Day 18: Do you knit English or Continental?

I'm an English style knitter though I've taught myself to knit Continental when doing colorwork. I knit all the color work of Lusekofte-sque Mitts two handed. Maybe one day I'll do an entire project Continental style.

Day 17: Have you ever had a project that you loved become ruined? What’s the story behind it?

None that I know of. Unless one getting lost by USPS counts. I made a lovely round wedding blanket for my dear friend Ashley in September of 2011. Katie sent it off to her and we never saw it again. I'm really ticked off that they lost it. Not because of the cost, but because of the time that went into it and the reason Katie and I made it. Yes, both of us made it. Katie dyed the yarn and I knit it up.

Katie's beautiful hand dyed yarn

Lighting sucks but the finished product.

Ignoring my stuff in the background,
Aero is doing a fine job of showing size.
I should have blocked this out with all the picots, but didn't.

Day 16: Have you ever had a knitting related injury?

Hmmm.... Arthritis, Ulnar Nerve Dysfunction, cramps, a sore back... just a few.

Day 15: What was your least favorite pattern and why?

See Day 7. Beautiful pattern. Murder on my hands.

Day 14: What’s the worst yarn/fiber that you’ve worked with and why?

After working with the wonderful wools and blends that Black Sheep carries, I have come to detest working with most acrylic yarns. Caron Simply Soft is okay still, but I have issues working with Red Heart. It squeaks and isn't soft and just feels wrong in my hands. *shudders* I'll keep my soft and pretty wools now thank you.

Day 13: Do you have yarn that you love but can’t find a project for?

Yes! I've had this wonderful River's Edge sock yarn for over a year. I bought it at SAFF (Southeastern Animal Fiber Festival) 2011 and haven't found the project for it yet. It is 380 yards of hand dyed 70% superwash Blueface Leicester wool and 30% nylon sock weight 2-ply yarn. It's soft and gorgeous but I don't know what to use it for. It was the only thing I bought at SAFF and I want to use it, but I don't know what to do with it. Nothing I've looked at seems right.

Day 12: Where do you keep your stash?

Right now my stash lives in shoe boxes in my closet. I took time a few days ago to organize it a bit and box everything neatly. My needles aren't here as they are in another bag across the room because I forgot.

In the process of being organized.

All nice and neat!
Blue Box - Supplies (stitch markers, wool wash, etc.)
Orange Box - Yarn for personal projects
Red Box - Gift Bags, Tissue Paper, etc.
Pink Box - Christmas Present Yarn
Brown Box - Yarn Scraps and Ends

Day 11: Do you have a “Knitter Hero” or someone that is just way too awesome for their own good?

I suppose my "Knitter Hero" (or heroines) would be all my knitting friends. They do such awesome projects and inspire me to challenge myself and do more. Here's just two of them (mostly because I could find pictures of their stuff to share).

Katie is my absolute best friend. She taught me how to knit and can also crochet, tat, dye, spin, and probably many other things that I can't think of at the moment.

Baby Girasole

Leaves on the Line

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Tina owns my favorite local yarn shop, Black Sheep at Orenco, and challenges me to go bigger and better. She's the entire reason I did colorwork gloves and I will be attempting a sweater/cardigan in the relatively near future.

Bears made by Barbara, Tina, and Julianne

Steeked Scarf - Steeking terrifies me!

Day 10: Do you have a favorite pattern or designer?

I don't really have a favorite pattern or designer. I browse Ravelry a lot and save patterns I like. I think my favorite pattern I've worked is the Hemlock Ring by Jared Flood.

Day 9: What fiber or yarn do you love working with?

I'm pretty much in love with anything with superwash wool, be it just the wool or a wool blend. I work with Cascade yarns a lot; my favorite there so far has been Heritage Silk, a 85% superwash wool and 15% mulberry silk blend. It was absolutely decadent. One day when I have the money, I would love to work with Black Trillium or Alcidina.

