LoopyKnits

Just took a nifty little five-question knitting quiz from The Knitter’s Book of Yarn to find out “What Kind of Fiber Am I?” Angora, apparently. And here I thought I was plain ol’ worsted-weight wool. :o) Here’s the me-me-me info the quiz puffed out:

Angora - soft and warm

Angoras are eager to please and are highly sensitive. Flexibility and adaptability are your strengths and sometimes your weakness, as well. You are essentially a warm and feeling person, and little escapes your impressionable mind.

You are generous with others and strive for harmony in your relationships.

Found via knitting author Donna Druchunas’s blog.

Technorati Tags: knitting quiz

Squee! Another knitting novel hits the bookshelves today. I’m excited even though the theme of this book is sobering. Let’s show some support for author Ann Hood, whose paperback edition of The Knitting Circle: A Novel - a book about grief and a circle of friends - is now available.

[Disclaimer: Nope, I don't get a dime. Haven't read the book and don't know the author. Just sounds like an interesting book.]

Etsy.com is one of my favorite sites to find cute handcrafted items, and I think we should all support independent artisans like those who sell their wares at Etsy. It’s easy when the merchandise is this appealing, isn’t it? Check out these knitting-related items I spied earlier this week. If you see any you want to buy, get them early; hand-made items are often made and sold in small batches. (Note: No affiliation with Etsy or these artists — I just love them.)

1. Kitty notepaper: Apple-green notepad with a solemn little kitty hugging a ball of yarn drawn in cocoa brown and white. $5.
2. Cell phone charm: A sleepy little glass sheep snoozes on a pink cord. $4.
3. Knitter gift tags: You make-ah dah sweatah, you tagga dah gift. Preferably with something that keeps the handmade theme going strong, like these hand-stamped tags in warm pastels. $3.
4. Knitting print: “Knitty, Knitty” is an oh-so-pretty print. The black-and-white line drawing shows large and small fluffy pillow-shaped women knitting a red twirl of yarn. $20.
5. Redhead print: “Redhead” is a print of a sleek little lady in pink cowboy boots. Knitting, of course. $15.
6. Knitted domestic bliss print: In the “Home Sweet Home” print, guitar dude and knitter lady are surrounded by yarn and, apparently, love. Available in different color versions; my favorite is blue. $15.
7. Knitters drop a line: Postcards with collages of photos showing knitters’ hands. 10 for $5.95.
8. Doorway beaded curtain: Wicked-cool beaded curtain of handpainted, handmade wool. Well, the price is wicked too, but this was too special to omit. $250.
9. Car decal: Blue vinyl “Knitting Nerd” decal tells all the other drivers just how you roll. $3.
10. Journal for knitterly notes: A doe-eyed woman in the Knit Buddies series is on the front of this little Moleskin Cahier notebook, knitting briskly from either a rabbit or a really short, long-eared sheep (we’re not asking). $10.
11. Sitting knitting notecards: Nine colorful Knitterella notecards on 80# stock paper show a whimsical sketch of a woman plying the threads. $8.95.
12. 2 gadgets to gauge your interest: Hand-embellished with tiny flowers, this notions set includes a needle/stitch gauge and an alpaca-shaped wraps per inch (WPI) gauge. So cute you can’t helping going “Squee!” I thought it was wooden, but the description calls it bamboo. $21.

Technorati Tags: knitting notions, knitting gifts, knitting goodies

You’ve probably reached for some Lion Brand Yarn at one time or another, and here’s another inducement. The company has partnered with Instructables to create a proposition for you: Do something creative with their yarn, publish a tiny slideshow about it, and get a chance to win a $25 Lion Brand coupon and an Instructables patch and stickers. See details at the contest page.

Like everyone else in my office, I succumbed to whatever is going around. For me, it was a massive sinus infection, with both ears also involved. I finally dragged to the doctor on Saturday when fever hit 103. I’ve spent the rest of this week re-discovering the goodness of ice-cold ginger ale, antibiotics priced on the diamonds-and-emeralds scale, and sleep.

I’ll be posting again soon, though. Just wanted to pop my head in and say “hi.”

Technorati Tags: sick

I found these eye-popping BIG KNITS during some of my web rambling in 2007. Enjoy!

• Giant knitted poufs to use as seats, ottomans. Found via.
• Knitting a giant American flag using two cranes. Also see the same Paul-Bunyan-sized project from three years earlier, using a pair of 20-foot knitting needles. Definitely not a time when you’d want to drop a stitch. Amazing! The same artist has also done a giant fiberglass teddybear. Found via.
• Have needles? Knit a house — or at least a cover for one. Seriously, I’ve heard of knitting some unusual cozies before, but … wow! Found via.
• Sure, some people build a treehouse, but what about knitting one like knitting celebrity Cat Bordhi did? I don’t know enough about the safety to be able to recommend this, but what an interesting idea. Found via.
• A really groovy cozy for a VW Bug. No, really.
• Belated Christmas coolness #1: One of the biggest knitted Christmas trees (photos here and here); I can’t find a story, but I think it was a 2005 fund-raiser for the North Devon Hospice in Devon, England; found via.
• Belated Christmas coolness #2: Giant knitted gingerbread house, created as another hospice fundraiser

Technorati Tags: giant knits, big knits, fiber art