Okay so i saw on someone else's blog something about contest no 2 and i was all like... what the??? There's nothing on the blogpage about a 2nd contest!?!

it turns out that its something that your assigned hostess needs to let you know about, my group has just had a hostess swap so there were probably some delays. So if you're reading this and you dont know anything about the 2nd contest ask your hostess!!

And without further ado:

1. What is the one knitting accessory you could not live without?
My folder that holds all my patterns, it sits on the couch next to me at all times :)

2. If you're heading on vacation, do you take knitting with you? If so, how much and what type of project?
I would now yes, i'd take my most recent WIP but probably also bring one of the UFO's thats been sitting in my stash forever with the hope that if i have nothing else to work on i'd get some of it done!!

3. Where have you travelled to that you'd consider your favorite spot?
Anywhere thats easily accessable to a beach

4. What is your favorite knitting book at the moment? Do you own it?
I tend to prefer patterns from the internet, the only knitting book i own was given to me in another swap!

5. Do you listen to podcasts? Which is your favorite(s)?
The only podcasts i listen to are not knitting related

6. If you could only knit with 1 color for the rest of your life, what color would that be?
all shades of Red

7. If you were far into a project and then noticed a mistake near the beginning what would you do?
Aw man - i've done this on accasion and it drives me bonkers!!! it depends on how noticeable it is, if I can tell its there its GOT TO GO!! if I can't see it then it'll probably stay. I dont care how unnoticable it would be to non knitters if I know its there i'll hate it forever and probably never use it, so i'd frog and feel so crap about it too

8. Where is the most unsual spot you've ever knit?
Whenever an unusual opportuntity to knit comes up i never have it with me!! I've heard of people knitting in the car to pass the time in traffic jams. I also know of someone knitting standing up at the airport waiting for a plane to come in, and another person knitting while on an exersise bike a the gym!! Those are all kinda wacky

1. Were you named after anyone?
My Italian Grandmother actually
2. Do you wish on stars?
Cant say that i do
3. When did you last cry?
The weekend
4. Do you like your handwriting?
No, its usually very messy
5. What is your favourite meat?
Steak, Medium Rare
6. What is your most embarrassing CD on your shelf?
Take That - enough said
7. If you were another person, would YOU be friends with you?
Probably but unless I was family we'd end up loosing track of eachother
8.Are you a daredevil?
No, not at all
9. How do you release anger?
Unfortunatly I take it out on my husband, but he's usually pretty good about it and i always say sorry shortly after
10. Where is your second home?
It'd probably tie between my parents place and the inlaws place
11. Do you trust others easily?
No, and i blame my Italian father for that
12. What was your favourite toy as a child?
Vera my Cabbage Patch doll
13. What class in school/college do you think is totally useless?
Definatly PE - i used to forge sick notes so often one year I wasnt able to be graded due to sickness.... my parents raised an eyebrow at that one! Then one year i got an A (i think the teacher didnt know who i was!!!)
14. Do you use sarcasm a lot?
Sometimes but not excessivley
15. Have you ever been in a mosh pit?
Almost, i was almost sucked into one once and i nearly died.... ok so it wasnt like that but it was really scary!
16. What do you look for in a guy/girl?
Sense of humor
17. Would you bungee jump?
I've thought about it, and would if forced to... but i dont think i'd ever be in a position where it would be an option
18. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?
Na what a waste of valuable sitting time
19. What's your favourite ice cream?
Traditionally chocolate, but i've recently taken a liking to mint choc chip
20. what are your favourite colours?
Red, Green, Brown and Blue... in that order
21. What are your least favourite things?
liars, people who put words in your mouth, being ignored
22. How many people do you have a crush on right now?
Just my husband... i'm not sure if i should sigh or puke right now
23. Who do you miss most right now?
Ditto above
24. What are you listening to right now?
The radio, in particular Good Charlotte
25. If you were a crayon, what colour would you be?
Black
26. What is the weather like right now?
Its quite nice, the whole week has been sunny and warm.... which should be odd considering its winter here but with global warming its becoming a regularity
27. Last person you talked to on the phone?
My Sisterinlaw
28. The "first" thing you notice about the opposite sex?
Hair
30. How are you today?
Surviving, and looking forward to tomorrow which is friday
31. Favourite non alcoholic drink?
A nice hot cup of tea
32. Favourite alcoholic drink?
Crusiers
33. Natural hair colour?
Brown
34. Eye colour?
Blue
35. Wear contacts?
Uh huh
36. Siblings?
Brother
37. Favourite month?
December
38. Favourite food?
Take away chinese
39. Favourite day of the year?
January 1st
40. Have you ever been too shy to ask someone out?
This is sad - no because my husband was the first person i ever went out with.... i'm married to him now
41. Scary movies or happy endings?
As long as they're not to cheesy happy endings
42. Summer or winter?
Definatly winter, i hate being hot
45. What book/magazine are you reading?
latley i havent been able to read much because i now spend my spare time knitting. However the last book i read was the last harry potter book
46. What's on your mouse pad?
my mouse - OMG i couldnt resist.... nothing its just green... and ugly
47. What did you watch on TV last night?
Simpsons, Spicks & Specs, Law & Order
48. Favourite Smell?
Citrusy stuff
49. Have you ever regretted breaking up with someone?
I've never had to break up with anyone
50. Most tiresome thing you’ve ever experienced/done?
Knitting this damn blue sweater... its never going to be done.

