I met ChristineMM by reading her blog, The Thinking Mother, through the carnival of homeschooling. I eventually subscribed to her blog, and interacted with her in the comments. When I saw her knitting, I looked her up on Ravelry.
circs or pins?
Circs!
Dpn or magic loop?
Dpn until someone can teach me in person to use magic loop
English or Continental?
Continental, someone told me it gives less carpal tunnel syndrome!
Novelty yarn or classic plain?
Novelty or hand painted
Socks or Sweaters?
Sweaters
Crochet too?
No
Process or FO?
Process
Garments or things that don’t have to fit anyone in particular?
both
Short Answer Questions (skip any that aren’t fun!)
What is your usual process on a fiber project, for instance, do you start with a yarn, a cute pattern, a need you’ve noticed, something exciting you saw in a movie you want to copy, or a technique you want to learn – then what do you do next and then what?
I have been focusing on taking inspiration from nature (captured in my own photos) then converting that to a knitted creation by selecting my own yarns and color combinations. I combine novelty with traditional with (store bought) hand spun or hand painted yarns.
Other times I need mindless knitting so wind up doing hats or easy scarves or big sweaters with a ton of knit stitch on circular needles for stockinette stitch.
Does anything intimidate you in knitting or crochet?
I have a really hard time learning from books and text only. I do better with in real life knitting help so have not yet learned crochet. I have not gotten to the point where sock knitting is not mindless so I’ve completed just one pair of socks but have started and frogged others.
When you want to learn something, do you look it up in a book, on U-tube, or seek a real person to teach you?
You Tube first as I need to see it happening in front of me. 2D on video is second best to 3D in real life but I have to make do sometimes.
Any repetitive motion disorders due to knitting or crochet? How do you deal with them?
After a big sweater I had some finger pain so when I was done with it I switched to something else that required less pressure, less fighting with the yarn and stitches and it healed itself.
Do you frequent a particular yarn store?
My favorite is a big place that some complain is too clutter-y and the workers are too prickly. I like it because they seem to have years of yarn there including a few year’s back of the no longer produced yarns so I can find good stuff. They also had a frequent buyer program that I could earn up to 20% off my next purchase. I need to see yarn and feel it so internet doesn’t work for me *unless* I have seen it in real life and find a bargain online. I really don’t care if the staff is nice to me or not just don’t treat me like I am shoplifting. I love anywhere with a clearance bin as paying full price for yarn kills me. I just moved and have not found a new local yarn shop that compares with my old favorite.
Do you usually finish things? If not, does it bother you?
I knit one thing until done then I start another. I don’t usually have more than one thing going at once. I focus. However I have a couple of disappointing things that I have put aside to rest. It will kill me to frog them but to finish them and have an unwearable garment will be a waste of yarn. So I am torn.
What makes you buy a pattern (lovely photo, the story of the project, it looks do-able, it looks slightly challenging…)
I don’t buy one off patterns. I buy pattern books for using certain yarns because some yarns I love deserve special patterns for them (i.e. Noro which you can’t always use other patterns for as it would look bad). I also buy pattern books about process such as Jane Thornley’s which focus on different things that use one stitch and are inspired by colors or patterns in nature or in different places in the world.
What gives you the feeling that you got your money’s worth out of a pattern?
If I use it once it is worth it. If it inspires me even if I don’t make it, it is worth it (i.e. if the photos in the pattern book inspire me or give me other ideas).
What do you most enjoy about knitting or crochet?
I enjoy the process of seeing the colors come off the skein (i.e. variegated hand painted yarns and long color strands like Noro) and how they look in stitches, which I why knitting in solid color does not inspire me. I like to knit combining two yarns or putting yarns together that I choose (not the pattern designer).
What are your crafting ambitions?
My ambition is to enjoy the process. I also like talking to others about projects and inspiration so knit-a-long’s on Ravelry are fun as are the forums there which focus on niche topics. The social part of knitting and the internet is important to me.
Want to be interviewed? Download the questions here and mail them back to me with your answers to christine at christineguestdesigns dot com
Thank you!
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