Questionnaire Done

Well I finally finished the questionnaire for the Felted BAg Exchange and here it is:

1. How long have you been knitting or crocheting? How did you learn? or from whom?

I can’t remember how old I was when I starting knitting I know that when I was 25 I tried to do serious knitting and got annoyed and put the needles down until October 2005 and I have been knitting like there is no tomorrow now. I believe it was my mom who taught me how to knit and the when I was older my grandmother taught me to crochet. I need to do a basic course in that again as a refresher.

2. What was your first felted object, and why did you decide to try felting?

The first was a scarf in December 2005, I wanted to see what it would look like and then I joined the International Tote Exchange IV and I designed, knitted and felted my “first” HUGE tote. I just had this design in my head and I ran with it and picked colors as I went along. It was a blast!! I am getting ready to do another felted tote for ITEV!!

3. What are your favorite colors? Any you hate?

I am a lover of jewel tones. I am not fond of bright neon clothes if it is clothing, otherwise I like them all. The neon’s are ok for an accent color an nothing mre when it comes to my personal taste.

4. What are your favorite styles\types of bags? (Long straps? Short handles? Handbags? Totes? Embellished? Plain? Include links to patterns or photos if you’d like – give your pal an idea of what you enjoy!)

Since I’ve gotten older I sort of lean toward the short handles (but do have a few with long handles) these days. I like totes because I always carry a knitting project with me. I love embellished bags, They let the knitter express their creativity. These are links to purses/totes that I love: http://internationaltotexchangeiv.blogspot.com/ ~ go to the hall of fame page and look for the following names: Toro,Ohio; JoanB-Connecticut; Trika – Estonia Europe I love both bags; Deb Brown – Georgia; Two Sticks and Yarn-Maine; Jane-Maine. This is the ultimate one, look for Christina Coghill-Indiana.

5. What handbag or bag are you carrying today? Do you use a separate bag to carry your knitting?

I use a knitted Cable purse and I carry a separate tote for my project too, my DH sometimes calls me Bag lady lol.

6. What other things do you enjoy knitting or crocheting?

Lace Shawls; Baby Caps, Scarves, Cowls/Smoke Rings and shrugs.

7. What sort of needles do you enjoy working with? (Straights vs. circs, bamboo vs. aluminum)?

Actually I love working with Addi Turbo’s and Addi Lace Circ. Needles, though some yarns do better on bamboo circulars. I like to use the straights when they are in “BIG” sizes because then they are short needles not long ones.

8. What’s one project you’ve not yet tried but are dying to make?

Barbara’s Shawl using the Kauni EQ colorway. Really any shawl using the Kauni yarn(s) would be grand, but I love the EQ-Rainbow colorway. That is what I would love to have in my yarn stash.Actually at the moment there are 3 lace projects I’d love to start in the next 3 weeks. They are the Honey Bee Stole; Bee Fields Shawl by: Anne Hanson, Barbara's Shawl by Jean Townsend

9. What’s one yarn you’ve not yet tried but are dying to work with?

I have 3 actually they are: Quivit ; Kauni and one of the Silk and/or Silk & Wool yarns from the Schaefer Company’s Memorable Women collection.

10. What other hobbies do you have? Do you spin? Sew? Garden?

I sew and in the process of making a tote + purse combo bag so I can have room to carry things from my purse in addition to knitting. I also make jewelry and stitch markers. I am a chef and enjoy preparing meals as presenting what I have prepared.

11. Besides yarn, do you collect anything?

I like to collect the following things: Antique Tea Cups & Saucers, Sterling Silver, Lead Crystal, Swarovski Crystal, Glass paperweights to mention a few things.

12. What kind of goodies do you enjoy? Sweets? Salty? Anything you hate or are allergic to?

I love hard candy (sugarless), Sour dough pretzels; Honey roasted nuts. I am not that crazy about chocolate. As for Goodies well crazy or unusual stitch markers, earrings etc.

13. Do you have any kiddos? (Furry kind count!)

Yes I have a 28 yr. old daughter and 2 beautiful granddaughters. I also have 4 stepchildren (2 boys and 2 girls). Plus we have 2 (soon to be 4) furry children. Miss Rita is a hairless Chinese Crest Dog she is almost 7 yrs. Of age, I got her when she was 4 yrs. Old. Then the baby is our Sir Angus Seton. He is a Black & Red Phantom (rare color markings) toy poodle. We sometimes call him BA (bad ass) because he can pretty feisty at times. He plays with DH and they rough house. Yep you should see my little 8.5 pound wonder kick butt, but he also is a Casanova. He just loves to give kisses, but let anyone come near me and he can be a force to be reckoned with. He is very protective of me.

14. What kind of project best personifies you and why?

Lace knitting, I guess because of the many different facets and sometimes intricate patterns/stitches that are used and yet most of it is simple knitting. My DH says that I am like that because I can adapt to most situations with tack and finesse. I have a way of looking at certain situations and can see the easier way of getting things done when others only see a long drawn out process. He said at times I can be complex like lace and also laid back and relaxed.

15. What is your favorite part of autumn? You can also share a special autumn memory if you'd prefer!

Oh that would definitely be the changing of the leaves. Foliage season, driving up in New England in the NH & ME areas and looking at the beautiful colors on the mountains and the nice sweet, crisp apples and cider that you can get from road-side stands is the best!! But that is one of the drawbacks of living in TX, the do not have the same breath taking colors of the fall, like the North does.

16. Tell us 3 things you would do if you won 10 million dollars in the lottery.

I would give 10% to church and charities like Susan Komen Breast Cancer; Inner City programs for disadvantaged children, then I would pay off any and all our debts. Buy 2 smaller, easier to manage homes for our parents. Set up educational trust funds for our grandchildren. Then we would buy land and build the house of our dreams and have all the animals we want like horses, Alpaca & sheep since I am going to be learning how to spin my own yarn it would be fun to raise my own animals for fiber. Then maybe even some Brangus, Black faced herefords. That would make for a nice ranch that could also be a B&B.