Part One: Crafting
Do you knit, crochet, or both?
I knit. I try to crochet, with little success. I've read the instruction books, to no avail.
What do you like to make?
I like to make all sorts of things, mainly things I love. I have a hard time knitting things for people that I don't like myself. Same with colours. I don't like knitting scratchy things either. I knit scarves, hats, jumpers, I have knitted a toy, but actually I hate knitting gloves.
Do you have a favourite project?
I loved knitting the Phildar swing jacket. It had texture in the pattern to prevent boredom and was a pretty quick knit too, especially good for someone like me who has a limited attention span! I loved knitting the chevron scarf too. And the blankie. There's not much I finished that I didn't love knitting. In fact, if I finish something, it means I loved it. Alot.
Do you have a favourite type of fiber or brand of yarn?
Love anything Debbie Bliss, alpaca yarn, Malabrigo, anything soft.
Do you have a least favourite type of yarn?
Noro. I love it but it smells funny to me and is itchy. Just anything itchy really! Oh, or novelty, eyelash, fun stuff...yuk.
Do you do any other crafts?
I sew and quilt and make cards. Also a bit of felting.
Do you knit in public? If so where do you like knitting and what is your "portable" project?
I can knit in public, but don't often have the chance! I like socks for portability, and scarves and anything stocking stitch that doesn't require keeping track of!
What do you carry your "portable" knitting in?
Ususally just a plastic ziplock bag or just thrown in my handbag (I know, I'm blushing)
Are there any knitting gifts (book, toy, yarn, item, tool) that you have been lusting over?
I would love a proper needle case, or circ needle holder. I would love a knitted toy! I would love any knit picks harmonys too! And sock blockers. I'll stop now, but I could go on...and on!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
UK Swap
I'm all signed up for this one and looking forward to it starting. If you want to get involved, hop on over to here and you can sign up until registration closes on Monday 2nd June.
The cable bag body is all finished now and I am knitting the handle. Hope I have something to show off before the end of the weekend.
The cable bag body is all finished now and I am knitting the handle. Hope I have something to show off before the end of the weekend.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Race for Life
Did you notice the sponsor me button on the right? The terrible trio are running the race for life on 25th June. Hopefully it won't be quite as wet and cold as the run we did in January. My trainers have only just dried out!
Feel free to mosey on over to the site and sponsor me, it all helps in the fight against breast cancer. But please don't feel obliged.
On the knitting front, I have ad a small disaster with the cable bag. I ordered 7 balls for it in February, and only 5 came. I called them, but forgot that I never did receive them....until I finished the 5 balls last night and was looking for more, and it dawned on me. I rang them at Drops this morning and they were really helpful. BUT they only have 1 ball in the dyelot left and the colour difference is dramatic. Brian said he will send me 2 and hopefully I can finish the bag with the matching 1 and do the handle with the different 1. We shall see.
Today I am planning to put a load of clothes on ebay and cast on for 28thirty in the cascade 220 I have a lot of! Purple, I think.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Bad luck moths...
..my yarn is all bagged up! I ordered some big bags from ebay in the end and was really pleased with the size of them when they came. This gives you some idea of the size
I got all my yarn out and sorted it out as best I could. I was a little alarmed by how large my collection has grown, but also it was nice to see some stuff that I had forgotten that I had.
The collection (addiction)
See? I feel so much better now that it is all safe. I just hope that I didn't bag up any moths or their eggs, but at least if I did, they are safely contained within a bag now.
I did realise just how much cascade I had
and also remembered that I love the silver belle colour I was knitting
But at least my Malabrigo gift from Stacey is now safe and sound until I decide what I want to knit with it!
I just need to do the same with my wips and then I can sleep easy!
This weekend has been another bank holiday for us.
On Friday, Lily and I went to meet Mary, originally to look round the gardens of Althorp House where Princess Diana is buried. (I had a mental image of her then, laying under a rose bush like someone's pet dog!!) But how strange, it is open from July til August, so instead, after we had roamed completely lost around Northampton for an hour, we met in a nearby village for lunch.
Rob's brother and family came down from Hull to stay as Hull City were playing at Wembley and managed to win the game, putting them in the Premiership league playing alongside the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal!!!!!
A picture of the hopeful football rabble in my garden on their way to winning!
I stayed at home and gardened in the last nice weather day of the week as it is now blowing a gale and pouring with rain for the rest of the week. Freezing too. Anyway, they all came home from London extremely victorious and excited and so we had a curry to celebrate. (oops, there goes my diet, again!!)
