princessdeia

July 24th 2006
Filed under General

Our hostess from SP8 has emailed this extra questionnaire.

1. What is your favorite season of the year?
I do love the summer even this amazing weather we are having now

2. Where is your favorite vacation spot?
I guess Miami – I had an amazing time there.

3. If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be?
Peru.

4. If you could pick any job, and be paid well, what would it be?
I loved being a barmaid apart from the pay – so that is the obvious choice. But my dream job is to open a funky little cinema, showing old films.

5. If you were going on vacation for 1 week, and had to take ONLY one project with you, what would it be?
Socks – as they don’t take up too much room in the suitcase. 

6. If you won a shopping spree to your favorite Yarn shop, what would you get??
A lot of funky sock yarn, oh and some more books for inspiration.

June 22nd 2006
Filed under General, Project Spectrum, Swaps

Yesterday we went to Royal Ascot and we finally got to see the new grandstand, unfortunately I had dead batteries in my camera and was unable to buy replacements. here should be photos of my in my hat, drinking Pimms and losing money!

Also whilst I was out the postman delivered my first package from my Secret Pal. So this morning, after a quick trip to the post office and shop to buy some batteries, I got to examine my goodies.

Inside was two skeins of this amazing Colinette Point 5 yarn – I have never seen it before and it is amazing! I think it will make a luscious scarf for the autumn.

Also was a collection of scrap-booking supplies all in shades of blue – just in time for me to make my Postcard for June’s Project Spectrum.

Finally, a Su Duko book for some brain training and candles.

May 3rd 2006
Filed under General

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Any really, cotton, KSH.
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
An old needlecase, my circular needles and DPN’s are in a bag.
3. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I started when I was a kid (about 9), did a little during High School and College to relax – but started up a few years ago. I guess I am an advanced beginner.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes – here
5. What’s your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
Anything berry-like, I love Bath and Body Works Sweet Pea.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth?
Yes, I only like British Chocolate – but I love Jelly Belly and Twizzlers..
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I make cards and scrapbook. 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)
Mainly alternative, old school Britpop (Blur, Stone Roses, Verve).
Current tunes on my iPod, are Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, Interpol and Nine Black Alps.
Yes – I can play MP3s.
9. What’s your favorite color? Or–do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can’t stand?
I loves Blues, but am using a lot of reds and pinks at the moment.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I got engaged this year to my long term b/f, we are getting married next year. No children or pets.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Hats, scarves and gloves.
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Mini sweaters, like OSW, Circular shrug or the Anthropologie-inspired capelet.
13. What are you knitting right now?
Striped sweater and some socks.
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes!
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Straight, but I am moving towards circular needles – as I hate seaming.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
No – that is what I use my b/f for.
17. How did you learn to knit?
My mum taught me when I was a kid, then I have picked up tips from books and recently online.
18. How old is your oldest UFO?
Almost a year – it just needs buttons.
19. What is your favorite holiday?
Halloween.
20. Is there anything that you collect?
Birds of Prey Comics.
21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
New Knits: 20 Knitting Projects with a Contemporary Twist.
Scarf Style: Innovative to Traditional, 31 Inspirational Styles to Knit and Crochet.
22. Are there any new techniques you’d like to learn?
I guess intarsia.
23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes. Size 7UK
24. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
31st October (Halloween).

April 20th 2006
Filed under General, Project Spectrum, Socks

As I missed Secret Pal 7 and thought I would sign up for both Secret Pal 8 and the One Skein Secret Pal. I have yet to receive my One Skein book – but I love the concept and all the FO’s I have seen at the blog look amazing – I can’t wait to start knitting cupcakes. All this secret palling means I can start looking at yarn again (I have been on a yarn diet). Get Knitted here I come.

I have finally finished two pairs of socks – unfortunately they have been worn and are now in the wash before I had a chance to update. Mum’s twin set is also complete and just needs some buttons. I must update my gallery because one FO in three months is embarrassing.

I am not taking part on Project Spectrum really this month and I am not keen on Yellows and Oranges, I have made a postcard for Laura (which is in the post). But proving colour is all around us – this morning when I was enjoying my morning coffee at my fMIL’s house (we are cat sitting), I thought this cup was a screaming out to be added to the photo pool.

