Questionnaire for U.K Swap

Part One: Crafting

Do you knit, crochet, or both?
I mostly knit, what I know about crochet I can write on the back of a postage stamp! One of these days, I’ll find time to learn (but I might have to lose sleep to do so!).

What do you like to make? Do you have a favourite project?
I like a variety of projects on the go at any one time so that I can still knit even if I’m in pain. I crave complicated projects but like simple stuff too for brain-dead days. I am seriously into lace knitting right now, I did 3 knitalongs before Christmas and I’m signed up for 5 so far this year! Lord knows when I’ll find the time to fit it all in. I’ve knitted a fair few pairs of socks, hats and slippers but mostly knit sweaters aside from shawls.


Absolute favourite project? Really difficult question, I loved the Mystic Waters Shawl even though it gave me a few grey hairs in the first few weeks and would have said the Twilley’s Jacket if it hadn’t been so frustrating! Though for simplicity and a quick knit (and for how fab it makes me look) I ADORE the Best Friend Cardigan by Twinkle.

Do you have a favourite type of fiber or brand of yarn?
I’m addicted to Posh Yarns silk/cashmere laceweight for special projects but I like loads of brands of wool and wool blends if they’re soft. For me, it’s more about colour (or bargains!); I love variegated yarns, pinks, reds, blues, greens, browns but not too pale, muddy or super-bright kiddy colours. For special occasions I like Noro, Colinette, Wollemeise, and hand dyed yarn or for general use I like Twilleys Freedom chunky and Freedom Spirit, Wendy Mode, Stylecraft’s new pure wool yarn (yummy brown mix!), some Sirdar, sock yarn and bargains (I can be a wee bit indiscriminate if the price is right!).

Do you have a least favourite type of yarn?
I’m not a fibre snob but I mostly steer away from pure acrylics and novelty yarns – eyelash etc. (though I do make an exception with James Brett Marble!). If you look through my blog you’ll see I have pretty eclectic tastes as far as yarn goes but the yarn I use is mostly smooth to show off pattern.

Do you do any other crafts?
I spin, dye, embroider, make mohair teddy bears (but haven’t in a while), bead and cross stitch. I’ve pretty much tried every craft once though the favourites keep sneaking back over time. Finding time for it all is another matter!

What knitting do you bring ‘on the go’?
Either small projects eg. Socks or a current project. I’ve been crawling through a wonderful Twilley’s Freedom Spirit pattern that’s pretty and exasperating at the same time so it goes everywhere with me so I can do a few rows here and there as I go.

What do you carry your ‘on the go’ knitting in? Do you want something new?
Errrmm, actually it tends to go in a carrier bag in my rucksack until the needles poke thru too much then the bag gets changed, sad I know! The poor pattern gets rather curled on the corners and squashed when the shopping gets put in the bag but I’ve never really found anything better, open to ideas though.

Are there any knitting gifts (book, toy, yarn, item, tool) that you have been lusting over?
I like unusual buttons and appear to be collecting unusual tape measures ( I got a fab one from my Aussie SP recently). I’d love to try Addi Lace needles, either for lace knitting or magic loop socks, hence 80cm or longer (2.5mm for socks). With the joys of Amazon, I have a substantial library as I’m addicted to patterns! You can find my Amazon Wish list here:
(there’s 3 pages!)

Part Two: Your Favourites

What is your favourite colour? What is your least favourite colour?
Fave colours, blues, reds (not pillar box),purples and lilacs, pinks (as an accent), chocolatey browns and greens.
Least favourite? Muddy, indistinct colours, very pale shades (I invariably spill something over myself!), super bright kiddy colours. I don’t suit beiges, bright orange on its own, ditto yellow.

What scents/smells do you like? What don’t you like?
How do you like to pamper yourself? (bubble bath, hand creams, massage, manicure)

I like a long lazy bath with a Lush Bath ballistic (but not a glittery one!) or bubbles. I get quite dry sensitive skin so use moisturizers and non-greasy hand creams. Hubby tends to massage my shoulders each night (‘cos I craft too hard!) with a Lush solid massage bar as he spilt massage oils one too many times! I’m a bad girl and don’t really do much to my hands, my nails tend to shred easily so I can’t grow them long and nail varnish fumes get to my chest.

What goodies to you like to treat your tummy with? (chocolate, biscuits, truffles, etc.)
I am a chocoholic! BUT I have had to cut it down massively so little treatsize stuff is a godsend, I can have one without feeling too guilty. I like biccies and cookies but again limit myself. Truffles? One word, yum!

Do you prefer tea or coffee while you knit? Any particular kind? Favourite mug/cup?
Bizarrely, I don’t drink either tea or coffee! I have the odd Twilleys fruit tea once in a blue moon but tend to have Diet Coke for my caffeine fix!

Do you listen to/watch anything while you knit? (TVshow-Along, movies, music, podcasts)
For lace, I like something I’ve watched before so I can just listen along, I’ve watched the Harry Potter Movies so many times, I had to replace a couple of the DVD’s ‘cos of dropout!
I’ve not really got into podcasts yet but hope to look into it more thoroughly in the future, mostly I just have the telly on as background noise while I work.

Part Three: Living & Past-times

Where do you live in the UK? (General idea not address)
I’m on the Wirral in the North West, across from big city Liverpool.

Have you always lived here, or did you grow up somewhere else?
I’ve pretty much always lived in and around Merseyside but only moved to the Wirral around 12 years ago.

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Ooh, difficult one! I’ve planned a virtual trip around Scotland, taking in Skye (Shilasdair and Teo’s);Fibre shops like Haldanes; Fair Isle (Yarn!!); Shetland (Yarn!!) along with all the wonderful scenery that makes the highlands look literally like another country. Then again, after Skip North Haworth and North Yorkshire may become my fave place in the whole world!
I’d love to visit the U.S. to trawl the yarn shops in a big city though the practicality of getting there scares me to death (not the flight, the self- drive!).

If you couldn’t go to a knitting group, what other kind of gathering would you go to? (book club, tea party, yoga class, jewelery class, etc.
Definitely second place would be a spinning group (I need more spinning time in my life!) though there’s precious little of that locally which is why I decided to start up my own group – roll on February! Alternatively, a beading group or Patchwork group would be good if not a guild thing, so you can work at your own pace on your own project.
I like to learn new things all the time so classes in any of the above are also good.

What’s your style? (elegant, traditional, glamourous, girly, natural, sporty, outgoing, etc.)
Umm, show-off? I don’t exactly have the figure (or the budget) for a “look” so I tend to go cheap ‘n’ cheerful and tie it in with one of my many and varied knits – that’s where the show-off in me gets an outing!

Final Part:
Any allergies/preferences (fiber-wise or treat-wise)?
Not a huge dealbreaker but if you are gifting yarn from your stash and are a smoker or own cats please let me know. I’m an asthmatic and cat hair and smoke make me wheeze so I’ll wash the yarn or isolate it until the smell goes away.
As to treats, I’m not keen on dried fruit, marzipan and banana flavours in choc (or out of it!).

Anything we missed that you’d like your partner to know?
I’m just excited to be “meeting” new people, it would be great to find someone as obsessed with knitting as me but finding out about new people is just as much fun!