Yesterday was my youngest sister's 35th birthday (the one whose back is in my previous post!) and so we all went for lunch (oops there goes my diet again, although there was 1 vegetarian choice on the menu and it wasn't very nice)
I have been knitting the Drops cabled bag this weekend, although I have now run out of eskimo. Strange, as I ordered 7 balls, but have used 5 and can't find the other 2. They aren't anywhere I would have put them. Unless I have early dementia, I think I only received 5 in February when I ordered them. I'll call them tomorrow and check. I love the bag though, it is a prettier pink than the picture shows
I hope you are all having a great weekend too. I thought I'd leave you with a picture of total relaxation, that is, little and large!!!!
I got all my yarn out and sorted it out as best I could. I was a little alarmed by how large my collection has grown, but also it was nice to see some stuff that I had forgotten that I had.
The collection (addiction)
See? I feel so much better now that it is all safe. I just hope that I didn't bag up any moths or their eggs, but at least if I did, they are safely contained within a bag now.
I did realise just how much cascade I had
and also remembered that I love the silver belle colour I was knitting
But at least my Malabrigo gift from Stacey is now safe and sound until I decide what I want to knit with it!
I just need to do the same with my wips and then I can sleep easy!
This weekend has been another bank holiday for us.
On Friday, Lily and I went to meet Mary, originally to look round the gardens of Althorp House where Princess Diana is buried. (I had a mental image of her then, laying under a rose bush like someone's pet dog!!) But how strange, it is open from July til August, so instead, after we had roamed completely lost around Northampton for an hour, we met in a nearby village for lunch.
Rob's brother and family came down from Hull to stay as Hull City were playing at Wembley and managed to win the game, putting them in the Premiership league playing alongside the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal!!!!!
A picture of the hopeful football rabble in my garden on their way to winning!
I stayed at home and gardened in the last nice weather day of the week as it is now blowing a gale and pouring with rain for the rest of the week. Freezing too. Anyway, they all came home from London extremely victorious and excited and so we had a curry to celebrate. (oops, there goes my diet, again!!)
Yesterday was my youngest sister's 35th birthday (the one whose back is in my previous post!) and so we all went for lunch (oops there goes my diet again, although there was 1 vegetarian choice on the menu and it wasn't very nice)
I have been knitting the Drops cabled bag this weekend, although I have now run out of eskimo. Strange, as I ordered 7 balls, but have used 5 and can't find the other 2. They aren't anywhere I would have put them. Unless I have early dementia, I think I only received 5 in February when I ordered them. I'll call them tomorrow and check. I love the bag though, it is a prettier pink than the picture shows
I hope you are all having a great weekend too. I thought I'd leave you with a picture of total relaxation, that is, little and large!!!!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Moth and New CO Update
Thank you for all your advice regarding my (unwelcome) house guests. I have taken action.....I have bought some sealable plastic bags and some cedar wood hearts and if they can get through that lot to my stash, good luck to them!!
I still haven't been able to bring myself to look and see if I have been infiltrated, I may as well save the surprise of that for when the bags come and I can sort it all out properly.
In the depression of it all, I have cast on Garter Toes which I found on Ravelry as a free download. I am using Mirasol Hacho in blue, which feels lovely and cottony.
This picture is a good representation of the colour too. Here they are in progress, although they are a little bit longer now as this was taken yesterday..
They do look a bit pointed on the end, but I am trying not to think about that.
Today, 2 of my sisters ran the Race for Life 5km for Breast Cancer Research. They ran it in memory of my mum, Chrissie, who went to live in heaven in 1997 and has been unable to get a flight back since she went! They both did so well, especially Rozi, who has also lost 2 stone in the process of her training, and she looked amazing today. Here she is, well, the back of her, looking demurely over her shoulder!!!
On the 25th of June, me and 2 sisters and some friends are running the same thing, and I will have my mum on my back too!
She would have said we were mad!
I still haven't been able to bring myself to look and see if I have been infiltrated, I may as well save the surprise of that for when the bags come and I can sort it all out properly.
In the depression of it all, I have cast on Garter Toes which I found on Ravelry as a free download. I am using Mirasol Hacho in blue, which feels lovely and cottony.
This picture is a good representation of the colour too. Here they are in progress, although they are a little bit longer now as this was taken yesterday..
They do look a bit pointed on the end, but I am trying not to think about that.
