Summer Dishcloth Exchange!

While trying to find a clear explanation of the 'xo' cable pattern, I stumbled across the 'Summer Dishcloth Exchange' program, where you have a 'secret summer pal' and prepare a care package for them. AND you get one yourself! It sounds like a sweet deal, and I'm always looking for people to knit for...my friends are warming up to the idea, but most of the things they want are larger projects. I actually had someone ask me if I would knit them a sweater the other day. I told them if they were willing to buy the yarn, I would love to. :-P I've never done it, but I know I would learn if I had a reason!

Anyhow, I have to fill out a survey so my potential secret pal can find out a little info on me. So...here it goes:

1. Do you Knit or Crochet? For how long?
I knit. I am relatively new to the sport, however, and only taught myself this past December.

2. Do you enjoy using metal, wooden, or some other kind of needle\hook?
I use metal. I like the speed. But I also use bamboo needles, especially dpns and circulars. They're just so...organic. :-)

3. What are your favorite types of yarn? Any you just can't stand?
I'm still getting to know yarn. I enjoy wool and even alpaca, but I use a lot of acrylic, except for special projects. I am a college student after all. :-) I've heard bamboo is cool, but I've never been up close and personal with any bamboo.

4. When it comes to cotton, are there any brands you'd love to try and haven't?
Again, not terribly familiar with all the brands. I'm going to go with 'no', but I would love to discover some new material to fall in love with. :-)

5. When you make Dishcloths, do you use them yourself, or tend to give them as gifts?
I tend to make them for others. One of my first projects, however (after the obligatory garter stitch scarf) was a gorgeous maroon washcloth (it is in my photo up-top) that I still use today. I knit it just to try and get familiar with purling and following patterns, but it was the first piece I fell in love with. :-)

6. Do you have a favorite color? Any that you dislike?
I do not have a real favorite color. I don't dislike any either, but I do tend to shy away from the 'puke yellow' or 'vomit green' realm. It would like a lot of convincing for me to enjoy something like that. :-P

7. What color(s) (if any!) are your kitchen and bath decorated in?
I'm a bit of a vagrant these days. Being a college student means giving up on having a permanent home and owning a kitchen and/or bath. Even my bath towels don't have a consistent scheme: brown, white, orange, and purple. :-) I'm sure any addition would fit right in.

8. What are your favorite scents around the house?
I enjoy lavender the most.

9. What is your very favorite thing about summer?
I like having the extra time to study and pursue some of my own interests outside of the academic arena. I feel summer is the time I get to really discover what I love about life. :-) Plus, being outside is awesome!

10. What is your least favorite thing about summer?
Here in Northern Idaho, it gets REALLY hot. I don't like super hot days where you can hear the grasshoppers. The noise they make in the extreme heat really bugs me.

11. Do you use soap or body wash in the shower?
I use body wash. I also don't use a washcloth currently, but I'm hoping to be convinced otherwise!

12. What scents do you enjoy in the bath?
I use a body wash called 'sweet pea'....I like delicate floral scents OR the cucumber/melon side of things.

13. What is your favorite dishcloth pattern?
The one that I've used in the past so far as been my favorite. It has these little knit bars on a stockinette background with a garter stitch border...it's on my Ravelry account. I got the pattern from some 'how-to-knit' website.

14. What sort of treats do you enjoy? Sweet or Salty?
Sweet. :-) I'm a sucker for skittles and milk chocolate. But more than anything I enjoy coffee drinks as a treat.

15. Imagine today is one of the hottest days of the year - what do you do to keep cool? Or are you one of those folks who loves the hot weather?
I enjoy hot weather, but in the middle of the afternoon I will treat myself to an iced pomegranate tea (republic of tea makes a great one) or an iced americano. Then I duck for some shade and read a book (or knit, now, I suppose)!

16. What sorts of hobbies do you enjoy besides knitting or crocheting?
I read a lot when I have the time. I'm really into math and I'm studying to be an electrical engineer at the University of Idaho. I play a few video games (I guess I'm a bit of a nerd). I also like rock-climbing, and I'm trying to get into running (but I am so far not very good at it). I like geo-caching, too, if you know what that is. ;-) I'm really into music, and I play the drums (or used to; school has kept me pretty busy so I'm not quite as diligent about practicing these days).

17. Do you collect anything (besides yarn!)
I collect key chains!

18. Are you on Ravelry? If so, share your ID!
YES! My name is 'Xenophilia'. :-)

19. Do you have any allergies?
None!

20. Do you have any pets?
I have a beta fish named 'Laplace'...he's REALLY awesome. :-) The parents are taking care of the family dog...she is a beagle and her name is 'Honey.'

I've decided to get a Flickr account...

