I've been tagged by the lovely Josiekitten to take part in a Q and A so now I'm a little more settled in to my new home and actually have internet access other than via my mobile phone I thought I'd answer the questions she asked!
1. What's your greatest knitting achievement to date?
Hmmm...I'm not really sure. I'm pleased enough with myself for actually teaching myself to knit again years after my grandma first taught me as a little girl. Other than just being able to knit full stop I think my first adult garment was a big one. It took me ages but I did it and I think that's the moment when I felt like a real knitter...even if in reality there were probably more stitches in some of the socks I knit than in the cardigan!
2. Is there a knitting skill that you'd like to learn? I always say the same thing to this questions, it's always the same goal! I want to learn to knit colourwork. I've never done more than a tiny Christmas decoration and I really want to just get on with it. I have got a project started that involves colourwork but I'm still anxious about it. Silly really as I know I've done other knitting that a lot of people find more complicated such as lace.
3. Who is your favourite knitting designer?
I don't really have one. I've knit so many different things by all different designers and see merit in all of them. I think perhaps because I knit so many different things I may like what a designer does with hats but be less keen on their designs for shawls when they do both and as I don't focus on one type of knitting I don't find myself knitting all the patterns by one designer as a lot do either garments or socks or shawls. I like to keep it varied and try out patterns by all different designers.
4. What's your favourite 'easy knit' to make as a gift?
I'm a selfish knitter, I don't do knitted gifts! OK that's not entirely true but I don't have a go to pattern. If I am knitting a gift I try to make something I know the recipient will like and don't really worry about whether it's easy or not. I have given up knitting gifts for people who aren't suitably appreciative...they get something from a shop and I'm not ashamed of that! It's not worth my time and skill to knit for someone who wont love what I have knit.
5. What's your favourite film?
Just like with favourite knitting designers I don't have a favourite film as such. Mr.NM is an absolute film buff so we watch quite a lot of films but what I want to watch will depend on my mood. I do always enjoy watching Die Hard though, ridiculous action films are something I am very fond of!
6. What's your favourite season and why?
I love Spring. My favourite flowers are out (daffodils and tulips) and everything feels fresh and new. I enjoy the days getting progressively longer and the hope that the weather is going to get better. Everything feels like it has such great potential in the spring. Also it's our wedding anniversary (third one today in fact!) so that's also pretty special.
7. What's your number one tip for new bloggers?
Just have fun with it, it should be an enjoyable activity not one you get stressed over if you've gone a week and have nothing to write about. Also read other blogs for ideas if you're not sure what to blog about, they may give you some inspiration. I suppose that's two tips...I'm not very good at tips, I'm rather a rubbish blogger these days so not sure my advice is worth taking!
8. What was the first thing you ever knitted?
A neon orange acrylic garter stitch rectangle. I think it was intended to be a scarf but I had the attention span of a...well of a five year old (I think I was about 5) and I didn't get that far. I think I wanted to just be able to knit and to knit proper things without all the faff of having to learn!
9. What's your favourite 'comfort' meal?
Yorkshire puddings filled with thick beef stew and dumplings just like my grandma used to make for me, can't beat it! Actually Yorkshire puddings generally are pretty solid on the comfort food front.
10. Do you prefer circular needles or dpns?
It depends on what I'm knitting. I've started using magic loop a lot more for socks, particularly plain stockinette ones as I avoid ladders and can just shove them in my knitting bag with less fear they'll slip off the needles. I do still like dpns though and sometimes they're a better choice so I use them. I use circular needles instead of straights even for flat knitting though, I find them a lot easier to handle.
11. What posters did you have on your bedroom wall when you were a teenager?!
I didn't have posters on my wall until I went away to university when I was 18 and I had two, one was an Oscar Wilde quote (and for my shame I can't remember which one!) and the other was a Pulp poster (as in the band) which I believe is still on the wall in my old room at my mum's house as I put it up there when I moved back after university.
