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New Year - Looking Forward & Back

It's only just come to my attention that I never published this posting back in January so guess I might as well do it now.

NEW YEAR 2007 RESOLUTIONS
I've decided that this year I will have at least one Finished Object a month. I also need to sit down and decide what I'll be entering into the Bingley show in August. I know that this may sound somewhat future planning but last year there was one fellow entrant who had a multitude of entries in each class so needles need to start flying and clicking - any ideas?

Well that was my resolution posting for last year. Completing 12 knitted items last year well that just didn't work. I remember finishing 2 knitted items for a friend's bear, 1 shawl, 1 knitted pig toilet roll cover and two lace pattern scarves for a friend and her grandmother and unfortunately little else. I did make a number of false starts on items which ended up being UFOs and are now frogged.

I've entered this year with the following on the needles : one moss stitch scarf (started at NEC in September) (I have now managed to finish this), one Debbie Bliss alphabet blanket that was started in August and am now on the last block of letters (I gave up on this as I lost contact with the person it was for and binned it), and one unbloggable project which is behind schedule (this was the Feed The Children jumper for Mick Aston).

In addition to the above I am intending on getting started and finished a jumper for me (Alice Starmore Aran Jumper utilising Jamieson's aran. This is still in a state of tension square), the field for the knitted picnic, a shawl for some horrible person from Victorian Lace Today. I'm also going to make sure that this is the year I start on the Wedding Ring Shawl. I got some sample yarn for it from Woolly Workshop at Ally Pally in October so once I've finished my unbloggable I can give it a test swatch or two, or four or five ;-)

2008 is also going to see my going abroad for the first time since 1979. I was talking to Sasha Kagan at Ally Pally and she mentioned that both her and Jean Moss are running a five-day workshop in France. I came in to a little money in December so have sent off my cheque and just awaiting confirmation. Further details of it can be found here. I've read the airline's prohibited items and I pity the poor person sat next to me. Its a two hour flight and needles are banned items! I am thinking about stopping off via Paris on the way back. Do you think it is do-able?

This was a grand week and although I did not really learn anything new I met some grand people and am in contact with a number of them and hopefully a few reunions are bound for Ally Pally this year.

Anyway things that happened to me in 2007 include:

• Attending my first KCG meeting after having been a member for over a year (I've now attended two or three this year);

• Being featured in my local paper as a male knitter (they also featured it in a review of 2007 section) (Have since been quoted in Let's Knit in an article that focused on the French Treats workshop. Have also been credited for knitting the Feed the Children Mick Aston breakfast jumper) ;

• Going on SkipNorth for a third time (also ended up going this year for the Sunday);

• Went on training courses and became a certified fire warden and St John's Ambulance First aider;

• Won three 2nd prizes for my shawl at local shows;

• Became an uncle for second time;

• Losing two rats to bad health;

• Gaining two rats because I saw them in the shop just after Ish went for a bigger chunk of cheese;

• Watching Harry Potter 5 in the cinema and then buying Harry Potter 7 a few hours later;

• Being made redundant from my part-time job (Not a great loss but it did hit the yarn engorgement fund);

• Deciding to leave my full-time job in a corporate law firm and move on as I needed a change;

• Getting a full-time job as essentially a paralegal. This is a role which is below a trainee solicitor. I am training up in the field of wills and probate. (A role which came in personally useful in light of recent events.)

CLEAR OUT

I'm having a clear out of yarn and non-yarn. All listed on e-Bay under ID KBMNN.

Sleeping Beauty

The Monster Mog lay here fast asleep and just two weeks old - aaaawwwwww!!!!!!!!!!

Secret Pal Parcel 1

Well I got back tonight to find this nice little parcel waiting for me:




Opening it up inside I found this nicely wrapped in pretty paper:




On top were these two sets of buttons:



I'm now going to have a good route through my patterns to find a jumper I can utilise them for. SP do you know I have a soft touch for buttons?

Next up were these:



which revealed this nice bag:



I think I'll be able to utilise this for carrying my socks I'm knitting at the moment although I think it will also work quite well size way for several lace projects I have in mind so it definitely be put to good use for some time to come. The problem I find with knitting bags as a whole is that they are very much geared up for the female market and don't seeem to take into account that there is a male market out there as well as a female market who are not particularly girly!

Inside the parcel inside the bag I found this in the main packet:


Having read the note from my SP I think she was a bit worried about it but there was nothing to worry about. I've been looking at this series for a while as I've never really grown out of the "Choose Your Own Adventure" type books that have been around for 25+ years so this one hit the nail on the head although I think she was slightly worried about its choice by her little note.

The little packet attached to the book contained these lovely badges and they are now adorning my coat:


Packed separately and awaiting to be munched are these yummies:

The diet has taken a back seat as I've been comfort eating the past couple of weeks due to everything that has been happening so I guess 1 July is going to be the d-day!

Thanks for all of this SP you've hit trumps all the way :-D

A Black Day

Well today was the day of the funeral which none of us had been looking forward to. It still seems hard to contemplate and understand why but we all have to come to terms with it in our own way and at our own pace. All of us had our plans of what we were going to be doing in the future but now will not be happening. There are two good things that have come out of this if that can be said. One is totally unbloggable until x date ;-) and the other is that it has demonstrated of how close the family still remains.

I do have to say that I was not happy with the floral arrangement. When I ordered it I had specifically requested certain things to be in the arrangement. None of the requested items are out of season (apparently they can get hold of all blooms all year round these days) as they were summer blooms or greenery so I think I may well be giving them some grief of their own!

Thios has demonstrated though that there is not always necessarily a tomorrow.

RIP Christian

A brother whose light didn't burn for long enough.

Information here :

We as a family have decided that we're not having flowers but asking for donations to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Cardiac Wing instead.

Secret Pal 12 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 27 years in December. 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 have now put myself on a diet but dried fruits are good.

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 have also learnt the basics for Tunisian crochet but undecided now whether i’ll take it further. I had a spinning wheel called Mabel but never used her so gave her up for adoption.

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 7.5 years. At the moment we have two cats (Cairo and Lara), one rabbits (Winkie), three rats (Gibber, Teddy, Feddy).

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?
I'm very much in a lace phase at present but if it is knitting for other people am not too fussy. 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 utilising Cherry Tree Hill peacock colourway and beads, an Alice Starnore aran jumper using Jamiesons aran and a pair of socks using Begere De France sock wool that I bought in France last month.

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 now about 20 years old. My own UFO though is a balaclava I made about 4-5 years ago which I finally sewed it up November 2006 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?
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?
Bit of a difficult one this. After I went on the French Treats week I realised I need to start looking at more advanced techniques for something that is going to give me a challenge.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Not really. I've made five socks in my time and currently making number 6 and 7 but making them doesn't really knit my rib to be honest.. 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