"How do you solve a problem like...?"

....winning more yarn (because the latest stash enhancements have only fueled the obsession...), I decided to enthrall y'all with a meme - oh, yes, I know what yer thinking:  "Yay!  More minutia about Helen!  Just what I need!"  (Actually, I was reading my friend Sarah's blog and that how I heard about it).

Knittyotter is having a contest (deadline to enter is Saturday, 7/19/08).

Getting to Know you Contest Questionnaire:

1.) How long have you been knitting?

My grammy taught me when I was 7 or 8.  Since I'm 39, that's over thirty years.  One would think there might be more output to show for all those years, but I have a sort-of excuse.  I stopped knitting for a long time after I moved from New England (terribly, awfully, horribly, soul-stealingly cold) to the South (wonderful, warm, hot n' humid, thank You God).  SInce I was used to knitting mostly very cheap or icky  hot woolen yarn,  it never occurred to me that there would be wonderful yarns to make things suitable for here.  Yes friends and neighbors, my excuse is a lack of imagination on my part.

2.) How long have you been knitting socks?

I've almost no idea.  I made a few pair of lovely woolen "ski socks" - some even nice enough to give away...maybe 20 years ago?

3.) What do you do with a problem like Maria?

Beatings. Repeatedly and with malice.

4.) What is your all time favorite sock yarn?

Usually it's whatever I'm working on at the moment - I have good (and expensive) taste.  If you've been following the last few posts, I've added some lovely things to the stash that absolutely could turn into a favorite....

5.) Toe Up or Cuff Down?

I've not done toe-ups yet.   Probably the next pair will be.

6.) What's your favorite color (this week or for all time)? Do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?

Next to touchable-ness, yarn is about color for me.  I love midnight blue/purple/indigo. I love cool season/blue undertone colors (Winter or Summer).  Now I used to think I didn't like olive-y greens, but lately I found a few that have changed my mind.  I've also been pal-ing around with some visual artists for the last two years that have me seeing color in new ways....

7.) Do you have a pet(s)?

Yes, a pair of beautiful, loveable but dim "Labramatians", Boris & Natasha, and an enormous antique yet surly cat by the name of Bluto. 

8.) Babies: Oven Roasted or Barbecued?

Fully grown and/or belonging to someone else!  This baby farm is closed down as a public service.

9.) Besides socks what is your favorite type of thing to knit?
Mittens have been my favorite thing for about a year; scarves and shawls are coming on strong for next year I think...maybe sooner.

10.) What's your favorite scent?

Historically, I love the honeysuckle/jasmine/gardenia family, but grapefruit has been the favorite for almost 2 years now.  One spritz just makes me so *happy* all of a sudden.

11.) What music are you really loving right now? Like a song or a band?

Crowded House's "Temple of Low Men"  has been stuck in my head for 2 weeks, intermingled with John Gorka's "Land of the Bottom Line"; I'm not sure why.

12.) How many pairs of socks have you hand knit?

Maybe 10 pairs?  I couldn't really say as I've given most of them away, and that was in the days before Ravelry....or even Sanskrit and clay tablets perhaps.

13.) What's your favorite treat? Salty or Sweet?

Cookies.  Oreos, snickerdoodles, gingersnaps, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter.....mmmmmmmmmmmm  Homemade or store bought, my depredations are widespread and democratic.

14.) What was the most interesting thing you smelled yesterday. Not good or bad necessarily, just the thing that stuck out most so that you actually took notice of it.

It's really too disgusting to say here.  Fortunately, I had a candle to disperse the noxious stench.

15.) Needles - DPN's: Wooden, metal or plastic?

I do not like plastic needles.....at all. Oh I've tried - it would be better for the budget certainly, but just no way.  I think the thinner the yarn, the more I like wooden ones.  Otherwise, gimme some circs!  I just discovered the joy of Addi Turbo lace needles.

16.) What is your favorite sock pattern that you've knit? What do you recommend?

Aurelia by Elizabeth Manning.  Interesting to do, wonderful result, well written and to top it all off - it's free.  Why knitters aren't making these by the thousands, I'll never know.

17.) The last Question: If you were stuck on a deserted island who would you want with you, what knitting would you want with you and would you ever want to leave?

I think I would want my friends Tangela and Adrienne. They are some of the most interesting people I know, I adore them  and @#$% can they sing! plus they let me hang around with them.

I would want to bring whatever knitting that they would like to receive, so that they'll continue to let me sing with them, and we would probably never leave.

.....grrr. because the last bit of stash enhancement arrived today.  SO you'll just have to make do with links to pictures from the site where I got it.  It is absolutely yummy....and now I need to do some knitting of all this fabulous yarn.

Skein #1:

Purples - Yummy sock yarn by Miss Babs

I got this for my Secret Pal, but I cannot see at this moment how I can bear to part with it.  It's a nice problem to have!

Skein #2

Arco Iris De La Tierra - by Dashing Dachs

This link is to the sport weight - I got the fingering weight superwash (560 yds).  AND it *is* that brightly colored - it's fantastic and I may never be able to get it away from my daughter long enough to knit.

I've gotten SO much yarn lately that I'm really gonna have to go on a yarn diet for real...except that Fire Lizard over at Meg's shop.  ::sigh::  Well, we'll see.  What's a yarn addict to do?

Hopefully I'll find the camera charger soon - I have more pictures to share........  Until tomorrow then.:o)