Introductions

Ooh, Georgia Tech! That's a school my husband almost applied to for graduate school...almost. The thing is he could see himself at Georgia Tech, but just couldn't see himself living in Georgia

All humor aside temporarily, I'm Kim (my nick was given to me years ago on alt.books.stephen-king when there already was a Kim posting. There was some confusion about who said what, and someone called me "the other Kim" and it stuck), and I'm in sunny and freezing - for us - SoCal, in Anaheim right in the shadow of Disneyland; I can watch the fireworks from my driveway. I work as an independent medical transcriptionist working from home so I can be available for my kids (Ryan is 19 and a junior at UC Irvine, Caitlin is almost 15, and Sarah is almost 8).

I learned to knit when I was in 3rd grade, in the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth and girls weren't allowed to do woodworking projects. Seriously, the boys in the 3rd grade glasses were being allowed to do a woodworking project, and rather than make us girls sit and twiddle our thumbs my teacher decided to teach us all how to knit. Little did she know that she would create at least one monster

I've never even considered selling the things I make. That would make it an actual "job", and I tend to put off work as much as possible (like now, when I really should be working but decided to play online instead). I do like to make things and donate them to my daughters' school for their annual fund-raising auction; I did a Colinette "Absolutely Fabulous" throw for them this year, and the last 2 years I made a bunch of fuzzy scarves for them.

I'm both a serial knitter, putting the next project on needles immediately after finishing one, and a parallel knitter, with several projects going on at the same time, generally for different people. Right now I'm working on cardigans for me and my Sarah, and a throw for a friend. I'm also a compulsive sock knitter - who was it here who said socks are crack for knitters? Truer words were never spoken - and don't count those in my list of projects, but I have 2 pair on needles right now.

What else? Compulsive reader (will read cereal boxes if nothing else is available), heavy metal mama (have gone to 2 OzzFests and 2 other shows - Iron Maiden and Judas Priest - with my son and his friends, and they're not embarrassed to be seen with me; gotta try harder ), incredibly disorganized except when it comes to my knitting stuff, horrible housekeeper (a clean house is a sign of a sick mind, IMNSHO ), loved by my kids and my cats so what more could I ask for?

Okay, who's next??

The Other Kim kimagreenfieldatyahoodotcom

Abigail Palmer spun a FINE 'yarn':

I'm Noreen. I post as the YarnWright. I currently live in middle Tenn, USA. I'm not ashamed to admit I'm 48 years old. I have a DH,

2DD's, a SIL, and 3 DGD's. I've been knitting and crocheting since the age of six. I'm in a bummed mood today, my cousin died this morning.... Noreen who will elaborate further when I can cope a little better....

That would be me, I guess. I am Katherine, and I usually identify myself by saying that I live in Labrador. However, right now I am going to McGill

University in Montreal. I retired in June after teaching for 30 years, and am now studying towards a Bachelor's Degree in Theology and a Master's Decree in Divinity, after which I hope to be ordained. Like Kim, I learned to knit when dinosaurs roamed the earth. My mother tried to teach me, but it never really took, and when I was in Grade Four, our teacher decided that Friday afternoons would be craft time, and she taught those of us who wanted to learn how to knit. That was much more successful. I have been knitting ever since. I have adult children and young grandchildren, so I have many people to knit for! Higs, Katherine

X-No-Archive:yes

I'm Joan and I learned to knit/crochet from my Norwegian grandmother when I was very small. I'm now retired and after a lifetime of making gifts for the family, I now make afghans for Project Linus at the advice of Nora of this group and yarners. I find myself more determined to work hard when I think of the children who need these 'blankies'. I am also a free lance writer and keep busy at the computer as well.

Hi -- I am retired and have some volunteer responsibilities with environmental organizations in addition to my knitting and occasional travel with my DH (He has meetings in interesting places.) Our 3 kids are adults and one has three of her own. Generally I have several projects on the needles - I knit a variety of things for relatives and for fundraisers for organizations I care about. I am a beginner at crochet but do crochet a few simple items from time to time. I learned to knit many years ago - probably from my mother, though I don't really remember that very clearly. I took it up again in college and then when my own kids were little. I have been knitting much more since retirement. I have taught my two older granddaughters how to knit

- though the oldest is now too busy most of the time. My New Year's resolution was not to buy more yarn until I make a significant dent in my stash - which is approaching SABLE proportions (Stash acquisition beyond life expectancy - a serious assessment since I am older than dirt)

Ah, a lurker comes out... :-)

My posting name is not my real name; I'm Tamar, and I'm 58. As a kid I taught myself to knit from a book using two pencils and a short piece of string. I would read knitting books whenever I came across them, but I didn't actually knit anything until I was in college and my brother asked for a nine-foot-long scarf. After that I made a few sweaters, but never socks until I picked up the needles again about nine years ago and then became interested in historical knitting. I don't make a lot of things but I almost always change the pattern and lately I design most of the things I make. Almost everything is an experiment.