December 6th 2005
Filed under General, Swaps

I have been so busy over the last few weeks, I have not had time to stop and update – it doesn’t help that I have been away from home so PC and Camera-less! I am in the middle of printing the inserts for my handmade Christmas cards, so finally have time to update.

I was planning on making 40 mini stocking from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts, however time has not been on my side and I had to change the plan.

I was also asked to make Wedding Invitations from Jason’s cousin – which she needed this weekend – luckily, I was able to make a pretty simple design so it didn’t take that long. (This was one of the rejected cards – as the heart is wonky).

I had my last parcel from my Secret Pal – which was Mother of Purl by Edith Eig, which I loved mainly as it had the pattern to the Lost in Translation Scarf – which is one of my favourite films. Jumbled up on the back of the parcel was numerous letters, that I think are an anagram of my Secret Pal, but I have no idea still as to who s/he is.

I was spoiling Brynne from All This By Hand, I say spoiling but really all I did was converted her to Lush. It was strange spoiling an experiences knitter again, as I had seen Brynne’s designs in Knitty (including Samus, which I think I will be knitting in the new year).

Speaking of Knitty – this issue is amazing, I love…
knecklace
bamboozelle
best friend
forecast
tempting II
festive (another Brynne design).
tubey
blanche-neige
bristow

I will be so busy next year :s

November 12th 2005
Filed under Swaps

For personal reason, Jason and I have been spending a lot of time with his parents in Stevenage, whenever I come back home I find a little parcel waiting for me from my Secret Pal, it is so lovely. I am always pleasant surprised with my presents seeing what little bit of information they have take from my questionnaire and what they have done with it. Like this funky little baby tee to add to my increasing collection. I love this Fat Boy logo – it reminds me of the Big Boy spaceship in Austin Powers (groovy baby).

The logo on the bottom of the t-shirt says UNLV – could this be a clue to my SP’s identity – I know they live in Las Vegas, but are they a student or a lecturer there, oh I need Grissom to help me out with this one I think.

In knitting news, I have finished three of the Xmas scarves, unfortunately, I have decided I love the multi-directional scarf too much to give up – it looks amazing with my new jacket – I had to buy more wool to make another one for me

November 9th 2005
Filed under General, Swaps

So much has happened lately – but rather then post a long entry, I thought I would post a photography entry of the two weeks. Firstly, it was my birthday .

My sister made me this amazing birthday cake – which was in fact 16 little cupcakes, spelling out “HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEEâ€?

It was also Halloween, so another part of my present was this amazing bouquet complete with an evil little witch.

None of my presents where knitting related (apart from a Knit Pixie voucher from my Secret Pal), I did get two jackets – so plenty of opportunities to knit yet more scarves. But it will have to be way after Christmas as the Xmas scarves are going very slowly.

As well as my voucher my Secret Pal, sent be this box fully of little yarn sample. There are so many yarns in here, we can’t get in the UK and more I have never heard of. I think I will try and turn them into a leftovers sweater. My favourites so far are…

Schoeller Stahl Merino Stretch.
Lily Chin Signature Collection Tribeca.
Lanaknits.com’s Hemp for Knitting.

Finally, some knitting news.

This is the third of the ten scarves, I have to knit for Xmas, it is using Fishtail Lace Scarf pattern in the light pink KSH, I think this pattern looks great in the lighter colours and I can’t wait to see it blocked (I haven’t really been doing gauge squares with these scarves).

October 19th 2005
Filed under Swaps, Sweaters

Things have been so busy around here at the moment – I would say in London, but I have been all over the ‘shires over the last few days. Needless to say, I never made it to Ally Pally this weekend, having read blog entries the exhibition, I am a little jealous, but there is always next year. Plus I am going to treat myself to some wool this week. I have yet to order the extra wool I need for Mini-sweater II, MCA Direct have some in stock so I will be placing an order today and having seen all the lovely socks being knitted as part of Socktober, and I think I will invest in some extra sock wool.

Knitting has been going slowly, but I have finally managed to finish off numerous projects that have been 95% complete, NLLALM is still waiting to be blocked. I just need to weave the ends into Branching Out and then block her – same with the Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf. I have also started yet another Xmas Scarf (number three), I am using the Fishtail Lace Scarf I found online, it is yet another simple pattern that works so well.

