secret pal 10 questionaire

ok im new to this so pls forgive me if i make a mistake!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
i love natural fibres be that wool, alpaca, cotton etc
What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
im not keen on acrylics although it comes in handy for the animals beds!!!!

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
my long needles are in a very long red(with kittens on ...aaahhhhh) pencil case type thing that they came in when i bought them back in 1993, my short ones(20cm) and circulars are in a black magnetic closure clutch bag and my dpn's in a narrow make up bag along with the rest of my bits and bobs i carry with me(sewing needles, scissors etc)

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
according to my mum she taught me to knit when i was 4!! so that makes it 28 yrs ago! id say i was an advanced intermediate as iv still not really done any beadwork but im always up for a challenge!

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
unfortunately no

5. What's your favorite scent?
fresh smells...oranges..sea air. also relaxing aromatherapy...lavender etc
i do like vanilla but it gives me really bad headaches so i have to avoid it

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
oh yes!! i absolutely adore green and black dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), i like ginger and orange things too

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
i cross stitch, iv got 2 sewing machines(even tho theyv not been used for a bit) so u could say i can machine sew, i can crochet but have no idea what stitches im doing!..i must get my book out and rectify that!!!, i can embroider and have been known to make the odd card or 2.
and yes i do spin, with a drop spindle for the moment but im due some serious back pay when the NHS decides how much i should be being payed and so im gonna buy a wheel as a treat to myself

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
i like anything from classical to heavy rock with a bit of punk thrown in to add colour! i used to be a goth if that helps?
i recently saw the scissor sisters and kylie
the only thing i cant stand is the 'duh! duh! duh! duh!' dance(?) music thats around at the mo as well as the cover versions theyr doing of things
i havent a clue about the mp3s im sorry ...i tend to listen to cds when im driving

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
i love the darker end of the spectrum...greens blues purple dark reds dark orange....however i really HATE pink!!!! although when its in space yarn i like it and i absolutley lurve space dyed and hand painted yarns

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
i live with my female partner and step son(16)....oh yes do i have pets?!! iv got a gorgeous blue merle collie/jack russell cross dog with the most beautiful blue eyes ever called poppy. shes my bestest friend in the world. i also have 10 (yes 10!) cats...theyr all so cuddly and purry and poppy mothers them all!

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
scarves, hats and mittens but not ponchos...im not really a girly girl

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
socks, gloves, socks.....

13. What are you knitting right now?
a pair of fingerless gloves for me for a change! although i may be doing something else real soon after i visit the LYS in nottingham tomorrow

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
of course! it means so much to me when some1 has hand made something for me...its really special!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
im a bamboo girl! theyr so warm and they help my hands no end(if i havent used them or knitted the day b4 i can tell as my hands claw and are very painful) i love to use dpn's esp for socks but i will use circulars for garments at times

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
both! although my swift is very poorly at the moment and i dont think its future is looking very good..however my partner has bought me a 'new to me' one from ebay, so im just waiting for it to arrive. i love using both of them..i dont know what i did without them!

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
a blue cardigan my mum bought me the yarn for when i was 18...i used to knit in the halls of residence as a student but had to stop as i ran out of yarn!!!

18. What is your favorite holiday?
probably sping bank holiday or may day as it usually means we are going on our first camping trip of the year!!!

19. Is there anything that you collect?
yarn! old patterns,vintage knitting stuff, anything woolly or sheepy.....

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
im after a copy of 'one skein', i love trying new yarn(esp by dyers etc), im intrigued by socks that rock and all the other amazing hand painted/space dyed yarn thats so difficult to get in the uk
i subscribe to simply knitting...i really like it as its very light hearted and the projects arent always expensive ones.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
knitting with beads as iv a design in my head that would look fab done with beads

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
yes,yes,yes!!!! im a uk5 i think thats a european 38...not sure with us sizes tho sorry!

23. When is your birthday?
29th january...im an aquarian

whew!
im gonna get a coffee....

"an L of a night"...

how fab...
im sitting in nottingham recovering from last night. we got down here yesterday afternoon and after frantically dying each others hair(i am now dark brown) we went to nottingham playhouse for "L of a night!"
wow is all i can say. weve never been to a lesbian night before...being stuck in the little town of St Helens... and u could say we were blown away! iv never been in a room with so many other gay women, well apart from the scissor sisters gig in november! ...i counted 3 men in the whole audience, and i think at least 1 of them was gay! i came very close to winning the 'longest hair in the audience'....mine comes just past my shoulders!!!!
first of all there were a band called 'greymatter', we really liked them they reminded me of 'all about eve'...then a comedienne called claire somerville(prob got that wrong) and she was cool. then after the interval...yes we do get intervals at these type of things!!!....there was a singer/songwriter al start...she was fab....and last but not least...omg.....sue perkins!!!!!! iv never laughed soooooooo much! my cheeks are still aching a bit now from all the laughing i did!
i just wish things were put on like this close to home...yes i know i live 1/2hr from both liverpool and manchester but itd be nice just to hop on a bus instead of having to worry bout driving!
my darling J has just gone home(shes got work in the morning) so im left cat sitting with my sisters 2 gorgeous cats. its very quiet as im so used to more that 2 sets of feet running around..still theyr very cuddly n purry.
so what to do now???
hmmmmmmmmm...knitting any1??!!!!!

