Secret Pal Questionnaire Answers

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
I am rather a yarn-snob although for a snob I still buy a fair bit of acrylic. I often buy single balls of yarn "just to try" and they can be made of anything.
2. Do you spin? Crochet?
Have a drop spindle. I'd love a wheel but there's no room.
3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
Allergic to lavender and biological washing powder. Don't wear perfume.
4. How long have you been knitting?
Since I was about 4. Left off for years and started again in ernest about 3 years ago.
5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
No, sorry!
6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
Vanilla definitely. Just stay away from that lavender!
7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
VERY! Good milk or plain chocolate is my downfall.
8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
I have played around with sewing and embroidery. I'm pretty practical so have tried most things crafty once.
9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like all sorts. Favourite listens at the moment are Kaiser Chiefs, Snoop Dogg, Katie Melua.
10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
Reds - I love yellows but can't wear them so avoid yellow yarn like the plague. White looks awful on me. Not too fond of organe or purple. Reds and lighter blues though I love.
11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I have a boyfriend with a childhood nickname of 'Pooch' which is kind of like having a pet. No actual animals (he's allergic) but I LOVE cats.
12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
Dude....have my own yarn shop? Seriously, I'd love that. Like the one in the Monica Ferris books!
13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
Rowan chunky big wool type things at the moment. Anything you can use over 4mm needles on really. Very fond of variegated stuff.
14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Scratchy 100% acrylic. Anything that feels like it's not wool basically.
15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
Chunky wools. Am really into felting actually. Felted bags are SO strong.
16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Tough one - I like variety. I like trying out new techniques so I'm in the middle of a cable top so I co9uold get the hang of cabling.
17. What are you knitting right now?
The cable top. It's from Rowan's current magazine and is mercerised cotton on 3.25mm which is too small for comfort.
18. What do you think about ponchos?
Yuk. Capelets however have a certain something. I have a shop bought cape, but have been considering a capelet.
19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
Straight, definitely. I can't do ciculars and double pointed are the needles of the devil. I knit socks on two needles always.
20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Have got some of each. Not fussed as long as they are nice. Sucker for coloured or painted ones.
21. Are you a sock knitter?
Yep. But on two needles. Like the really bright self-patterning yarns.
22. How did you learn to knit?
Had a 'My First Knitting Kit' plus a whole lot of trial and error.
23. How old is your oldest UFO?
About 18 months. Man, I really need to rip that thing. Trouble was by the time I was near finished (it needs about just 3 rows and then making up) I'd gone off it. Is in Colinette tagliatelli too so not like it's nasty yarn.
24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
Mr Tinkles from the film "Cats and Dogs". I love any evil, sarcastic cat. Catbert from Dilbert is excellent too.
25. What is your favorite holiday?
Morocco sticks in my mind. Was about 4 years ago. Marrakesh souks were wonderful. Didn't see any yarn though!
26. Is there anything that you collect?
Yarn! Vintage bracelets from 60's or older.
27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Interweave Knits and Rowan Magazine. Have tried the UK mags Knitting and Simply Knitting but am not that keen on either.
28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?
I am a sucker for books but the thing is I always buy them straight away when I see them. Have the one for dying your own patterning sock yarn on order at the moment.

Back from blackpool, and boy....

have I got some yarn for you. There is this absolutely amazing yarn store just by St Anne's station where we were staying. It's called "The Sheep Shop" and before I go any further I have to point out that Pooch found it. Yes, he has officially developed wooldar. The owner is Suzy and she has an ebay seller name of suzysheepshop and she id a dude.

So the spoils include some Adriafil which is italian and I'd never seen it before. Have got some "Graphic", "Baroque" in three colours and "Ibiza" which is a cotton ribbon yarn. All very yum. Then have some "gypswy" (very soft), black and white james c brett "Marble" which is what I did my cardigan in. Last a ball of stylecraft "Mardi Gras". And then the amazing happened.....

