Meet Warren

Warren is the "The Scary Halloween Pumkin"
The darker it gets the scarier he gets.I've never had a pumpkin before. My lovely TT bought this one for me and carved it to my design on Sunday whilst I made Christmas Pudding and pickled some onions. Domestic Bliss.
The blanket is crocheted together, just the border to do now, which is where I am off to.

Another 30th Birthday sock.

In the land of sock knitting this week we have the start of the first of the Slip Up Socks for Tony's sisters 30th birthday in mid-November. It is in Lorna's Laces Purple Club, which Tony chose from my ridiculously large sock yarn stash. The ribbing makes it really stretchy, but quite hard to photograph. I'm not that convinced I like it, I think it is because you see so much of the purl side. I've just started on the heel, which I like a lot more, being stocking stitch. I'm sure it will be fine.

I'm dead - but I have great presents

Sockwars is over for me. I was killed yesterday by a pair of brown woolly socks...
To compensate for my death, I can home to two other parcels. One for my SP9, which completes the package I am sending out today and the other from my Sockret Pal. Look at all of the FANTASTIC things she sent me....

The Yarn Harlot book (I read the first 2 chapters last night and annoyed Tony by laughing to myself in a "London tube reading" type way.) TWO Crunchies - they are still with us, but probably won't be by the end of the weekend. A Knitpicks 2mm needle - this means I can learn magic loop and finish off the other argyle sock at the same time!! Lastly, the wool..... this gorgeously soft sockwool in pink/lilac/yellow from Lavendersheep on Etsy
This is definately destined to be some socks for me, maybe even some Jaywalkers, as it seems perfect for them, but maybe I should be a little more adventurous! Thank you Sockretly! They are absolutely fantastic presents. I feel like I should be able to work out who you are, but I am confused, half of the presents look like they have come from the US, but the package came from the UK - I am intrigued!

Roo Returns

Not quite sure how it has managed to be 2 weeks between posts.... life has obviously taken over! I've had two lovely weekends away with friends in Surrey and Hampshire. There has been some time for knitting... Odessa is finished and ready to send to Kerry's mum.
Pattern - Odessa from Magknits. Modifications - possibly made it a tiny bit shorter than the pattern suggested as it is for a small head. If I was knitting this for anyone but myself or Kerry's mum I would definately have made it bigger and added more ribbing as it is very small!
Yarn - Rowan Calmer I bought in the sale in Beatties in Wolverhampton, for about £2 a ball. I used less than one ball. It is a fantasic wool to use for hats as it is a bit stretchy and so so soft. Beads are from Nostalgia (I bought at the NEC show and can't find the website for at the moment)
Started Mid September. Finished 21st October. But probably only about 3 hours knitting!

The blanket progress.... yes, I've decided on another layout (after spending about 2 hours laying out the squares in lots of different ways). 7 more squares to add (3 are done but not photographed) and then the border to add. It will be a 5x5 square when finished.
And the sockwars socks - part 2. These were sent last Friday back to the USA. It seems my socks of doom are also on their way from my assassin. She emailed me to tell me she read the pattern incorrectly - so I am intrigued to see what they look like!
A very quick update for everyone. There might be more this evening....

4 parcels and a new baby

Well it seems that Harriet Rebecca could not wait until her blanket was finished to make her entrance into the world. Hattie Bea was born on Tuesday, 3 weeks early, and only 1/2 of her blanket is finished. So I made her some socks to keep her toes warm until it is finished. I hope they fit, they seem so tiny, but then I guess she will be too! (Mum and baby all doing well btw)

So that's the baby, what about the parcels? I got back from Manchester today to find:
1. Unfinished socks from my Sockwars target's target's target's target's target (BoyforPele13) today. I must say, for a beginner her has done a sterling job. They are so soft and lovely. I hope I end up with such fab socks! I hope to finish these this weekend and send them off to the next target (who is also furiously knitting). 2. These fantastic pouches I bought from Ysolda. One for me and one for my secret pal 9 (when I eventually figure out who she is, as it is all a bit of a mix up at the moment). I am having great trouble deciding which to give away. I put the sock wool and needles into the purple one earlier... but not the gray and peppermint one matches the sock wars socks so much better! What is a girl to do? Thanks for the extra something too :0)
3. Some heavy plastic bead stuffing for making more Chrismas gnomes like this one
4. A book for my Sockret Pal. It is "And So to Bed" by Lucinda Guy. Now I've looked through it I want it. Lots of great things, I hope she will like it.
That's it from me for the week, off to London for the weekend, visiting friends and working there on Monday and Tuesday. Have a good one!

Secret Pal 9 Questionnaire

Hello Stalking Secret Pal, here are the answers you have been waiting for

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Anything natural is fine by me. I can only cope with squeaky acrylics in very small quantities when making toys. I am loving knitting with all the really soft cashmere/wool blends out there at the moment. Yummy.

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

Tony Tiger, my lovely bf, made me this for my birthday! Other needles are in my project bag/vase/lost. I need to think of a good way of storing my sock dpns and my circular needles.

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

I learnt when I was about 10 or so, knitted loads of soft toys in my early teens and then knit on and off for about the next 10 or so years, not really making it my hobby. I reckon I've been knitting solidly for about the last 2 years or so, since my friends started having babies to knit for. Probably about intermediate skill level.

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

Amazon is here

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)

I don't really do heavily scented things, probably lavender if I had to pick.

