Knitting Meme

What is your all-time favorite yarn to knit with? My favorite fibers are merino and alpaca, probably in that order, because alpaca is simply not as useful in southern California. I've rarely met a merino I didn't like, but Jaeger's Extra-Fine Merino DK is a favorite, as well as the Aurora line by Karabella. I've also been known to enjoy un-mercerized cotton, tussah silk, and tencel. I love the effects of a fine mohair blend, but I often have to fight with the stuff when I'm working with it. If you haven't seen it before, here's my list of Desert Island Yarns from last year.

Your favorite needles? My philosophy is that there is a different needle for every project, and in keeping with that theory, I have a LOT of needles. So many, in fact, that I have an excel spreadsheet set up to organize them all. If I had to choose any over the others, either my addi circulars or my swallow casein DPNs would win out. The only needles I affirmatively dislike are Brittany Birch circulars - their joins are shit. I like Brittanys well enough for DPNs, but overall, if it's wooden I like Clovers or Plymouth bamboos - they come in convenient cases and are well-priced. I'm a huge fan of Bryspuns for beginners and I have an entire set of their straights for my classes. I also like them for anything mohair and have found Bryspun circulars delightful as well.

The worst thing you've ever knit? The worst thing I ever knit was actually one of my own designs, but it was all a part of the learning process, so depite the fact that I wouldn't wear it now, I'm not overly ashamed of it. (I would show a picture here, but it has since made it's way to a better place!) I'm pretty attached to everything I've done, ugly or otherwise. (But never so attached that I can't frog the whole damn thing without a second thought.)

Your most favorite knit pattern? My favorite piece that I've knit so far was one of my first sweaters, Alice Starmore's Kilronnan (at right and above, I'm Caia's modeling sidekick). It was a huge milestone for me. The cabling was complex, I substituted the yarn (Cascade's Lana D'Oro, for anyone who is interested), and at the time it took me five months to complete. (At my current maniacal pace, it would probably still take me three months.) After finishing that sweater, I felt there was nothing that I was incapable of knitting. It was so beautiful I couldn't believe it. Over a decade later, I still wear it, and it looks like I made it yesterday. The yarn has held up beautifully, and the design is classic and timeless.

Most valuable knitting technique(s)? The most valuable things I've learned about knitting are 1) to pay attention to what the stitches are doing in any given situation - if you can "see" your knitting and "see" your pattern, you won't be tied to a sheet of paper or row counters; and 2) to not be too attached to any one direction - scissors are your friends - you can stop or start working at any place you like, and with a few snips you can insert knitting just about anywhere.

Best knit book(s) or magazine(s)? My favorite periodicals are Interweave Knits and Rowan's bi-annual magazine. The best tome is The Principles of Knitting, though Vouge's Ultimate Guide is a decent second that works for most situations, and I just picked up the Knitting Handbook, which is both cheap and fabulous. The book that I read recently that most inspired me was the Twisted Sister's Sock Workbook. I also love anything by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts. The woman is a genius.

Your favorite knit-along? For straight-up KAL, I really enjoyed the Audrey-Along (pictured left and below, alas, without Caia). For charity, nothing beats the MDK Afghan-Along, and for swaps Sockapalooza was great.

Your favorite knitblogs? My favorite knit blog is Mason Dixon Knitting, and it has been for a really long time. Ann and Kay are each very interesting in their own right, and together, their letters always make for engrossing reading. They're always on a wavelength that I feel tuned into. I like several of the other "old guard" bloggers, as well, but truth be told, I'm a pretty fickle reader. I read no more than 20 blogs, and I rotate them every few months. Most get jettisoned for something different, be it old or new. I have very few longstanding members in my bloglines. Among my long-standing favorites are Marnie Talks, Making (formerly Stitch Marker), and Princess Knits. New favorites include January One, Yummy Yarn, Sweet Georgia, Something from Nothing, and Mellow Trouble. (Links are in my sidebar.)

Your favorite knitwear designer(s)? Norah Gaughan is my favorite designer, hands down, which is ironic since I have never actually knit anything by her. Still, I read designs the way I read novels, and I love her style. Norah creates knitwear that is beautiful, wearable, and usually novel in it's construction. I have some Elsbeth Lavold Angora socked away for her Syncopated Ribs sweater, so perhaps one of my New Year's Aspirations this year should be to explore the knit designers I admire most by knitting their designs.

I really love Veronik Avery as well, and find her designs to be fresh and well-executed. She's a very very close second. Teva Durham intrigues me, and I love her free thinking, though sometimes her pieces are a little chunky for my taste - still it's a very haute couture styling. I think the Rowan team does a great job, too, and I'm excited to see some of their newer designers like Leah Sutton step out into the limelight now that there's more space.

The knit item you wear the most? Lately, I've worn my own designs a lot, which is a really great feeling. However, my current favorite is a design that won't be published until May 2006, so I can't share it here. Of the commercial patterns that I've made, Audrey is still a favorite, and gets a lot of play as soon as it's cool enough to justify putting it on. The thing I like best about Audrey is that liking it so much was a bit of a surprise - I got swept up in the knit-along and wasn't really sure I'd get much wear out of such a feminine sweater. As it turns out, I do. And I love it!

Who's next? Since they're my favorites, how about Mason Dixon Ann and Kay? Normally I wouldn't pass on a meme, but a knitting meme? Well, that's different!