I recently joined a local Yahoo group, New England Textiles, and since I filled out my membership survey, I figured I'd post it here. You know, keep things moving in here.
My startitis wasn't as ambitious as I'd hoped, but it was glorious all the same. I started a scarf, two hats, and a baby aran. I finished the hat. One of the hats. Its just great.
I just purchased a Pullip doll. Like Blythe, but a little less creepy and a little cheaper. I'm excited! I will take tons of pictures!
Ok, on with the survey.
FIRST Name, LAST initial: ErickaJo G.
Where in New England (or the Canadian Maritimes, or elsewhere) ARE you?
Manchester, NH
How did you learn about the NETA group?
A friend raving about your last SPA
What's your local yarn shop(s)? What can you tell us about it?
I flit between the Elegant Ewe in Concord, Ewe'll Love It in Nashua, and A Knitter's Garden in Chester. I like all of them, but I adore aKG because the lady who runs it is fabulous. She's just starting out in the front room of her house. The atmosphere is great, and since owning a yarn store is a dream of mine, I like to support it in someone else.
Which is your favorite mail-order yarn company? (Why?)
I'm awful fond of Knitpicks. The price is right, the fiber is nice, new books have a great discount. I wish their color selection was a little better, but since it changes over time, I won't nag.
What is your favorite fiber art and why?
I knit. I'm learning to crochet and spin, but I can pick up a set of needles and make music with them. After I'm done playing drums I can create lace, cables, color work, whatever strikes my fancy, really. I like the point where you can recognize the pattern in lace or identify the path of a cable.
When you travel, do you include visiting yarn shops in your plans?
What is your idea of the perfect fiber fantasy vacation? Don't be shy -- just be bold and go right over the top!
If I'm going somewhere, I know where all the yarn stores are to and from. I would love to spend a week or two on Fair Isle (yes, the actual island) to just sit and knit and learn from old masters. I don't think there's much else to do there...
What was your all time worst project and what did you do with it? Fix it, throw it out, give it away or ??? What did you learn from that project?
I recently completed an abbreviated version of Elizabeth Zimmerman's Pi shawl in 16 days. (I call it Pi lite, and yes, it was for the Olympics). My entire knitting group will describe scenes of me doing everything except talking in tongues as I worked on that. I think it'd be a very enjoyable project, without the deadline. There was one stupid stitch. Count and its there, count again and its not, count a third time and its back with a friend. Ok, I might have spoken in tongues a few times. It's done, and despite all of my threats to banish it to a box in the closet it is draped over my grandmother's Boston rocker. I guess I'm a little proud of it.
If you could have a farm with only ONE type of fiber animal, what would it be and why?
I want to herd angora bunnies. No, I guess the horses would step on them... Seriously, probably alpacas. Or maybe mohair goats. I like goats. I'll make that my final answer.
WHY do you knit( spin, crochet, weave...)?
I have MS. One day, shortly after being diagnosed, I lost my hands. I could function with them fine, as long as I was looking at them. Couldn't feel a thing. It p***ed me off so bad that I decided that I was going to pick up a hobby that demanded hand dexterity. I made a garter stitch scarf on size 3 needles. I eventually got my hands back (so far, everything that goes away eventually comes back) and I haven't lost them since. I like to think that my knitting is partly to blame. I just don't give my hands time to go away. Beyond that, I love the order that knitting brings to my life. Well, not to my life... my stash is much like yours, but it feeds two. My man knits too. But the order that it brings to my mind.
Which books/writers/designers have had the greatest impact on your fiber skills? How?
The Yarn Harlot. She makes me feel ... not normal, but she lets me know that I'm not alone. I Nicky Epstein is neato, and Elizabeth Zimmerman and I... well, after the pi shawl, I'm not too sure that I like her, but she has my utmost respect. Even if she is daffy.
What skills would you like to learn or improve?
I want to spin, but something tells me that I should know better. I want to crochet. Not really double stitch, but the crazy lace patterns and granny squares that you can't get with knitting. I'm also looking to pick up the magic loop method for socks. I like DPNs, but I'm getting sick of the ladders. And the yarn burns I get on my finger trying to prevent ladders.
Do you like to listen to music while working? If yes, what do you listen to??
That's a mood thing. Sometimes its something soothing, without words, so that I can think. Other times, its something I can sing/scream with.
What is the hands-down, all-time most amazingly wonderful thing that has happened to you related to your interest in fiber work?
I taught my fiancé how to knit. He's better than I am ;) Well, he would be if he could figure out gauge. Its so wonderful to have my most favorite person in the world understand when I rise triumphantly from the couch, impressed that I've mastered two-handed fair isle. Someone who knows that blocking lace really might just be magic. Someone who looks in my bag from the yarn store and goes not "more yarn?" but "Now *that* is some sexy fiber"
What projects are you working on right now?
We Call Them Pirates, fair isle cap from Hello Yarn
A baby aran for my nephew (he's 7 mos, so I'm making it 3t. It'll fit him around about the time I get married)
A simple 1x1 rib scarf, made out of red Nashua yarn. A copy of Mr. Tumnus's scarf from the Narnia movie.
The Mary Jane cardigan from Knitpicks. That's sitting on the back burner. I'm on a lace break.
An assortment of socks at various stages of gestation.