I admired a jumper hanging from the ceiling and we discussed how wonderful Debbie Bliss Maya is. Then she said the magic words.... "I've only got about 8 skeins of that left now. You can have them for £4.50 each if you want." OH MY GOD. I mean, they're normally £8.50 and these are the best shades of red ever.

The holiday (yarn aside) was blinding. The weather was absolutely ghastly but we had excellent fun. Pooch has been a darling and have a picture of him to post once I've recovered from my shop this morning. And I know I said I was out of cash and have to stop buying yarn in my last post, but now I am REALLY short of cash (god bless credit cards) and so NO MORE YARN!!! (Until Woolfest...)

Off to blackpool

Just seen Kate's blog with the heirloom shawl on it. Wow. Was just hesitating about a kid silk haze scarf in a magazine called 'Knitters' or something like that. Really think it is time to go for something lacy and insubstantial. Will make sure I pack the ball Pooch gave me along with the pattern.

Mum has sent me the vogue baby blankets 2 book as it was damaged when it arrived at her book shop so she got it for free. Or that's what she says. I've been thinking about knitting a blanket for ages and they do have some really nice ones. Was thinking about a kind of afghan done a square at a time and then just randomly stitched together. Guess it would be a way to use all those odd balls of wool I always end up buying 'just to try'.

Spoke to Dr P about the adverse reaction to reducing anti-d's. He said it was 'just' a sign my brain wasn't ready yet. But then had therapy with Louise and she confirmed that it's pretty unusual to have such a strong reaction aftr just cutting a seventh. I mentioned the 's' word and she immediately insisted on seeing more often. All very well but now that medisure have dumped me I have to pay which means less money for wool! Speaking of which I'm totally cleaned out this month. Was that order to getknitted.com. Must call a halt next month...

Post-crisis

Everyone on UKHandKnitters has been really nice and so I am feeling better about my disaster now. Will try knitting it double as Claire suggested. Will be nice and warm! May all the Gods shine on comment leavers too!

I have two pics to show off after Pooch owned up to hiding the camera lead. The first is of my third attempt at drop spindling. The thing is, what do I do with it now? Might have a look at some felting pattern books.

The second is what lovely Pooch bought me for our anniversary, finally posted up here. He is really lovely, even though he expects me to get excited about Star wars but isn't excited about International Knitting in Public Day. (http://worldwidekipday.blogspot.com/)

I am organising a picnic and a visit to Loop (the new Islington shop in London) on 11th June to be the London part of the celebration. Shoudl be dead exciting!

Just fricking shoot me now

Once upon a time I bought a Kaffe Fasset book and marvelled at the patterns and the colour mixes and the skill and and and And so I spent many hours deciding on colours and sent an order off to Texere. Then I didn't like half the colours when they arrived and so I went to John Lewis and spent much more time choosing replacement colours for those I hadn't liked. Then I paused - safe in the knowledge that I had my lovely wool, I had my pattern, I had the needles, I just needed to wait for the moment to take me. And tonight, this very night, just 10 minutes ago, that moment arrived.

I have bought 4-ply instead of DK.

I am in complete turmoil.

Wahhhhhhhhhhhhh. Fricking knitting and fricking wool and fricking colours and gosh darn kaffe fasset may all his colours fade.

OK. This need not be a disaster. I could rework the pattern for the new stitch guage. The extremely complicated pattern....which I probably wouldn't now have enough wool for....remain calm....Aaaaaaaaarrrrrggggghhhhhhhhhh f*ck

And Pooch has run off to the all day star wars thing with my camera lead. And there's no chocolate in the house. And have PMT......

knithappens.net

Just spent way too much on this website. Noro for me and Mum, debbie Bliss Soho (in picture) which I hadn't seen before to make another felted bag out of and some 4mm bamboo needles plus cornelia smelia's first noro pattern book. I know I managed not to buy it at Johnh Lewsi but it was cheaper on this site amd I had 10% off. I know that's no excuse but, hell.

