Conformity, or why I'm not a hipster

Did you know it's the Second Annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week? I didn't even know there was such a thing, but as soon as I read about it over at Knitted Bliss, I immediately decided I had to participate, because I'm a bandwagoner like that. No one will ever accuse me of being a hipster.


So, without further ado, some rambling answers to the Day 1 and Day 2 questions:


Part of any fibre enthusiast’s hobby is an appreciation of yarn. Choose two yarns that you have either used, are in your stash or which you yearn after and capture what it is you love or loathe about them.



Sheesh, I didn't realize this was going to involve remembering my knitting.


Well, I certainly can't say enough good things about madelinetosh. The colorways are stunning, the yarn is soft (especially Pashmina, but ToshDK as well), the yardage doesn't disappoint, stitch definition is always stellar, and no unpleasant surprises after your item is finished--yarn doesn't grow or shrink tremendously after blocking, no excessive pilling, no bleeding, just gorgeous knitting.


    


Of course, you pay for all this wonderfulness--it's not cheap. But I think it's worth it.


(I did encounter a skein of pashmina that was horrendously tangled, but as I noted previously, this was apparently reported to and addressed by the company; the last skein I used had no tangles.)


As far as yarn I am . . . not so much a fan of, I'm going to have to go with Hempathy, which I used for a Trellis and Keyhole Tank. It's scratchy, splitty and bleeds like crazy. Knit up it looks dull and stiff. The tank is certainly wearable, but I wouldn't knit with the yarn again. I'm sure it works for some people, but not for me.

Look back over your last year of projects and compare where you are in terms of skill and knowledge of your craft to this time last year. Have you learned any new skills or forms of knitting/crochet?

One of the great things about knitting is that I feel like I'm always learning something new. Within the last year I've tackled my first "real" lace shawl, put afterthought thumbs in mittens (cutting your knitting!), and even started attempting colorwork (though, incidentally, it's really slowed down because I lost the Amazing Doohickey. And by lost, I mean the cats found it, decided to play with it, and knocked it under some piece of furniture where it is currently hiding.). I expect to keep learning, whether it's a new technique, new construction, or a new stitch pattern.

   

And to finish up, a note on MediaPeruana, which a few commenters, er, commented on. First, don't worry that you don't know what it means, because it doesn't have anything to do with knitting, it's just a cutesy name that makes me smile.

And secondly, well, here's what it means: Peruana means "Peruvian." "Media," interestingly, has a few meanings. The one I intended is "half," making the name HalfPeruvian. But, word nerds might appreciate that "media" can also be used as a noun--"medias" are stockings or socks. So if you interpret it that way, it means Peruvian Sock. Which isn't entirely inappropriate, given that I do occasionally manage to knit a whole pair of socks.

Stay tuned for more random questions tomorrow, as we cruise through the Second Annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week!