Vet Trip

Well I got the rats to the vet and was given some rat frontline equivalent to dose them with. I also got frontline for the cats and the rabbits. I mentioned to the vet my niggle over the fact they had fleas but no reason why they should after all none of them go out except to the vet! He said that rats with fleas were very rare and most unlikely that they had come from his surgery! Hmm yeah right okay. Neither I nor MM have any animal contact except at home of course and both go from home to work and back again and as I said in my post yesterday the animals don't go out at all except to the vet! Perhaps they've come through "flea-mail" teehee

hohum

Now on UKHK there has been much discussion in the past about the sale of knitting paraphernalia in charity shops and most of the time I have found this to be the case. Occasionally I come across an odd ball or two of yarn so you can imagine my surprise when I went in one on Saturday and they had a small 2 foot high basket of coned yarn. I took the basket to the counter and said thatI would all of it. There were about 10 cones and that was fine by me. Now you then imagine my amazement further still when they said they had some more upstairs and did I want any of that. I asked how much and they said "another two boxes". I succumbed and took home:

There are a few odd balls tucked away that you can really see but definitely worth the amount I paid for it. I can't work out just yet whether it is 2 or 3 ply. I'm minded for the latter. It will however be put to charitable use. A lady at my local group knits the charity boxes for Romania et al, trauma teddies and South Africa. I'm also knitting (on and off) blanket squares to make blankets (bit obvious really given they are blanket squares) for Haworth Cat Rescue.

On my needles at the moment is a Debbie Bliss project. No pictures unfortunately as I am not sure whether or not the intended recipient reads my blog. I've made a few mistakes in one place but rather than frog it and redo I'm leaving them in. Unless you start to pull it apart and look at it closely they are not mistakes that leap out at you.

On the downside this weekend. I've discovered that Little One has got the unmentionable "F" word. I'm not sure why I didn't pick up on it sooner as I'm playing with all three rats every day. I am putting it down to when I took Cairo and Gibber to the vets last month and to be honest I am sick and tired of it. I find that everytime I take and have to leave one of my animals at the vets they come back with some infestation that they didn't have before they went whether its "f" or worms. I'll be ringing the vets tomorrow to make an appointment and request some more "F" treatment. Because my cats are indoor cats and the rabbits are only out during the summer and so there is no other animal contact I only dose them when I have to which is always after a trip to the vet :(

On the upside and to end this post on a positive note and purely domestic information. I've managed t0 clear the ironing. I've had a large pile languishing in a basket for several weeks and always seemed to find an excuse not to do it. I therefore made a promise that I'd clear it this weekend and I have done.

Secret Pal Competition

Our Secret Pal Host Mum has set us the following questions for answering:


1. What is the one knitting accessory you could not live without?

Assuming here that I can't include my Boyes needlemaster set ;-) I'd have to say my swift. I dread to think of counting the number of tangled skeins I've had to untangle in my time due to them falling off hands, arms, chairs and goodness knows what else. It also makes less hard work having to press-gang someone else to move correctly.

2. If you're heading on vacation, do you take knitting with you? If so, how much and what type of project?

I never really do holidays per se as I seem to spend all of mine going and helping out on a stand at the shows. When I go though I a nice cable jumper and blanket squares. Blanket squares would probably win out though as I can do them without having to think about anything pattern-wise (this also helped with it being dark in the cinema the other week).


3. Where have you travelled to that you'd consider your favorite spot?

Hmm. Well unfortunately on this its nothing international as the one and only time I was abroad was in 1979 - YES 28 YEARS AGO!!!!! The place though is the Isle of Wight. It holds so many fond childhood memories that even the several times I have gone since 2000 it seems like going home although not quite as rose-tinted as the memories remember it :(

4. What is your favorite knitting book at the moment? Do you own it?

Hmmmmm. Would have to be the new Harry Potter "Charmed Knits" that I got off my friend for my birthday last month. I've yet to start anything from there but I look forward to working through it.


5. Do you listen to podcasts? Which is your favorite(s)?

I do but somewhat sporadically. I listen to Knit Cast and Cast On primarily but have also started listening to Lixie's (http://lixieknitsit.podbean.com/). I probably get more enjoyment from this as I know Lixie so can relate to things she is mentioning more easily than the others.

Quick Update

This is only meant to be a quick update as I've been so naughty with blogging recently. Last weekend saw Bingley show and this time I had my main entry prepared four months ahead of schedule. I was not going to be repeating the 3am on the day finish again!