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

Oh yes, nice chocolate. But not American chocolate. I really fancy a Crunchie at the moment.

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

I crochet too, which I enjoy as a change from knitting. I like baking and gardening too but don't tend to get much time to do either! I don't spin and don't have and craving to do so at the moment.

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

I'm a 1990's indie girl. Stuck in the days of Blur, Ash, Pulp, The Wonderstuffetc. Recently, The Killers, Atctic Monkeys and more chilled out stuff too.

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

I am addicted to stripy things. I just cannot stop buying them. My wardrobe seems to consist of a lot of brown and turquoise at the moment too, so I think that must be a favourite.

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

I live with my boyfriend (and have done since I moved from London at the start of August.) No pets.

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

Yes to scarves, hats and mittens and only ponchos when there is nothing else to keep me warm!

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

Children's clothes, socks, accessories... things that have fairly instant satisfaction. Socks are a definite addiction.

13. What are you knitting right now?

A hat (Odessa from Magknits) for my friends mum who is having chemo. Some socks/mittens and a hat for a new arrival. I am also crocheting a baby blanket.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Oh yes

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

I love the wooden needles TT bought me (pictured above). Also love my addi turbos and my brittany birch short dpns for sock knitting. Don't like straights for big things as I find they get to heavy.

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

I have a yarn winder. I am hoping I might get a home made swift as a present from TT one day.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

Probably from June, the odd sock I knit in Amsterdam for me.... there has always been present knitting that has got in the way of starting the other.

18. What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas. The presents and the time off work!

19. Is there anything that you collect?

TT would tell you I collect wool. Lots of it.

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 would love to try Koigu or Socks that Rock or the new Colinette Sock wool that I hear is coming soon. I would love any of the soft washable Cashmere/Wool mixes out there to make baby/toddler clothes from such as the DB Cashmerino or RYC Cashsoft etc.
I have a subscription to Simply Knitting and the new Yarn Forward magazine.

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

I think I am going to try and make some childrens jumpers using fair isle. I love the beaded fair isle pattern in Debbie Bliss' Baby Knits.

22. Are you a sock knitter?

Oh yes!

What are your foot measurements?

UK Size 6-7. I can give you more specific measurements if you want them.

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

May 18th

1. Where is your favorite knitting spot?

In a cottage, with a roaring fire, when it is raining outside! But I spend most of my knitting time on a bus/train.

2. If you suddenly could never knit again (shudder) - what would you do instead?

Crochet?

3. If you could travel anywhere in the world - where would you go and why?

Um, I would love to a road trip across the US, not sure why, I have always wanted to do it. I would also love to visit all of my friends in Australia.

4. When you were little - What did you want to do "when you grew up?" Are you doing it?

I wanted to fly planes, not doing it, and quite glad I'm not!

5. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Chocolate. Yum.

Yet another pair of Jaywalkers

Finally I can show you the other pair of birthday socks, Kim was 30 yesterday and these made it safely through the post to Manchester!

Pattern: Jaywalkers (my 3rd pair) - with a picot edge instead of the ribbing
Yarn: Regia which I bought from Utrect. I can't find the ball band to tell you which one.
Started: 14th September
Completed: 5th October (with a break in the middle to knit the other 30th Birthday socks!)

Now it is time for something other than socks.....Here is the most recent progress picture on the baby blanket for Dan & Kate's baby (due at the end of October. I took two pictures, as I can't decide which I like best! The square with 4 smaller squares inside is set to be the middle. I'm not sure whether to mix up the colours and keep the patterns the same (as in 1) or keep the colours the same and mix up the patterns (as in 2). Whichever way. I still have at least 14 squares to go, and maybe more if I decide to make it bigger! I have discovered that I can just about fit the 5 balls into my bag for work, meaning I can crochet them on my commute!
I have also started making Odessa for my friend Kerry's mum who is having Chemo at the moment, no pictures as yet, and having realised I don't have a 4mm circular needle or any dpn's I think I might have to do a bit of web shopping in a minute!
I went to the knit n' natter group at Beatties yesterday and met a couple more people. Liz (I think) was making the most amazing top for her daughter out of the Rowan 40 magazine, it is called Glade. I was completely in awe, it looks stunning!
Off to see if I can finally make my ipod talk to Tony's computer. All I have managed to do so far is wipe off my 7000 odd songs. I am not a happy bunny.

30th Birthday Socks and Holidays

Here is the proud recipient of the second pair of 30th Birthday socks this year. They fit AND he wore them all day (probably just to humour me) but I think they were a success. Had a fantastic weekend in Dublin Lots of food and even more Guinness and virtually no knitting at all. It rained a lot, but not that you would know from this photo.... the only one that doesn't feature drunken people in a pub! It is the spire in the centre of O'Connell street in Dublin.
On the sock wars front, I think I am just about understanding what is going on.
I have killed Ketutar, who has killed Celtic Queen, who killed Smorto3, who killed Shoemouse, who has sent the socks to kill BoyforPele13 - he is on his second sock at the moment. If he dies before he has finished then I will get his socks to finish, otherwise I have to do a bit more investigation as to who is next in the chain. I wonder if/when I will get another pair to knit.... I now know what is happening with the assassin end of things too.... PhillyPa has killed La Soquette, who killed That Knitting Chick. That Knitting Chick has killed AutumnLeaves..... so that means PhillyPa must be after my assassin... Agent Thorn! Clear as mud? I thought so.