Contest Answers Vol. II

And now- Even More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About PieKnits!

Someone help me- I    can    not    keep    from    rambling! The questions were fun and challenging though- thanks again for reading and playing along everyone. If for some reason you're morbidly curious and missed Vol. I it's right here.

Susan asks "Tell me about your dream yarn." I guess I really love depth of color in a yarn and slightly rustic texture. Semi-solid/heather that's soft and springy with a little alpaca texture would do me in at the moment.

soknitpicky asks "How much time do you spend knitting on an average day?" Hmm not sure about average, I usually just grab a few moments-anywhere from 0 - 2 hours?

nanc asks "What's your inspiration when you create patterns and select colors? I find both of these items very unique to you, but happily acceptable for the general public." I think once I have an idea it usually has a bit of a theme, or feeling I want to evoke with it and the color is chosen to be inline with that. I love fonts, as you can see on my Patterns page and I always choose one for each pattern that ties in with that theme/look/feeling. I keep on eye on color and fashion forecasting but I've always subscribed to the idea that fashion should be a personal creative expression. Not just following what was decided somewhere that "this" is going to be what everyone should like and wear that season.

Danielle asks "Do your inlaws know about/read your blog? What do they think of the knitting/spinning/designing?" Yep, they do- along with several of my family (word has gotten around apparently). *waves at the fam.* They've been really sweet and seemed to like the stuff I've done. ;)

girljerry asks "How did you meet Mr. Pieknits?" He was a contract programmer working at where I got my first "real" job out of college as a web designer. When his contract ended and he was transferred to Dallas I picked up and followed him here (after a whole 3? months dating). Hehe, it paid off. ;)
Fun anecdote - For our wedding date we went to a Hindu priest to consult Vedic Astrology to pick an auspicious date, as is traditional. It wasn't until on our way to our wedding destination that it occurred to me, and verified with checking my cell phone's calendar that it was the exact same day we first met- auspicious indeed! :)

Navi asks "How big is your stash?" Well, I do have a bit of a stash as I like to plan and all of my yarn is purchased for an intended project - probably more than some, less than many. I have an older shot of my "yarn closet" here. Uh, it's no longer as neat and in need of some reorganization with a few more additions.

Chispy asks "What got you interested in designing?" This gave me pause, as honestly I can't think of an answer to that! I just wanted to from the beginning. (I generally prefer to do my own thing) ;) I think as far as actually publishing the patterns (as I suppose I could simply make up designs for myself to wear and that's it) it's the interaction and getting to see others make something that you envisioned.

Cindy asks "Have you frogged many projects?" I think I've only ever given up and completely frogged a project permanently once, otherwise I just can't let it go. :) With designing I feel I'm frequently ripping more than knitting though.

Cassie asks "Do you prefer flat or circular knitting? DPN's or fixed circs?" Well circular knitting seems easier simultaneous tv watching, but they each have their merits. I like dpns but otherwise I knit pretty much everything with my Denise circular needles (including flat knitting); I love them! Straight needles tend to bother me with the project weight resting at the needle ends.

Holly asks "Are you an English or continental knitter?" English, although I can do continental for colorwork and 2 stranded double knitting. I'm abysmal at purling continently though. I learned with English style and for awhile tried to train myself for continental for regular knitting as it seemed quicker but just couldn't do it - still feels more awkward.

Nicole asks "Did the name of your blog come before or after your knitted pie patterns?" Before actually. :) (Refer to Vol. I answers for name origination, ha). The pattern idea came to me because of the name.

Daphne asks "How's the piano playing going?" Good! :) I got some new music books and enjoying being reacquainted with my old ones

Lindsey asks "Has anyone recognized you on the street or randomly as a knitting designer?" Haha, no not on the street. A few people have at knitting stores/events though- which is always fun to meet knitters in "real life"!

Michelle asks "What is your favorite movie genre?" I'd have to say I'm a bit of a sucker for certain Sci-Fi and fantasy, as well as witty dialog and dark humor pieces. Lots of love for Tim Burton and Baz Luhrman.

