Seven Things and New Year Memes

I was tagged by Anne a while ago but have just got around to doing this meme now! Sorry, Anne! I've also been tagged by Katie so I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone. Well, here goes.

SEVEN THINGS MEME

1. Seven things to do before I die

Knit the Wedding Ring Shawl.
Design a garden from scratch (preferably my own).
Have a room dedicated to knitting, sewing, spinning, etc, complete with special table for cutting and all the works. Bookshelves full of books on knitting, sewing, etc, should be covering all available wall space but there should be a very large window with a southerly aspect so that the room is bright and cheerful.
Own a spinning wheel.
Go back to mine and DH's honeymoon island.
Be able to make pastry like my Mam did. She died 11 years ago but I have her recipe in a safe place and will perfect it one day.
Get behind a wheel and drive again.

2. Seven things I cannot do

I don't believe in *can't do*. I believe that most people can do most things if they try hard enough. However, at the moment I can't:

Swim;
Make pastry like my Mam did;
Spin with any degree of proficiency;
Drive a car without going into panic mode;
Bake a nice light panetonne in my breadmaker (I suspect this is something to do with the recipe in the breadmaker book which I am following to a tee);
Do the full splits (now this one, I definitely believe I'll never be able to do!)
That Vulcan thing that Mr Spock used to do on Star Trek of separating his ring finger and middle finger whilst keeping the digits on both sides straight and together like this. It annoys me no end that DH can do it and I can't;

Proof that DH is a Vulcan! Can you do it??

3. Seven things that attract me to my spouse/partner

His gentleness despite his height and build (gentle giant).
The fact that he's never afraid to say he's sorry when he's in the wrong.
His generosity and kindness to myself and others.
His lack of bigotry and his tolerance.
His ability to see the good as well as the bad in most situations and most people.
The fact that he never complains about my obsession with yarn/knitting.
His sense of fairness.

4. Seven things I say most often

Hello (when answering the phone).
Fancy a cup of tea?
Fancy a glass of wine?
Ooh, I really like that yarn!
Ooh, I really like that pattern!
Now where did I put my bag, purse, shoes, boots or something else I've mislaid?
Hang on a minute (when my attention is being sought whilst engrossed in something else).

5. Seven books (or series) I love

A Suitable Boy (Vikram Seth).
Terry Pratchett's Discworld series particularly the books with the witches (Granny Weatherwax, etc) included in the characters.
Most books by Margaret Atwood.
Most of the classics (I love reading the classics for the sheer beauty of the language wrought by those wordsmiths as much as for the tales themselves).
Captain Corelli's Mandolin.
Philip Pullman's Trilogy.
Books by authors such as Bruno Bettelheim, Marie Louise von Franz, Joseph Campbell.

6. Seven movies I watch over and over again (or would watch over and over if I had the time)

Like Water for Chocolate.
Educating Rita.
Love Story.
The Piano.
Airplane.
Ryan's Daughter
The Naked Civil Servant

7. Seven people I want to join in, too

I'm not feeling one hundred per cent at the moment and, consequently, thinking of seven people seems a bit too onerous so I'll just say anyone who wants to join in!

NEW YEAR MEME

What new knitting techniques did you learn this year?

Knitting with beads, intarsia and several different ways of casting on. Probably others as well but these spring to mind immediately.

Which completed project from the last 12 months are you most proud of?

Not really sure - probably River or Birch.

What was your biggest knitting disaster of the last year?

Probably the Dune garment which started off as a top, then became a wrap and finally a mini poncho type thing. It's still not completely finished. I decided I hated the yarn but will finish it as I do have a taker. As it's a summer garment, there's no rush!

Who or what has been the biggest influence on your knitting in 2005?

I would echo Katie and say UKHK. There are some incredibly gifted and supportive people amongst its members. Also, Blogland people who I've quite often owed debts of gratitude to particularly for photos illustrating how a certain pattern will look or how to do a certain technique, etc.

What knit craze grabbed you this year?

Anyone who knows me would have to realise that my answer is, of course, Curly Whirlies, though I have been in rehab (joke!!) and am now doing well with only the occasional pang of longing to knit another!

Finally, some New Year's resolutions.

I have the good and noble intention to finish all my WIPs and not let them become UFOs.

I also want to stretch and challenge myself with my knitting much more than I have been. I'm looking forward to that but have no real plans as to how yet!

I would like to attend as many knitting workshops as I can. I think they're great because not only do you learn new skills but you meet all sorts of really interesting people and usually there's an opportunity for stash enhancement.

As regards stash enhancement, I'll try to cut down the amount of additions this year and knit up as much as I can of the stash I already have. (And to think that in the early part of this year I only ever bought yarn as and when I needed it and never bought any more until the item I was working on was finished). Naughty UKHK - very bad influence!! lol

Name the folks to pass this meme on to:

AmyP, Jess, and Tari but only if they have the time/inclination to do it!!