Let's talk with Tech Knitter......

Hey guys HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Today we have a written conversation because Tech Knitter wanted to keep his/her identity unknown. So enjoy! Next week will be audio! I have a lot of written and audio interviews lined up so yay! This is fun!

How did the Techknitting blog start?

Over the years, I have twice gotten a couple of chapters into a how-to-knit book.  Unfortunately, I lack the correct lonely-writer-stuck-in-a-garret attitude for an author—I don’t like no-feedback situations.  Without knowing it, I was evidently waiting for the internet to reach critical mass.  One day, while poking around on the web, I discovered the category of “knitting blogs.”  A couple of days after that, the first post went up.

How long has Techknitting been around?

The one-year blogiversary will be on November 5—although it seems hard to believe it’s only been a year.  I seem to have been doing this for far longer.

What inspires you to keep this blog going?

I joke that the knitting tricks I know are like viruses desperate to escape my mind and jump into yours.  Sadly, that’s not actually a joke. Sometimes, I wake up in the middle of the night with some technique or another simply hammering to be let out. The closest analogy is that, to me, blogging TECHnique is like carrying a full-term baby.  That darn thing wants O*U*T N*O*W, regardless of any other consideration.

How many people contribute to the blog?

One, me.

Why is the blog done anonymously?

An active imagination coupled with horror stories read on the web about people being stalked and harassed convinced me to be anonymous.  With several kids, my motto is “anything for a quiet life.”

How do you come up with the topics for each entry?

I tried to start at the beginning, with cast-on techniques, stitch formation, increases, decreases: all the tricks necessary to creating an attractive knitted fabric.  In time, the focus of the blog will turn to garment construction. Of course, sometimes topics escape in an odd order—one of my earlier posts was about gauge, fit and fashion, a post completely unrelated to anything else I was writing about at that time.

How often do you post?

The illustrations sometimes take a very long time, which creates delay between posts.  I think the average has been about 5-7 times a month.

Do you have a favorite technique?

I certainly have tried-and-true methods of garment construction, and I’ll be posting about those in the fullness of time.  However, I’m always thinking about a new way to do an old trick—a faster way, a better way, so I get new favorites all the time.

What is your least favorite technique...the one that makes you cringe when you think about it?

For a long time I despised Kitchener stitch.  But I said to myself that it was no good claiming to be a TECHknitter, and avoiding Kitchener stitch.  So, I sat down and sorted out a new way to do it.  Now I realize that techniques I have been avoiding are actually opportunities to figure out a better, easier way to do them.

How are your illustrations made?

Adobe Illustrator is the software package—an immensely powerful drawing program.  I taught myself to use it based solely on trial and error, and feel sure that some of my little work-around tricks would make a trained user stare.  However, I’m getting faster and faster—what used to take a whole day now takes only several hours.

Have you EVER thought about making Techknitting into a book?

Short answer? Yes.  A blog isn’t necessarily the best way to relay reference information.  There is only a small chance that a reader will need to know how to do a certain trick just on the day of the post about that trick.  Although I have tried to compensate for that problem by having good indexes, I think a book would be easier to use.  However, I also think I am several years away from having enough material.  So, in a couple of more years, I’ll think more deeply about how to actually accomplish a book.

Who taught you how to knit? How long has TECHknitter been knitting???

I had two teachers--the first was my mother. I badgered her for years to teach me.  She knit “German style,” and she thought that if I learned to knit that way, I could never use a pattern written in English.  She was stubborn, but so was I, and I finally got my own way when I was 24—which was quite a few years ago, believe me.

The second teacher was by long distance--the renowned knitting author, Elizabeth Zimmerman. Just after I won my argument with mom, I was knitting in a public library.  A knitting librarian dropped a copy of “Knitting without Tears” on the table in front of me.  One read-through of Zimmerman’s great, great book made me into a Knitter-with-a-capital-K, just like that.  Her clear writing made the concepts flow into my mind and take up permanent residence. At one point, I wrote her a letter and got a written reply--I bitterly regret losing that note in one of my many moves.

How are you liking Ravelry?

Ravelry is a wonderful site—well thought out and executed with an obvious passion.  That said, I hate it for being so good and so addictive. Why could this concept not have waited 5 years more to be hatched, so I could get something done before then? On the other hand, being able to get into discussions with other knitters and designers about technical aspects of knitting—well, the feedback and interaction opportunities are tremendous. Knitting as a craft owes a huge thank you to the founders—Jess and Casey.

Thank you so much for taking time out last week to answer my questions and just allowing me to be nosey! LOL

This weeks Blog Spotlight goes to.....
*drumroll please*

KNIT OR KNOT

Talk about beautiful work!!! OMG, go check it out.

*Disclaimer, no one asks to be the blog spotlight. These are blogs that are on my blogroll, that I am sharing with you all :-)*

Now, I will share one of my kids favorite recipes. They have  been BEGGING for potato soup since mid summer...well it's JUST now cool enough to make:

3 to 4 medium baking potatoes, baked
5 bacon strips, diced
2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) condensed cream of potato soup, undiluted
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
3 1/2 cups milk
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp worchestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup (8oz) sour cream
Shredded cheddar cheese

Peel and dice the baked potatoes: set aside. Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.
Remove bacon, drain, reserving 1 1/2 teaspoon drippings.

