Fall Felted Bag Questionnaire

I'm a bit late with this but blogger didn't let me have access to my blog or the Felted Bag blog earlier. Here are the answers to the questionnaire, I think most of them were already answered in the SP-11 questions but just in case I'll post the entire questionnaire for the Felted Bag Exchange.

1. How long have you been knitting or crocheting? How did you learn? or from whom? My sister taught me to knit about 35 or 40 years ago. I knitted for a year or so and then off and on whenever someone needed new booties until about 3 years ago. When I picked up my needles this time, I kept knitting.

2. What was your first felted object, and why did you decide to try felting? The first thing I felted was a bag and it turned out wonderful. It was a class offered at Lettuce Knit, my LYS, and since I was already a bag-a-holic, I couldn't resist taking the class. I had never knitted a bag before but I had crocheted one back in the seventies, a big red and blue, granny square satchel I lined it with navy blue and used it for months, I was very proud of it at the time.

3. What are your favorite colors? Any you hate? I love jewel tone colors and I love color combination like black & white, grey & white, and navy & white put together. I also love the color chocolate. I don't hate any color but doubt that I'd ever use an orange colored bag.
What are your favorite styles\types of bags? (Long straps? Short handles? Handbags? Totes? Embellished? Plain? Include links to patterns or photos if you’d like – give your pal an idea of what you enjoy!) I generally like a strap long enough to just swing over my shoulder, but not a shoulder bag length and I don't mind short handles on dressy bags or handbags. Embellishment is nice as long as it is something like fun-fur or glitzy. I love the embroidered flowers that I've seen on some of the bags and also the hand felting that’s being done. I love dressy but not flamboyant.

4. What handbag or bag are you carrying today? Do you use a separate bag to carry your knitting? Right now I am using a gold thread chevron shaped bag with leather handles and trim. It is not a showy bag, rather casual, but smart.
Yes, I use a different bag for my knitting, actually I have a nice basket I bought at Portland's Saturday Market last year while on vacation.

5. What other things do you enjoy knitting or crocheting? I love to knit hats, shawls, and sweaters. I've been thinking about knitting some placemats to match the grape tint in my great room and kitchen.

6. What sort of needles do you enjoy working with? (straights vs circs, bamboo vs aluminum). It depends on what I'm knitting whether I want straight or circular and also what material the needles are made from. I love the circular Addi Turbo needles put out by Skacel for hats, bags and afghans and shawls, unless it is lace, I like bamboo circulars for bags and sweaters, Denise's plastic for lace or light weight yarns (they have sharp points). I have one pair (10.5 circulars) of Susanne's ebony and dearly love using them, I'd like more. And … one of my favorite and the least expensive of all my needles is Bylene needles distributed by Boyle. They are really good to knit with if you have problems with your wrist or hands and they have really sharp points that picks up well. They bend with your hand and arm movement and are warm to the touch. I generally don't use aluminum needles but I do own at least one pair in every size of the straight needles and probably most of the sizes in the circulars.

7. What’s one project you’ve not yet tried but are dying to make? Well, I can't say I'm dying to make socks but I've never made any so must get around to them someday. I've never made a Mobius scarf and I'd also like to do that and I've never felted shoes which I'd love to do. That’s probably it shoes, I must do some shoes this fall.

8. What’s one yarn you’ve not yet tried but are dying to work with? This is a hard question, there are so many wonderful yarns that I haven't used. I'd say anything out of natural fibers as long as it's soft, sturdy and is pleasing to the eye and on the skin.

9. What other hobbies do you have? Do you spin? Sew? Garden? I don't spin but I do sew and garden. I also love to bake and entertain and enjoy embroidery and reading good books. I enjoy cookbooks and knitting books and gardening and knitting magazine.

10. Besides yarn, do you collect anything? I use to collect Byers Choice Caroler Dolls, teapots and teacups & saucers, and cookbooks from all the states and countries that we visited. I had to give most of this up when we downsized two years ago. And oh yes, I still collect Waterford Crystal if anyone is interested in contributing to that collection.

11. What kind of goodies do you enjoy? Sweets? Salty? Anything you hate or are allergic to? I like salty better than sweet, but I do enjoy good cookies and candy. I'm not a real big chocolate lover but if it is filled full of nuts or coconut, yum!

12. Do you have any kiddos? (Furry kind count!) I have a beautiful four legged baby, Maestro (Lhasa Aposo), age 11 and I have a two legged baby boy, age 37 and a two legged baby girl, age 42, and a wonderful little granddaughter, age 2. Then of course there is DH, I won't tell his age but he is definitely one of my babies and requires more of my attention than all the rest. (I don't kid myself thought, I love giving it to him.)

13. What kind of project best personifies you and why? Gosh I always have so many projects going. I like big projects but tend to get bored before I finish them and so pick up something else, then something else and it might take me two or three times as long to finish a big project as it would someone else. I like something that goes quickly, but is different enough to hold my interest. I am somewhat of a perfectionist (so my family tells me) so I rip back as often as needed to get things right and I love vivid colors and/or definition in my knitting project. Why ? – My mother always taught me I didn't have to be like everyone else and if I was going to do something to work on it until I got it right. Besides, I'm a Gemini so I need to live up to my expected characteristics don't I?

14. What is your favorite part of autumn? You can also share a special autumn memory if you'd prefer! The time for re-grouping, finishing off summer's chores then taking a deep breath and starting something new; sort of like the ending and beginning of a new year. To me fall means crisp air and it's smells, and a warm kitchen with it's aromas and lots of stunning colors. It always brings to mind, that wonderful song, Autumn Leaves. I can just hear Roger Williams playing that beautiful tune; and as his fingers touches the piano's keyboard, I imagine seeing ever-so-many colorful, brilliant leaves falling and floating by the window in the autumn's sunlight.

15. Tell us 3 things you would do if you won 10 million dollars in the lottery. According to nature, I'm in the autumn of my life so I'd try to remember that and use the 10 million dollars accordingly. That said, I would (1.) enjoy the money, (2.) share it with those I love, and (3.) use it for a good deed that would benefit others that are a lot less fortunate than I. Actually this could all be covered under (1.) enjoy the money.