Cascade Heritage Silk

Cascade Heritage Paint in colorway David's Eyes

Day 8: What’s your most challenging project?

My most challenging project was probably the mitts I have recently finished for my Granny's Christmas present. Though I've done fingerless mitts before, doing colorwork like this was a challenge. I made Lusekofte-sque Mitts in Cascade Superwash Sport Blue Velvet and White. I loved this color combination. They are a bit smaller than I would have liked because of the tension of the floats of white, but I still adore them.

Day 7: Your least favorite?

It took me a long time to figure out my least favorite project. It wasn't until today, talking to Katie, that I realized what it was. I kept trying to pick from my finished projects. I realized that my least favorite isn't finished.

I started on this Centerline Cable Scarf back in May. It has been sitting in my unfinished pile since June or so. I love the design; it's very pretty. My hands do not love the design. There are so many cables so often that I can't work the scarf for very long. I'm lucky to get half a pattern repeat done. I don't even know where I am in the pattern anymore; I believe I am five rows from the end of the repeat. I think I'm going to finish the repeat and be done. It's also on cheap Red Heart acrylic yarn that feels so wrong in my hands after working with the wonderful wool and wool blends from Cascade Yarns and Black Sheep at Orenco. I don't care how long it is or isn't. I need the needles back and this scarf hurts something fierce and I'm ready to be done! Blarg!

Day 6: What is your favorite piece that you've knit?

My favorite piece changes with nearly each project I do. My favorite right now is the Hemlock Ring Blanket I made during the month of September. I knit it up as a wedding gift to a friend before she went on her honeymoon in early October. I was knitting like crazy the entire month trying to finish it on time. It was close, but I did it!

I knit it on US 10 dpns and 40" circular needles using nearly four balls (close to 858 yards total) Cascade 220 Superwash in Mocha.

Days 4 and 5

Silly me who was out knitting last night forgot to post... oops. So double posts today.

Day 4: How did you learn how to knit?

My bestest friend taught me how to knit in February of 2011 mainly because I needed something to do to keep my hands busy (and myself awake) during our 8 am senior seminar. It was an interesting class, don't get me wrong, but it was based around discussion and movies. One thing I have learned about myself is that if there is a movie in class, no matter the movie (even if it is the most interesting thing on the planet), I will fall asleep. If my hands are busy I don't fall asleep as much or as easily. So I asked Katie to teach me how to knit. Anything I have needed to learn since I've either gone to Katie or looked it up on this fantastic place called the internet.

Day 5: How long did it take from the time your learned how to knit, to finish your first project?

According to Ravelry I cast-on my first project (which happened to be the day I learned) on February 13th and I finished it on March 7th. So not very long at all. And there was even a color change in it!

Project One as seen on Day One with Aero the bear.

Day 3: Do you have any other WIPs (works in progress)?

Do I have any other works in progress? Is it not 8 weeks and counting until Christmas? Of course I have WIPs. And not only the ones actually on needles - I have several planned as well!

So, Project One I talked about yesterday, but today is Projects Two and Three and beyond. Two and Three are both personal projects (for a change!)

Project Two is a Mericash Cowl that I am making to go with some lovely fingerless mitts I made a few weeks back. I use these mitts a lot and now that the weather is getting colder, especially in the early mornings when I'm on my way to work, it will be nice to have a cowl too! The yarn is Cascade Heritage sock yarn and a nice soft 100% superwash wool in baby blue. I love the color and the super softness of it. (Yarn, as always, bought from Tina at Black Sheep at Orenco.)

Project Three is a redo of one of my projects in my first year of knitting. I crafted a Hufflepuff scarf just over a year ago now. I loved it, but it was really wide and, having been knit in the round, it was really thick. My new scarf is 6 inches or so across and is growing in length. I'm excited to have it done too!

Original Scarf measured roughly 10 inches
across and 90 inches long.