Add the soups, milk, garlic powder, worcestershire sauce, onion powder, and pepper, and reserved potatoes to the drippings, cook uncovered for 10 minutes until heated through. Stir occasionally. Stir in sour cream; cook for 1-2 minutes or until heated. DO NOT BOIL. Garnish with cheddar cheese and bacon. Yield: 10 servings (2 1/2 quarts)

Notes: I almost make four times this much. This is a big hit in my house and even when I make mass quantities it does NOT last. The first time I made it, I followed the recipe exactly...now, I omit the worcestershire sauce, add more cheddar cheese soup and more bacon.

Drink a bottle cup of Moscato D'Asti and call it a day!

Thanks to the hubby for the pics! Ya'll have a great day!!!

Toodles!!!

Comments

[Dana]

girl I want some of that soup and that drank.... I need one right about now. Kids worked my last nerve today....LOL

[yaiAnn]

Yum! Great interview girl!

[Stacey_CrimsonPurl]

Great interview! I have her blog in my feeds and really was hoping she was going to say "Yes!" to making a book!!
Thanks for bringing this interview to us! I didn't realize it has only been a year of the blog!!

And that potato soup looks SO yummy!

There you go increasing my darn feeds again!! :op

[gold]

Great interview !

I am going to have to try that soup!

[erica b.]

Great interview!

[Cynta]

soup looks good I'm going to try that recipe...good interview

[Cassandra]

Good Interview.

The soup looks too yummy! I must try it!

Thanks for sharing!

[rhonda]

oh I have been craving some potato soup too. I'll have to send you my recipe...it's a little different. I'm going to try yours.
DH always said he didn't like potato soup (I think his mom put boiled egg in hers--HTH?) Anyway, he happened to be @ home when I was cooking it...and decided to give it a try...he ended up eating 3 bowls!!! So now he doesn't complain if I am going to make potato soup!

[sheila]

Really enjoyed the interview.. but why did I think the knitter was a male... until I read the other comments... geezous whats the matter with me...lol. Your potato looks scrumptious.

[Lovely]

OH MY GOODNESS -- now I know why we hit it off right away -- GIRL -- I am such a fan of Moscato!! I still haven't taken to red wine and I have tried. Yay Moscato!!!

PS I am mad you are drinking a "cup" of Mo' instead of a glass.. get it how you like it... LOL

[lisa (momy4him)]

potato soup- yummy!!!! i'll have to check out this moscato...
been to the apple store yet?

[Isolde]

Happy Halloween!!!

[Mye]

Still appreciate you sharing the knowledge, but since I can't knit it doesn't do me much good! LOL Now the soup....I've been looking for a good potato soup recipe I'm going to have to try this.

[Mye]

Oh, yeah Sutter House a wonderful moscato

[Faye Lewis]

That soup looks yummo! How cold is it in Alabama? But then again I did make vegetable soup about two weeks ago. Your soup look soooo good. I copied it and called it Adriennes' Baked Potato Soup, and will be making it soon cause I'm a real soup girl.

[Sheri]

I am going to try out that recipe, it's a wee bit chilly, lol

[Tracey]

I don't eat any kind of soup at all, some weird thing I have about some foods being too wet. This is probably something I need to be talking to a therapist about LOL. Anyway, even though I don't eat soup, this one looks and sounds pretty good.

[anna]

now that potato soup is looking goooooddd!!!

love the interview. the techknitter appears to be primping for a book!!! :-D

[Maryjo]

I'm trying to figure out how I found this link to your blog, but THANK YOU for the great interview with TECHknitter. His/her blog is a GREAT resource, and I can't even imagine how much time it takes to get those illustrations up, but I know I really appreciate them!
Maryjo

[Julie]

Thanks for the great interview! The site will be really heapful to a beginner knitter like me.

[Christina]

Where in the world was I when this cooking was going on all up and through here??!! Let me put my chef hat on and say this- The cake fell apart but it falls apart in your mouth when you eat it any ways!!! lol That's called "step saving" in the culinary arts dept of my home:) Then this soup- it looks wonderful, and the fact that potato is my fave soup, from here in WI it looks like I can give it five stars! I can see the perfect consistency! Again you know where I live, if you need me to be a taster, just give me the heads up!lol

[vee]

i LOVE potato soup and your recipe is great, making me hungry too! :)

[del]

LOL, I got so caught up at Knit or Knot that I forgot to comment earlier! Anyhoo, that was a great interview! I never heard of that blog, but it is SO helpful. Going to have to add that.

[Tany]

Fabulous interview!!! I didn't know the TECHKnitting blog, thank you so much for pointing it out! The knit or Knot is also new to me! Both are great finds!

[Creole Wisdom]

joyous celebration!!!!

[Cindy Lee]

YUM! I saw on Rolana's blog that you had a potato soup recipe that was wonderful so searched it up and will be trying it out very soon, sounds delish! Thanks for sharing it! hugs, Cindy Lee

[Heather]

Thank you for spotlighting my blog, and for your kind words! I have really enjoyed browsing your blog.

[Tootles]

Help! I need to know how to "knit into second stitch on left needle, then knit into first stitch. It's part of a traveling
cable instruction. I've gone too far in the
sweater to frog now, but know its wrong.
Luckily the sweater isn't a gift, but for me.

[Gina]

Slurp! Thanks so much, Adrienne