I learned to knit in late summer 2004 after picking up a copy of Debbie Stoller's Stitch 'N' Bitch and was hooked instantly. Yes, I learned to knit from a book. Whether by way of my own genius (ha ha) or, more likely, from Debbie's instructional ability, I caught on quickly. Unlike black holes or being a Republican, knitting just seemed to make sense to me. In January 2005 I got a job at the Woolie Ewe yarn store in Plano, TX. By March I had started up GrittyKnits.com and April began my obsession with spinning and dyeing.

I toyed with crocheting a bit, but not until the release of The Happy Hooker did Debbie Stoller saved me from myself once more and taught me the right way to do things.

If I had to pick a favorite between my three hobbies, spinning would win by a landslide. Unfortunately my hands are ill-equipped to handle much at one time. (I suspect carpal tunnel syndrome will be catching up with me very soon.)

I have an Ashford Traveller wheel and prefer to spin animal fibers much more than natural fibers like cotton. This is distinctly at odds with my being a vegetarian, but I currently have myself convinced that the sheep don't mind me profiting from their annual baldness. Maybe one day soon I will find enlightenment and make the vegan switch, but for now I just can't give it up, if for no other reason than the convenience of being able to dye with drink mixes. I can't bring myself to give up the smell of Kool-Aidy goodness for the hassle of acid-dyeing.

Being a very impatient person, I enjoy the act of crocheting because of its speed, but knitted fabric is much more elegant looking in the form of a finished product. I frequently alternate and combine the two.

In addition to being impatient, I am also stubborn. I simply can not follow a pattern. I am creative to a fault and therefore have to make changes & improvements to everything I see. The downside to this is putting up with the hassles that come along with not being able to follow a set of directions; the upside is that this results in many original designs. I often make so many modifications that my project no longer resembles the one I was trying to copycat. "A good artist borrows, a great artist steals" don't you know.

I currently live in Dallas with my husband Adam and our two kitties. I'm still working at the Woolie Ewe and occasionally teach private lessons.

My Published works:

Recommended for knitters:
Stitch 'N Bitch: the Knitter's Companion by Debbie Stoller
Vogue Knitting, the Ultimate Knitting Book
Lucy Neatby's DVD's

Recommended for crocheters:
Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker by Debbie Stoller
Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Crochet by Donna Kooler

Recommended for Spinners:
Handspun Revolution from Pluckyfluff.com