I'm pretty easy going when it comes to yarn, I love natural fibres (wool, cotton, silk etc.) as long as they're soft (I have sensitive skin). I like space dyed/handdyed/handpainted and variegated yarns and even like acrylic if it's a pretty colour and soft. I have the wrong colouring for beiges or neon brights.
I am a sucker for laceweight yarn as it's not easily found over here, enough to knit a shawl (1200yds+), I love handpainted yarns and sock yarns (though I have a ton of them!) as well.
Big no-no's are scratchy yarns, yarns with glitter in them, fun fur and the like. If you have cats and are gifting from your own stash, please warn me so I won't go smooshing my face in them and I'll give them a wee wash first to save any allergies.
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?One of those old knitting project holder thingies that has a wooden frame and fabric bag. Cheap 'n' cheerful, I must get more organised one day!
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I've been knitting on and off since I was 6, I'd definitely consider myself an advanced knitter though I vary my projects difficulty levels according to attention span!
I partly taught myself with help from my mum (with the harder bits!). I taught myself to do intarsia back in the eighties (Kaffe Fassett time!), but do have some issues with my tension in Fair Isle. I have done a lot of aran in the past but find really heavyweight stuff too much for my arms nowadays but have taken to lace shawls in a big way in the last 12 months.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
You can find my U.K. Amazon wish list here
and my U.S. Amazon wish list here
5. What's your favorite scent?
I like Fruity scents, green notes like Jasmine, but nothing overpoweringly floral.I don't really wear perfume but I love my Lush baths! My mum and MIL have kept me in soap for the next 10 years or so, best not add to the soap mountain!
ooh, ooh, something to wash the woolies wouldn't go amiss! I get thru a fair amount of wool washing liquid what with my mountain of sweaters and the smelly fleeces that need a good dunk in the bath!
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I have a VERY sweet tooth, I love chocolate, fruity sweets, mints but nothing with dried fruit (raisins etc. though orange peel or ginger's o.k.). I DON'T do chewing gum, banana or cherry flavoured things, marzipan, coconut, apricot and cinnamon (and dried fruit!). I like good quality chocolate, milk or dark- my big yum ath the moment is Lindt Dark chocolate with orange and almonds- yum!
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I spin, dye, cross stitch but mostly knit, design and modify knitwear patterns so they fit!.
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) .
Pretty eclectic, nothing too heavy or depressing (Sting stuff gets stuck in my head and turns me mental!). No problem playing MP3's.
9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I seem to gravitate towards blue/greens but like purples and lilacs, reds, burnt oranges and chocolate browns, pinks (nothing too garish or neon). I really don't suit pale colours or beiges and LOVE Noroesque changing of colours as you knit through the ball so you end up with stripes (like Kauni). I like dark shades too though black can sometimes wash me out.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
Married but no kids. 2 Loony Labs (well, one elderly nearly lab, one nutty lab/staffy cross).
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Come the colder months, yeah, the wind that comes off the Mersey can be pretty biting and dogs always need walkies, whatever the weather. I'm not a poncho person but closely knit hats or gloves (or felted so the wind doesn't get thru the gaps) always come in handy.
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Anything that catches my eye! Lace seems to be creeping into a lot of my knitting recently, though I'm totally seduced by the Kauni cardigan. Socks are good 'cos they're quick to knit...except when they're not! Quick knitting (i.e. chunky yarns) give me instant gratification but I have also to have something stimulating the old grey matter too so I can chop and change as the situation, mood or intelligence suits.
I yearn to knit really complicated patterns so collect masses of beautiful yarns and designs but have to be in the mood to knit them else I make mistakes! I've been loving knitting the MS3 stole which I found intitally challenging until I made time for it and hope to knit another lace shawl/stole in the near future.
13. What are you knitting right now?
Lace Stole from MS3 (nearly finished clue 5!)-update, now on clue 7!, Blur Sweater (for knitting group), Fresco Sweater (truly mindless for travelling), Gansey Socks (LOVE cables and ganseys!), Eastern style cable Jacket (sort of got usurped by the sock!).
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Who doesn't? I certainly enjoyed knitting for my SP last time, it gave me the opportunity to spread my wings a bit and knit stuff I wouldn't necessarily knit for myself. I'm sure other knitters feel that way too.
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I have most needles in most sizes in bamboo, metal and plastic/plastic coated metal. I have collected a few Addi's (circular), a Boyes set, a Knitpicks options set and a Denise set but hope to look for some lace circulars at some point and one day maybe try wooden DPN's like rosewood.
It seems no matter how many needles I have, there's always more to get.......
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
I have a yarn winder but no swift (but that doesn't stop me!)
17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Actually, less than 5 years old. I thought I wasn't going to be able to knit again until arthritis was properly diagnosed and treated and got rid of all my lovely yarn and patterns! Hasn't stopped me from acquiring a stash four times the size of the original since then though!
18. What is your favorite holiday?
I like Christmas but too many bad things have happened around that time for it to be my favourite. Easter can be good for the weather (if not my waistline!); but my favourite time would have to be Bonfire Night, closely followed by Halloween. I ADORE fireworks, crisp autumn evenings, the colours of the leaves turning though not the wet weather! I don't really celebrate Halloween, I just like the spookiness, the fun, the time of year. The fog rolling in over Whitby and the atmosphere it created, now that's Gothic!
19. Is there anything that you collect?
You mean aside from yarn, patterns, needles and other things knitterly? I like beads, big and small, lampwork, handmade, japanese, etc. I like unusual buttons, quirky etc. too.
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
See Amazon list, I regularly buy Vogue Knitting but would love a copy of Knitters, Interweave Knits or Spin Off. I want to try lace circulars one day or wooden circulars (not bamboo). There are loads of online patterns I haven't quite got around to purchasing yet, e-mail me for a list.
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I'd like to find out more about finishing techniques, innovative things to do with small amounts of yarn and get to grips with things like continental knitting.
One day, I'd like to make time to learn more than 2 stitches of Crochet. I hate when crochet tries to emulate knitting but LOVE the lacy, openness it can produce. Being a leftie, though, most instruction books can be annoying.
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yup, I do socks amongst other things. I'm a U.K. size 5 foot which I think is 9" circumference?
23. When is your birthday?
5th June (so no good for this time!)
24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
I'm 14959th in the queue with over 5000 in front of me so it may be a while yet!
No comments:
Post a Comment