: Velvet Touch Edge Cap, a free pattern from my LYS
Needles: US 6 DPNs
Yarn: Koigu Kersti in K200 (pink) and K400 (blue and red)
Pattern Notes: Easy peasy. And fun too! That is, all but the pom pom part. I really hate making pom poms. In fact, I think pom poms are kind of an oxymoron. They look so cute and cheery, and even the name "pom pom" sounds like fun, but making them is really anything but. But the hats, now that was fun.

So, two quick knits knocked off the gift list. Now if I could only get through those pairs of socks . . .





Previous Title: The Doobie Brothers, "Black Water"
- To Yarn Coffee: For a long time I thought it was "I'd like to hear that dixie leopard" and I always wondered what a dixie leopard was. Makes a little more sense as "dixieland," but I still have a hard time singing the right lyrics.

Old black water, keep on rollin'

It seems like I should be studying ALL THE TIME, and it usually feels that way, but there has also been some knitting in my world lately. Mostly gifts, but some other stuff just for me. Since my knitting time has been drastically reduced, that amounts to just a row here and a row there. I managed to get some i-cording and some felting done over the weekend, so that entrelac sleeping bag that Henry the Navigator enjoyed is finally finished up. Here goes:





Specs:
Pattern: Entrelac Suki Bag
Needles: US 7 circular
Yarn: Noro Kureyon in color 156
Pattern Notes: I'm not so impressed with this pattern. I took notes while I knitted, and I actually plan on rewriting the pattern as part of a secret pal gift, so if you have any interest, leave me a comment and I'll be happy to pass it along when I get to it. The issue with the pattern is that when you get to the first rectangle of each round, you have to make some fairly major modifications. If I hadn't done entrelac before, I probably would have given up early on. I do like the finished product for the most part, although I might rethink the round bottom and the i-cord handles. This is a gift, and I just know the person who's going to get it will love it, so I'm not so concerned about these issues for now.

Oh yeah, today's title. This colorway of Noro reminded me of this song every time I picked up the bag to work on it. I think it's because of the way the blue diagonal rectangles look a little like waves. It's less obvious now that it's felted, but the waviness is still there.

Can you tell I've been studying too much? I feel like I can barely put together a sentence. I think I need a real break now, one that doesn't involve reading and writing. Have a happy Thanksgiving!



Previous Title: Rolling Stones, "You Can't Always Get What You Want" - Notice the shift to classic rock lately?

If you try sometimes, you just might find you get what you need

Sorry for the lame-o depressing post yesterday. Here's a little pick-me-up. Just to clarify, this is a pick-ME-up; you might care less about it, but it makes me VERY much happier than I was yesterday.

I'm going to apply to that program I was talking about! No special favors or anything like that, instead just a high stress level. I just registered to take the GRE on December 8th. Yes, that's right. Just over three weeks from today. So you might hear from me even less than you usually do. Just warning you in advance.

More yarn-y goodness tomorrow . . . maybe. I might be studying instead. Wait and see. But please don't hold your breath.



Previous title: Lou Reed, "Take a Walk on the Wild Side"

Then I guess she had to crash; valium would have helped that bash

I had a minor meltdown this afternoon after my last post. See, my exciting mysterious thing was that I found this great master's degree program and I was really really excited about it. I've had this idea in my head for a long time of where I want my career to go, and it felt like I finally had found a program that could get me there. After posting, I took a closer look at the application and decided to start in on it.

I discovered that it doesn't look like it's going to work out after all. I guess I know better than to jinx something like that by posting about it before it happens, but here I go doing it again anyway. For various reasons, I'm going to have to ask for some special favors in order to even apply to the program, and the chances of that being ok are pretty much slim to none if I had to guess. Tomorrow I'll call someone in admissions to find out what they think. I'll keep you posted, but I'd be pretty much shocked if anything were to work out. I'll continue to look for other ways to get where I want to be, but this one just seemed so right. I've calmed down a lot now, but it's just disappointing, you know?



Previous title: David Bowie, "Changes"

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes; turn and face the strange

Lately I've been thinking about making some changes in my life. I can't really say too much here, because nothing's really settled yet, and we all know about the dangers of telling all out in blogland. But I will say that I'm pretty excited about an opportunity that may present itself this winter.

Change is hard though, you know? It would be so easy to just keep on going the way things have been going, because nothing's really wrong. It's just that I don't think this is the direction I want my life to continue along. I'm a little afraid to get all excited about this new thing because if it doesn't happen, then I'd be really disappointed. On the other hand, if it does happen, that's a little scary too, only because I'd be leaving behind the safety and security of how things are now.

