Favourites MeMe

No one's tagged me, but this MeMe looked like a lot of fun. (as did the capitalization scheme which I copied from PurlyWhites)

The Knitting MeMe

What is your all time favourite yarn to knit with?

That would have to be Noro's varegated yarns. While I'm not always sold on the bits of vegetable matter that come free with your yarn purchase, I love the color progression and the hand of the fabric once it's been knitted up.
(insert picture of either skein or puppy bed)
I'm trying to figure out how to get the same sort of color progression in my handspun. This is easier said than done since I overspin such that plying is a necessity not an optional step and I've not yet successfully navajo plied anything. I do have a bobbin full of little tufts from the spinning meeting last sunday that I am going to navajo ply. I really hope it turns out okay.

For sheer functionality and omnipresence in my stash, I'll switch to Lambs Pride and Cascade 220. Felting, sweaters, hats, housesocks, bags, you name it, those two can do it... except lace. I'm not a real big fan of worsted weight lace.

Your favourite needles?

I have lots of favorite needles. I love my Addi Natura's for almost anything I'd want a circular needle for. I switch to Addi Turbos for cotton (and cotton/wool blends). Crystal Palace double points are my hands-down favorite for socks and little things like that. And my Denise Interchangeable Set is the best for versatility.
(Realistically, I like almost any needle except the join on Clover's circulars and most old aluminum because of the noise they make when the needles touch each other.)

The worst thing you've ever knit?

The worst behaved thing I've ever knit is my little sister's Klein Bottle Hat.
(insert picture of someone else's klein bottle hat with citation)
I've probably said this here before:
I can knit a klein bottle.
I can knit a hat.
I apparently can not knit a klein bottle that looks good as a hat!

OOoh!! and then there's the tank top I knit for the Peacock as a test piece for some armhole alterations. It was very unfortunate. The armholes were cut too low and too far forward in the front and I refused to let her wear it. It is on the list of things I've knit that need to be ripped. The yarn, a lovely blue Cascade Sierra, is far too good to leave languishing in a top that should never be worn in public.

But realisitically, most of my truly bad ideas never see the light of day. Either I get bored and never get back to them, or I figure out a way to squish them into something more successful.

Most valuable knitting technique?

To borrow Dorothy over at Missouri Star's answer, "Do knit and purl count?"

I'd also like to add weaving in ends to the most valuable technique list. While I've seen people try to make loose ends part of the esthetic appeal of a piece, it is generally my opinion that the results wind up looking like they belong on Thursdays are for What the Hell is This? or You Knit What???.
(Insert picture of that Jacket from Crochet Your Way if I can find it)

Best knit book or magazine?

Knitting book: That one that's out of print with the greenish-blue and black two tone printing for the illustrations. 'Cause that description helps so much for the people that aren't in my head. The local public library has a copy and I need to check it out again.
(Find citation, ISBN, picture if possible and post)

Knitting magazine: I'll have to go with Interweave Knits on this one. I enjoy their patterns, most of the time. I often enjoy laughing at the ones I'll never, ever knit... And really, I wouldn't mind knitting a pretty good number of the ones they publish, I just don't know that I'll ever get around to it. The rest of the magazine is generally a pretty good read and well put together. I hope the recent transfer in ownership doesn't change too much for any of their publications.

Your favourite knit-a-long?

So far I'm only doing a few of them and I'm loving them all. Not as active as I should be on the blog side of things, but really enjoying lurking and working on all the projects.

Your favourite knitblogs?

RoseKimKnits, Grumperina's, Another-Hobby, and Purly Whites
I know there should be others, but then my list would start getting too long... and besides, this is pretty much the shortlist that I'm currently checking everytime I get online to do bloggish stuff.

Your favourite knitwear designer?

Eeek!... Elsepeth Lavold? Haven't actually knit any of her designs, but I enjoy paging through the books. Same with Cornellia Tuttle Hamilton.

The knit item you wear the most? (how about a picture of it!)?

That'd be the koigu hats. We have at least 6 of them wandering around the house at this time and any one of us can wear any one of them depending on our mood... well, mostly depending on which one we can find at any given moment.
(take picture of the koigu hats)

And who are you tagging to do this MeMe?

No one. It's been around. Anyone that wants to is welcome to swipe it and do it themselves, but I'm not interested in coercing anyone.