Knitting Meme

Diana tagged me for the knitting meme.
What is your all time favourite yarn to knit with?
Hmmm…that’s a tough one. In general I like working with a yarn that’s at least partly wool because the elasticity is so nice. It’s too hard to pick a single yarn though as it really depends on what type of project I’m working on. For socks, I really enjoy Lorna’s Laces in the mostly solid shades. You already know I can’t deal with LL pooling.
For garments, I gravitate toward worsted and DK weight yarns (imo they’re great handknitting weights because they’re not so small as to make a project take forever to knit, but once knit up you can acually wear them indoors on regular fall and winter days). Rather than list a single yarn in the sweater category though, I’m going to say that I enjoy knitting with heathered or tweeded yarns the most. I love to watch the subtle variation of color slip through my hands and I get (probably too much) pleasure out of seeing how the colors morph from shade to shade in different lighting.
Yarns that come to mind are Felted Tweed, Lavold Silky Tweed, Bartlett Yarn, and Yorkshire Tweed. For some reason I’m completely obsessed with the pink color of YT DK that I linked to. I think a scarf or mitts will be on the short list because I don’t really see myself wearing a whole sweater in that shade of pink.
Your favourite needles?
I will usually grab for Addi Turbos first. However, I tend to enjoy touching needles when I’m using small gauge Bamboo DPNs (which is a shame since I rarely knit with DPNs) or Retro 80s era Boye Aluminums straights. I *heart* Boye aluminums! So much so that I keep a vase of them on display in the bookshelves. They have some of the pointiest tips I’ve ever used. I just wish that it was easier to knit with straights and be busty. I have a lot of longer aluminums that are purely decorative because they’re not anatomically correct. If you’re afflicted like me you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.
The worst thing you’ve ever knit?
Maude. It’s made out of Mission Falls cotton (which I really enjoyed knitting but I’ve heard many people disagree). This is really a matter of knitting something I wanted to knit versus knitting something I’d love to wear. There’s nothing wrong with the tank per se, but it absolutely does not fit my body type.

I had such a hard time getting a good fit. At first I made it too big. Then I steeked up the sides and got a better fit. Once I got it fitting around me better, the stripes curved upwards around my chest and looked awful.
A while back Katy had suggested I use the fabric from the tank to make a bag and I think it’s a great idea. Someday when I’m ready to look at it again I think I’ll merge the tank with some denim and make a summery backpack.
Your most favourite knit pattern? (maybe you don’t like wearing it…but it was the most fun to knit)

Waving Lace Socks from IK Spring 2004. There was something about that pattern that I loved. The Lorna’s Laces yarn, the way the lace pattern undulates along the edge of the foot, the repeat that’s easy to remember yet looks complicated. They all make a really lovely sock.
Most valuable knitting technique?
Listen to my intuition! I always know when something’s going awry. I may try to convince myself otherwise at first but in my heart I know. I’d save myself countless hours if I didn’t try to ignore my little inner voice.
For a more traditional “technique” I’d say the tubular cast on. I love it so much that every now and then I consider doing socks cuff-down just to be able to use it.
Best knit book or magazine?
Well you all know how I feel about Handknit Holidays. But, for long-term love it’s got to go to Montse.
For magazines, Interweave Knits is the easy winner. Even once the designs go out of style, the articles are still great for reference.
Your favourite knit-a-long?
I think my favorite ones were probably the ones I watched from the sidelines. Seeing all the different possibilities come alive for patterns like NBaT and Ribby Cardi really drew my attention to those patterns.
Your favourite knitblogs?
Oh boy. There’s no way I could list just a few and feel right about it.
Your favourite knitwear designer?
I love Elsebeth Lavold’s cables, Debbie Bliss’ simple lines (but NOT her instructions! would a chart and a schematic kill you woman?), Dale of Norway’s details, and Phildar’s and Rebecca’s style.
The knit item you wear the most? (how about a picture of it!)

My fingerless mitts. They took a whole Sunday afternoon to knit and I wore them every chance I got last winter. I have a few pairs of mitts but these ones won out because they don’t have individual fingers. I like these better because in really cold weather I wear a pair of gloves underneath them for extra warmth. I wore them almost every morning at work too because I have a wall of windows and it’s pretty chilly in the morning hours.
The Interlacements Oregon held up pretty well. There is some pilling but they got a lot of wear. They were soft from day one though and if the hanks of yarn weren’t so huge I would go out and buy some more right now.
Who am I going to tag? I’d like to hear what Marnie, Shana, and Karma have to say. Ladies — as always, if you’re not interested feel free to pass.