PinkAdele asks "As a musician I have to ask; What's your favourite music? Do you share that interest with Mr Pieknits? (BTW, top marks for having a home with a piano!)" For music I listen to, I answered some in previous post but I've always played music as well. I grew up with it; my father is a guitarist and owned his own guitar shop. His current band even has a Myspace (which amuses me to no end) :) In addition to piano, I play guitar and was in band on clarinet, bass clarinet and cymbals in the drumline. So I play a lot of classical (penchant for pieces in the minor key, heh) with a little bit of musicals thrown in. Mr. PieKnits loves music but does not (Yet!) play - working on guitar and piano however. :)

Shelly asks "How long have you been knitting?" (Ooops missed this one last time!) Started sometime in February of 2005.

Phoebe asks "How did you learn to spin? Book, class, dvd? I'm dying to learn!" Haha, I don't know if I've really learned yet! I started learning on the spindle from the internet (w/ videos) and from library books. After I got my wheel I knew I really needed to see it demonstrated in person - so I went to Yarn School. I highly recommend it!

Anamarie asks "Do you stash, or do you buy yarn for each new project as you go?" Um, kinda a combo of both? I buy yarn only for a planned project, but sometimes that's rather in "advance" so it's stashed until then.

Red Sometimes asks "Where do you find the time needed to focus on knitting?" It's an ongoing effort isn't it? Usually I just fit it in whenever I'm not occupied with something else. Major times are end of the evening TV watching, sitting with the boy half while he plays Xbox, car riding, and in the kitchen while waiting for things (water boil, etc). Oh- and I day dream a lot through out the day. ;)

Jason asks "What is the air speed velocity of a coconut laden swallow?" An African or European swallow?

Elizabeth asks "If you were stuck in an alternate universe and could only knit one pattern for the next 10 years (I won't say the rest of your life, cause that would just be too overwhelming to contemplate) what would it be?" Wow- tough question! First thing that pops in my mind would probably be my Topi pattern. I'm slightly cheating here with a versatile pattern. It can really be done with any yarn/gauge and one could invent all kinds of stitch pattern variations. Plus it's a nice mix of dpn, circular and flat knitting with easy and trickier parts.

Turtle asks "When planting flowers which flower first catches your interest and which colors do you tend to lean towards?" Interesting question! I think I tend toward the more unusual or exotic and deep vibrant colors (purples, reds or whites).

Natalie asks "How long does it usually take for you to turn an idea into a finished, knitted piece?" You know, I really have Absolutely No Idea. And I've wondered often enough myself that I've been thinking of stopwatch timing my next project! Between so many variables and other projects going on I'm never really sure.

Jeanie asks "I am deathly afraid of making mistakes in knitting because I don't really know how to "frog" other than taking out the needles and undoing the work. How do you frog and still be able to pick up all your stitches without losing them? Or when you might do a crossed over type of stitch?" If I were to teach beginning knitting it would go: knit, purl, basic inc/dec then how to frog/tink and fix stitches! Nothing I have learned has been more liberating than this. I'd recommend really becoming comfortable picking up a dropped stitch with a crochet hook. Now that I am, I usually just pull out the needles and rip back without much fear of loosing a few stitches. However, when working on Liquid Silver the yarn was so slippery (with long rows) that dropped stitches ran like water. I was going nuts trying to pick them up after ripping when it dawned on me, duh- I could run an afterthought "life line" through the row I wanted to rip back to. Then all my stitches would be sitting safely for me after frogging. For undoing a small amount (like one or two rows) "TINKing" is probably easiest.

Kyla asks "Do you day-dream about your next baking creation when knitting or your next knitting creation when baking?" This literally made me laugh out loud! I had never thought about it but you're absolutely right- I do both. :) I think both are the type of activity where you can let you mind just kind of wander over all matter of things- good thinking time!