Was that cryptic enough for you?

In lighter news, I've been knitting an awful lot lately. I'll tell you about it someday, but for now my mind's in a million other places. However, here's a sneak peek:





Previous Title: Britney Spears, "Hit Me Baby One More Time" - I know, I'm still a little embarrassed about that one.

Hit me baby one more time

I know. I'm sorry about the title. Once it got stuck in my head I couldn't get it out.

It does fit very nicely, though. See, today I came home to another knitting package. Talk about good karma!

My secret pal hit the nail on the head with just one try. Check out this colorway - it's Lorna's Laces Pioneer:



The colors are actually pretty true in this photo, but it's so much prettier in person. It's so ridiculously me that I had to double-check that I don't already have it. I am so in love with these colors I can't even tell you. If I could marry sock yarn, I would be spending my weekend shopping for a white dress. Beautiful! Thanks Monkey Monkey, you're the best!



Previous title: John Lennon, "Instant Karma"

Instant karma's gonna get you

Warning: VERY photo heavy, but still lots of fun, so please wait while it loads.

After being patient for so long on a few swaps that have been going on, it seems it's finally my turn. First my KSKS bag arrives, and now Henry the Navigator has made his appearance.

Henry brought some terrific goodies from Rhonda. Take a peek!



From left to right, that's a cute sock notepad, A Good Yarn (which I have not read yet), "The Famous Salem Frog Spell" (details coming soon), a sock change purse that came with a piece of Dalmation Jasper, a needle/gauge checker thingy, and some tasty treats.



Oh yeah, and there was yarn. That's some Meilenweit Cotton in a fun orangy blue/brown/cream color - it's direct from Holland! And there's also some VIva CIta, just for fun! What's kinda funny is that I just picked up some of this sock yarn in a different colorway - great minds, you know?

But wait! Wasn't there something sticking out of that book? Oh yeah, check it out! A cutie-pie little sock bookmark guy! Wicked cute!



Thanks Rhonda!

I thought about taking Henry on a tour of Boston, but it turns out he's been here before. So, rather than tour the city AGAIN, I figured we'd just relax a little. Henry seemed quite pleased with this idea after his long journey all the way from Salem. To be fair, he has been all over, from Louisianna to Minnesota to Washington state to the UK, and many stops in between.

We sat out on the balcony (despite the slight chill in the air) and shared a bottle of red. We had some lovely chats about politics, given that today is election day after all.



It seems Henry may have had too much to drink.



Eventually, Henry decided he'd had enough, and laid down for a rest on the couch. It turns out that the Noro entrelac bag I've been working on as part of Norovember is the perfect sleeping bag for my new friend.



A good night was had by all. Henry will resume his journey tomorrow. Will he be sending his good karma to you?












Previous title: Ce Ce Peniston, "Finally"

Finally it has happened to me

Two posts in one day! Can you stand the excitement? Just don't get too used to it, 'mkay?

Last night I met up with Vicki, my KSKS angel, for a little gifting and knitting. We had a blast! Check out the goods:



Isn't that just the cutest bag you ever did see? And don't miss those stitch markers hooked onto the front! But wait, what's inside?



Some yummy yummy Mountain Colors hand-painted yarn in Lodge Grass. I have gifted this yarn before, but I've never been lucky enough to have some of my very own. I can't wait to start knitting it up!

But wait, there's still more!



These are definately a few of my favorite things. From left to right, we have a package of these great little leathery guys that keep your dpns together (never even seen 'em before!), then we have a delicious warm vanilla sugar hand cream from Bath and Body Works, some delicious Truffles from Lindt (how did she know how much I love these?), Cadbury's chocolate, and Skittles. Seriously, I feel so completely and utterly spoiled. Thanks Vicki; you're the best!



Previous title: Men without Hats, "Safety Dance"

You can dance if you want to

It's my October socks, all finished up! It's also my first homemade Hannukah present of the year; well, at least the first one that will actually be gifted. After all, that multidirectional diagonal scarf was supposed to be a gift, but clearly I am keeping it.

These socks are for my college roommate, Lisa, who loves the song mentioned in this title. It might be the only song that she knows the real words to. Usually, she just makes up her own lyrics as she goes along (like the Beastie Boys classic "No Sleep Till Sunday," instead of "No Sleep Till Brooklyn"). There are other classics in Lisa's repertoire of invented lyrics, but that's all I can come up with for now. I hope she likes her dancing socks!