stash find

i was naughty last night, instead of going to bed early as i intended i decided it was time to root thro the other part of my stash.....
it was def worth it i found..
fyberspates sock yarn id been looking for in green/pink/white
regia sock yarn id forgotton i had in rainbow stripes
more fyberspates sock yarn...cant u tell i love fyberspates!!!...in pink/orange
some rowan felted tweed in a gorgeous purple id bought to make a cabled hat n then frogged
my drop spindle
and some merino id carded together at my spinning class...
so guess what i did last night?!!!!
now i have some purple/blue/white hand spun yarn done by me!
so just got to skein it up n set the twist......pics to follow(cameras playing up)
right off to watch waking the dead and get that sock done!

im tired!

went to work today and it was fab!!! iv now been in my new role for a week now (i only work 3 days a week) and despite being very tired from yesterday i managed to get all my work done without having to keep asking for help!
i even got some of my sock done at lunchtime....only another 35 rows till the toe shaping. im making hard work of this one as it normally only takes me 2 evenings if that to do a trainer sock but with being tired its taking longer.
so tomorrow iv nothing planned except a long lie in and a date with my sock n waking the dead from last weekend!!!...oh n i may even do some housework(we already did the heavy stuff this evening) and get some clothes...and yarn!..together to take to nottingham saturday!!

a long...long day

took maddy in to have her 'operation' this morning at cats protection...i was dressed as usual in my pj's and made sure i got her there on time unlike her prev appointment when i overslept!
then took twiggy to our vets, but as id already left the cat box with maddy i got a bleary eyed stepson to come with me. she was born on 11/11/06 n is only tiny and has developed diahorrea recently. shes still eating drinking playing and using her tray as usual but despite worming her shes still 'going' all the time. so the vet has given me some diff wormer to the one they gave me last time, some sensitive stomach food and antibiotics to see how she gets on. so far so good shes perked up even more than usual and really enjoyed her adventure in the car!
this afternoon i went with my partner to the hospital to get a few things checked up ...everything is fine....so had to get a friend to pick maddy up, and still managed to get to b&q for some wood and hinges.
i am totally knackered now and my legs have already told me iv done too much.
so im gonna have a hot bath with a new book n see if that does the trick.

socks..and more socks!!!

'Lewis' was really good last night...i managed to get upto and including the gusset decreases. so the way im going i maybe wearing the socks by friday.....i hope so as i cant wait to get knitting with my new fyberspates sock yarn.
in the meantime iv got my design head on n am gonna have a go at doing a few patterns as well as repairing/making a new yarn swift...mine is really poorly. its quite old n bought off ebay a while ago, one of the three arms have come away from the main body. so iv consulted stepson (who did woodwork at school unlike me) n he agrees with my design...having a square of wood with 4 arms of wood 'hinged'(if i can find hinges small enough that is) to the base. then the whole thing to rotate on a nail attached to a larger block of wood or g clamp. very crude design but if it does the job i dont care. esp as iv got at least 2 skeins that need winding....and with a trip to nottingham coming up there maybe more!!!!!
so i think a trip to b&q tomorrow is in order....

a free tv!!

today we went and picked up a tv. we got it off freecycle, the person we got it from was a bit overrun with tvs (after being given one) and so advertised on freecycle.

iv replied to a few offers in the past but never been lucky enough till now!

so we are now the proud owners of a new(to us) tv in our lounge.

also iv finished no1 opal parrot trainer sock!

i really like the way the blue has pooled around the gusset shaping.

iv just casted on the second sock n there is a new 'lewis' on itv at 9pm so im off to have a bath so i can watch it in bed n get going with knitting it....

ear flap hat

here is the ear flap hat as promised...

it still needs tassels adding to the ear flaps but the main thing is that it fits like a dream on my huge head!!!!

the pattern is a sirdar one knitted top down.

yarn is sirdar nova(sadly discontinued..its so soft warm n light)

knitted on 8mm needles...supposed to use 6mm needles for edging but as i was erring on the large side i just used my 8mm

only took an evening!

its also my 2nd proper attempt at fair isle(the 1st was in the form of 12 mini xmas stockings for sockfairy) and im really pleased with the results!!!

so im now gonna have a very warm head in the evenings when we go camping!!!!

iv frogged my jaywalkers as i dont feel the yarn will show the pattern to its best advantage. so iv cast on and am now upto the gusset shaping for a pair of trainer socks(my own pattern)

off to do some more knitting........

