7 Things About Me

I apologize, but I did a copy and paste from my blog a couple weeks ago because I can't think of any more fun things about me (if you want a really long list...here are 100 things about me).

1. I like to read mysteries.

2. I wish that I could sew. There are so many dresses and skirts that I'd love to make. I'm always buying patterns thinking I'll teach myself, but get very intimidated the moment I open the envelope.

3. I like watching zombie and vampire movies.

4. I like finding 4 leaf clovers, and I'm actually pretty good at it. I even have one that I found during our last trip to France.

5. I collect sheep, bees and teacups.

6. I love the smell of Lilly of the Valley. It makes me so happy when they start to grow right outside our front door.

7. I have never been to Disneyworld or Disneyland but really want to go!

Peoneme

I truly love spring in DC. Growing up in California made me immune to the changes of the seasons; the winters are so mild that nothing ever really dies. But now that I live in a place where there are true, distinct seasons (even though they are mild, relative to many other parts of the world), I await the bloom of every bud on the dogwoods in my yard. And the peonies and the azaleas and the bluebells and lilies of the valley and the irises. But the grand prize for me is in June, when my beloved hydrangeas bloom. I can't wait to see what they look like this year. I planted them last year and literally spent hours tending to the delicate balance of water and shade they required as new plantings. They are very high maintenance plants. But I expect a big payoff. Already my dwarf hydrangea is three feet tall, and I see lots of potential blooms on my mopheads.

I never, ever thought I would have even a passing interest in gardening. But I love it. I love witnessing the life cycle in its fierce and compact time schedule. I love the fun and challenge of planning a perennial garden (my current project for that little strip of land between the sidewalk and the street), predicting what will bloom when and what will look good next to each other. This year the kids and I are going to raise monarch caterpillars, once the milkweed shows up at the nursery. Pictures to follow, obviously.

But back to the meme. I got all woozy reading all of those. I'll just talk about what I like and what I want to knit next and things that annoy me. Probably a lot of that, now that I think about it.

I like knitting with wool, and wool and silk blends.
I would like to try bamboo.
I slightly prefer two circulars instead of DPNs, but not enough to always choose one over the other.
I am tired of following directions and want to branch out to designing my own stuff.
I can't steek to save my life, and you will all be relieved to know that when Stitches East comes to town in October, I will be attending the "Joy of Steeking" class.
I don't really like self-striping yarns.
Noro? The World of Nature? Whatever.
Love the Yarn Harlot blog, hate the books.
I like cabling. A lot.
I know people who hate intarsia. I don't understand why. I neither love it or hate it. If the pattern calls for it, I do it.
I do hate seaming, though, and take great pains to pick up stitches for sleeves so I can knit them in the round.
I am so over felting, but will be felting one more bag before hanging up the felting for awhile.
Knitters I admire: Elizabeth Zimmerman, Nicky Epstein, Jenna Adorno, Eunny Jang, and La Pez.
I do not love the washrag. I do not understand the washrag. I do not understand the appeal of the slow-witted style of Mason Dixon Knitting. I have met the authors at a book signing and love them. They are incredibly nice and funny, and their friendship is really lovely. But the book? Not so much.
I love the Geico cavemen. Just had to throw that in there.
I am currently trying to figure out how to incorporate Keanu Reeves as a design element in a project. I am not kidding about this. Y'all have not seen my Keanu Reeves tabletop fountain (which I MADE, by the way) so you have NO IDEA how deep the madness reaches.

That's it for now. Have to go practice my Spanish. La chica es loca.

Morning MeMe #4

I am an occasional contributor, but a constant (albeit very slow and time limited) knitter. I love to crochet (gasp!) too. Actually any kind of craft I can find time and/or money for is fair game to me. :D I have to craft.

I'm relatively new to this knitting thing, although I've been a needle crafter for years. I enjoy it, but cannot seem to find enough time for it with three kids and their activities. I knit at the ball fields, in the pick-up line, in the car, at the soccer fields, at chorus concerts, and at PTO meetings! ;) and yes, I've been called "Granny" before for it!

Mark with bold the things you have ever knit, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest

Afghan (crocheted!)
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater (doing this one now, but not finished!)
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (=modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colours
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies...)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items)on two circulars
Knitting with someone else's handspun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener
BOPurses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mits/armwarmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

Morning MeMe #3

I'm one of the knitting "babies" on the blog. There are still many, many things I want to do. If only I had more time in my day!

Mark with bold the things you have ever knit, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest

Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (=modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colours
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies...)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items)on two circulars
Knitting with someone else's handspun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener
BOPurses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mits/armwarmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public