That you might or might not know about me.* (ala Grumperina)
Number 10: The longest I have gone without knitting is eight years. Then, when I turned eight, my mom taught me to knit as she taught herself. She taught me to knit, purl, cast on, bind off, and twist a cable. Armed with a learn-to-knit book and my experimental nature I was on my own after that.
Number 9: I have taught myself, mostly by accident, a great many things that others have gone on and written books about. Because this has all come, although with some sweat, pretty easily to me, it amazes me that someone is making money off of what I stumbled on all by myself. Who knew?
Number 8: I make a lot of mistakes. I fix mistakes. Even if I am sure nobody will ever notice. That "speeding train" rule? Can't work for me. The thing is, I will physically feel those mistakes every time I wear or see the garment. I am constitionally unable to leave a mistake in my knitting.
Number 7: I am a fanatical swatcher. I love to swatch, will swatch extensively for one project with many yarns to be sure that I am happy with the outcome.
Number 6: I did not swatch for my current WIP, a sweater.
Number 5: I love finishing my knits. Seaming, necklines, setting in sleeves, picking up stitches....... Love.It.All
Number 4: When beginning a project I usually need to resize or rewrite and will do all of the figuring and math for each piece on graph paper, working out all shaping and pattern placement before I cast on. No surprises.
Number 3: I cast on for my current WIP after glancing at the photo, deciding to resize by removing one cable and cast on without swatching or doing any of the math. This is fly-by-the seat of your pants knitting. I know! I can't believe it myself!
Number 2: I love sock knitting. Every time I turn a heel I feel that I have performed a magic of unequalled grandeur. Short row heels and toes are my favorites, and with the exception of one pair, I have knit them exclusively. I see little reason to change. Ever.
Number 1: My current socks on the needles are being knitted as written by Nancy Bush. I know! She doesn't do short row heels or toes. A heel with a flap! What am I turning into?
And one more Top Knitterly Thing that you might or might not know about me: I finished my Paisley Lace Shawl.
Yarn: Zephyr Wool-Silk Lace weight yarn in Blueberry
Needles: size 5
Started: August 19, 2006
Finished: September 19, 2006
Blocked: October 8, 2006
*I didn't think I could come up with ten, but once I got going I had to leave some out. For instance: Most of my knitting is blue. I had to add it for those of you that don't know that yet.
That shawl is AMAZING! I have yet to find time or the courage to make one, although my stash is full of lace yarn!
Posted by: Marcia | October 10, 2006 at 11:34 PM
I love the shawl. I don't know what it is about paisley, but I also love the Fiddlesticks paisley shawl. I am shocked about the no-swatch on a sweater. It was definitely something I didn't know about you!
Posted by: Lauren | October 11, 2006 at 01:42 AM
Exquisite shawl! I love the way the pictures are interspersed with the 10 things about you and your knitting.
No swatch, eh? You love tempting the fates, or perhaps you are working to punish yourself?
Posted by: Laurie | October 11, 2006 at 07:09 AM
Oh my god I MISS YOU!!! I wish I could be like you. I've got the perfectionism thing down for sure, it's the swatching and mapping things out that I wish I liked more.
Hope to see you next week!!! L, C
Posted by: Cara | October 11, 2006 at 07:49 AM
You have shocked me over and over. The shawl is beautiful...you are a knitting tornado. I can't WAIT to meet you, see you, hug you!
Posted by: margene | October 11, 2006 at 07:57 AM
Oh, that's gorgeous!
Blue, really? Who knew...
; )
Posted by: Vicki | October 11, 2006 at 08:29 AM
Teresa, you are so smart to swatch a lot to determine the best yarn to use. But how do you do this? Do you buy one of each yarn for swatching? Or do you already have it in your stash? I still hate swatching, and I know my knitting suffers for it.
Posted by: Sharon | October 11, 2006 at 08:31 AM
I love your shawl! Haven't seen too many of these around, and the photo in the mag isn't the clearest... now that I see, it's a wonderful pattern, and looks gorgeous in that blueberry color!
Posted by: grumperina | October 11, 2006 at 09:00 AM
I knew that you love to swatch - I remember all your swatches at Claudia's last year. And the shawl is gorgeous. Don't you love the Zephyr?
Posted by: Carole | October 11, 2006 at 09:08 AM
No swatch? Sock with a heel flap? What, you feel like living dangerously like the rest of us?
Your shawl is just gorgeous. And such a lovely shade of...blue. Huh.
Posted by: Katy | October 11, 2006 at 09:44 AM
Beautiful shawl Teresa!
I wish I loved to swatch like you do...it would save me an awful lot of grief. #6 was pretty shocking.
Posted by: Karen | October 11, 2006 at 10:12 AM
oh my god, T. That shawl is freakin gorgeous! It almost makes me want to knit one...even though I never wear 'em.
Posted by: melanie | October 11, 2006 at 10:32 AM
[email protected]$%^^^& I'm shocked. Stunned, really.
This post was beautiful. Like Laurie, I love the beautiful photos interspersed with the things about you and your knitting. And the shawl? Gorgeous. I'm not even a shawl person, and even I know it's gorgeous. :)
Posted by: Norma | October 11, 2006 at 12:12 PM
I'm with you--I cannot believe people are making money writing books about things I've been doing for years (hello, Magic Loop--only I called it "pulling the cable through," not nearly as catchy). But now we know -- start writing!
Posted by: Martha | October 11, 2006 at 01:31 PM
beautiful shawl Teresa!
Posted by: ann | October 11, 2006 at 08:26 PM
I love heel flaps and that shawl.
(And you. I'm pretty fond of you.)
Posted by: Stephanie | October 12, 2006 at 10:12 AM
You continue to amaze me with your lace knitting skills. :)
Posted by: Helen | October 12, 2006 at 07:00 PM
Lovely!
Posted by: Peeve | October 12, 2006 at 07:15 PM
The shawl is gorgeous!! Really stunning! And I loved reading all the interesting little tidbits about you Terry! :)
Posted by: Debi | October 12, 2006 at 10:05 PM
The shawl is stunning! Absolutely beautiful.
Posted by: Christina | October 13, 2006 at 03:42 PM
I love the shawl! One more for my must-knit list. And what a gorgeous color you chose!
Posted by: Alison | October 14, 2006 at 08:14 PM
You are too cute, Teresa! The shawl is just amazing. Did I ask you, are you going to Stitches?
Posted by: Donna | October 16, 2006 at 02:17 PM
I so enjoyed this post, especially after spending some time with you this weekend. Your shawl is so lovely....it has inspired me to give it a try!
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That is very beautiful. Tell me that you didn't have that on at Rhinebeck and I just missed it.
Posted by: claudia | October 24, 2006 at 12:10 PM
Oh, that's a lovely shawl! The dark color is perfect with that pattern.
Thanks for the list. So much of it explains why your work turns out so beautifully.
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