full of knit

i am excited to be a part of secret pals 4. this is my first one! here are my answers to the 'getting to know you' questions:

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high- a nd/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
I like almost all types/brands of yarns. Local yarn shops to big name craft stores- I'll buy it anywhere.
2. Do you spin? Crochet? Don't spin, but eventually would like to learn. Can do very basic crochet, but also want to learn more as lots of knitting patterns use crochet for finishing touches.
3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.) Not to fibers; just your basic cats/grass/pollen type allergies
4. How long have you been knitting? Almost 3 years
5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? No
6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) lavendar, vanilla
7. Do you have a sweet tooth? for chocolate
8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? making candles/bath products
9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) all types from classical/jazz to alternative rock (except heavy metal or rap)
10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? I like greens, blues, purples - cool colors
11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? married 5 yrs, 8 yr old pound puppy
12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know) to travel
13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? wool for felting/accessroies, cotton for clothing items
14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? ok, I said I wasn't a yarn snob, but I am not a huge fan of "cheap" looking acrylic
15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? kntting with beads/fabric/things other than yarn
16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? accessories like scarves & purses, gift type items
17. What are you knitting right now? a fabric knit purse for a gift
18. What do you think about ponchos? I jumped on the bandwagon and made one last fall....
19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? straight
20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? bamboo
21. Are you a sock knitter? not yet
22. How did you learn to knit? I tried to learn several times from my mom growing up, but always had a hard time since I am left handed and she is right handed. for some reason this last time, it just made sense. thank goodness my mom is patient!
23. How old is your oldest UFO? a year and a half; it is knitted but needs to be finished. i hate that part!
24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird? I love the classic Peanuts holiday specials
25. What is your favorite holiday? Thanksgiving
26. Is there anything that you collect? piles of yarn ha ha!

tonight i started on a bag that is made from fabric strips. i like that the print of the cut fabric makes random splashes of colors. also, since the strips are wide, the project goes quickly. i am half finished with the knitting portion, and it only took about 2 hrs for one 8"x12" side of the purse. it is going to be a present for someone else, but i just may have to make one for me, too.

even though the snow storm didn't dump as much snow as expected, i still pretended to be housebound today so i had an excuse to stay in my pajamas and knit. DH wants a scarf, so i am making a dark burgundy one with a single cable in the middle. bulky yarn & size 13 needles - it is going very fast. that, plus the fact that it is about all i've done today....

i work for a large company - so large they have sports groups and clubs of almost every kind. except knitting....today they sent out feelers to see if anyone is interested in a needlework club. i hope it comes to fruition!

in other news, i stopped by the library on my way home because my reserved copy of easy knitted accessories came in. has some great looking projects. still trying to decide what to make next....

finished the green shrug last night. the sleeves are pretty wide since the whole thing is one long rectangle with seams sewn at the ends. i hope to take it or the poncho i made last fall on the girls' weekend trip to the farm. now, what next? i really enjoyed knitting with beads -- when I saw the new issue of knitty, i haaaad to make maryella. it turned out fantastic! now i think i will make a choker to go with it. that means it is time to scour the net for patterns....

last night I went through all the old knitting magazines and printed off web patterns in an attempt to clean out my overflowing knitting basket. my thought is to put them all in a 3 ring binder. the hard part was going through the magazines and tearing out only those I knew I wanted to eventually make....it was hard to stand firm and not keep those "maybes," but I was strong.... ;-)

i figure since we got a digital camera yesterday, i should finally start a knitting blog. anyone who is *anyone* in the knitting community has one, you know.... coming soon - pictures of my latest WIP. my current project is a forest green angora shrug. the pattern was in the latest Easy Knitting magazine. ah, the internet and mags always show such pretty pictures that i want to start new projects right away! my New Year's resolution is to only have one project going at a time. any bets as to how long that will last???