Friends of Fresh Purls: Customer Profiles

Each week we introduce one of our customers to you. Want to be featured? Email info@freshpurls.com and we'll get you on the list!

Name: Alishia J.

Ravelry Username: Novindali: (I am the Li half of this fantastic duo!)

Sign: Gemini, and I have been told that I possess a second personality.

My hero is: My idea of a hero is anyone capable of smacking adversity and setbacks out of their way to find success at the end of the rainbow. A prime example of this type of person is Virginia Apgar. She struggled to finance her medical education during the Great Depression. Furthermore, she was deemed inferior by her fellow physicians for being an anesthesiologist, which at the time wasn't seen as a true medical specialty. Instead of internalizing such criticism, she worked diligently until Columbia University created an Anesthesiology fellowship. Her dedication to research and teaching led to the creation of the Apgar Newborn Scoring System, or Apgar score, which assess the health of the newborn infant immediately after delivery.

Knit, Crochet, or Both: I began my journey in needlework by picking up the bag my mom was working on. I watched her furiously move her crochet hook for many years. As a crocheter, I made several afghans and bags. However, once I discovered knitting in undergrad, I haven't picked up a hook since! I would like to resume crochet, but like the sock yarn I purchase, I am wrapped around my needles!

Other crafts do you do: Can I count gardening as a craft? I am pretty meticulous in how I arrange my plants and by meticulous, I mean I put seeds (or plants) in pots and water them. No, doesn't count? Well, I have no other craft. Wait! In high school, I did macrame using clothes hangers to create hearts to decorate my room.

Favorite Yarn: I love any sock yarn that is machine washable and dryable. Sock yarns call out to me as soon as I walk into the shop! As far as yarn brands go, I enjoy working with Schaefer, Rowan, Dream in Color, Blue Sky Alpaca and Brown Sheep.

Favorite Color: I love blue, and when there is a variegated yarn that contains multiple shades of blue, I will purchase said yarn. However, I am finding myself intrigued by pinks and reds.

Favorite Completed Project: A tie: I enjoyed knitting my Josephine top (from Summer '08 Interweave Knits). I also enjoyed Knitting Leye's Blanket. It was my own pattern that contained many stimulating colors that any infant could enjoy... chewing on!

What do you listen to when you’re knitting? I usually listen to Stuff Mom Never Told You podcast while I knit on the bus. Sometimes, I listen to music; lately, I have been listening to MGMT and VV Brown while I knit. Don't tell anyone, but listening to Thong Song while knitting can be entertaining!

Best TV show for Knitting: Law and Order SVU or Spongebob Squarepants are good for a stockinette or easy patternwork. In 2008, I found the summer Olympics great motivation for my Josephine top. For a more challenging project, the TV is most likely turned off.

When you’re not knitting/crocheting you are: Recruiting babies and their parents into the two research studies I get paid to work on. Or, I am likely doing paperwork associated with said studies. If I am not doing either of these things, I am most likely asleep.

How did you discover Fresh Purls?: Cyrena, the Novinda in Novidali, and I were walking to CVS on one of our regular trips to Cee-Vee-Ess. As I was a little out of breath, I used the excuse of peeking into this place that had what appeared to be yarn. Cyrena and I were very happy that it appeared a yarn store was opening on Hope Street! We rushed to Fresh Purls during its first week and chatted with Helen and Karen. I knew then I had found not only a fun place with awesome ladies where I could chat and knit, I also knew a bit of my money would wind up in their register! Though I don't get to hang out there as much as I would like, I am still a diehard fan of the Gurls of Fresh Purls!