Saturday 11 August 2007

SP11 Questionnaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I don't like cheap acrylic or most eyelash yarns. Apart from that I'm fairly easy. I do prefer things to be machine washable even though I handwash most of my knits.
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a needle roll and a crochet roll that I made myself. I don't use dpns much as I make all my socks on 2-needles or a circular (magic loop).
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I'd say I was an advanced bodger in that I can do most things but won't mourn if I make a mistake. The one thing I haven't tried is a big lace project. I can't decide whether I want to or not.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
No, sorry.
5. What's your favorite scent?
Vanilla and strawberry. I don't wear perfume but I love scented candles with those perfumes or bubble bath and things like that. I am allergic to lavender in all its forms.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
YES! I have a very sweet tooth which is undeniably why I'm on a diet. I love all chocolate, even the really cheap stuff with the exception of high cocoa dark chocolate.
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I can spin but I don't. I have tried most crafts but after knitting it is only crochet that comes close.
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I have an mp3 player so mp3s are good. I like hip hop!
9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I really like dark red and shades of it. I'm not keen on lots of purple or yellow but I do like them both.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I have a husband (10 days married! called Pooch who is a geek and features frequently in my blog and on the podcast I do occasionally. No pets as Pooch is allergic but I really like cats!
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
No ponchos! It hasn't really been cold enough to wear hats and mittens this year but I do wear both. I also wear scarves although I'm not keen on curly whirlies (I do make them for other people though).
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
2 needle socks probably. I generally have at least one pair on the go and normally more. They are mindless knitting for the tube or office lunchtime or when I'm tired. Magic loop has very nearly taken over from 2-needles for socks. I also like making baby things as they are so quick to do.
13. What are you knitting right now?
Socks, naturally. My first pair of jaywalkers. Also webofwool's sock yarn v-neck jumper and am about to cast on hanne falkenburg's mermaid.Branching out scarf from knitty.com for my mum. Lacy baby cardigan for a friend who's expecting in May. Hex hat from knitty.com. A complicated aran jumper for my step-dad (longest UFO at about 2 years!)
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yep!
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I generally use straight or circs. I have the denise interchangables which I LOVE! If I'm using straights they are the shorter ones. I find 30cm needles too unweildy.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Both. Woudn't be without them.
17. How old is your oldest UFO?
3 years - I'm waiting for my stepdad to get fat so the jumper will fit him. Um....it's a little bit big so far (curses).
18. What is your favorite holiday?
Easter because of the chocolate? No, diet Byrne, diet. I'm not sure that I have one.
19. Is there anything that you collect?
Chocolate? I have a huge stash of wool, naturally. I also like weird pens but I use them rather than collect them. I really adore buttons - especially the your-grandma's-button-tin-type-boxes that I can rummage in.
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 just let my Vogue subscription lapse as I haven't wanted to knit anything out of the last 3. I've replaced it with interweave knits. I do like interweave crochet (hint hint!)
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Maybe some sort of lace shawl. Apart from that it would be more of the same.
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Definitely. My favourite paid ever were knitted by my pal from sp10! I have size 7 feet (UK). I have a strong belief that yarn isn't sock yarn unless it is machine washable at at least 30 degrees.
23. When is your birthday?
4 July 1978 - yes, american independence day!
24. Ravelry?
I love it! My username is littlelixie.

More Wedding Photos

Here are all of them: link. I'm not mentioning this so that you can get prints of my photos, but if you register for your own kodak gallery account you get 30 free prints. If you register as a result of viewing my album you only get 20. I'm trying not to take it personally.

Still trying to catch up with all the bits and bobs that have been left to fester for the last few weeks. I have however finished off some john lewis vouchers on the yarn for hanne falkenburg's mermaid. Pooch has said, and is not denying he has said, that...

I CAN NOW BUY AS MUCH YARN AS I WANT BECAUSE NOW WE ARE MARRIED IT IS LIKE I AM BUILDING A NEST FOR US BOTH

Oh yes. Now obviously as a modern woman I don't let a man tell me when I can and can't go shopping but I am aware I have quite a lot already and so had previously agreed to cut down until at least some of the current stash was used up. But.... since he's said that...

Also another wedding present arrived in the post today - Norah Gaughan's Knitting Nature. Wow! That is one amazing book. I wanted it for the bubble jumper which I'd seen knitted up on ravelry but it's almost like that is one of the less impressive of the amazing patterns. But, I'm determined to get mermaid done before starting another big garment.

Almost forgot - a couple of people asked about the bouquet and buttonhole. Will take a proper pic of them both and post it here soon.

Thursday 9 August 2007

The aftermath

Helloooooo! Well here I am back in blogland again and firmly established as the current Mrs Whittaker. I have only had one incident of answering the phone and saying "Al*x B*rne....I mean Whittaker" so far which I think is rather good for a week. Pooch and I are off to another wedding today which will give me my first opportunity to refer to 'my husband' which I'm also looking forward to.

So photos? Well, photobucket is down so I can't do my usual uploads but here are a few through the wonders of the internet.

This is me in the taxi chortling away on the way to the registry office. The murky lump in my hand is my knitted bouquet.

Next up is the happy couple, with me still chortling away. Pooch's buttonhole was also knitted.


Then finally here is Pooch on our honeymoon, communing with nature in the form of a chicken which took to following us around for a while. We were actually at the domestic fowl trust looking at all the rare chickens and it was awesome. I have about a zillion photos of chickens should anyone care to have a gander (fnah fnah, well, this might seem funnier if I had mentioned earlier that there were geese too).


It just goes to show how stressful weddings can be because I managed to go on honeymoon without the bag of knitting I had carefully prepared. Talk about disaster. I had spent weeks deciding on the perfect project to take with me and I all very nearly went wrong. Fortunately I had packed a back-up pair of jaywalkers in the suitcase so all was not lost and I'm half way down the foot of the first one.

So yes, now we can get back to normal! Thanks so much everyone for your cards, emails and comments. It really was a lovely day and a lovely honeymoon in the cotswolds but now I'm looking forward to really getting my head down with the good old knitting. I'm still slogging away loading things onto ravelry so come and be my friend if you're on there. "littlelixie" is my moniker.