dolly dimple knits

Secret Pal 10 Questionnaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

Ooh, hard to say. My tastes are fairly wide but definitely tending towards the snob end - altho' I'm not averse to acrylic mixed with other things ! I love anything soft and not scratchy especially alpaca, angora, kid silk, fine merino. Get the picture ?

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

They pretty much roll around loose at the bottom of a drawer. Which is fine except it's always the size you need that you can only find one of. And the circulars get tangled but I read recently an idea about storing them in cd cases so I might give that a try :0)

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 for a hundred and umpteen years - let's just say we're counting it in decades these days. But I did learn from my Mum when I was very young ! On skill level I'm probably reasonably advanced. I've tried most things and generally they work out. I haven't done a lot of lace for some reason but have done loads of colourwork, cabling etc

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

Yup. Here she is.

5. What's your favorite scent?

I really like vanilla, cinnamon and orange scented things. But lavender reminds me of hospitals and patchouli makes me want to throw up :0)

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

Only where chocolate is concerned. Dark chocolate gingers. Yum. Big Yum.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I do a bit of crochet and sewing from time to time and I'd like to try quilting but have never quite got it together. I'd really love to try needle felting too so I'm trying to get sorted out to go to a class.

And no I don't spin.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

That's a hard one. I have fairly wide tastes. Lots of older stuff - Elvis Costello, The Clash, Laura Nyro, Tom Petty ( I could go on !) - but also more modern stuff like Green Day, Scissor Sisters, The Fratellis, Franz Ferdinand.

Yes. I can do MP3's.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

Reds, pinks, purples, blues, greens - I like them all from pastel to the deepest richest shades. I don't suit citrus colours on the whole (they make me look dead. Not good). And don't even come near me with yellow !

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

1 husband (to date), 3 daughters (age 12, 8 and 4 years old) and 2 cats.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

Scarves - yes.
Hats - not usually because I've yet to find one I don't look completely stupid in plus I have a big head so they don't fit.
Mittens - not so much as I feel like I've lost the use of my hands in them. Ponchos - don't be daft ;0)

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

Usually whatever I'm knitting right now. I do all sorts so I don't really have a favourite.

13. What are you knitting right now?

Venezia sweater from Interweave Knits Winter 2006 (scroll down to see it). You'll see my version in some of my February posts.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Absolutely :0)

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

I generally use circulars these days tho' I learned to knit on straights and used nothing but them for about the first 20 years. Bamboo or metal. Not plastic as I find it too bendy.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

I got a beautiful wooden swift for Christmas but I don't have a ball winder. Yet.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

Remember that question I answered about having been knitting for decades ? ..... Actually I got rid of a lot of them a while back. So the oldest I currently have is about 3 years.

18. What is your favorite holiday?

I don't think I have one really. I like them all. I'm just greedy I think.

19. Is there anything that you collect?

Ehm, yarn ...... and fabric ....... and knitting books and magazines....... and that's about it. I'm SO one dimensional ;0)

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

It's my ambition to find a copy of Alice Starmore's Book of Fair Isle Knitting in a charity shop one day - as opposed to having to pay an arm and a leg for it on ebay !

I'm a member of Rowan International and subscribe to Interweave Knits. I went off Vogue a bit recently so I stopped that one but I do like Rebecca tho I don't get it regularly.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

Not so much a new technique to learn as I'd like to get better at lace knitting. I just don't find it instinctive the way I do with cabling or fairisle.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

Yes - tho' I've never ever knitted a whole pair for me ! I have 3 single socks lurking somewhere :0) I have small feet (which is good for sock knitting !) as I'm a UK size 3. (European 36)

23. When is your birthday?

11th August

A funny week

This has been a funny week. Lots of things have happened, good and bad and I feel a bit unsettled. Worse still, I haven't had time or energy or inclination to knit. At . All.

Work continues in a shitty vein. It feels like an uphill struggle at the moment trying to maintain my team's morale when my own is pretty much up the creek over the workload, the budget cuts and other issues. My local knitting group has hit a tricky patch - over something that should be a non-issue - but friends, people I care about have been hurt and upset and that isn't good. I had car troubles on Monday and didn't get home 'till really late as a result. Oh, and the bloody cats have got fleas again. Oh crap.

On the good side, I'm confident we can sort out the knitting group debacle, my college course is nearly finished (only the assignment to write !), my eldest daughter turned 12 and just stuns me with her wit, wisdom, maturity and beauty - and I joined Secret Pal 10. Yay ! I haven't participated since Secret Pal 3 for various (mainly time-related) reasons so this feels great :0)

I've also sold my Dad's house. This feels a bit of both. I know it has to go and it's not really him. But as long as it just sat there I could drive past and feel like any minute he might appear at the door. When someone else's curtains are at the window, when someone changes the colour of the front door or plants a new bush in the garden, I'll know he's really gone. Which is daft. But there you are.