Noro

I have a new love affair - with Noro. I was in John Lewis last night positively drooling over their meagre selection and the patterns books that go with it. I quite astonichingly DIDN'T buy anything I hadn't gone there for (needed yarn to start kaffe fasset project) so didn't get the three pattern books I wanted. The thing is, I only really want about 2 patterns from each. And the yarn is soooooooo nice. And they've got it with the debbie bliss maya which is also mega yum. I actually started to convince myself that, hey, £8.50 isn't so much for 100g of chunky yarn when you think of the quality.

Am off to ebay to see if anyone insane is selling it off cheap. If anyone knows of any good suppliers let me know.

Monday bloody monday

Have had a minging day. The whole cutting down on medication thing has been a bit of a poo and today I had to leave work early because I couldn't take all the extra emotion I was swimming in. So am going to go back up to 40mg and just tell Dr P that I'll try again in three months.

So back to knitting...at the weekend I started the first pair of socks I've knitted myself since taking my part in the two-needle revolution. Am half way through the second one now (the one I've knitted is the one on the right foot in case anyone is in any doubt). It's regia yarn in a colourway I hadn't seen before from Liberty. I realllllllllly like the colours and have a jumper pattern from a french magazine with kind of ribby ruffles on cuffs and collar. Is on 3.25mm though and I get easily bored at that size.

My business ambitions continue... am trying to raise money by selling stitch markers on ebay. Check out http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8190680815&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1

Why's it down there?

Some people just weren't meant to do some things.

My god, could this actually work? If I have got things sorted out you will see above the knitting I did using my own ahndspun bits of sheep all washed and lovely and no longer smelling farm-like.

Woe is me, cursed by the photo fairy

Thanks for your kind words about business plans and photos. I seem to be just completely unable to get the Hello software working again. Curses as I have rather a nice bit of cabling to show off AND the results of my spinning course and the handweavers studio which was awesome (word of the week). But man, sheep smell....

So spinning was excellent and knitting is going well at the moment. I just got my copy of 'Patchwork Knitting' in the post from Dianne's Knitting Yarns and am going to pore over that tonight. Missed knitting group last night as I was too tired from watching the wrestling in Birmingham! www.wwe.com - John Cena is the greatest.

Dude, bigger problem

Not only have I neglected my blog all this time but I have now lost the ability to post pictures to it. Naturally I am not going to concentrate on things that have gone wrong recently but my god, just as well I don't believe in one otherwise I'd think they were giving me a sign to massacre all Lloydsbank employees and computer manufacturers.

The saddest thing about this whole picture dearth is that I have started and finished the world reknown 'clapotis' in the uraguayan chunky stuff I got from hipknits. They are having a clear out to make room for new stock which sounds very enticing. I am so broke this month though, and going to have to reign in a bit. The cost of moving I guess.

However, I am making plans to spend money at www.woolfest.co.uk. I have this spinning course in two weeks so as long as I like that I'm renting a car and staying in this georgian place near cocklemouth.

Oooooo I'm in such a bad mood. Partly because I just bought this stash sorting software for my ipaq and can't get it to work... http://www.nancysknitknacks.com/pocket_pc.htm I have been emailing a nice man called Robert somwhere in america for two days now and it still won't go. And I'm tired, and I still haven't ripped that sari silk that I couldn't post a picture of anyway and and and....Ooooooo.

My business plans are going along nicely. I have done a load of market research by sending out questionnaires to plucky volunteers from the UKHK group so have now got a ton of stuff to analyse. I keep wondering whether it will work though, and whether it will be worth the hassle of the extra work. I really shouldn't think about this when I'm in such a stinky mood though!

Will have another go at sweet talking amir into installing the hello software for me. Actually, hell. I'm just going home. I give up.

Dude, problem

Ok, look at this. I have been knitting this top in recycled sari silk and it is WAY too big. Too wide I mean. Now I should rip it and start again....but....ok, I know I have to rip it, I just have to be brave.

The other problem I have is that I've lost my 2 needle sock pattern in the move, and I just got my regia yarn in the post yesterday.

