Swap Questions Catch Up

UK Swap first..

Question 4
What is your favourite thing that you have knit?
My first Debbie Bliss bag, I just loved that it knitted and felted and came out so well.

What is the worst thing you've ever knit?
My malabrigo lace scarf that I am still dreading picking back up.

What are your favourite knitblogs?
Look down my side bar. I love them all!

What is the most amazing knitted thing you have seen
The knitted wedding

What is your favourite knitted item to wear? Post a picture if you can.
My Phildar swing jacket

Question 5
1. Stop or go? Go
2. Going out or Staying in? Going Out
3. Small town or big city? Small town
4. Happy or sad? Happy
5. Straights or Circulars? Circs
6. Red or Blue? Blue
7. Seaside or countryside? Seaside
8. Fish or chips? Mushy peas
9. Surprises or plans? Plans
10. Wine or beer? Diet coke
11. Sweaters or cardigans? Sweaters
12. Pizza or Pasta? Pizza
13. Chopsticks or fork? Chopsticks
14. Early Bird or Night Owl? Both
15. Knitting or crochet? Knitting
16. Hot or cold? Hot



Question 6
Of all the bands/artists in your cd/record collection, which one do you own the most albums by?What was the last song you listened to?
Massive Attack
Listening at the moment to Morcheeba

What’s your favorite local band?
Don't know of any

What’s the worst CD/record/etc. you’ve ever bought?
There's always something even about the crappiest cd that I can love! But panpipes christmas was a challenge!

What was the first single/album you ever bought?
Siouxie and the Banshees Staircase Mystery with 20th Century Boy on the B side! Still love it!

OK now, Secret Pal 12 questions.

SP question 4
1) What yarn (that you don’t have/haven’t used) would make your stash “complete”?
I would love to try Habu

2) What yarn do you never want to be without?

Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran or dk. I know it's boring, but it's beautiful.

SP question 5

1) Where is your favorite place to go for vacation/holiday?
Anywhere that is hot, calm, with a pool and a good book!

2) Where is one place you’d like to go?
I think I did this one...the Cook Islands!

SP question 6

What is your favorite type of project to take along on holiday/vacation?

Having just come back with it knitted, I have to say the Hemlock Ring blankie. A joy to knit. Some hard bits, some easy bits and watch that baby grow in front of your eyes. And hope the madame who owns the villa doesn't ask YOU if it is going to be a lampshade.......

SP question 7

What is(are) your favorite place(s) to knit?
I love to knit early in the morning before anyone else gets up and knit either in the study at the back of my house which is south facing and so warmed by sunshine all day, or in the garden.


What supplies (besides yarn & needles) make the setting perfect for knitting?
Comfy chair, peace and quiet, a drink and somewhere to put my feet up!

SP 12 Question of the Week 2

As a kid, what did you look forward to most about summer vacation/break/holiday?

When we came from South Africa to live in England, I found it really difficult to adjust. I came from a big family of 4 children, and never felt as if I was heard or seen. I was just Number 1 child as the eldest, and I should accept my lot and get on with it. My parents had extremely high expectations of me and I felt as if I was always singing someone else's song and never my own.

My step grandmother and grandfather lived in Hampton Court in a lovely house, opposite Bushey Park, near the Queen's stables and the palace and backing on to the river. Mary, my grandfather's wife, wass the most unusual and exotic person I had ever met. She spoke in a deep voice, with lots of "daaaaaahling" s in her speech and she suffered with insomnia, so never slept. She spent the nights painting, drawing, writing and reading. She made milky coffee, always with a saucer, and put toast, in triangles, in a toast holder, with small bowls of marmalade and jam. She was wonderful.

I was sent, every school holidays, to stay with them. I would go, on the train to London and then get the overland train, one of the old fashioned ones with the push down windows and the leather seats (like on Harry Potter) to Hampton Court, where Mary would pick me up in an old white Morris Traveller with wooden panelling.

My bedroom in their house overlooked the park and was mine. I could leave things there and they would still be there when I went back, which is something you couldn't do in my house.

Mary came from a theatrical background and had been married before to a playwright. Her daughters were grown up dancers with the Royal Ballet. We did fantastical things like wander round art galleries, eat lunch with theatrical people in pokey back street places and went to the theatre and ballet late at night and then for supper.We walked her dog, Mooshey, in Bushey park and got really close to the deer. We had deep conversations about vegetarianism (she was one too) and politics and art and other things I couldn't talk about at home.

Mary went, twice a day, to feed colonies of stray cats who lived in wasteland. When I went with her, she would talk to these ferrals as if they were her own pets, like she loved and knew them all. There were about 100 of them!

I lived to spend the holidays with this wonderful woman. When I went to college, she would send me letters and subscriptions to amazing magazines and perfume and silk underwear.

She died when Lily was 2, in 1994. She was suffering with dementia and had moved into an old fashioned nursing home. I went with my mum and Lily to see her. In her confusion she suddenly had a moment of lucidity and looked at us and said "Hello dahlings", and a tear fell out of the corner of her eye.

She died shortly after that visit. I will never forget her for making my teenage years so much more bearable and my holidays so wonderful. She was what I looked forward to most about the holiday break.

Parcel Crazy!

I had such a lovely surprise in the post today....twice!
Firstly, my yarn arrived from Mary through the yarn colour swap at swapbot. It is gorgeous and my daughter will laugh when she sees it as it's the exact colours of her school blazer!!! There were a couple of sweet markers in the parcel as well, I especially like the car one.



Then, another one. My final package from my SP! She has really pulled out all the stops this time and sent me some (more) absolutely amazing things. She must have known that I have wanted to try spinning and to gift me a drop spindle kit is just perfect!!!! It shall be my mission over the christmas holidays to master it and hopefully in January I shall have something to photograph!! And the book will help me along. I also have a lot of different colour roving in my stash from felting, so I'm sooooo excited! I know Lily will want to have a go too. She also included the pattern from Knitty for Fetching. Have a look on Ravelry, they are gorgeous!

Thank you so much Knitaholic. I absolutely am over the moon with the lovely gifts you have sent to me. Now....just to work out your identity from the clues you gave me.......!

Contest Questionnaire

I need to post these questions in order to be in with a chance of winning yarn! Fingers crossed for me please.

1. What is the one knitting accessory you could not live without?
Yarn and needles. Sorry to be obvious, but that is all I need...call me cheap!

2. If you're heading on vacation, do you take knitting with you? If
so, how much and what type of project?
Of course. Last vacation I took socks. Sometimes I take crochet as it's portable. Quite often I take bags knitted on circs as they're really portable.

3. Where have you travelled to that you'd consider your favorite spot?
Anywhere facing the ocean in the sun is my favourite spot. Sometimes I think my favourite places are totally dependant on my state of mind, so my favourite place must be inside my head. Is that a bit deep??? (It's early)

4. What is your favorite knitting book at the moment? Do you own it?
I love Last Minute Gifts. Yes, I bought it!

5. Do you listen to podcasts? Which is your favorite(s)?
No