12. Bubble bath or shower?
1. What's your greatest knitting achievement to date?
Hmmm...I'm not really sure. I'm pleased enough with myself for actually teaching myself to knit again years after my grandma first taught me as a little girl. Other than just being able to knit full stop I think my first adult garment was a big one. It took me ages but I did it and I think that's the moment when I felt like a real knitter...even if in reality there were probably more stitches in some of the socks I knit than in the cardigan!
2. Is there a knitting skill that you'd like to learn? I always say the same thing to this questions, it's always the same goal! I want to learn to knit colourwork. I've never done more than a tiny Christmas decoration and I really want to just get on with it. I have got a project started that involves colourwork but I'm still anxious about it. Silly really as I know I've done other knitting that a lot of people find more complicated such as lace.
3. Who is your favourite knitting designer?
I don't really have one. I've knit so many different things by all different designers and see merit in all of them. I think perhaps because I knit so many different things I may like what a designer does with hats but be less keen on their designs for shawls when they do both and as I don't focus on one type of knitting I don't find myself knitting all the patterns by one designer as a lot do either garments or socks or shawls. I like to keep it varied and try out patterns by all different designers.
4. What's your favourite 'easy knit' to make as a gift?
I'm a selfish knitter, I don't do knitted gifts! OK that's not entirely true but I don't have a go to pattern. If I am knitting a gift I try to make something I know the recipient will like and don't really worry about whether it's easy or not. I have given up knitting gifts for people who aren't suitably appreciative...they get something from a shop and I'm not ashamed of that! It's not worth my time and skill to knit for someone who wont love what I have knit.
5. What's your favourite film?
Just like with favourite knitting designers I don't have a favourite film as such. Mr.NM is an absolute film buff so we watch quite a lot of films but what I want to watch will depend on my mood. I do always enjoy watching Die Hard though, ridiculous action films are something I am very fond of!
6. What's your favourite season and why?
I love Spring. My favourite flowers are out (daffodils and tulips) and everything feels fresh and new. I enjoy the days getting progressively longer and the hope that the weather is going to get better. Everything feels like it has such great potential in the spring. Also it's our wedding anniversary (third one today in fact!) so that's also pretty special.
7. What's your number one tip for new bloggers?
Just have fun with it, it should be an enjoyable activity not one you get stressed over if you've gone a week and have nothing to write about. Also read other blogs for ideas if you're not sure what to blog about, they may give you some inspiration. I suppose that's two tips...I'm not very good at tips, I'm rather a rubbish blogger these days so not sure my advice is worth taking!
8. What was the first thing you ever knitted?
A neon orange acrylic garter stitch rectangle. I think it was intended to be a scarf but I had the attention span of a...well of a five year old (I think I was about 5) and I didn't get that far. I think I wanted to just be able to knit and to knit proper things without all the faff of having to learn!
9. What's your favourite 'comfort' meal?
Yorkshire puddings filled with thick beef stew and dumplings just like my grandma used to make for me, can't beat it! Actually Yorkshire puddings generally are pretty solid on the comfort food front.
10. Do you prefer circular needles or dpns?
It depends on what I'm knitting. I've started using magic loop a lot more for socks, particularly plain stockinette ones as I avoid ladders and can just shove them in my knitting bag with less fear they'll slip off the needles. I do still like dpns though and sometimes they're a better choice so I use them. I use circular needles instead of straights even for flat knitting though, I find them a lot easier to handle.
11. What posters did you have on your bedroom wall when you were a teenager?!
I didn't have posters on my wall until I went away to university when I was 18 and I had two, one was an Oscar Wilde quote (and for my shame I can't remember which one!) and the other was a Pulp poster (as in the band) which I believe is still on the wall in my old room at my mum's house as I put it up there when I moved back after university.
12. Bubble bath or shower?
Probably a bubble bath with a good book but I do like a nice hot shower, particularly if it's really powerful and leaves you feeling scrubbed thoroughly clean.
I wont tag anyone as I can't think of any questions to ask! If you have any more for me though pop them in the comments and I'll answer them.
I'm hoping that I will be back soon as we are now in our new house and I've finally taken up my needles again as knitting was very neglected during the move! Also our little family addition is due in 5 weeks and has already received some gorgeous knitted gifts so I'd like to share those.