Link: The Which Lolcat Are You? Test written by GumOtaku on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Crappy day at work.... I hate work. I've been having wild mood swings for the last few days and I'm blaming my workplace, its not a great place to be at the moment..... Cos I sure as hell aint pregant!!

Well fellow Aussie swapper, i've been looking around for some yarn for my buddie and mostly ended up looking at stuff i'd like... isnt that always the way!!


So i have some hints for you :)




1- Patons SWS just one ball will be perfect for knitty's Calorimetry. Which i've been dying to try but keeps getting put off for other things. From the FO's i've seen on Crafster SWS stripes nicely and gives a symmetircal feel all by itself!


I particularly like:

2 - Noro Daria
This yarn is supposed to be great for belts, it comes in some amazing colours but i particularly like shade #04... and I would make.... a belt, go figure!

Well Secret Pal 11 is on Offically now.

Sorry to my pals, I wasnt able to check my e-mail for a couple of weeks. I usually do all this at work or on the weekends and work has been a bit busy lately so i havent had the time.

Unfortuatley i didnt really think of that when i joined Secret Swap 11, and September October is my busiest times at work!! DOH.

So secret buddie who'll be reading this blog, dont be worried if it takes me a couple of days to get back to you... I will try and check my e-mails daily, but sometimes i forget!!

I also automatically assumed that the person who got me would be American, but they're Aussie too. Not sure where abouts in OZ land but hopefully its somehwere that has a better collection of LYS than where I am!!!

And my buddie is in Chicago! how exciting, I already have plans to send her TimTams! Americans love those! :)

And luckily her fav colour is Organge and a close second Green, so there goes the knitted vomit ball i have left! I hope she doesnt associate it with that particular bodily function tho! Shhhh dont tell 'er!! :):)

p.s - there really is nothing wrong with that stuff, its very unique and she seems like a unique kind of person!

So please excuse me i'm off to the store to look for yarns in orange and green!! Okay well after work maybe! 50 mins and counting

well i've finished my first pair of socks! YAY for me, everyone was right... they're not that hard once you get going!

here is a pic of the first one... i've since finished the second but it pretty much looks the same as the first... and i cant be bothered taking photo's and transferring them from the camera again! How lazy am I, it runs in the family BTW!:)

EDIT: oh and excuse the hairy leg... hey its WINTER HERE OKAY!!!! YEESH!

I totally stuffed up the grafting of the toe the first time i did it... so i ripped that out and tried again. Then with the second sock i got impatient and started the decreases too soon, so when i finished it was too small - DOH! Ripp back to before the decreases and start again.

So in total i did the grafting four times, just to get two socks right! At least i got some practice doing it and the last two times i tried it looked pretty good!!

One sock is still a bit smaller than the other but there is no way i'm completely frogging one and starting again. Now i'm going to have to wear them on monday to work so that buddies can see my first pair of homemade socks!!

I knit them with Bamboo yarn from Lincraft, i think it was called Bamboozeled. It turned out to be closer to sport weight yarn, I think about 4ply. Its suprisingly soft but has a sturdy feel to it as well, I think that they will wear well.... not sure about the washing mashine tho! I'll probably have to keep them in one of those speciatly bags when i wash them.... and no dont even suggest that i hand wash them.... i dont hand wash anything... and I put everything in the dryer as well.. PPPFT thats what electricity is for!

well i'm off to sew in some buttons that mysteriously fell off hubby's shirt.... **cough: in the dryer**cough ...... WHAT?!!?

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I like really soft fibers, nothing thats scratchy, Merino Wool for example thats like butter in your hands :)
I think i've already mentioned that i'm over the novalty yarns, like eyelash or feathers! But i dont mind a nice Acrylic yarn either... not a yarn snob that way :)!


2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
In a previous swap I got a handmade needle case that i havent filled up yet :) But i think i could benefit from a small but long pencil case type thing as well.... hint hint :)

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 three years now, but it was only about 6mths ago that I decided that I was sick of Garter stitch scarves and decided to learn how to purl. It was by accident that i found out about stockinette stich and by stuffing that up i found out about seed stitch. After that i decided that i really needed to learn more and used Knittinghelp.com to advance my skills. Now I can knit raglan jumpers, cables, hats and lace items. I would consider myself to be Intermediate but i'm not scared to try advanced stuff now either! OOH i just finished my first sock ever on the weekend..... i need to take some photos and post them!