Today, 2 of my sisters ran the Race for Life 5km for Breast Cancer Research. They ran it in memory of my mum, Chrissie, who went to live in heaven in 1997 and has been unable to get a flight back since she went! They both did so well, especially Rozi, who has also lost 2 stone in the process of her training, and she looked amazing today. Here she is, well, the back of her, looking demurely over her shoulder!!!
On the 25th of June, me and 2 sisters and some friends are running the same thing, and I will have my mum on my back too!
She would have said we were mad!
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Moth Terror
The other day I put on a top. Nothing strange there. Except that, during the day, I realised that the top had a small hole in the front of it. This is the hole
You can see the fraying of the edges, but here's a better picture..
Hmmph, I thought, how strange and irritating.
Approximately an hour later, a feeling of cold and clammy dread swept throughout my entire body as the realisation dawned that this was a MOTH HOLE!!!!!!! Some f**king little winged creature had spent it's lunch hour in my wardrobe. What I wondered was this
1. Did it have a big family?
and 2.Were they all living in my wardrobe
or 3. Even worse....had they realised I am a knitter?
Now this bit is not for the faint hearted knitter. I am going to show you were I store my yarn, and you may not have the high opinion of me that you did have when you see it.
Here:
Oh, and here too:
Ok, I know it's not the ideal way to store such preciousness, but I haven't ever got round to putting it into bags. That would involve sorting through it and realising the true extent of my "little" addiction.
I cannot even bring myself to have a look and see if the Famille de Moth have discovered it yet. I have kept the door of my workroom well and truly shut since the awful hole moment though. Not sure if it will make the blindest bit of difference. There's an awful lot of fabric in that room too....gulp...let's hope they haven't found that.....
In my Moth Depression I have had to start a new project. I'll post it later.
Any moth advice gratefully received. :(
You can see the fraying of the edges, but here's a better picture..
Hmmph, I thought, how strange and irritating.
Approximately an hour later, a feeling of cold and clammy dread swept throughout my entire body as the realisation dawned that this was a MOTH HOLE!!!!!!! Some f**king little winged creature had spent it's lunch hour in my wardrobe. What I wondered was this
1. Did it have a big family?
and 2.Were they all living in my wardrobe
or 3. Even worse....had they realised I am a knitter?
Now this bit is not for the faint hearted knitter. I am going to show you were I store my yarn, and you may not have the high opinion of me that you did have when you see it.
Here:
Oh, and here too:
Ok, I know it's not the ideal way to store such preciousness, but I haven't ever got round to putting it into bags. That would involve sorting through it and realising the true extent of my "little" addiction.
I cannot even bring myself to have a look and see if the Famille de Moth have discovered it yet. I have kept the door of my workroom well and truly shut since the awful hole moment though. Not sure if it will make the blindest bit of difference. There's an awful lot of fabric in that room too....gulp...let's hope they haven't found that.....
In my Moth Depression I have had to start a new project. I'll post it later.
Any moth advice gratefully received. :(
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
I am a year older since my last post! None the wiser, though!
Kind of! It was my birthday yesterday and I turned 43. I am glad to be here, I sort of got here against the odds, and each birthday I have, the older I get, the more thankful I am for whatever reasons there are that I am still here, and pretty unscathed!! I'm proud to be 43!!!! Looking forward to one day being 103!!!!
Rob had the day off and we went to the gym first thing (yea I know I'm a little obsessed) and then we spent the day in Cambridge. Considering it's only 20 minutes away from us, we never really go there, but it was a beautiful sunny warm day (my dad said the same as the day I was born...ahh!), and we decided to go for an amble.
We had lunch at Browns, my (now ex) favourite restaurant. OMG how slow was the service??? I wouldn't have minded had they said, sorry we'll be slow, we're short staffed, but....NOTHING. Just slowness. And the wrong stuff came and then...slowness and so on. I could not even wait for a pudding, which, as you know, is the only reason I eat the main course. So it did my diet a favour at least.
We walked miles around the small back streets and I got some cool bits and a bag and some jeans. It's still a novelty for me to take small size stuff into the changing room and it fits! I can never quite believe it!
I got some really lovely presents too. Here you go with a small selection of loveliness:
The trowel is inscribed with the words: Liz My dear perennial friend, blessings be upon you and your garden love Mary. How lovely is that??
Last night a few of us went to an Italian place for pizza and Sergio the Latin Singer was there so we all had a singalong which was so funny!!!! My sister has the loudest voice and got completely carried away!! Everyone sang Happy Birthday which was a bit embarrassing, but we had a fab evening!