I am extremely unorganised this week and the only thing that has kept me sane as I travel is Silent Bob Speaks, the wonderful book I got from SP6. I have to say I am always so amazed when I get presents from Secret Pals, I have been so lucky in both rounds; my pals seem to get into my brain and no just what I want, but also go above and beyond the call of duty. It is the simple things but they seem to be the right simple things. I am a sucker for a wrapping paper, don’t know why but it shows thought I guess, when I got my finally present from Tracy, she had wrapped all the little presents in Simpson wrapping paper, which is so “meâ€? I don’t know how she knew that I was a fan of the little yellow family but she did. All of my presents this round have been superbly wrapped – even the jiffy bags have matched. And yet again she is going beyond the call of duty, the Kevin Smith book has been on my Amazon Wishlist most this year, I love Smith, enjoy watching his films, collect all the comics he has written and recent am obsessed with this blog, whenever I am in the book shop, I end up buying yet another knitting book (knitting is my greatest obsession), so the book has started on my list, so when it arrived I was over the moon, but my SP didn’t just order the book straight from Amazon, no they went to View Askew and brought me a signed copy – I am so touched, this is now one of my favourite possessions.

October 10th 2005
Filed under General, Swaps

I have been busy this weekend trying to stash bust – I think it is a quick attempt to clear space before next weekend. I nearly finished my second mini-sweater, however, I ran out of yarn
I have emailed MCA Direct as they still have the lot number in stock – otherwise, I guess I will have to have a slight difference in tone.

I am unsure if I will be going to the Knitting and Stitching Show, this weekend, I really want to go, but have a lot on this week and I unsure if I can go without spending a fortune. I have checked and I can get a ticket on the door on Saturday if I decided to go. I have been looking at some of the website that are exhibiting and I have seen loads that I want to buy.

I was thinking of getting more Hipknit Silk, as it knits up so nicely and they always have amazing shades on their website, however, I was unsure what to make with it – until I saw Glampyre’s new design I think this will look amazing in one of the bright pinks – like Lipstick, I can’t wait for the pattern. My “summerâ€? top is coming along great – yet another project, I would like to finish this week.

I signed up for “another weasley knitalong” weeks ago and started my scarf almost straight away, yet I have get to do any more, I have done the second of the gold stripes, the pattern asks for 13 so I have long way to go. I would love to have the scarf ready for the movie release, so it is yet another think I want to complete this week.

Just when I was starting to get organized and stop procrastinating, a received another little goodie from my SP, and my good intentions have gone out the window. In yet another beautifully wrapped parcel (I torn this one before taking a photo), was Kevin Smith’s book – something that has been on my Amazon Wish List forever. Now I am too busy reading to knit.

October 4th 2005
Filed under General, Swaps

Yesterday, I received my second parcel from my SP – she is so organised, I am always amazed how each SP present is so perfect – she gave me a mini calculator it put in my knit kit, which is something I could really do with, in fact I started using it last night.

As the weather is so unpredictable in London at the moment, I figured it was ideal time to knit another shrug. I was going to knit another OSW, I was looking in my mini stash and found the Rowanspun DK that Tracy got me in the last round of Secret Pal, that I earmarked for a mini-sweater. The wool is thinner than the pattern called for so I had to rework the pattern a little (hence using the calculator).

Using Jason as my swift I tried to roll the two hanks into balls, however, it all went terrible pear-shaped and we ended up with a massive nest – that somehow Jason managed to get into a big ball and a little baby ball – he is my hero. Hopefully, I will have this little baby knitted up ready to wear over the weekend.

Which will be amazing as my obsession with not complete projects is continuing, I still haven’t finished branching out, even though it is such a simple lace pattern to knit, I am getting so carried away with other projects. I just love this colour, it is going to look so perfect with both my autumn jackets (one is grey the other navy).

I am still undecided if I will knit several branching out’s for gifts, after hunting around online, I found Wendy Knits’ list of lace scarves, and fell in love with Lorrie’s Fishtail Lace Scarf, Little Leaf Scarf and the Simple Knitted Lace Scarf.

With the second ball of Kidsilk Spray, I have I decided to try Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf, again, I dropped the needle size down to 3.75mm and I am really pleased with the results, this pattern is so simple and looks so affective, I think I might have to knit one of these for myself.