2.28.2007

PRGE Questions

1. How long have you been knitting/crocheting/spinning? I’ve been knitting for a little more than two years. I taught myself to crochet last summer, but it doesn’t hold my fascination the way knitting does. I haven’t learned to spin (yet).

2. Do you consider yourself a beginner, novice or experienced yarn artist? I’m pretty experienced, but not an expert. I love working lace, cables, twist- or slip-stitch patterns. These days, I’m trying to learn more about pattern construction.

3. What fibers (materials) have you knit/crochet with? Most of the biggies ... wool, wool blends, alpaca, cotton, bamboo, mohair, acrylic, silk blends.

4. What are your favorite yarns? Patons SWS. Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride (bulky and worsted). Rowan Kidsilk Haze. Debbie Bliss Cashmerino. I'm just now starting to explore Knitpicks, too.

5. What fibers are you dying to try? Hmm ... I’m honestly not sure. I’d like to be exposed to something different or new or weird.

6. Do you prefer solid, self striping, or handpainted yarns? I like them all! I think they all have their place. But with self-striping, I like yarns where the stripes fade in and out (like Noro or SWS), rather than start and stop abpruptly.

7. What fibers do you dislike? I’m not crazy about most acrylics, although some novelty yarns and boucles are okay. Lion Brand does not work for me, especially Homespun.

8. What are your favorite colors? Black, pink, black, pink, red, purple, blue. Also: black and pink.

9. What are your least favorite colors? Yellow and orange. Also, non-pink pastels.

10. How did you learn to knit/crochet/spin? My mom knits and crochets; she tried to teach me both when I was a teenager but I couldn’t get beyond the first row of either. She gave me a knitting kit from Target a few years ago -- I tried valiantly and failed miserably. Then for Christmas in 2004, I got Stich N’ Bitch, and picked it up pretty quickly. I learned crochet from Happy Hooker last summer.

11. What projects are you currently working on? I’m about to start my first sweater. Now that it's in the high 70s and low 80s in Austin.

12. How old is your oldest UFO? What is it? Will it ever be finished? I started the tankini from SnBN in spring of 2005, and it bored the hell out of me. It’s never going to be finished – I plan to use the yarn for something else.

13. What is the most heartbreaking project that you ever frogged? I had to frog my Sexie top partway through, after laboring over it ... fortunately, I was unemployed at the time, so I had time to start over.

14. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Circulars. I never knit with straights anymore unless it’s a size I don’t have in my standard Denise kit. (I long for the extra needle tips they have now.) I use DPNs pretty frequently.

15. Do you own a swift and/or a winder? Nope, to my dismay. I am thinking of getting the winder soon and forcing Mr. Fury to build a swift.

16. Where do you keep your needles? I have a Denise kit, which is self-contained. The neglected straights and my DPNs hang out in a big glass mug on my desk.

17. Do you enjoy helpful hints about your knitting or does it just piss you off? I’m fine with it, as long as there’s no Nelson Muntz “ha ha” involved.

18. What techniques are you still a virgin in (lace, cables, ect.) and are you interested in trying them? I’m a sock virgin, but hope for deflowering in the next few months. I’m also tempted by entrelac.

19. What knitting magazines do you subscribe to? None.

20. Are there any books, needles, yarn, patterns that you are dying to get your hands on? I always like patterns sized for wee torsos (I have a 32” bust and 25” waist ... and a very, very big ass), or anything that takes just one or two skeins to complete.

21. Do you enjoy knitting socks? How big are your feet? I hope to begin enjoying knitting socks in the near future! My feet are 9” long, and I have rather thick ankles and heavy calves. (It’s muscle, I swear.)

22. Do you have a wish list? Sure do.

23. What are your non-knitting, crochet, spinning hobbies? Reading, dancing, exercising, general domesticity, watching movies.

24. How do you feel about sports? I love UFC but that’s the only professional sport I can stand. Austin roller derby is awesome but I haven’t attended for the last season or two.

25. What is your favorite season? Least favorite season? Why? I love a nice warm Texas spring. Winter is my least favorite because I cannot abide being cold. Hence all the wool.

26. What is your favorite holiday? Halloween. It celebrates three of my favorite things: costumes, candy, and horror movies!

27. Do you like handmade gifts? Of course!

28. Do you wear jewelry that isn't real? None of my jewelry is real. Even my wedding ring is CZ.

29. What are your favorite foods? Scents that you love? I love chocolate, candy, junk food, and coffee. In terms of real food, I love Italian and Tex-Mex. Not that anyone would send meat for a gift exchange, but for the record, I’m a long-time vegetarian (eight years running). As for scents, vanilla is the all-time champ.

30. What is your family situation? Do you live alone? I own a condo with my fantastic husband. We have been together for about seven years and married for a little more than three of those. We eloped in Las Vegas; our wedding was featured on MTV. (Which never fails to get me recognized when I duck into Hot Topic.)

31. Do you have any pets? We have five ferrets: Eris, Fozzie, Ginsu, Houdini, and Illiogor. Yes, that’s a lot of ferrets. We decided to go with ferrets instead of kids, as ferrets can be caged when we aren’t home.

32. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3's? Rockabilly, punk, old-school country. I’ll listen to just about anything except radio pop and commercial rap. (mc chris, on the other hand – rock on!) My computer can play MP3s.

33. What are your favorite movies? TV shows? Actors? I am a horror movie junkie, especially zombie movies. As for TV, I’m crazy about Adult Swim on Cartoon Network, and I watch both the Daily Show and Colbert Report. Court TV and Law and Order tend to be on in our house too. I still lament that Mystery Science Theater is gone. My all-time favorite actor is Seth Green – I never watched Buffy, but I’ve been in love with him since I was 12.

34. What do you collect? Anything kitschy or evil. I’m very fond of fridge magnets, postcards, and buttons (not the kind that are used to fasten garments, the other kind).

35. What do you do in real life -- besides knit and blog? My day job is at a small niche travel dot-com; I love it immensely. I’m also a member of the Satan’s Cheerleaders dance group. Besides knitting, most of my time is spent reading, or being domestic with Mr. Fury and the ferret herd. I’m also a hardcore gym addict ... I do weights, yoga, or spin class pretty much every day.

36. When is your birthday? Is it a national holiday or just another day? March 25. It’s the Annunciation, which I don’t celebrate because I’m not Catholic.

37. Do you have any allergies, medical conditions or disorders that your pal should be aware of (ie. diabetes, food/pet allergies, ect.)? I can’t stand cigarette smoke. Hate it, hate it, hate it. Please don’t send Pall Malls.

38. Are there any scents, phobias, or sensory thing (ie, the way certain objects feel) that your pal should be aware of? Nope. Well, I don’t like the feeling of wet cotton balls, but I suspect the chances of receiving wet cotton balls are pretty slim.

39. What is the most difficult thing that you have ever knit/crochet? You know, I’m not sure. Probably the very first row I ever knit was the most difficult.

40. What is your personal style? Is there a time period/fashion movement that you take your cues from? I’m very jeans-and-t-shirt during the day (see the aforementioned dot-com day job). But for going out ... my crowd enjoys dressing up. Costumes, fetishwear, corsets, vinyl -- it’s all fair game. I get a lot of inspiration from the 1920s, 1940s, and 1950s. I do love me some bullet bras.

41. Anything else that you would like to say? I’m sure whatever you send will bring me much, much joy. My pleasures are simple. This is my very first online gift exchange and I’m stupid excited about it.

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