Specs:
Pattern: Elfine Socks from Amelia Raitte (click on "Fashion for Free")
Needles: US 1
Yarn: Lorna's Laces in Periwinkle
Pattern Notes: I had a blast knitting these guys. They're just so delicate and sweet that I found myself wanting my own pair. The lace pattern is easy to follow but doesn't get repetitive, plus it has that nice in-between row where you just knit straight through - always a bonus. I tried this pattern once before and found it too hard, so maybe it's a little more on the intermediate side? It definately helps to knit it on circular needles. I think it would be way too confusing to try and break up the lace pattern to use dpns.

I tried to take a close up of the pattern, but here's the best I came up with:





Previous title: Guns n' Roses, "Patience" - a very favorite of mine

Just a little patience

After waiting WAY TOO LONG, I have finally sent along a special thank you to Elizabeth, my SP8. Want to see what she got?



Specs:
Pattern: Another Cleo Clutch
Needles: US 10
Yarn: Cascade 220 in color 8339
Pattern Notes: This pattern is really simple, but somehow the first cleo clutch I made has a cable that changes directions part of the way through, so watch for that. It's a great first cable project if you're looking for one.

Along the theme of patience, I've heard word from the very helpful Bev about my KSKS kit. I was ditched by my first sock kit pal, story unknown. Medical difficulties have made my angel bow out, but my thoughts are with her all the way. Whoever you may be (because it's still a secret to me), I'm sending healthy thoughts your way, Angel Number One. Now I'm on to Angel Number Two. Thanks for stepping in Vicki! As a return of the favor, I thought I'd let you all know that Vicki is collecting yarn for a blanket. Check out her blog to see if you can help.

I'll leave you with a picture of my weekend happenings.



You guessed it, another wedding! This one was the last of the season for me; now I'm off of wedding duty until March. Finally! Not that I don't enjoy them, but really people, enough is enough! If y'all could just hold off on the wedding plans for a short while so I can catch my breath, that would be just great! Thanks a bunch!



Previous Title: Grateful Dead, "Box of Rain"

Maybe you'll find direction around some corner where it's been waiting to meet you

Lookee lookee! An FO!



Specs:
Pattern: Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf
Needles: US 8
Yarn: Diaketo Diamusee in color 39
Pattern Notes: Easy as pie! Where does that expression come from anyway? I don't think baking a pie is particularly easy . . . At any rate, this pattern is clear and easy to follow. I think maybe I've made one before. Oh no, just remembered I frogged it because I didn't like the yarn combination with the pattern. That yarn is now a lovely booga bag. Hey, at least I reused it.

This scarf was supposed to be my very first holiday gift knitting, but forget that, I'm keeping it. It was moderately chilly here in Boston on Sunday night, so on my way to my first Knitsmiths visit (fun fun!), I decided that I needed to wear the scarf. Now I can't part with it!

I've been holding out on you with another FO, but it's for Elizabeth as a thank you for being my secret pal in round 8. She, and the rest of you, will just have to hold your breath waiting with anticipation to see it. No, actually please don't. I'd rather not be responsible for that mishap.



Previous Title: Pink Floyd, "Wish You Were Here"

How I wish, how I wish you were here

My very best friend in the world, Kelly, lives in New York. It's hard not living near her, but it was harder today than ever before. She lives in the building that was hit by a plane today. Everyone is fine and noone was in the apartment at the time, but it just makes you stop and think. There's really nothing you can do to avoid an accident like that or to plan for it, obviously, but it really puts life in perspective and makes you realize how much every day counts. I don't think I spend enough time telling people what they mean to me, and I think I spend too much time worrying about things that aren't important. And then things like this happen and it really makes you just take a minute away from it all.

Love you Kelly! And Nick, and Grace, and Carter, and (of course) Van Buren.



Previous Title: The Who, "Who Are You"

Note: I'll be back to knitting content soon, I just couldn't do it today.

Tell me, who are you? 'Cause I really wanna know

It's fun getting to know new secret pals. I just got my match-up today from Heatherly , who I had the honor of spoiling last round. I can't wait to get started on a new pal! Her blog already has me cracking up, so this should be a blast! I've also already heard from my spoiler, who seems to be a monkey fan too. Should be a great round!

Heatherly has a little contest going to get to know pals. Just answer these five questions , and you're entered. So, here goes!

1. Where is your favorite knitting spot?
My couch, right in front of the tv. I'd take a picture if my apartment wasn't such a wreck right now. There is cleaning scheduled in for this weekend, so maybe I'll add a picture a little later.

2. If you suddenly could never knit again (shudder) - what would you do instead?
The horrors! I don't think I could cope! I guess I would maybe take up spinning, or just fondle yarn and try not to get any drool on it.

