10 Knitterly things about me

I'm coming a little late to Grumperina's knitting meme, but here goes:

1.  I hate the Feather and Fan pattern.  I know people love it, and recommend it to new lace knitters, but it bores me absolutely to TEARS.

2.  I like to use single-point needles, but only in the shorter lengths (e.g., about 10".)

3.  When I use single point needles, I prop the end of the right-hand needle in the crease between my thigh and my body (only when I'm sitting, obviously).  And I only throw the yarn with my right hand when I knit this way.  It's my version of the way Shetlanders use a knitting sheath or belt, and the way some knitters tuck a long needle under their arm.  Nobody taught me this.  I came up with it long years ago as a way to keep from having needles flopping around.  It works surprisingly well when I'm knitting lace, but of course it only works on flat pieces knitted back and forth.

4.  I don't really like to wear sweaters.  That's why I make so few of them.

5.  I tend to knit things that look interesting to make rather than things I'd actually use.  That's why I knit lace, even though I'm not at all a girly-girl, and would never choose something lacy to wear in the normal course of events.

6.  I love to wear hand-knitted socks, but I think knitting socks is kinda... boring.  (Apologies to all you die-hard sock knitters out there.  It's just me.  I'm weird.)

7.  Knitted ruffles hold a strange fascination for me.  See about about not being a girly-girl.  I would NEVER pick a blouse with a ruffle, for instance.  But I see ruffles on a knitted item, and I want to make it.  And this in spite of the fact that ruffles are one of the most boring things on the planet to actually KNIT, mind you.  Go figure.

8.  I almost never have any problems with tight cast-ons or bind offs.  I never have.  And I don't go up 2 needle sizes to bind off or anything like that.  I think it's because I started out as a loose knitter, and from the very beginning, I read stuff about casting on loosely and binding off loosely, and took it straight to heart.  Sometimes my cast ons and bind offs are TOO loose, in fact.  I'm finally learning how to get a good balance between being too loose and too tight.

9.  I can't use the Denise needles because their smallest size is a 5 (US).  I almost never knit with anything larger than a 5, unless I'm making a worsted weight afghan or something.  I much prefer smaller needles and smaller yarn.  You should see my lace-weight stash.

10.  You know how people use handpainted yarns for socks and match up the colors/patterns so they have "identical" socks rather than "fraternal" socks?  It never occurred to me to try that until I saw it online.  Never even crossed my mind that it was possible.  Who says the internet isn't educational?  :)

Comments

[Beth]

I'm one of those F&F devotees. It's the stockinette of lace knitting.

[Jane]

Hmm, maybe I should do this meme. I think I'm the exact opposite from you (except for the lace!) hee hee

[Restless Knitter]

I detest F&F. I've made 2 afghans with it and I'll never knit it again. (I'm sure that one is going to bite me in the rear just because I said Never.)

I'm not a sock knitter either, but I love sock yarns and I like to wear them. The only time I like to knit socks is when we visit a certain someone's parents. I'm so bad, but doing socks is not nearly as boring as doing absolutely nothing.

[Mouse]

I agree with you on the socks.. I love sock yarn and handknit socks but I'm at the point where I think I'd rather hope for them as gifts from sock-knitting friends than knit them myself. Probably why it takes me 6 months to knit a pair of socks..

[Mary]

I totally get what you mean about #5. Although I do knit some sweaters to wear.

It's like looking for a satisfying book to read - looking for a project that will be interesting and engrossing. I also think that is why I often don't finish projects. I start off, learn what I needed to learn or practiced something new and that was what I needed. Though it would be nice to produce something useful from the effort!!