I is getting there!

Yes I know that is not proper english but tough! :)

I am a little over 50% done with my MS3!!! :) WOO HOO I have decided NOT to add the wing as most people have instead I will be knitting another section of clues 1-4 and then grafting (I hate grafting!) them together. That way I will have areally nice long wrap! :)
I know you want to see the picture so far so here they are! :)


Badly pinned down but you get the idea! :)


Shes pretty aint she?


Thats clue four Aint she just grand and would you like to dance? :)


Artsy fartsy smartsy...

Right I am off to knit more of me other half.. I CANT wait to have this finishe and properly blocked to be able to wear.. I LOVE it already!!!!!

(oh yeah and I have stuff coming from wolly workshop some stage this week so that I can start my xmas knitting of melon scarfs!.... and of course I HAD to get the newest Interweave knits, isnt that tilted duster on the front cover just gorgeous?!?.... )

My answers to your questions...

1. What is the one knitting accessory you could not live without?
My chibis that Amy sent me during SP9. Even right now while knitting my MS3 I have them sat with me to sew in my lifelines! :D

2. If you're heading on vacation, do you take knitting with you? Ifso, how much and what type of project?
I do! And just something easy that doesnt take much brain power. Like a pair of simple socks. I would take something more complicated for the evenings before bedtime but I doubt it would get touched.

3. Where have you travelled to that you'd consider your favorite spot?
While I was living in Canada, it was Banf National Park. While Ive been living here in England its been to the coast visiting his parents. I LOVE it there (Great Yarmouth area). I think both places for very different reasons to be realxing and peaceful!

4. What is your favorite knitting book at the moment? Do you own it?
Its my Victorian Lace Today and Im trying to knit my MS3 quicker so that I can start some projects from it! :D

5. Do you listen to podcasts? Which is your favorite(s)?
I have to admit I am very far behind the times and I dont listen to any!


**To my sp, Anything that wasnt asked by our host that you would like to know on here, ask and Ill tell! :)
**Amy, have you tried ebay or even Amazon (one of their cheaper dealers) to see if you couldnt get the book? I know that if I had a credit card to get it off of amazon would have only cost me like 13£.... worth looking if you can squeeze it out? Or tell everyone you want it for christmas!!!

I GOT IT!!!!

I picked up my Victorian Lace Today book.. OH YEAH BABY!! I did that on Wednesday. Well she did say when I ordered it from WHSmith it would be in then but I told her oh Ill just come by next Thursday for it I need to pass by here anyways. Well umm, HA that didnt work! :) I ended up going into town on Wednesday and getting it. Okay so it makes it sound like I went way out of my way. I didnt. We live close to town so I just went there first then to out the other side and to the store... I still had to go on Thursday because I had to return some DVDs to Blockbuster.
What do I think of the book? Well I LOVE IT!! but then I sort of knew I would. I have wanted the book since it came out some time last year but behaved myself.. okay truth be told the thought of paying 22£ for a book wasnt exactly making me jump for joy. But a year on and I still wanted the book so I thought naw youve been good go ahead and buy it.. So I did! :) Every time I saw yet another person knit a design from the book made me fall in love with them so I NEEDED the book and am very HAPPY with getting it. :)
I already have a couple of things that I want to do. Like the Melon Pattern. Okay so its been done loads already but tough! I want one for myself. :) theres more thats just probably going to be the first one I make from it. The pictures in the book are all set out beautifully! And it just makes me want to travel around England ALOT more then I do (which is barely at all).
Im still knitting on MS3 and loving every second of it. I havent made progress on the Monkey sock I casted on a couple weeks ago becuase Ive not been out on a bus recently. I said all week I was going to be its rained so instead Ive been lazy and just ran to the grocery store down the road instead of the other side of town. I also have some yarn out the back that I want to turn into a cardi. But I havent decided yet what I want to do with that one.. Ill soon decide! :)
Right knitting wont get done if I dont move those sticks!!!

Long Update

I have been knitting. I swear it! Just my progress has been slow becuase MS3 isnt a portable (well for me anyways!) project. It requires that I carry around the charts and pay CLOSE attention and well I just cant be doing with all of that becuase one mistake is a HUGE heartache for me and just sitting on the couch Ive made 2! YIKES!!! I put "lifelines" in every 10 rows on the rs rows just to make things slightly easier if I make a mistake and both mistakes I made those came in handy!! Even if they were right on the ninth row and I had to go back all 8 previous rows! This Malabrigio Merino Laceweight yarn that I am using is also a pain in the backside to rip back which is why I am putting them in at all!! and lets not forget this is my first proper all over really lacey I cant wait to finish it project that I am doing! :)
Oh whats that how far have I actually gotten? Well only to the end of clue 3. :) I am really slow on this for some reason... Sorry.... But heres some pics to make you happy, or well they make me happy just goes to show its really going to be PRETTY!! (to me!)