3. If you could travel anywhere in the world - where would you go and why?
Paris. It's by far my favorite city. Culture, fashion, art, food, wine, and on and on . . . I've been twice, but the first time I was eight, so that doesn't really count. The second time I was only there for one day, and it rained AND the metro was on strike, so I didn't get to do much. That was almost better though, because nothing beats a leisurely day strolling the streets of Paris.

4. When you were little - What did you want to do "when you grew up?" Are you doing it?
I never really knew what I wanted to do when I grew up. I think I ended up teaching by default. I just couldn't quite figure out what I wanted to do after college, so grad school was the logical choice. Having said that, I do come from a long line of teachers (mom, grandmom, grandfather, great aunt, and those are just the ones I know about) and I did used to make all of my friends play school when they came over. Can you imagine that? Playing school on the weekend?!? Of course, I always got to be the teacher! I'm still not really sure what I want to do when I "grow up." Lately I've been thinking about a career change, but I haven't settled on anything yet.

5. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
J.P. Lick's has the most amazing coffee oreo ice cream I've ever tasted! If you've never had it and you're in the Boston area, I command you to go and give it a try. Really, it is the best.



Previous title: Ren and Stimpy, "Happy Happy Joy Joy"

Happy happy joy joy

Secret Pal 9 is gearing up and ready to go! Can't wait! Here are my answers, oh pal of mine: (If you read that in a Stimpy voice, all nasal-like and with excitement, it kinda sounds like him.)

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I like yarn. Pretty much all yarn. Not a big fan of ACKrylic though. Softer is generally better. While I do knit things besides socks, if you're thinking sock yarn I really love Lorna's Laces, Cherry Tree Hill, and I'm dying for some Socks that Rock.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I made a little needle case, but it's not the greatest.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I guess I've been knitting for around four or five years maybe? I'm definately intermediate at least, and maybe moving on to advanced. The only things I don't do much of are entrelac and fair isle.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yup. Check on the sidebar. I update it pretty often, or at least often enough that it's current.

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
I'm not really a smelly kind of person. Scents just don't do it for me.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Ooo, you got me there. Candy is always welcome in my house. I like milk chocolate, but it doesn't mail so well because it does melt sometimes. I also like Skittles, Sprees, and most other sweet things.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
If it's a craft, I do it. Or at least have done it. Current favorites include cardmaking, crocheting, and sewing. I don't spin, but I wouldn't mind learning.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
Hmm. Do you really want me to answer that? Basically, take a look at my titles. I like Top 40s and alternative usually.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I generally prefer rich dark colors, like burdandy, maroon, deep purple, navy, dark orange, etc. I'm not really much of a pastel or brights person, but there are always exceptions.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
Just me so far. Keep your eyes peeled though, there may one day be a kitty or a puppy in the picture.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I wear scarves all the time and hats sometimes. Not really a poncho person. I don't wear mittens, but only because I don't have any. A pair of mittens would certainly be welcome in my home. Basically, it's Boston and it's going to be cold very very soon.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Lately it's socks, but I'm also really into sweaters. I like knitting things with cables or lacey patterns mostly - keeps life interesting. I'm a huge Debbie Bliss pattern fan these days.

13. What are you knitting right now?
Elfine socks, a multidirectional diagonal scarf, and a few other items . . . I'm getting ready to start on a few booga bags (as gifts) and a Feona sweater (Debbie Bliss alpaca silk book).

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Are there people out there who would say no to this question?

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I like circulars the best, especially addi turbos. Given the cost of turbos, I often go for bamboo instead.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
No, but I really would like to. Maybe one day, sigh . . .

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Hmm. Two years or so maybe?

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Thanksgiving hands down. It's all about family and food - two of my favorite things. I also like Christmas, but mostly because I'm Jewish and my parents have a great big dinner party with friends and family, so it ends up being a lot like Thanksgiving.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Not so much.

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 like the stuff over at Zephyr Style (patterns and stitch markers). I subscribe to Interweave Knits. Any books are over on the wish list. I don't have a chibi, but I would like one (blue maybe?).

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I'd like to figure out the whole fair-isle thing. Magic loop would be helpful too.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
But of course! My foot is 9 and 3/4 inches from heel to toe - size 11! Around the ball of my foot is 8 inches (I wear a narrow), but I don't usually have a problem fitting into the average size from a pattern width-wise.

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd) March 31. Mark your calendars; it's my thirtieth!



Previous Title: Guns 'n Roses, "Civil War"