4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
No.... but it would be filled with DVD's if it was... they're the only items i can get shipped from Amazon to Australia. (American DVD's are usually out on Amazon before they even hit the cinemas here!)


5. What's your favorite scent?
Vanilla, Sandalwood or anything citrusy


6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Ooooh Yes! Anything with Chocolate on... but not a fan of terkish delight, anything else tho. Being an Aussie i've never had a babe ruth bar, or a Hershies (SP??) Bar..... thats another major hint too :)!!



7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I dont spin, i'm not really interseted in learning either sorry! :)
I paint sometimes, but I live in a really small two bedroom unit so i dont have the space for that stuff anymore... that upsets me sometimes :(
I really like adding beads to my knitting and am always on the lookout for patterns with beads in. And always on the look out for nice beads too. In the last swap I was in i tried my hand at making stich markers - And really enjoyed it.


8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like all sorts of music, Pop and Rock mainly... whatever they're playing on the radio. A bit of Doof Doof too :) I have an Ipod, but my car stereo doesnt play MP3's... im totally pissed about that!



9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
Red is my Fav and I dont like pink on its own. Bright pink i really cant stand, but i'm growing fond of subtle pinks, dusty rose pink for example. But I love, greens, blues and purples as well.


10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I have two cats, a male and female (whos getting desexed today, poor thing!).
My Man and I have been together for 8 yrs and we got married in October of last year, we were high school sweethearts........ Awwwww


11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yup, but mainly scarves and hats - or in my case big headbands that cover my ears but leave the top of my head exposed.


12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I still knit alot of scarves, they're a great way to practice a new stich. I'm loving Pantas now too... see other posts for more info about those. I'm also into any wareable garments that are raglan knit from the top down.

13. What are you knitting right now?
Like most knitters i've got a few on the needles, the one that i'm working the most on at the moment is my second sock... the first pair i've ever tried, apart from having to graft the first toe like three times before i got it right, its gone really well!
I've also got a fishtail scarf in laceweight green varigated yarn... this one has/is taking forever the yarn is so fine that every repeat of about 8 rows only does less than an Inch... i think i'll still be knitting this one when i'm eighty and i cant even see anymore!!
and third is a raglan jumper in a yarn that i thought looked ok in ball form but now that i'm 3/4 of the way through i dont really like it anymore... its in a baby blue colour, and the yarn is discontinued and i'm almost positive i'm not going to have enough... another reason why i dont pick it back up... plus the yarn sheds!

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes of course! I can appreciate anyone's hard work, no matter what it is!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Now that i've gotten some i do much prefer circular needles to straight, and Bamboo DPN's are almost impossible to get in Oz without going through ebay!

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

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
The fishtail scarf is older than the jumper and that would be probably 4 months old..... oooooh

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Not quite sure how to answer this one... if you mean public holidays Oz doesnt have that many of them and i dont favour one over the others, any day off work is a good one! If its holiday as in going away somewhere i'd have to say our Honeymoon when we went to the Whitsunday's. They're a cluster of islands off the cost of Queensland here. Very lush!

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Yarn - LOL :)

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Big City Knits looks pretty cool from what FO's i've seen on crafster, I dont have any knitting subscriptions but if i was going to i'd want Interweave knits or Vouge knitting :)

I really like some of glampyre's patterns http://www.glampyreknits.com/ in particular one skein wonder & City Shawl.


21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
um, knitting motifs in colour- i forget what thats called.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Well i am now!! length is 9.5 inches - thats all i know off the top of my head!

23. When is your birthday?
Its already been this year

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

i bought 6 Skiens of the brown and pink Merino Wool.

I've heard good reports about it so it better be as soft as they say it is!! I paid just over 60 Aussie dollars for it... so it better be worth it!!

I also bought the pattern for Something Red, which in my case is going to be Something Brown & Pink :)!


This is it:
The pattern can be bought from Knit & Tonic: http://knitandtonic.typepad.com/knitandtonic/2006/02/if_someone_aske.html
for $5.50 - its knit Top Down... the only way i knit Sweaters or Cardi's :)!

Bugger kitting pieces and weaving them togther!

I'm thinking that i'll make one for winter with long sleaves with the merino i just got (thats gonna be warm!) and another one with short sleaves in a nice cotton yarn.... thats the plan anyway but you know what its like - it'll probably sit in my folder with To Do on it for the rest of eternity, waiting waiting waiting for me to have some spare time... HA whats that?!

http://www.100purewool.com

But its PINK i hear you say.... yeah I know, but I always have had a weakness for pink and brown, I think there might be something wrong with me!

I was also veeeeeeeeeery tempted by this unusual combo:

i'd really like to see it knitted up, i bet its freaking AWSOME :) - sorry i got a little too excited there.... woah nelly.