There is a closeupish of finished clue two and three I meant to take pictures after I finished clue two last week some time but just kept knitting into clue three and thought oh bugger it Ill just wait till both are finished THEN take a picture... :) So that is what Ive done... :) I really like the way the purples move to greys then to blacks and back again its really going to look great drapped across my back... and I will be lengthening this stole as well. Only because I prefer longer things to make sure it wraps properly around my shoulders and lets not forget I also have LOADS of yarn still left over. After clue three and with having to throw (dont kill me people) some of it away becuase it was in such a knotted mess from trying to rip it out I still have some of the first skein left and plus the other two that I ordered along with it. So Ive got plenty to be able to lengthen. :)

Heres a picture of all three clues together. Ive only pinned it out quickly on the bed. I will do a proper block once all is finished. :) But you still get the picture of the way it will be looking. I am VERY proud of myself for not giving up on this after something like 2 or 3 false starts of having to rip and then abandon each of those goes and then after the two bad mistakes of needing to rip back to my lifelines. Plus I have had a couple tiny mistakes when I just had to go back to the beginning of the row and restart that row. But I want to finish this stole that I am willing to suffer! HAHAHA

Now what else have I been up to your wondering other then knitting I am sure. Well last month (yep its been a month and I am only NOW showing you!) I got new glasses. I got 2 pairs from specsavers as they are running a promotion of 2 for 1. My first pair are similar in look to the last pair that Ihad that no one noticed I got new glasses not even Mark! haha and heres my other pair....

I swear they are purple! but after the flash and resizing they look slightly brownish they arent...
Can you tell I also got my hair cut?? well I did! :D But these out of the two are my favorite glasses I got! WOO HOO!!!.... I did get them with transition lenses at first then I got them brought them home and took them back the same day. They never go completely clear. I wasnt told that! And I dont want to be in a store or sitting on the couch watching telly with slightly tinted glasses it drove me nuts for the 3 hours I had them on. The guy offered I keep them for a week to see if I could get used to them. And bless his sweet soul I ended up laughing in his face. I didnt mean to... But I am the sort of once I dont like it and its not what I thought it was going to be I DONT WANT IT! so they had to go back I had to wait a week they put in clear lenses and now I am a happy bunny who is sporting a new hair cut and a wicked pair of purple geeky glasses... what more can you ask for?? HAHAHAHA

Mark sister came over from Australia this month as well, shes gone back now though.. The first day we went over to see her after saying hello her first question to me was "Jenn could you please make me a sweet potato pie before I go?" OF COURSE I SAID YES!!! When I told my mom I made one she laughed and pointed out my flaw. I didnt make one because she asked, I made one becuase I knew what was in it for me... SWEET POTATOES!!! YUM!!!!!

First step boil with skins on until tender and pokeable with a fork.
Let cool and peel skins off. Cut in 4 bits.

Lay in pan with little tabs of butter over each tater. Pour loads of honey on them and cover in brown sugar cinnamon and a bit of nutmeg. Add a bit more honey and brown sugar for good luck. AHAH...
Bake in oven I think I did mine for about 45 minutes and the oven was around 190C
You can eat some of them now if you want to (I ate two little slices (half a sweet tater) ) Stick in the fridge over night. I left mine two nights because I knew we werent going over until the Wednesday. the longer they are left they better I think it ends up tasting I wouldnt leave them a week though!
But some pie crusts or make them if you want to! (I forgot to take pictures of these parts)
Take your sweet taters and throw them into a bowl and mash them with their gooey sugar mess until all smashed up together. Add a can of condensed milk some more brown sugar(not alot) and some cinnamon and nutmeg. Add a couple handfuls of flour an egg if you want (I forgot to for these) and mix. You want to add your flour until it thickens up the mixture a bit.
Pour them into your pie crusts bake in the over at about 190 until golden brown. again I think mine was around an hour. Let cool take to Marks sister smile when she gets excited and know that you only made it so you could eat sweet taters yourself! HAHAA

That is the finished pie. They are SO YUMMIE!! I ended up eating another half a tater while I was making the pie so it was one tater per pie and I made 2. One for her, and one for me. Hey you have to have SOME perks to baking for others dont you?!?! and anyways she ended up leaving the next day because she got her flights confused... OOPS! Hopefully she was able to eat some of the pie (like most of it) before she had to go.....
Can you ship food to australia?!?!?!?

Question and Answer time SP11

Here are my answers to the questions...

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I like em soft and yummie.. Merino is really nice... I dont like scratchy stuff!! (akrylic or high content of akrylic really makes my hands itch!)

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a needle case my SP9 gifted me that I use. :)

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I have been knitting for the last I think 3 or 4? years now and I taught myself. I would consider myself intermediate to advanced with always more to learn! :)

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
No I dont.

5. What's your favorite scent?
Cinnamon spicey things, Vanilla, fresh baked breads and cookies..

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
YES.... I am not sure what my fav is any more I just grab what I fancy on the day. But can I just say I do miss Honey Grahm Crackers (even if they arent candy)

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I like to sew. I have a spindle but I havent used it since xmas.. OOPS! I really must get back to that huh? :) And I love baking as well. :)

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
Country, Easy Listening, Pop, Hip Hop, Alternative... All really. :) And yes it does.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
Pastels and earthy tones.. I cant stand bright neon colours.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I live with my wonderful partner Mark. :) No pets.. :(

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I wear scarves and mittens, I only wear hats if its REALLY COLD other then that I think I look a fool in them....

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

13. What are you knitting right now?
Pair of Monkey socks on the go, and MS3 stole while at home.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Of course I do! I think its lovely! :)

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Circular needles lately... They are easier to drag around with you. and it doesnt matter what they are made of. :)

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
No I dont.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
I dont have any... Any UFOS Ive since ripped out....

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas. :)

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Do books count? :) Actual collectors material no.. theres nothing at the moment.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Scarf Style, VICTORIAN LACE TODAY, and thats all I can think of. :) I buy Vouge Knitting, Interweave knits, and the Rowan Mags.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Not that I can think of at the moment?

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes I am, I will have to come back to you I have it wrote down somewhere.

23. When is your birthday?
December 23rd. :)

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
Yes I am and theres a link to me over in the side. :)