Nasty Noro (not the yarn!)

I had a really good weekend - it was my 30th birthday on Sunday and I went out for the whole weekend - had so much fun.

Monday morning I was supposed to fly to Helsinki for work - I felt a bit funny when I woke up and it all went down hill from there, I thought it might have been the weekends excitment but when the world turned multicoloured in the worst possible way, I did start to think something else was wrong. I had to cancel my trip, aircraft and unhappy insides are not a combination I want to try!

Since the Noro virus is going around I think I must have picked it up (maybe from Mum - she sees lots of patients and two of her colleagues are ill already). Noro is not my fav word right now - which seems a shame as I really like the yarn!

Being at home is boring but necessary - I am doing some work, some knitting and internet stuff. I managed to get drawn in to the Get knitted sale and bought a few bits and pieces - Lornas laces fisherman, I've never tried this yarn but will let you know what I think. I also got some yarn for a pair of arrrgyle socks (Regia SIlk)- so many men in my life would like a pair! I am just seeing how they go the first time.

Browsing ravelry (as you do when everything else makes your tummy hurt!) I saw the woodland shawl pattern from Nikol Lohr, it is perfect for a friend - I really want to make her something and this just has her name ALL over it - now I just have to choose a great yarn - she has very different colour taste to me so it might be quite hard (brown, greens, creams and rusts). I think I will wait for a Posh sale and get something from there - poor Dee and Tony at Posh, random crap luck they are having at the moment - big hugs to you both.

I am really looking forward to the swap starting - I have finally managed to do my questionaire, so here goes:

Part One: Crafting

Do you knit, crochet, or both?
Both, I love variety.

What do you like to make? Do you have a favourite project?
I enjoy making so many things – I go through phases of things – at the moment it is socks, lace and small items

Do you have a favourite type of fiber or brand of yarn?
I love anything slightly out of the ordinary, small artisan producers and anything soft (I’m all about the softness of the yarn – comes from having to wear horrible itchy grey woolly socks at school, I hated them so much!).

Do you have a least favourite type of yarn?
Rough wool or anything that isn't at least partly natural fibres

Do you do any other crafts?
I like to sew (clothes, furnishings, patchwork, quilts), make jewllery and cook, my friends think I am a 1950’s housewife. Anything that is creative gets me really excited – I love trying anything new and experimenting.

What knitting do you bring ‘on the go’?
Small things! - socks, hats, nothing requiring more than two balls or long needles.

What do you carry your ‘on the go’ knitting in? Do you want something new?
I have a fabulous bag already - one from Heather for larger projects and one from Socktopus for small things

Are there any knitting gifts (book, toy, yarn, item, tool) that you have been lusting over?
There is a really cool book about knitting teacosies that a lady at my knitting club had. Any yarn with interesting or unusual ‘ingredients’ bamboo, soya, maize, stainless steel, camel all that kind of thing. Cute stitchmarkers are brilliant as well - you can never have too many.

Part Two: Your Favourites

What is your favourite colour? What is your least favourite colour?
Favourites – cool blues, greys, purples and pink. Not feeling so much affinity with muddy or acid toned greens, yellows and oranges.

What scents/smells do you like? What don’t you like?
Green fresh scents, roses, citrus fruit, patchouli, fig, rosemary. I don’t like anything sweet smelling or fruits like strawberry and raspberry, mothballs make me feel sick too – or maybe it is the thought of moths in my stash!

How do you like to pamper yourself?
Long baths with moisturising products, massages are also good. Natural and organic products are particularly yummy

What goodies to you like to treat your tummy with?
Cheese, chocolate (lots of cocoa content), good bread and coffee

Do you prefer tea or coffee while you knit? Any particular kind? Favourite mug/cup?
Coffee or herbal teas – has to be real coffee – black no sugar.

Do you listen to/watch anything while you knit? (TVshow-Along, movies, music, podcasts)
Radio 4 – generally I love everything they do, I also like crime/spy dramas on TV – British or American (Spooks, Bones, CSI, prime suspect that kind of thing) period dramas too.

Part Three: Living & Past-times

Where do you live in the UK?
Near London

Have you always lived here, or did you grow up somewhere else?
I grew up between the UK and Denmark - half of my family are Danish (hence the continental knitting style). When I finished uni I lived in France for five years - I love France and the French and really miss being there.

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Japan and Morocco

If you couldn’t go to a knitting group, what other kind of gathering would you go to?
I love my yoga class' (ansura and vinyasa) – but I don’t get to go so often now I work in London, I also enjoy teaching snowboarding – and love either giving or going to a class. I also love sailing, kayaking, skiing and rockclimbing

What’s your style?
Glamourous and quirky (burlesque and 1950’s glamour) at work and when going out but also sporty and natural when I am doing something active!

Final Part:
Any allergies/preferences (fiber-wise or treat-wise)?
Allergic to plasters and hate parsley – but I don’t think that’s what you meant :) nothing I haven’t mentioned already

Anything we missed that you’d like your partner to know?
That I’m really excited about this – it's my first swap!