Tail gate rug is finished (will post piccys tomorrow) quite pleased with her ... DH says I should sell it to Ikea! I've been good ... stash now stands at 20.8kg. I haven't had much time for knitting in the last week, but I cast on for the Rowan Chunky Print fringed throw, another stash busting quick knit.

I have been knitting lots of stash busting projects the last few months - used 5.15kg of stash so far! I have another months worth of quick projects and then I'll sit down and knit some shawls etc.

So for April: (in brackets approximate amount of yarn available for project)

Rowan Chunky Print fringed throw (1kg)

Soft tweed checked blankie (1kg)

Ribbon yarn something???? any ideas (800g)

I finially had a good bash at repotting the cacti last night. This wasn't too painful, although I impaled my arm on the biggest most fierce looking one! I also repotted one of the orchids and noticed that shes got buds, will give the other orchids TLC later in the week!

My SP asked me some questions and I thought I would post the replies here:

Please tell me a little more about your likes and dislikes in knitting?

Likes:

Natural fibres especially protein one's. I generally like knitting reasonably complicated patterns (the last few stashbusting projects have been a little different).

Favourite yarn: Noro Kureyon, Regia Sock wool (plain colours) for shawl knitting, Shetland wool. Nothing too soft or splitty, have knitted with Irish Bainin Aran wool (wins awards for the toughest scratchiest wool to knit with but softens amazingly on blocking). I like multicolour yarn from handpainted to Regia Bamboo.

I'm not to fussy about yarn (as long as its mostly natural), what is important is having a project that does the yarn proud.

Favourite patterns: Aran cables, Lace, Fair Isle ... something that stretches my mind and imagination.

Favourite magazines: I subscribe to IK, otherwise I like Sabrina and the Regia booklets but can't get hold of them easily.

Favourite tools: Denise needles, addi bamboo needles (I have 4.5 and 5mm), bamboo sock needles (I have 3 and 3.5mm). I have a cheap crochet hook with a yellow handle and a metal tip it is nearly my best friend. Finally my Strickfingerhut, a thimble shaped like a spring with two loops on it, it makes fair isle continental style soo easy.

Dislikes: Synthetic yarn, very soft yarn which pills easily, splitty yarn ... unflattering patterns ... heavy needles ....

I find your other hobby pretty interesting too...cacti? Do you grow them from seeds your own?

I have been growing cacti since I was a teenager. They are easy to look after, grow quickly and have the most beautiful flowers. I mostly grow from seed as the plants are healthier, I have some rebutias grown from my own seeds which flowered last year. I mostly grow epiphytic cacti, these tolerate the moisture and temperatures in my flat better than some of the desert varieties, although I have many rebutia, mamillaria, ferocacti etc that have survived. I also have a smaller collection of succulents which includes aloes, agaves, euphorbia (euphorbia obesa is my favourite), lithops and mesembs.