Secret Pal 12 Quiz

Text only this time, though I've got 2 FOs to share this weekend.

It's been a long time since I've joined a Secret Pal exchange, but it's so much fun, and I'm excited to join up again!
Here's the little quiz for SP12; I hope my pal will find it helpful :)

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I love wool, cotton, and linen - any sort of natural fiber, I guess. I'm partial to superwash sock yarns and worsted weight, mostly because I haven't done too much bulky or laceweight knitting (though I'm willing to try!).
I'm not a huge fan of straight acrylic, though blends are generally fine, and while I'm not allergic to angora, the stray fibers make my nose itchy, so I don't usually knit with it (even though it is so soft and squooshy).

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I keep most of my needles and hooks in a vase on one of my bookshelves, and I have a Boye circular set with a zip case that holds all the circulars.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I've been knitting for 7 years now, ever since I learned from a housemate in my freshman year of college. I guess I am advanced, since I'm capable of doing complex projects, even though I usually choose simpler knits. Knitting is a study break and a big part of how I relax, so I usually have at least one straightforward project on the needles (socks, hat, scarf) even if I sometimes branch out to a more exciting piece (colorwork, lace pattern, big sweater).

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Nope. If it would be helpful for me to make one, just let me know.

5. What's your favorite scent?
Anything fresh - fruits and citrus especially!

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I have a sweet tooth. It is made of caramel. It is also maybe part peanut butter-chocolate.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I love to do mini home improvement projects (not much opportunity with apartment living, but I try), and I also crochet a bit. I like coloring with markers for fun, and I sew on occasion; I have a really nice machine, but it's at my parents' house in CA, and they don't want to pay a million dollars to mail it out here.
I have a spindle and I even have roving, but my first attempt at spinning was pretty wretched. I think I might do better if I had someone to walk me through it. Sometime in the future, I guess :)

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I will listen to anything and everything. I mostly listen to bluegrass, singer/songwriter stuff with acoustic guitar or piano, and vocal jazz. My computer works for CDs and MP3s, etc. I love using my mini mini iPod shuffle when I work out, so I have more pop and top 40 to listen to while I run.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
Periwinkle, lime green, pink, steel blue, and khaki/cream colors are my favorites. There aren't any colors I hate, though bright bright orange is pushing it (unless it's with a sky blue, then it's ok). Nah, I like them all.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I'm currently dating a super Cute Boy, and I will probably be getting a cat when I move into a new place at the end of August. If I'm not brave enough for a kitty, I might settle for a goldfish instead.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I love scarves, hats, and mittens. Chicago winters are brutal!

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Socks, socks, and more socks. I also like armwarmers/fingerless mitts.

13. What are you knitting right now?
Right now I don't have too many things on the needles since I just finished 2 projects. I'm working on Glampyre's Orangina, a beaded change purse (though it's sort of tiny and fiddly so I am waiting until school is out to really put the time in to finish it), and I'm going to be starting a new pair of socks in the next week.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes :) They are my favorite kind to give and receive.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I love aluminum needles, because I find the clicking and clacking very comforting (I also like loud, ticking clocks). I use dpns for socks, but I like my circulars for sweater knitting - in the round! Hurrah! Straights are nice for scarves.
I guess my prefernces depend on the project.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Nope.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Oh gosh, 3 years old. It's a scarf I started when I came out to Chicago, and I've basically abandoned it in its little Ziploc bag. I should find something better to do with that yarn.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Halloween and St. Patrick's Day. That may seem strange, but my parents really go all out with decorating and building Leprechaun traps, and I love having unusual holidays that are extra special in our family.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Do academic articles and books count? Heehee.

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 actually have a subscription to Interweave Knits right now. In terms of yarn, I have never knit with Malabrigo or Koigu, and everyone raves about them. The yarn shop I know about in Chicago is sort of a pain to get to without a car, so I do most of my yarn shopping at Knit Picks.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Not that I can think of at the moment

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Ayup! I wear a US women's size 9 1/2.

23. When is your birthday?
December 15

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
I am indeed. I'm perknitious.

Thanks for reading - happy knitting, all!

Would you classify this as a failure?

The (Sad) Story of a Berry Beret for Chuckles:

My next-in-line younger sister (Chuckles) graduated from college this weekend. She has another year of evening classes to get her Master's in Education, but she's already got a full-time job lined up and will start teaching second grade this fall! We're all so proud :)
I'm slow at presents, but I'm working on putting together a grad school survival package that I can mail off in a couple of weeks. I figured this package ought to include at least one handknit item, so I started working on a top-down beret. The pattern was just a basic recipe, the directions were very straightforward, and things seemed like they were going well all through the increase section.

The striping turned into wonky pooling at one point, but I persevered and all returned to normal.

All of a sudden, I had reached the "knit straight" section. I knit straight for the recommended 4 inches, and it was at this point I started to notice that the "beret" was not flattening out into a typical beret shape. In fact, it looked more like a dome or boulder than a slouchy hat.

There are times when perseverence is not the best option, but I am not necessarily the best judge about these things.

Case in point - I once cast on for a sweater called Simply Marilyn. I don't know if you have seen the thing, but it is an oversized, off-the-shoulder, fold-over deep-ribbing collared number with a giant cable up the center front and back. I have pretty broad shoulders for a girl. As you can imagine, this sweater would not have been flattering on me. By the time I realized that, I had knit the entire back, one sleeve, and 3/4 of the front, so I kept going until I had all the pieces finished. Basically this was a waste of yarn. It was some crudy acrylic, but still! Moral #1: If it dawns on you that the FO will be horrifyingly bad, maybe you should stop. No, really. Stop. NOW.

