Secret Pal Questionaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I prefer natural fibres, particularly alpaca. I'd really like to try some of the newer plant and milk based yarns, I just haven't got round to them yet. I don't at all like novelty yarns such as eyelash and boucle

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
Some special ones are in a felt vase I made at a workshop. Dpn's and circulars are in a special basket given to my prospective son-in-law at the end of his gap year when he taught English somewhere in Indonesia. The rest are in an old knitting bag bought by my elder daughter with the collusion of my late mother about 22 or so years ago.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
Since I was about 6. My avatar is a genuine black and white snap of me around that age. I am pretty adept at most things but not so hot on colourwork.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Amazon

5. What's your favorite scent?
I like single flower smells, especially rose.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Oh yes. I love dark chocolate and ginger

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I don't spin but I enjoy wet felting and I love the idea and and the ingredients for paper crafts.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I don't really listen much to music. I prefer audio books.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I seem to be very fond of greens just now but I also like blues and teal. I think yellow is the only colour I avoid.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I am still married to my first husband. We have 2 grown-up daughters and one granddaughter. We also have Lily-the-dog living with us.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Scarves yes, mittens yes, hats not so much, ponchos...........not even the first time around.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Socks of course, cardigans, shawls,

13. What are you knitting right now?
Icarus shawl, alpaca cardi, socks, cup holders for 2 colleagues I saw juggling take-away coffees in the lift today.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Very much

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
It really depends on the project but I like my needles as short as possible.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Unfortunately not

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Probably about 3 years

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Vintage knitting kit. Badges for my sock project bag.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I subscribe to Interweave Knits, Knitting, Simply Knitting, Let's Knit, Yarnover. I like magazines but I think it's time I cut down!!
I'd love to try milk yarn. I like any kind of knitting nick-nacks such as the tin of knitting- girl mints I was sent from America.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I want to improve my fair-isle

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes I knit socks. I am an English shoe size 4 continental 37
23. When is your birthday?
May 2nd

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
Yes. It's Mazzam

The one I missed out.

When I listed my WIP's I forgot the one in the Debbie Bliss Pure Silk. I was delighted with the bargain in this yarn I found at Coldspring Mill last Spring. It is a beautiful coral colour and at 99p a skein a billy-bargain. Trouble is it doesn't seem to want to be anything. I don't know how many garments I have cast on for....I have bits of at least 4.... but either I decide I don't like the pattern after all or make silly errors and throw it down in disgust and instead of persevering I give up on it....because I had decided I didn't like that design anyway. Of course it has a whole lot more drape than I am used to. Now I have bought Debbie Bliss's book Coastlines, largely because I love this and have decided the latest incarnation is to be this. It should be in Cathay but the tension seems okay. Fingers crossed for getting to the end!!!!

Secret Pal

I accidentally discovered through Ravelry that the sign-ups are happening for SP12 and I signed up. This means making a resolution to post here at least once a week - oh dear! I hope I can do it.
I could report what I am knitting currently. I think I have 4 projects on the go which isn't like me. It is normally 1 sock and one other but I'm not very excited by anything I have on the needles at the moment so it's just dibbing in and out.
1) socks in the wool I bought at Wonderwool. So that is why it was cheap. It looks good in the ball but the colours are a bit yukky when knitted up. I have just received 4 fabulous skeins of sock yard from America in the Ravelry Birthday swap and I feel abandonment of this pair in favour of one of these approaching. I must take a picture of the generous package I received from Ggirl.It was really great.
2) Orange cardi for Millie. Although she chose the yarn and the pattern my grandmotherly instinct tells me she won't wear it................
3) A cardi for me from the cream alpaca I bought at Wonderwool. I think I need to revisit the pattern decision on this one.
4) Icarus in some hand painted lace weight I have been hoarding forever.
This last one is the most favoured but it just doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Oh well.
Mmmm if all my four posts per month are this moaney maybe I'll be excused. Tee Hee.

Flared Jacket

Here is Isabel's Flared Jacket from Rowan Studio 8.



It is knitted in an unidentified chunky wool which she bought a couple of years ago from Riverside spinners at one of the shows we have visited.


The buttons are vintage ones from the stash of haberdashery bequethed by my Mother.
It is ages since Isabel and I did a show together - Harrogate last November in fact. Hopefully when she's done with Uni we might have another chance. Athough.........now she is engaged maybe she will only be interested in wedding fairs.



The proposal took place here


Just 5 years after they met.

Vacation time

Our holiday in Wales is sadly over but we had a great time. The weather was beginning to improve and the last few days were lovely.
This was our bungalow
What the picture doesn't show is all the sheep at the back door!
On the first day I took off on my own to Wonderwool . Thank goodness for my new Satnav which took me all the way there and back with no complications. (She was company on the journey too) I had a lovely woolly day although I bought very little. Mainly a pack of light coloured alpaca from a company in Devon and some sock wool. The rest of the party had headed off to the Welsh Mountain Zoo and had a good day there. I had a call from Rosemary to say they couldn't find a shop to buy any tea so I was able to go to the attached food show and buy sausages and goats cheese.
Later in Llangollen we had lunch in a watermill beside the river

Then I took Millie to the Pontcysyllte Viaduct

(don't mention the coat)
Here we are - looking chilly on the beach at Colwyn Bay.

Then we had lots of fun in a forest park Coed Y Brenin north of Dolgellau



Friday happened to be my birthday and the excuse for me to take everyone off to Portmeirion for the day. It was fabulous. Much better with an entranced 4 year old who can't get enough of mermaids.




This was followed by a visit to the beach at Criccieth where the weather was much better

and we all enjoyed a paddle.

On the last morning, on the way home we went back to Llangollen for a trip on the horse drawn barges