My Knitting Anniversary

I don't know exactly when I started knitting for real, but it was roughly a year ago. I was taught how to knit (only the knit stitch) many years back, by my knitter/seamstress grandmother and failed miserably. To this day, I don't know if that was due to the fact that my dear grandma is left handed (and I'm very very not) or that I was using scraps of yarn that didn't match the needle size. The young OCD me might have been frustrated by the non-matching stitches and gave up. Until last year.
Sometime around this time last year, on a grey day like this one, I was at work at the CalArts' student affairs office (I built most of this for them) ans chatting with a sewing collegue. I was saying how I'm pissed that I can't find the scarf I want. She said she always wanted to learn how to knit. The lightbalb went on in my head. The moment I got out of there I went to Michael's to pick up a knitting booklet, needles and yarn. The rest is history.

So now that you know about my knitting history, here are 10 things (in the spirit of Claudia and other good gals) you didn't know about my knitting. Well, you may know some of it. I have a very short history to dig into, you know:

1. Finiky a knitter as I am, my first project (above) was almost knit in fun fur. Yep, I actually bought the damn thing, but luckily came to my senses and returned it. Phew.
2. I'm currently running the largest number of UFOs ever - three. That's Pomat-emo, the Mata Haris and the big pile of teal that I won't mention by name lest I jinx its progress. Other than that, I'm usually a very monogamous knitter.
3. As scared as I am of sweaters, I recently bought two Rowan classic books and got a free copy of IK Fall 2006... for the sweater patterns. I like living on the edge.
4. When I started knitting, I used to buy those huge 14" Boye aluminum needles. They were cheap AND I used to do this rookie thing when you the neeldes on your thighs to help push them through. Yep. I still own them, but only because I'm still broke.
5. I still make ladders in stockinette socks both on DPNs and two circulars. I need to knit very carefully.
6. I can't, just can't deal with heels with flaps. The only reason I'm not giving up on them yet is because some patterns utilize them so darn well. But if I can get away with not knitting them - you bet I will.
7. I can kitchener the heck out of everything. Yes I can. All thanks to this video tutorial (bottom, in the "finishing" section). So logical!
8. I never learn that lack of sleep and knitting don't go well together. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I had to scrap whole projects because of "one tiny little mistake" made under the influence of lack of Zs. At the same time, I've been known to be a "just one more row/until the end of the pattern repeat" knitter, which often was a culprit in the above.
9. I'm still afraid of my jaywalkers. I don't know why. I will finis them, I promise... (Sometime before I die. You can count on it)
10. Unless I come across an amazing deal, I hardly ever knit a pattern in the exact yarn it was designed with. Both because I have a rich taste and a poor pocket, but also because I'm very specific about the feel of certain yarns against my (super sensitive) skin, the color and price (I just don't believe it's always worth it). I usually look for a cheaper substitute and often buy it online. Mainly on ebay.

(Blogger went "Hic!". If you saw this posted three times, that's why)