Anyway, I was telling you about this more recent knitting incident. I forged on ahead through the decrease section and on to the ribbed brim. Cast off! I tried to flatten the thing out on my desktop, hoping it would magically transform from lumpy watchcap to beautifully drapey tam.

No such luck. Moral #2: Even if you really really want it to, your knitting will not redesign itself after you've bound off all the stitches. Dang it.

On the downside, I have knitted a bulgy beanie. Had I used the recommended bulky yarn instead of a worsted weight, I might have avoided this problem. I imagine that the 4" of straight stockinette in bulky yarn would have spread out quite nicely instead of making the hat look like a rock.

On the plus side, my sister has long hair, and she likes to wear it up every day. She can shove an entire ponytail inside this hat without messing up her hairstyle or the "garment aesthetic".

Moral #3: Wishful thinking on the part of the gift-giver just might turn a disaster into a joke.

Reclassify this item in the survival package: Reminder that your sister is a (lovable?) doofus.

Goings-On

Making:

Gathered Scarf (Ravelry)

Orangina (Ravelry)

Gloria Cowl (Ravelry)



Reading:


Materials for a paper on the Acts of the Apostles, specifically the martyrdom of Stephen


G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy
Fitness magazines galore (can you tell I'm preoccupied with this fitness business now that summer is almost here?)
Any fiction you've enjoyed recently that I should read? Leave a comment :)


Watching:


Rome, Season II
Ridiculous Stephen King miniseries
Sunshine outside at last

Eating:

Delicious green beans
Chicago pizza
Chickpea and Tomato salad (mix the two with Italian dressing and serve chilled - yum!)

Baby Steps

A guy in my department and his wife are expecting this fall/winter, so I churned these out yesterday. They are the most tiny, squishy little baby shoes I've ever seen, and I can't wait to see the future dad's reaction when he opens them. (ETA: He loved them!)



Yarn: Knit Picks Essential, Lily Pad Multi

Needles: US1 dpns

Pattern: Magic Baby Slippers (Ravelry link)

Verdict: Started and finished these in one day, all in all about 2 hours worth of tv + knitting time. They are so teeny and sweet, I just want to say "squeeee!" whenever I look at them and imagine bitty baby toes inside. A very satisfying project!

Sum up and Secret Knitting

Lots of secret knitting going on here in preparation for the big Etsy update tomorrow (hopefully it will happen early tomorrow evening, when I have some free time to sit down and enter a bunch of info into the computer). This little stack of squooshy wool is part of the update. I'm happy to have such a great variety of colors to work with.



I also have some fancy sock yarn to show you, from Knittin' Pretty over on Etsy. It's 477 yards of her handspun superwash in the "It takes two" colorway. I'm excited to start a pair of toe-up socks for myself, maybe with an eyelet pattern? Only time will tell.

And I do mean time. This week is all about finishing up old work that should have been accomplished long ago so that I can finally get started on the new work due in, oh, 3 weeks. Right. Things are a little busy, and my desk looks like this:



Paper in editing mode, cards with fitness moves from the latest Self magazine (it had Jennifer Garner on the cover; how could I resist, really?), and yarn and knitting needles. Can you tell I've been a little scattered for the past few days? I'm finally starting to feel like I'm really making progress though, especially on the fitness front. My weight hasn't changed in the last week, but I'm feeling more toned, and I'm fitting into pants that were a bit too tight just a month ago. Hurrah! Now if only I could knit or edit papers on the treadmill...

Brim-full

I'm full to the brim of exciting new plans and ideas today, mostly related to what I'm going to do with my summer (at this point in the quarter, the only thing that keeps me going is the anticipation of being finished with all the work that's taking over my life. That lovely rest will happen soon, if I can just stick it out for 4 more weeks!).

Travel:
Maine
Cruising
Exploring Chicago

Arts:
Modern Art Museum (I haven't been yet - what's wrong with me?!)
Free music and music festivals downtown
Crafting (ooh, I'm plotting an etsy shop update on May 15th with all new goodies!)

Eating:
I want to bake bread this summer
Finding new restaurants
Drinks in the backyard with friends

Reading:
I want to reread Jane Austen
Translating Greek
More trips to the public library

For now, I can look forward to a weekend of productivity, both on the knitting front (some other Div School knitters are joining me for a knitting meetup at a local coffee shop tomorrow!) and in the realm of homework. Pictures of all this progress will be here tomorrow :)

FO Parade

Finished coffee sleeve (see my Ravelry project page) for the cute boy who was jealous when he saw mine.

Yarn: Knit Picks Merino Style in Storm
Needles: US6s
Pattern: Coffee Sleeve from Craftster, Ravelry

Verdict: Still love it! Super easy, very fast to knit up, entirely satisfying and useful.

Finished socks!

These chocolate socks (full details over at Ravelry) are for my mom for Mother's Day.

Yarn: Regia Galaxy Color 1556

Needles: US1 dpns

Pattern: None; simple top-down socks with heel flap

Verdict: I adore this yarn, and these went really quickly. I hope Mom likes them, too.

Next time - Orangina progress!

Quiz me!

you are lightskyblue #87CEFA

Your dominant hues are cyan and blue. You like people and enjoy making friends. You're conservative and like to make sure things make sense before you step into them, especially in relationships. You are curious but respected for your opinions by people who you sometimes wouldn't even suspect. Your saturation level is lower than average - You don't stress out over things and don't understand people who do. Finishing projects may sometimes be a challenge, but you schedule time as you see fit and the important things all happen in the end, even if not everyone sees your grand master plan. Your outlook on life is bright. You see good things in situations where others may not be able to, and it frustrates you to see them get down on everything.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

I find quizzes really entertaining, and sometimes revealing. This one was particularly fun, so you should try it out. I'd love to see your results, so leave a comment if you take it ;)