Hi Ho Hi Ho its back to work i go! (at last)

what a fab day! i finally went back to work yesterday armed with my TENS machine after 5 weeks off sick.
after a chat with my boss it has been decided i am now to learn the lab side of my job...hhhuurrraaahhh iv been wanting to do it for ages. so im now working in the lab on wed and fri and then on a monday im to scan on a diff camera to usual. ill still cover dinners which will keep my hand in elsewhere. but all in all a lot less physically n mentally draining for me!!!!
in previous hospitals iv really enjoyed the lab work so im so pleased im being given the opportunity to learn here!!
on the knitting front iv started my 1st pair of jaywalkers in parrot opal. i completed an earflap hat the other night which just needs sewing up....and so far it fits my ridiculously sized head(it measures 24 in) !!!..pics to follow
my sock club yarn arrived from www.fyberspates.co.uk earlier...mmmmmmm gorgeous merino as well as some scrumptious in 'fruit salad'..its so yummy 40% silk 55%bluefaced leicester. iv been brave as i normally go for greens,purples n blues when buying yarn n these are more pinks n yellows.
so just gonna spend the rest of the day doing housework and then more knitting....bliss!

The hottie cover finished!!

its done!!

the chunky turned out to be a slightly thicker than usual dk so i balled it together n just used 2 strands. its like a blue marl in colour

the pattern called for a garter st body wiith ribbed neck...but me being me decided to do it different!

so theres 2x2 rib bottom diagonal rib middle and 2x2 rib top with the required 1x1 rib 'neck'.

so my hottie now has a new squidgy outer!!

off to work on an ear flap hat now..........

hasnt it been warm??

just how warm has it been today??
we have had sun and mild temps most of the day...i even debated as to whether i should put my wet washing on the line!!!
i just cant believe that just a few days ago it was bitterly cold and snowing!
re: the snow ball/window incident
thank u all for ur concern..it was worrying. but we are now just hoping it was 'just kids'. the police spent a fair bit of time parked on our front n even pulled a few kids in the car to warn them about throwing snow balls! from what i can gather we have been the talk of the road yesterday...and yes i live on a very long road!
iv spent most of the evening with my new best friend.....my ball winder!
iv wound 900g of 4ply into ball cakes ready to be sent to a friend....balls are easier on the post than cones... i may even keep a few balls 'just in case'!
i started the hottie cover yesterday, iv just got a few more rows to do before casting off n then its the dreaded sewing up. i really need to go on a finishing course but they dont do them round here. so i have to coincide a trip to my sisters(in nottingham) with courses that are held at her LYS...prob is they are usually over 2 days at the weekend and that would mean taking friday and monday as holiday from work to 'plan' my energy...and holidays are a bit thin on the ground until april!
iv got a debbie bliss shaped edged jacket already blocked just waiting to be sewn but i dont want to make a mess of it esp as is in cashmerino astrakhan(a boucle type yarn). iv actually got some smooth aran in the same colour so i may use that instead.
i suppose its obvious now why i love knitting socks!!!!

What a night?!

this is my 1st ever post on a blog n yesterday i was wondering what to write and then....
sitting quietly knitting a pair of socks last night there was a massive crash at the window.
some1 had thrown a massive snow/ice ball at the window and had managed to break the outside of the double glazing!! my poor cats were so scared esp bella who had been sitting on the window ledge when it happened. so we ended up with the police coming out as this isnt the 1st time weve had broken windows! we arent sure if whoever it was did it to try n hit the cats or if it was a homophobic attack(as it has been before) but either way there was a lot of force behind it and it souldnt have happened.
so now when i look out of the window all i can see is a lovely sheet of cheap wood covering what used to be glass.
anyway after all that upheaval....id finished the socks, nice as well if i say so myself..theyv got a lace cuff and a slip stitch heel done in 100% wool i picked up at a stitching show(variegated khaki colour).....i decided i start some stash busting!!!! so went on the hunt for some chunky i knew was hiding in my box room,this was at 10pm. by the time id finished and had a bath it was 1240am....aaagghhh i feel crap today because of it!!!
but..i did manage to find (and bag) a good few cones of machine knitting yarn i was originally going to wind up together to produce a better thickness for hand knitting. so they are going to my mate who has recently acquired a knitting machine. she does a lot for a baby charity(blankets,clothes etc) so i thought they would keep her going for a while.
so we all know what that means...some stash out...more room for something else!!!
the chunky i eventually found is for a hot water bottle cover pattern that the same friend designed, and as its so cold here at the moment i thought my hottie could do with a face lift.
so off to cast on.............