The good about it is that I think I'm okay about knowing he's really gone now. He's still stepping in to help out where he's needed. He's still easing my path in every way he can.

Sorry there's no knitting content this time folks but like I say, I just haven't done any this week. Maybe I will now :0)

Whoosh ! .... drive-by blogging ......

It's progress - not a lot - but progress nonetheless ;0)

Nearly finished the shaping decreases (one more to do !) and then I work straight for 5 rows and then increase again. This doesn't sound much except that 1 row takes about 20 minutes !

But don't you love the clever side decreases - you hardly notice them where she's placed them in the pattern ...

when I grow up I want to be Eunny ..... ;0)

More Beginnings

#Trivia Fact No. 2673 : A yarn swift when sitting on top of an average height ironing board, spins at the average height equivalent of the head of an average height 4 year old girl.

Ask me how I know this. Go on.

I know this because my very own particular average height (tho' utterly stupendous in every other way !) daughter was completely mesmerised by me winding this

into balls. Ouch ! Sorry Rowan - I'm sure the bruise will die down soon darling ....

Anyway. In the words of the immortal Rolf - "Kin ya tell what it is yit ? "

Some say you can't improve on perfection but for me it was only nearly perfect. Because I don't do golden browny coppery - really yellow I suppose, in any form.

I do, however, do raspberry and peony and palest pink

I didn't intend to knit Venezia when I saw it at first. But somehow I kept going back to look at it. And then when I saw this beautifully re-coloured one, there was no stopping me !

Grabbing my Jamieson's shade chart I analysed the colours used and decided that I actually really liked all of the background greens and blue/green teals that Eunny Jang used. So I kept those.

There are 3 golden brown colours in the original - Old Gold, Yellow Ochre and Sand. None of these do anything for me so I swapped them out for Raspberry (for the border), Peony (for the Yellow Ochre detail) and Dog Rose ( for the pattern colour originally worked in Sand). Dog Rose is a heathery mix and much paler than it appears in my photos for some reason.

The original light pattern colours were just very slightly on the brown side for my colour choices so I swopped them out for one shade slightly whiter and greyer. Basically for the whole thing, I concentrated on trying to achieve the same colour balance but in shades more suited to my colouring.

And do I love it ? Oh yes ! I have been obsessed with this sweater for the last 3 evenings ..... and yes folks, those pathetic inches are the product of 3 WHOLE evenings. This is not a quick knit. But it is a labour of love and as long as I stay in love with it long enough to finish it, we'll be fine :0)

If you're looking for a quick knit, here's my pick it up when I have 5 minutes to spare project that I'm working up to my own design

Aren't the little daisies sweet ? :0)

Endings and Beginnings

So first the endings - we have not ONE but TWO finished projects ! Wahey ! Go me ! (I do actually do things other than knit tho' I appreciate it may not seem that way at the moment ! )

First up -

Pattern : A Cardigan for Arwen Interweave Knits Winter 2006
Yarn : 7 balls of Rowan Felted Tweed in Rage ( I used this instead of the recommended aran weight and got the same gauge on the same size needles but a lighter weight garment. I knitted it in Large.)
Started : 26th December 2006
Finished : 26th January 2007 (Not a very good photo - I found it really hard to get the cables to show up. Sorry !)

And next -

Pattern : Tubey, from Knitty Winter 2005 (I sized this down to make an XXS size to suit the person who's getting this !)
Yarn : RYC Cashsoft Aran in Black, Poppy, Burst and Aubergine
Started : 6th January 2007
Finished : 21st January 2007

Both of these garments have really unusual shaping which makes them fun to knit but I have to tell you - Arwen is a nightmare to finish ! Unless of course you're into a whole lot of mattress stitch ?? (If you are, I'm sure you can get tablets for it :0) )

Tubey, on the other hand, was a joy. No. Seaming. At. All. YUM. I'm definitely knitting this again for me - but it won't be in XXS sadly !

And the beginnings - well, I'm afraid you'll just have to wait for those as my pc has decided it doesn't want to play at uploading any more photos - either that or moveable type has fallen over ?

Suffice it to say, it's my own design, some of you saw it begin at last Sunday's meetup and so far, I'm pretty pleased with it :0)

So what next ? Rowan 41 arrived yesterday and I'm pretty tempted by this one - especially as I already have enough Calmer in my stash to do it ! Two problems tho', the Calmer was always really meant to knit Whisper from the Calmer collection (scroll down to see it) - and it's in Peacock (a lovely dark blue-green) and I LOVE the pale pink !

To be honest tho', I've also fallen for this one - I can't wait for the end of the month when my subscription should arrive :0)

Too many knits, too little time. I think I have inspiration overload ...... anyone know of any jobs that pay you handsomely to knit ? ................. for yourself !