On the plus side this has forced me to finish the shrug thing, or start to finish it. Had to rip the top of the second sleeve as I had declined too fast. After this just need to sew it in and thank cadburys it will be finished. Can finally wear it!

Business, pills and polls

This is it, I am actually going to properly start up my own business. Trudie from HipKnits has been really helpful with advice and I have scoured barclays and the prince's trust for guidance. Seems because I am under 30 I might be able to get some money from them to help start up. The figure I have in my head to start with is £1000 but I need to do the business plan properly to get this really sorted.

Saw Dr P this morning and he wants me to stay on the anti-d's for another year...rather longer than I was hoping. I just keep forgetting how ill I was I guess. I don't have to stay on the high dose though - I can half it by cutting one pill a week for 7 weeks. Just as well my diary is now in this ipaq as otherwise I would confuse myself about how many to take when.

I did a poll on UKHandKnitters to see what dress size people were and have found about 40% are between 14-22. Now that is useful information to have, especially with the business plan coming together. There was another poll asking how much time you spend knitting a day and I'm definitely in a minority with about one measley hour a day! Guess that explains why I don't have a picture to post today.

Started reading this amazing blog last night called http://freddyknits.blogspot.com/ That woman is cool, and the bag is amazing. I want to make a mitred bag now.

Moved, thank god

As ever, moving was a hassle although it went very well all things considetred. Pooch kicked up big time over the amount of stuff I had but it is all now unpacked and put away so he has stopped bleating. I do now have a proper stash cupboard, picture to follow.

I had started trying to knit celeste from Rowan mag but had to frog it FIVE times. Amazed the calmer withstood the abuse. Just couldn't get the pattern to work out once it went into purl 2 tog tbl. Need to look that one up. Instead I have done the sleeves. Sleeves first - what a revolutionary idea. Although I have just read on UKHandKnitters that someone else does that all the time!

Was caught up in a burst of creativity at the weekend as well so have designed a top to be done in sari silk yarn based on a designer dress in 'Knitting in Fashion' which is a book I just love. This it is by Yohimoto but have probably spelt that wrong. Will post a pic as soon as I have finished the front.

What a mess! Am a sucker for tryig out odd balls of this and that. One day I'll knit a big blanket out of the scraps. 

Moving day cometh

Have nicely timed a strained back to coincide with moving. Is rather inhibiting my packing but hopefully it will loosen up today so I can finish tomorrow afternoon.

I have decided to start Elspeth on p.39 of the latest Rowan mag. I have some calmer left over in a really nice red shade that I got in the John Lewis sale at Xmas and it is just enough to do it. I do like these little bolero things although I'll have to be careful what I wear them with. OK, actually that's not true. My thought was I'd have to be careful otherwise it might look like I have no waist and I don't want people to think I have no waist.

As you can tell, the psychological reprogramming hasn't moved on much in the last few days although at least now I recognise more when I am doing it.

My home business idea moves on - all I need (all!) is to find out about customs rates for importing stuff from America. Is proving difficult. I have emailed HM customs and excise but they have a 10 day turn around. Mind you, it's not like I haven't got stuff to keep me busy in the meantime.

Head screwer

I had a therapy session today and during it we worked out that I totally don't value anything I do/can do because of basically having a poo childhood and the only times I value things is when they are externally praised. So that would explain why I am actually quite happy about keeping a blog and have posted so many photos. I will have to reflect on how this effects my next kniting project. I mean, how do I know what I want to knit? How can I tell it's not just wanting to knit something others will like? What could I knit that would just make me happy, and not anyone else? Or have I got the wrong end of the stick? Can you find happiness in knitting, or should I just have another muffin?

Poo poo poo. Knitted poo. Almost crocheted poo.

And whatever you do, don't answer these questions. It'll only make it worse if someone indicates their approval of a certain path...

Ahhhhh. Baby socks.  

Yuk. Only til Friday though, then I get to stack the boxes in a new location.