I usually stick with the current project, but at the moment I have two UFOs. One is partly frogged, the other will either be donated to the thrift shop or redesigned. I am downsizing the stash massively, giving rather a lot of "what was I thinking" yarn to new knitters who want to experiment without spending a lot of money. I'm still at S.A.B.L.E. but the pile isn't as high.

=Tamar

I'm in New Zealand, I've been knitting and more most of my life. I can't remember how young I was when I learnt; I'd make Barbie jerseys as a kid and I remember subjecting my childhood cat to a Christmas hat and scarf. I love vintage knitting patterns and have a collection too large to be healthy. I've taken up spinning quite recently and really enjoy making things from scratch (well, I'm not going to breed sheep any time soon, but fleece-to-yarn and yarn-to-garment is pretty satisfying). I do lots of other crafts too (bit of a craft junky really) but knitting has predominated for a while now. I live with my partner and our six fur-children (all cats) and teach at the local University.

VP

I'm 44, and learned to knit from my mother around the time I was

14-15--she died of cancer when I was 16. I didn't actually f> >> So, I was wondering if y'all would be willing to introduce yourselves? >

I don't use a pseudonym, Bernadette is my real name. I am married, retired and live in Scotland. My favourite needlecraft is crochet, which my mother taught me when I was 4 and I also enjoy dressmaking, cross stitch and knitting.

Your name comes from My langugae , it is a Hebrew name , My name is Hebrew as well . I live in Haifa Israel , i am a fiberartist, a mother to 2 young adults, andam owned by a cat. I am a Holocaust surviver. And i like this ng very much , several months ago they were THANK YOU all very supportive when i lived under Rockets` attacks . mirjam

Abigail,

I was called spike as a little boy, I really don't know why :) .

So when I started on the rail road as a laborer young man on the section gang driving spikes once in a while thus, the name became spike driver.

Gail and I have three grown children, with three beautiful grand children.

I have been knitting for around 26 year and crocheting for several more years. I design a little and sell very little that I make. I love to see the smile a gratitude you get with a hand made gift.

I was forced into an early retirement due to nerve disorder that is causing severe neuropathy and atrophy.

Hugs & God bless, Dennis & Gail

Abigail Palmer wrote:

Shame on whoever shamed you! I knitted with twisted stitches for the first

25 years (I didn't realize they were twisted because I was mostly doing garter stitch--or knitting with really furry yarn), figured it out almost 30 years ago, and have been going straight ever since. I mostly design my own garments (sometimes from scratch, sometimes by adaptation--have never followed a pattern down to the point of using the suggested yarn, or knit a garment in pieces since I learned to knit from the top down). I have a bunch of patterns from the '80s (does that count as vintage yet? retro?) that I got at a 5-cent sale some time back. If anyone wants them, let me know, and I'll send them along for postage.

Well, that does make me feel better that someone else did it! And now I'm afraid to do anything with twisted knitting as a decorative stitch because it might start up again. Not-twisted is much easier!

I just bought a M> Shame on whoever shamed you! I knitted with twisted stitches for the first

Hi Abby I'm Cher from the UK been around here like the others for a lifetime...lol. As well as knitting and crocheting I spin and weave, do bead craft things and all sorts.

hope you enjoy yourself here higz Cher

Who on earth shamed you???? How very dare they???? I would NEVER do that!

Higs, Katherine

IF it loops and stays in plave and you can use the item ,,, BE PROUD ,,, mirjam

I just met someone last year who knitted with twisted stitches; she had learned it from her grandmother, and I think her grandmother came from one of the cultures where twisted stitch is normal for one row and is untwisted on the next, and somehow the untwisting part hadn't been transferred. Twisted stitch gives an interesting texture to the knitting and probably would slow down raveling.

=Tamar

Just to clarify: when I wrote

I meant that my name isn't "Richard Eney"; he was my husband, and that's the name on the account. But I've always signed my real name, which is Tamar.

=Tamar