Hi, I’m Danielle.

For those of you that don’t like long introductions, this is all that you need to know about me: I love bacon, I move around America a lot, I once stabbed a man in self-defense, I drink whiskey but rarely drink beer, I enjoy knitting, I want to throw up when I see people brushing their teeth in front of me, I’ve had one million jobs, I had dreadlocks for ten years but I now rock an afro, I’m a sucker for British comedy, and I’m a 31-year old college undergraduate.

Now, if you want to tuck in with a glass of wine by the fire, here’s the longer version.

I was born and raised in a small town in New York, not far from Manhattan. My mom was a single parent for a number of years, and everything was fine until she met and married a drug addict. He was severely abusive, and my grandparents claimed custody of my older brother and I after a particularly violent act. My grandparents saved my life. While I rarely blog about my abusive past anymore, I’m always open to discussing it. I’ve used a combination of therapy and anti-depressants over the years to get through the recurring bouts of depression, and it’s been successful.

I went to college directly after graduating from high school, but I left after one year. I moved to northern California and lived there for four years. When I just couldn’t live in a place that didn’t serve sliced pizza anymore, I moved back to New York City and worked for the United Nations. After September 11th, I could no longer fathom going to work in a place with sharpshooters on the roof. In May 2002 I quit my job, sold my belongings, purchased a car and drove to Alaska. I was on the road for two months, and it was glorious.

Alaska itself was a beautifully depressing place. I found work in a fishing village on the Aleutian Islands, and my experience led to me writing my first book. When I decided to leave Alaska in February 2006, I drove to Rhode Island to set up shop. That’s where I am today. I recently decided to finish my undergrad after a twelve year absence. I’m a full-time student and I couldn’t be happier.

I live here with my boyfriend, Seth. We met on an internet comic book forum, so our nerd street cred is STRONG. We’ve been friends for years but together as a couple since 2006. We moved in together in August 2007. We like to play jokes on each other and generally have a lot of fun.

I think people lurk here too much without commenting. I don't bite, and I love getting e-mail, so go ahead and talk to me: knotty.yarn AT gmail DOT com