We bought cakes in Cambridge but didn't eat them as we were so full, so I have them to look forward to later....
Portia is coming along. The back is finished, and I am on the front. I can see a line, though, where I joined in a new skein. Same dye lot. Can you spot it? I'm trying hard not to look. It is at the back after all........
Rob had the day off and we went to the gym first thing (yea I know I'm a little obsessed) and then we spent the day in Cambridge. Considering it's only 20 minutes away from us, we never really go there, but it was a beautiful sunny warm day (my dad said the same as the day I was born...ahh!), and we decided to go for an amble.
We had lunch at Browns, my (now ex) favourite restaurant. OMG how slow was the service??? I wouldn't have minded had they said, sorry we'll be slow, we're short staffed, but....NOTHING. Just slowness. And the wrong stuff came and then...slowness and so on. I could not even wait for a pudding, which, as you know, is the only reason I eat the main course. So it did my diet a favour at least.
We walked miles around the small back streets and I got some cool bits and a bag and some jeans. It's still a novelty for me to take small size stuff into the changing room and it fits! I can never quite believe it!
I got some really lovely presents too. Here you go with a small selection of loveliness:
The trowel is inscribed with the words: Liz My dear perennial friend, blessings be upon you and your garden love Mary. How lovely is that??
Last night a few of us went to an Italian place for pizza and Sergio the Latin Singer was there so we all had a singalong which was so funny!!!! My sister has the loudest voice and got completely carried away!! Everyone sang Happy Birthday which was a bit embarrassing, but we had a fab evening!
We bought cakes in Cambridge but didn't eat them as we were so full, so I have them to look forward to later....
Portia is coming along. The back is finished, and I am on the front. I can see a line, though, where I joined in a new skein. Same dye lot. Can you spot it? I'm trying hard not to look. It is at the back after all........
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
My my my Juliet
how warm you are on this unusually hot day! But I finished her last night and couldn't wait to show you. I haven't even blocked her, as you will be able to tell from the curling edges!!!! Excuse the slight blurring, self timer again. It's my birthday next week and I think I may treat myself to a decent camera!
I do like her, I will wear her, the mods I made were worth making.
Mods: The lace part is worked on th XS size and the rest is worked in S. I used 6.5mm circs and acrylic mix chunky yarn. I had to undo 2 lace repeats as it ended up too long and I wanted a whole pattern repeat at the end. I used mother of pearl buttons which I love on it. My crocheted chains for the button holes are too long though, so I will have to take them off and shorten them. On the whole, a successful FO, I think!
The pictures from the wedding I went to a couple of weekends ago are finally ready. They took hundreds but have put a sample up, I thought I'd share a couple, one of me Rob and Lily and one of me and Michelle, the blushing bride!!! Such a great day!!!! I could go to a wedding every weekend, I love them so much!!
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Bank Holiday Weekend
This weekend was May Day, so a long bank holiday weekend for us. I had such a lovely weekend. On Friday night, I went back to the Turkish restaurant with some friends, don't think I live there! The staff were even VERY friendly, raising suspicions that I had been there more than the twice I really have! I would if my body could do it without putting on pounds as a result, believe me!!!!!
I managed the gym three times over the weekend as well, and Rob has fully joined now, so there is a small (elite) crowd of us now!!
We had untypically fantastic weather over this weekend. In the UK, you-over-the-pond-people, a bank holiday normally means torrential rain, but not this weekend. It was beautiful, in the 20s and sunny. I even had my bikini on yesterday in the garden, oh, yeah!!!! And yesterday afternoon, we had a bbq in our garden with some neighbours until late, which was the first one this year. Let's hope the weather stays for a few months!!!!
On the Juliet front, I have had another small disaster. I have decided this project has been sent to try me. I tried it on on Friday, to gauge the length, and decided another couple of pattern repeats was all that I needed to do. I don't want it too long or it will make me look mumsie. I did the repeats over the weekend, and luckily didn't cast off-because when I tried it on last night, just to double check, it's 2 repeats too bloody long now. GGGGGGGRRRRRRR. So I am undoing 12 rows. 5 done so far. Hopefully FO pics tomorrow.
I am in my bikini again today doing the EU mountain of ironing I have, in the garden, so I can catch some rays at the same time. Then ironing isn't such a waste of time as it seems when you're doing it.
Have a good day!!!
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