Secret Pal 13 Questions

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I prefer any natural fibres, particularly alpaca. I really don't like novelty yarns at all.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
a) a knitting bag bought by my daughter many years ago b) a woven raffia bag presented to my other daughter's fiance when he completed his gap year teaching English on an Island in the Pacific. c) a vessel I made in a felt making workshop but mostly they just stick out of a basket I have where I knit. I guess I have quite a stash!

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I am old enough to have learned at school very many years ago. The avatar on my blog is a genuine photo of me around that time. I think I am pretty advanced but still have things to learn
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I have an Amazon one which I will add later

5. What's your favorite scent?
Single flowers, particularly Rose

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Oh dear yes. Dark chocolate, real Turkish delight, coffee, nuttiness

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I do wet felting and have just done a class in chain-mail jewelry. I am a closet scrapbooker but we don't talk about that.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I'm not terribly musical. I like some Jazz, Leonard Cohen, odd things really.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
My colour choice at the moment seems to tend towards greens. I love teal too. I think the only colours I don't care for are powdery pastels and fluorescent.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I live with my husband and Lily-the-dog. We have 2 grown up daughters and 1 granddaughter age 5.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Scarves yes, hats seldom, mittens (fingerless) often, ponchos .....not even the first time around!

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I am really enjoying shawls at the moment, fingerless mittens and anything my daughters ask for. Cardis for me when I get the chance.

13. What are you knitting right now?
I am about to embark on a shawl for my daughter's wedding knitted in laceweight bamboo which is rather like sewing thread!

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

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Depends on the knit, but always as short as possible. Dpn's for socks. I don't understand the circulars gig, addi lace circular for shawls.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Unfortunately no but I have very convenient knees which just hold a skein

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
See my avatar....I never did complete the second mitten! Actually I have some beautiful alpaca/silk which doesn't seem to know what it's vocation is and has been frogged several times.

18. What is your favorite holiday? What winter holiday do you observe?
We celebrate Christmas.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Do yarn and needles count? Vintage knitting things. Pottery baskets.

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, Yarn Forward.....far too many!

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I'd like to get more confident with fairisle.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes I like to knit socks. I am an English 4, continental 37

23. When is your birthday?
May 2nd

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
I am although I don't take full advantage. My ID is Mazzam

Didn't we have a loverly time.

Last weekend we had the best time although there was very little yarn involved (yes I took a WIP but that is understood) We went to Buxton for the weekend to celebrate a friend's special birthday. She knew nothing about it and was lured by a ride on a motorbike. She was brought into the pub where 12 of us were waiting. She went to the bar, took her drink outside for a ciggarette, came back to the bar, went to the Ladies, all while we were sitting expectantly. Eventually she noticed us! She was a bit put out at first but we swept her off to the hotel on the pretext of visiting the spot where her mother's waters broke, (forgot to mention that Buxton was chosen as the venue as it was the Birthday girl's place of birth. Someone had mocked up a blue plaque which was outside the hotel. Once she knew what was planned she relaxed and enjoyed the treat. The sewing machine we had clubbed together to buy was a real bonus. It's a pity I still can't add photos. Maybe later.

Didn't we have a loverly time.

Half term

Hooray it's Half Term hereabouts and just like old times. I have had 2 days of Millie this week. Whenever I ask her where she would like to go the answer is a) Ikea b) Attenborough so we went with plan b on Monday and took a trip to our old haunt at the Nature reserve. We had a walk around the Willow garden, fed ourselves and then the ducks, hence to MacDonalds as she now recognises the Golden Arches so I can no longer avoid it. Then TKMaxx where she talked me out of a dressing up outfit which involved a long visit to the changing rooms with arms-full of Ariel, Sleeping Beauty and the one out of Enchanted. We finished up in the Christmas department of Bardill's garden centre where she suddenly remembered there was a coffee shop, so more snacks!
Wednesday we went off to Conkers where it was freeeezing. Well I was, Millie was in a tshirt most of the day but even she decided to put on a cardigan eventually!

Role Call of knits

It seems that whenever I knit for someone else I forget to take a picture before handing it over. Lately this includes a shawl knitted in Cherry Tree Hill to one of their patterns. I'm sorry I forgot to photograph that as it was knitted in the Shetland way and I didn't really enjoy it so am not likely to repeat the exercise. I prefer the kind that start with a little twiddle of 5 or 6 stitches and somehow grow and grow until something falls from your needles in the shape of a lovely big triangle with a fancy edge.
I knitted 3 pairs of mitts for Millie. Fingerless ones for 5 year olds take next to no time and look great knitted from left over self patterning sock wool, so great that I have orders from several grown-up ladies for similar.
At the Knitting and Sewing show at the NEC Isabel ordered a cardigan from the Kasbah Collection book. We found a bargain bag of Summer Tweed in just the right shade so that is done and delivered and worn. It is Dawn if you would care to scroll down and take a look. I have also finished a pair of socks for Rosemary who has ordered a plain sweater in Kidsilk Haze. I will be able to photograph my latest completed work which is a jumper from Debbie Bliss' Coastlines, reinterpreted as a cardigan. It is knitted in some Wool Cotton I am so proud of myself for economically frogging an old knit which I skeined and soaked and reused! It is the Yoke Detail Sweater and I am really pleased with it. Maybe I'll show you sometime..

Separation anxiety

The thing is, Mr M is in dispute with the internet/phone provider. (They think he should take an 18 months contract - he doesn't) So we dont't have access at home. I am in the library just now doing a quck and random trawl. It's really frustrating and as he doesn't use it it's likely to take time and reminding. Hey-ho.
Millie has started school now and suddenly things have chenged profoundly. No more afternoon jaunts to the 'featre'. No more Tot's time. Roll on half term!

Adventures with Millie

I think it's some time since I recorded where I have been with Millie. Of course we went to Wollaton Park to see the famous foto on display. Disappointingly it was merely pinned to a board and not mounted and framed. There were comments from the judge though which went along the lines of 'the waving grasses and yellow flowers give the impression of a chill windy day enhanced by the bleached out sky' and something about the tiny crows I hadn't noticed. It made me smile. Millie is rising 5 and just saw the pretty coloured flowers.

We have been to Manor Farm Animal Centre which we heartily recommend. It's quite cheap to get in, the animals are good and there is lots and lots of indoor and outdoor play.



Health and safety donkey rides involve a crash helmet and two attendants per donkey.

We made our now annual expedition to Moorgreen Show this time in the company of Auntie Isabel who enjoyed helping with some weaving sticks in the craft tent.


Another place we have enjoyed was Conkers This was another reasonably priced venue but as I had some Tesco vouchers it was practically free. Millie had a fabulous time here. We were there practically the whole of the opening time and she is asking to go again.



We had a day out on Tuesday this week. First a visit for me to the dentist then an excursion to Attenborough. No Tot's Time of course, we were free-range but we had a lovely time in the willow garden making Teddy bear food like we did on the last one.
Now she has gone of to school and although I'll be picking her up at the end of the day on Wednesdays our trips are curtailed until half term. Looks like homework for her and housework for me! Booooo

Meanwhile, on the needles I have two shawls, a shetland style one in Cherry Tree farm and an Icarus in some purple laceweight from Cinders ,socks in some Opal self patterning yarn, one of the Hundertwasser ones, which I keep changing my mind about whether I like the colours and some in Noro Kureyon which I have a touch of second sock syndrome about.