10 Knittery Things

That you may not know about me. (And taking Grumperina's cue) If you knew two or more of these leave me a comment. I'm curious to know if I've put these on the blog and forgotten.

1. I taught myself to knit from a Lionbrand book. It wasn't pretty.

2. I wouldn't buy myself "expensive yarn" (over $5.00 a ball) until I had been knitting and crocheting for two years. What can I say? I can't explain why I was so cheap.

3. I am now something of a yarn snob having subjected myself to cheap ass yarn for the first two years that I knit or crocheted. I don't use acrylic, nylon, fun fur, etc. unless it is a dire emergency like being stuck in the middle of a cornfield with no yarnshop in sight and the only thing I have to knit with is pencils and a sack of Wal-Fart brand "fuzzy fur." Even then I'd almost rather NOT KNIT.

4. I'm not an adventurous knitter. I don't even like most of the trendy patterns (have you seen a clapotis at the bunny ranch? I didn't think so) that are being knit now. I'm stuck in my own little time warp looking for patterns from the good old days like some stylish 40's or 50's era feminine yet assertive knits.

5. Fair Ilse. Remember how I bought this kit and this yarn and I was going to make this Fair Ilse hat and mittens. Still haven't tried it. (You may also remember my goal to try intarsia, Fair Isle, and cabling before the end of the year? Eh, I'm working on it.)

6. I don't really like patterns. I hate carrying around the damn book or the sheets or whatever they're on. I prefer to just know the pattern (or make it up) and go. This has only bit my ass a few times so far. I predict it will continue to do so. (So maybe I cast on for Josh's socks 4 times before I got the correct cast on with the right number of stitches. I only had an inch done the second time before I frogged it.)

7. I don't like to knit for myself. I like to see my handcrafts on others. I love giving presents. Sadly my presents are not always appreciated. (You asked for hunting gloves without the trigger finger. I used MY handspun. I don't care that it wasn't "even" enough for you. DEAL with it. No, wait, you aren't getting any handknits ever again. You don't appreciate my time. cough cough *Brett* cough)

8. I have never used Lorna's Laces, Malabrigo, Koigu, Scout's Swag, Opal, Kid Silk Haze, Regia, or a number of other very well known yarns. Why? I don't know. I buy for other knitters, but I can't seem to buy it for myself.

9. I have what constitutes less than two rubber maid bins of yarn. I am both ashamed and delighted by this. I'm ashamed because it seems like such a small stash. I'm delighted because it seems like such a small stash. (I have this thing with leaving yarn to marinate for too long. Use it or lose it!) This may also be contributed to the fact that I am often compared to Will's mother. Who, in Will's opinion, always has way too much yarn lying around. (The mother load really. Boxes of it. So many boxes even she doesn't know she has those boxes. So many boxes that Will THREW SOME AWAY and she never even noticed. Will is not allowed to touch the stash.)

10. I don't like sheep. There I said it. I don't like sheep, and yet I harbor an unnatural affinity for wool. I also have this sick desire to knit sheep. A lot of sheep. An entire herd of sheep knit from wool to scatter about the house. Why don't I like sheep you ask? Um, I may have grown up around a lot of sheep.