SP10

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I don't like 100% acrylic and I don't especially love cotton but I love merino and sock, 100% wool, cashmere, cotton silk

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
a whiskey bottle tube, I'm not that tidy, though.

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 about 5/6 years. A crafty friend taught me the basic and learned lots more by taking risks, lol, but there is still a lot to learn but I think I am intermediate.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
i do but it's not really up to date.

5. What's your favorite scent?
l'eau d'issey by issey miyake.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
yes, most of my teeth are sweet, in fact, but I'm trying to live sugar free.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I have recently learned to crochet which I love but I only know a small amount. I don't have time for any other crafts. I'd love to spin but I think that is a few years away.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I can play cd's I like lots of music, mostly at like british indie pop bands like The Feeling.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
green. I like natural, earthy colours. not very parcial to fake, day glow colours.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I am almost married. We don't have pets wish to. Today I decided that I would like a rabbit. I would also like a big dog x 3, stick insects, snakes, sheep, and possibly pigs. I doubts I will ever get any, though.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I do not wear ponchos. I wear all the rest and I have been known to wear a celtic warrior shawl. Those who know me know the irony of that statement.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I usually knit small things that don't need sewing just because I suppose I'm lazy. I love knitting baby stuff, though. I also love knitting socks.

13. What are you knitting right now?
socks, a blanket, a calorimetry, mittens and a hat.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
not especially, sorry.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I mostly knit with wood, not bamboo, though. I love knitting with Denise, I have the pink kit.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
I have a yarn winder but no swift.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
too old to remember.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
city holidays like NYC. I also love spain.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
no.

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

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I've never done lace, I would love to knit a fab shall for my mum.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I am. I am a UK size 8.5 or a 42, i think.

23. When is your birthday?
9 July

End Water Poverty - sanitation and water for all

WaterAid have initiated a new campaign to address the global crisis in water and sanitation.

Visit www.endwaterpoverty.org and pledge your support. Please also visit the 'take action page and send a message to the G8.

End Water Poverty is a new campaign and I think the river, when it is sewn together, will be used to help raise awareness of this campaign, the deatils of which I will announce when plans have been finallized.

babies and small clothes

Please may I introduce you to my up and coming neice/nephew. Isn't s/he gorgeous? S/he will be the best dressed baby in town!This is just finished this afternoon. It is for my 5 year old cousin Maisie who is kind of like a neice. She is very gorgeous. However, she made her feelings very clear the last time I saw her in Liverpool. From behind an arm chair where she was hiding she told me 'Go away, I don't like beards.' Too bad Masie my love, it's staying. I hope you like your new white cotton cardigan that has been jazzed up with some ladybird buttons.

If you look closely you will see a couple of red wine stains, oops! Her mother will definately not mind; we grew up together and I know she likes a little glass or two so I'm sure she'll understand.

Saturday in the shop has been quiet - everyone must be at Excel. I went on Thursday and I can't wait to order some more handspun from Fyberspates. The river was also present for the exhibition, thanks to Beatrice and the Middlesex WI, who have made almost 1000 between them!And they are sewn together!! Most of them have been sewn by Mary (who is pictured sewing in her hospital bed just to the right of this picture). I hoep you get well soon, Mary.

I Knit London club night, 18 March at The Phoenix

this is just a short post to let you know about the next I Knit London club night.

18 March at The Phoenix, Cavendish Square, just off Oxford Circus.

put it in your diary, it's going to be great, we have already booked some of the entertainment...

...we'll post more news soon!

GxxThis is a picture of the Superlambanana in Liverpool, for no other reason than I love it.

Valentines hangover?

Last night's knitting at the shop club was a very unusual experience. There were very few of us at the shop, a phenomenon we can only assume is due to Valentines Day Activity. I Knit London are thrilled that there is so much love in the air and we hope there are some chocolates left for today!

We had somewhat of an early night and we watched some of the Brits which made me feel kind of old and the even thought I am from the North West I was slightly depressed by the awfulness off Oasis; who buys their records? Anyway, Amy Winehouse is brilliant! I'm knitting her a garter!

Happy Knitting, and happy lovin'!

win, lose or knit

We started February with a visit to Carlisle for the wedding of Craig's sister. It was a very cold day in the north but we had a brilliant day and the bride and groom, obviously, looked gorgeous. Craig read at the wedding and we all felt very proud, it was also great to see his Dad, too, who was over from Spain.

This is me and Ali. She was a bridesmaid, apart from the bride, Ali has the most beautiful eyes in the north.

It snowed in London and in other places. It's been really cold but brilliant to have snow - I hope you are all knitting lots to keep you warm! The TV news the night before 'warned' us of snow and I couldn't help but feel a bit old by remembering that when I was young we got snow more regularly and I was really happy about it! London tends to worry about falling apart when there is a spot of 'extreme' weather. You'll be glad to know that we're all still here, just a bit colder and soggier than before. There has been much more snow around the UK!

The snow didn't hinder our trip to BBC broadcasting house (although it took Jon over two hours to get there). We were there to try our luck on the quiz show Eggheads.

Here are some of the pics from the day. I will not tell you how we did on the show but it was a very exciting, surreal and an unforgettable day. All the production staff were lovely, Dermot Murnaghan was gorgeous and the Eggheads were great.

don't we look great? I sat closest to Dermot! I was team captain (!) so I spoke the most. I'm not very good in these types of situations; the anxiety tends to freeze me. Esther was chosen by the producers to be the standby, I thought about falling off the set or pretending to faint so I could get out of it...
We made egg cosies for each of the eggheads. Daphne and Judith liked us most as they both knitted. They talked with us for a while after the show and they were really nice. Because it was a quiz and because I'm from Liverpool I had the idea that it would be a bit of a battle and I went in thinking it would be a bit of a clash but it was so relaxed and all the Eggheads, Daphne and Judith especially were lovely.
Shop news; we've had a couple of massive deliveries, including one from Rowan! And lots more expected, so much so that another trip to the flatpack shop was required and so there are more shelves than ever to display the gorgeous yarns and things.

We also got lots of and tables chairs so there will be no messing on Wednesday nights in the shop from now on! As the shop knitting nights are so popular, but only once a fortnight, we have decided that every Thusday night in the shop will be a knitting in the shop night! So, come on down!

We will soon get a big television for the shop so we can have film nights, we'll keep you posted...if you have any ideas about the films you would like to see...

...also, we had a nice suprise when we opened the latest Simply Knitting. They have featured our website, Craig is very proud! The shop part of the website is being upgraded as I write (I don't think Craig sleeps!). We have never had the complete range online but we will over the next fews days...

And finally, bad news. The German embassy have refused to meet with WaterAid if we are going to have a public demonstartion outside. They have told us one or the other. So we have had to cancel the public lobby, I will let you know as soon as it is rescheduled.

Gerardxx and Craigxx

IKL