Those are all my projects technically in progress though I have several more Christmas presents planned.

Day 2: What is currently on your needles?

I have several projects on my needles right now, but as tomorrow is another 'show us your wips' day, I shall only show you what I am working on right this minute. Like I just put it down to write this and then I shall be picking it up again.

Project One is a pair of socks. I'm making Hermione's Everyday Socks (or on Ravelry) for a Christmas Present/Request. I'm using Regia 8-ply sock yarn that is 75% Superwash New Wool and 25% Polymide. They will be washable, durable, and warm. Perfect for wearing around or inside boots on cold days at the farm. As usual, the yarn and needles were bought at my very favorite lys, Black Sheep at Orenco in Hillsboro. I spent the better part of this morning there, actually, knitting and visiting with the wonderful, amazing owner, Tina.

Regia 8-Ply Alaska Color #08942 

I'm not as comfortable working socks cuff-down or one at a time, so this is a bit of a challenge for me. I like doing them toe-up and I really enjoyed working my last ones two at a time so I knew they both used exactly the same amount of yarn.

Day 1: What was your first finished project?

My first project... I would say that was a long time ago (and in some ways it was), but it was February/March of 2011. Yes, I've been knitting for just under two years.

This project was originally for my mom. She loved it, used it, and then I inherited it back when she passed away two months later. So this is both a happy project (Yay! First project done!) and a sad project (referring to why I received it back).

It's simple and completely garter stitch, but I am slightly impressed that I did a color change in my first project. I still wear it a lot and it makes me think of my mom every time I do.

30 Days of Knitting Challenge

I stole this from Katie when she put it on Tumblr and I'm going to try to keep up. Don't worry, there will still be food porn, but there will be knitting and yarn too.

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Day 1: What was your first finished project?
Day 2: What is currently on your needles?
Day 3: Do you have any other WIPs (works in progress)?
Day 4: How did you learn how to knit?
Day 5: How long did it take from the time your learned how to knit, to finish your first project?
Day 6: What is your favorite piece that you’ve knit?
Day 7: Your least favorite?
Day 8: What’s your most challenging project?
Day 9: What fiber or yarn do you love working with?
Day 10: Do you have a favorite pattern or designer?
Day 11: Do you have a “Knitter Hero” or someone that is just way too awesome for their own good? Do share!
Day 12: Where do you keep your stash? Post pictures!
Day 13: Do you have yarn that you love but can’t find a project for?
Day 14: What’s the worst yarn/fiber that you’ve worked with and why?
Day 15: What was your least favorite pattern and why?
Day 16: Have you ever had a knitting related injury?
Day 17: Have you ever had a project that you loved become ruined? What’s the story behind it?
Day 18: Do you knit English or Continental?
Day 19: Do you watch movies and/or listen to podcasts while knitting? What are your favorite things to knit to?
Day 20: Do you knit in public? Was anyone offended/incredibly happy/curious that you were doing so?
Day 21: Do you knit gifts for friends and family for the holidays or birthdays?
Day 22: Have you ever stricken someone off your to-knit-for list because they didn’t appreciate/take care of your last knitted gift to them?
Day 23: If you had the supplies (and patience) for it, what project would you start today?
Day 24: Have you ever made your own pattern or dyed your own yarn? How did it turn out?
Day 25: Do you have a knitting book or a place where you keep patterns, ideas, size measurements? Post a picture of it!
Day 26: Have you ever been a part, or wanted to be a part of a knit-a-long? What was it? If not, why?
Day 27: How do you acquire most of yarn? Online retailers, local yarn shops, swaps, or large chain craft stores? What’s your favorite?
Day 28: Do you do any other crafts besides knitting? What are they, and did learning to knit come before or after learning these other crafts?
Day 29: Do you have any tips, or things that you’ve learned from knitting?
Day 30: What’s your name on Ravelry? If you don’t have a Ravelry account, why?