I did not block it though until the Saturday in order that it didn't have any chance of going saggy beforehand. Here is it blocked out in (wait for it) sunlight ;)

And here is it unpinned on the floor.
Its the Fibertrends Sheep Shawl. I decided to do it in a multicolour as I wanted something different than the plain one colour and didn't want to use variagated. The yarn is Jamiesons Ultra.

Here was my second entry. I had made it for a friend for her birthday and used KnitWitches hand-dyed silk. I used a pattern from the knitting calendar from 2006. Unfortunately it didn't gain an award but my friend liked it which was the most important thing. It was over a month late getting to her but I had to break off from it because I had to do a scarf for her grandmother (see earlier blog entry) and the day I finished it she had gone on holiday for a fortnight.

I got second place with my shawl again this year and am hoping that next year will see me coming first. I do however have Keighley show in two weeks and the village next to mine is having a show the weekend after so there is still a possibility for a first this year.

84 Charing Cross Road

Has anyone else read the book/watched the film of this? More on this subject tomorrow.

Secret Pal 11 Questionnaire

1. What is/are your favourite yarn/s to knit with? What fibres do you absolutely *not* like?
I think I prefer “plain” as opposed to the current fashion furs (see q 14).I don't like the eyelash and fur yarns (funky fur, fizz, foxy etc). I also absolutely detest Dune after having a disaster knitting a poncho in it early last year.I don't have a preference between acrylic or natural.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I’ve got a storage case for one set of my metal needles, a roll case for my bamboo needles and then one of those stackable boxes with lids for the remainder.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I have been knitting 25 years. Would say intermediate – advanced.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Not at the moment. I tend to go through phases of what books I collect so its always best to ask me.

5. What's your favourite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
I like citrus smells and rose. I also like the smell of lavender but is not something I’d want something too permanent smelling of.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favourite candy?
Yes have a very sweet tooth unfortunately am trying to diet off sweeties.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I’ve bought myself a cross-stitch and rug making kit to have a go at. Not sure how well i’ll take to it at the moment though. I also learnt the basics for Tunisian crochet at Harrogate two years ago but undecided now whether i’ll take it further. I do also have a spinning wheel (called Mabel) and a washed fleece but the two and the carding combs have yet to meet each other.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
Quite a mixed range. Not so fond of 1990s onward though. Yes I can play everything. I also collect Dr Who audios and am quite behind on those.

9. What's your favourite colour(s)? Any colours you just can't stand?
I like various green but not lime (bit too bright for me to wear), also like blue and some oranges. If knitting for myself I don't like pastels. I also ABSOLUTELY LOATHE pink.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
Partner of almost seven years. At the moment we have two cats (Cairo and Lara), two rabbits (Dobbie and Winkie), three rats (Gibber, Ish and Little One (who is anything but!!)).

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I wear gloves. Again these are bottle green which I need to find as its getting chilly here. I am not really a hat person either although I have done myself a balaclava.

12. What is/are your favourite item/s to knit?
Would say that I am not too fussy although with the commissions it seems to be jumpers at the moment. Travelling to/from work I make blanket squares – easy to knit and no major problems if you get shoved/lose your place.

13. What are you knitting right now?
On the needles or about to go on the needles is the fiddlesticks peacock feather shawl, a baby christening shawl, an Alice Starnore aran jumper, a pair of socks and a pair of gloves.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminium, plastic?
I have two sets of straights (one metal and one bamboo). I also have a set of Boyes (similar to Denise's). I have several Addis including a 3.5mm and a 4mm

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Oh yes - how on earth did I live without the combination!

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
I inherited a pair of gloves when my nan died so these are about 20 years old. My own UFO though is a balaclava I made about 4-5 years ago which I finally sewed it up in November but still need to do a rib edging for round my face. I needed to make it up quickly as it was extremely cold and windy when I was helping at Harrogate.

18. What is your favourite holiday?
I don’t really do holidays but the times I go away I prefer a doing/seeing break as opposed to sunbathing. Seasonal holiday I like Christmas - think its the kid in me.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
I’m into Dr Who, Enid Blyton, Star Wars but am a natural hoarder.

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 Simply Knitting and pick up copies of Knitting and occasionally Interweave Knits and Knit Today.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
The technique of being able to just follow a pattern straight and no need to frog it! I have also got to get round to learning in practice picture jumpers and fairisle rather than theory.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Mixed feelings here. I need to master kitchener stitch or find a better way of making the ends meet. Sizewise though I am a UK8.

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
24 July.

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID
KnittyFred