Summer Dishcloth Questionnaire (With Bonus Eye Candy)

1. When did you learn to knit and who taught you?
I taught myself to knit last February (2006). First I tried using a cheap little booklet I bought at Michael's but quickly gave that up for the book "The Knitting Answer Book". I love that book.

2. What was your very first completed object? Your most recent?
My first FO was an acrylic scarf, knit in straight garter stitch, of course. My most recent project was another scarf but at least I used alpaca yarn and the Yarn Harlot's One-Row scarf pattern. (I am not what you'd call a knitting prodigy).

3. What was the very first thing you sent to the frogpond? Your most recent?
The very first scarf I started to make out of a ribbon yarn I had knitted 2 skeins worth and ran out of yarn. Of course I had to go and get a 3rd ball to finish and of course it was not the same dye lot. At least I learned a lesson about buying more than you think you'l need.

The most recent froggee? The beautiful green Cadenza that I had received from my SP10 pal was about a good 3" into becoming a wrist warmer. I was using the 2-circ method but I couldn't prevent a big ladder on each side edge. If any of my experienced blog pals out there can give me a suggestion for preventing this, I'll cast on again immediately!

4. What is currently on the needles for you?
Scarves, of course! Another alpaca lovely knit in the One-Row pattern, a squooshy merino in Li's Herringbone pattern, a longitutinal stripe scarf for Mr. C (my oldest UFO), a baby hat, the wrist warmers and a dainty little scarf for the charity knitting group I belong to. Oh, and a cotton string market bag. And soon, a dishcloth.

5. What types of needles do you enjoy working with? What have you tried and hated?
It depends on what the yarn wants, doesn't it? But when I get to choose, I prefer bamboo - it is so warm and I love the soft little clicking noises they make while I knit. I really love the new Crystal Palace bamboo needles my SP10 pal sent to me - they have sharper little points than the Clovers I have used before. When the yarn isn't slipping easily on the bamboos, I like to use Addi turbos. I like straight shorties for my scarves and circ's for everything else.

I can't stand to knit with cheap metal needles (like Lion's brand). every time they rub together I get the heebie-jeebies, like nails on a chalkboard! EEEEWWWW

6. Have you knit dishcloths before? What was your favorite one? Least favorite?
No and I am looking forward to practicing some fancy new stitchwork.

7. Do you use homemade dishcloths or face cloths yourself or do you give them as gifts or both?
No, I have never tried them or given them and can't wait to try it out!

8. What are your favorite and least favorite scents (for your body, such as soap or lotion?)
I love vanilla, lavender and mint scents. I don't care for most florals or so-called "fresh" scents - they make me sneeze!

9. What are your favorite colors?
Blues, violets, and turquoise (to wear); buttery yellows, coral and creamy neutrals for decor.

10. What colors are your bathroom and kitchen decorated in?
Master bath colors are muted shades of cream, coral and aqua; guest bath is lime green, butter yellow and orange; kitchen is butter yellow, coral, black and cream.

11. What other hobbies and crafts do you enjoy?
Gardening and needle-felting.

12. Chocolate: dark? white? milk? ew?
Bring it on!

13. Do you like salty treats? What kinds?
Of course! I love salty after I've eaten something sweet...then I need to eat something sweet, then salty, and this can go on all night. Thank goodness there's knitting to break the cycle! I like all kinds of chips for salty snacks, and even saltines will do in a pinch!

14. If you could go anywhere in the world for a day and spend the day any way you wanted, where would you go and what would you do?
I hate questions like this because I will have a different answer every day. But lately I've been flirting with the idea of going to Thailand with Mr. C and a friend of ours who is a trade ambassador to Thailand and who goes about 6 times a year. We would go to some of the places he has talked about.

First, we would go to ChiangMai to visit the elephants who live at the Thailand Elephant Conservation Center. For this special trip, I would go to see the talented elephants who have been trained as artists. I am fortunate enough to own 2 of these incredible paintings and would love to actually see one of these beautiful creatures at work:


I will post more about this incredible place in a future blog.

Then we would spend the afternoon touring some of our friend's favorite places in Bangkok, including this temple:

and the floating market:

Finally, we would finish a perfect day with a leisurely Thai dinner at this rooftop restaurant where you sit and look out over the city at twilight as the lights come on:


I would eat delicious Thai food and drink wine until I was drunk enough to handle the 108 hour flight back home where I would then crawl into my bed and sleep for about the next 2 weeks.

15. Do you have any allergies?
Cigarette smoke. And I break out in hives every time I see pictures of Britney Spears, so please refrain from sending any of those.