Juliana asks "Knitting in summer, how do you pull it off in that heat?" Um, I don't knit outside? Ha, honestly in our house most of the downstairs is all tiled and it keeps it very cool. Plus I'm one of those people that are always cold in A/C so the knitting with wool is never a problem. (It's finding days to wear it that's another issue.)

Margaret asks "Do you have real live knitting buddies, or does the sharing and enjoyment of your knitting world mostly take place with us - your virtual buddies?" For the longest time I didn't know any "real live" knitters. When I started it was on a whim and we hadn't lived here long so I didn't know many people. I finally decided that needed to change and started searching out groups. I remember at my first Dallas Hand Knitters Guild meeting I had never heard the word "skein" spoken aloud- I'd been saying it in my head wrong! ha. Unfortunately I don't make it out as much as I'd like so most is through virtual. :)

Miss T asks "What's your favorite kind of pie?" Actually, until more recently I used to not care for fruit pies. I love some french silk in chocolate or peanut butter though!

Alison Valtin asks "Do you have any secrets for perfect pie crust? I made a rhubarb pie last week, and it was yummy, but I can't manage a flaky crust with any regularity." I'm certainly not an accomplished pie maker but it seems the absolute minimum you handle the dough the better. Things such as rolling only once and even crimping the edges will toughen it.

Cassandra asks "Where do you find the time to be so crafty? Do other things suffer as a result? (ok that was 2 questions... but they are related!)" It really must all be relative- I think I don't get to half as much stuff as other people I see! :) But I do really work at finding a balance that my hobbies don't interfere (too much) with other responsibilities. I have slightly obsessive tendencies, hehe. Again, this is where Mr. PieKnits helps me out immensely. Basically I just work on my projects whenever everything else that needs to be done is done- or it's late enough to be just relaxing. (I don't feel guilty not vacuuming at 11pm and knitting instead you know?)

Sharon asks "Is there one particular craft you've been dying to try?" I'm kind of scared to take on anything completely new and add another! But I've really wanted to do a few fun cross stitch projects for some time now. I've done several when I was much younger but have only dabbled in recent years.

rockbridge asks "Your FO pics are always wonderful and i always notice not only your knits, but how clean and tidy your house is - how do you do it??" Got married to my husband. Haha, I'm kidding- well kind of. He's far tidier than I naturally am. That and moving to this city a few years back with only what fit in our cars- lot less stuff!

Aisling asks "Do you have a favorite (or least favorite) color to work with?" I'm not really a pastel kinda gal and I prefer my pink in more ironic doses. Sometimes the magazines/book editors send me colors I wouldn't necessarily choose myself but I enjoy being given the opportunities to branch out. I try to keep an open mind!

Love asks "What is your favorite ever food to cook/bake??" My really unoriginal answer is probably cookies. (Hard to say if that's process or result driven though, ha). But since I was a kid I've always loved doing fun and highly decorative pieces. On holidays I'd make stuff little edible turkeys and snowmen out of cookies and candies, stuff like that. I guess it's kind of like crafting with food.

Carishma asks "Non-knitting related - have you been to India? What do you think?" Well the first question is easy- Yes! As for the second it's always difficult to put into words. Before we went for our wedding I was excitedly looking at travel blogs and was a bit annoyed that most seemed to simply say "You have to go and experience it yourself." Now after I've been I find myself giving the same unsatisfactory answer. :) There are not enough words to describe the vibrant, wonderful extreme mix that is India. I'll try with: wonderful, crazy, fascinating, exhausting, exciting, frustrating, amazing, overwhelming, and so cool all at once.

RR asks "You are into a lot of Crafts. Is there any kind of craft that you don't like (Something like nahhhh)or something you think is not your cuppa tea" I don't see any scrapbooking in my future given that I've yet to even stick our wedding photos into an album. Then again it might be a good skill to pick up!

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And yes, I have actually been knitting too. What? Swatching away for Classic Elite's spring line of yarns- pretty no?