...but with a little protest. I just want to visually brag about the cool things I've been knitting up, but as it stands you have to make the effort to go to my blog to do that. Boo that I feel obligated. I have a photobucket...why doesn't that work? :-P

But many thanks to the Ravelry team for all they've done. I enjoy it, muchos! :-D

Just a couple more photos

One day I'll stop being lazy and take these photos with my real camera, but for now the built-in that came with my Mac is just more convenient.

Mattress stitch, for the first time ever for me!

Both wrists. My face, conveniently behind my hands (I was a little grungy in this photo).

They came out a little loose, but not so much that I can't wear them. I almost think I would use a smaller needle on another attempt.

Anyways, ta-da! :-D

Ignore that it is so early in the day!

I had a late night that turned into being up WAY into the AM...
but ta-da!
Warmer up-close...

I am a badass. :-)

The top could have been a little tighter...the top seam drifts a little as a grab things and move around.

But it is GORGEOUS, and I can't wait to finish it's twin up and have a set :-D I love this hobby...how did I ever live without knitting?

Today I spent around 6 hours in a coffeeshop downtown finishing these bad boys up and watching videos on TED. Seriously, how is life better than this? :-)

Oh, that's right, it doesn't. :-P

Quick update:

Wrist warmers = complete! :-D

I'm going to fix a small mistake in one of them, but here are a few photos from the process. :-D I'm so excited!


Me working on the cables!


Done! (Shot of one)


Close up of the cable-work. I am such a pro!

How relieving to complete a project in two days. :-D I'll post a few photos once I complete the finishing work. :-)

Big thanks to my pal Malorie for being my knit-a-thon buddy. :-)

Time!

Took a second look at my 'crazy hat'...and ended up frogging it. It was just...there were too many problems. I made it too early in my knitting life and then let it collect dust for awhile. I was just SO excited by circular needles at the time...anyway, it's gone, and I'm actually pretty glad, after having looked at it. :-P I'm saving the gorgeous wool I bought for it for my next hat attempt...I'm convinced that it will be a pretty hat.

I started a new project this past weekend....my baby blanket. The yarn is prettier than it looks (it's Bernat 'Soft Blue' - it has a thin silver/white line in it that looks gorgeous in the light), and I'm following a pattern I found at Wishing I was Knitting at the Lake. She makes it look SO pretty, and I have a friend that had a baby this past winter. Now that I've started it, though, I'm thinking I won't be done with it until this COMING winter! Let me show you:


Yeah. The pieces of brown yarn are just markers for the different sections. It's going to take a long time. I knew it would, but I stopped because I got cold feet for the cabling part. So I decided I needed to try a little cabling with my spare yarn before I get into it with this piece. That, so far, has not been very effective, but it's because I haven't spent much time working on it.

I have also been avoiding my backpack that I started back in January. I finished the knitting part about two weeks ago, but the finishing work looks daunting from here...there are several hours of finishing to do for all the pieces...mostly the front. I'm not sure, but I think I should have used fair isle instead of intarsia. Either way, I finished the knitting part, and now I have a lot of weaving and sewing to do.

The truth is, I don't have a TON of spare time to knit right now. I'm working a lot, and I'm helping my friend move this weekend. I'm studying some sound and acoustics stuff to prepare for a class I'm taking this fall, and I'm studying for the GRE, which I'm also taking this fall.

But I want to knit. I want it very badly. So I must find some time to squeeze it in. :-P The baby blanket is not something I can casually knit while I do something else either...it is a little too challenging and detailed for me to do that. Maybe after I get my friend moved in I will feel like I can spare the time.

Anyway, that's about it for my knitting update. :-) I might need to make another washcloth to feel better about myself during this baby blanket experience! ;-)

P.S. Tried knitting in the round for the first time this weekend (this was right before I killed the hat...I did a few rows with a set of double-pointed needles I bought last week). It was awesome. I think I like it better than circular needles. So efficient and rhythmic. I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. :-)

Entry Uno

I don't really speak Spanish.

So...I've realized I don't have a nice open forum to display my knitting projects the way I would like to, and all my Ravelry friends have a blogger acount. I hopped on the bandwagon too. :-)

I've not done a lot of knitting, really. I made myself a scarf, I started some crazy hat (with no pattern), I'm almost done with a backpack, and I'm well-versed at completing adorable washcloths.

That's about it. I have pictures that I couldn't put on Ravelry, so I'll probably put them here.

My washcloth. :-)
My backpack (the pattern is from Stitch n' Bitch).
Me wearing my scarf. It was knit knit knit. Very boring. Really cute though. ;-)

No photos of my crazy hat exist. I don't want to confront it yet. :-P So that's where I am, knit-wise. I'm an electrical engineer by day, a knitter...well, also by day. :-)