Thirty Things about Me

Kerrie of Hipknits is celebrating her 30th birthday, and has issued a challenge to her readers to come up with 30 things about themselves. Well. I like challenges, so here's my attempt:-

1. I like challenges!

2. I am a collector: I collect textile techniques. I knit, crochet, embroider by hand, embroider by machine, do bobbin lacemaking, macramé, tatting, dressmaking, patchwork, feltmaking, smocking, spinning, weaving.... This means I have a lot of equipment and various stashes of materials so storage is a big issue in our house.

3. I own four sewing machines: a Husqvarna Lily; a Janome which I owned before I fell in love with the Lily but which does good buttonholes and mock-overlocking; a Brother Embroidery machine; an overlocker.

4. I love my garden and my favourite part of gardening is choosing new plants. I especially love roses, as long as they are scented, and other scented flowers such as honeysuckle and jasmine.

5. My favourite colour is blue, especially turquoise, but all shades from lavender to jade.

6. My three children were all born by induced labour because I developed high blood pressure in pregnancy. I am a little sad that I shall never know what it is to go into labour naturally.

7. I love natural fabrics and dislike wearing synthetics because they do not breathe.

8. My favourite forms of exercise are swimming, yoga, and pilates.

9. I have had M.E./C.F.S. for 18 years.

10. After a flu-like illness twelve years ago, I lost the use of my right leg and had to learn to walk again. I still use two walking sticks for walking and have hand controls on my car to help me drive.

11. I love watching the birds in my garden and have several bird feeders and bird boxes to encourage them.

12. I was forced to retire from my career as a social worker by my illness, which I found very difficult. However, it has allowed me to be at home for my children while they have been growing up, to study embroidery in City and Guilds classes and add to my collection of textile-related arts.

13. Creative activities have helped me to cope with the limitations and frustrations imposed by my health problems. It is important to me to feel I am achieving something productive, even if it is just a few stitches sewn or a row of knitting.

14. My husband is Armenian. When I first met him, I had to look this up in the atlas and discovered that it was either a town in South America or a country between Turkey, Georgia and Russia. In fact, he was born and raised in Iraq, where the rest of his family still live.

15. I think I may be addicted to knitting socks. I am currently knitting my 8th pair for me, and have also knitted a pair for my baby nephew.

16. I grew up in London (Highams Park) but am glad to live in a country village because of the peacefulness, clean air and smaller community.

17. I met my husband in a hospital ward round/through work. He is a doctor.

18. I was married to another doctor when I met my husband, but we were separated.

19. My husband is my best friend.

20. I love Cornwall and my favourite place there is Mousehole. I particularly enjoy the far west. However, we visited the Scilly Islands for the first time during our last holiday there and I would like to spend a holiday there because it is so beautiful.

21. My favourite holiday country abroad is Greece, especially Greek islands, and my favourites are Cephalonia and Crete.

22. My husband promised to take me to Paris for helping him to pass a work-related examination, and in January this year we spent a few days there. I only had to wait 21 years!

23. I would like to visit Venice and Barcelona, the latter because I would like to see the Gaudi buildings in reality.

24. I can read Greek and speak a little, thanks to learning New Testament Greek as a teenager. This comes in very handy when navigating on Greek islands.

25. When I was a child, I wanted to be a ballet dancer, and then I wanted to be a fshion designer, but was put off by my school teachers who said it was too competitive.

26. I love word games, like Scrabble and Boggle. I do the trackword in the Radio Times, and any crossword puzzles that come my way. However, I also enjoy Sudoku.

27. I love to read novels and am a frequent visitor to our library. I don't really have favourite authors but enjoy modern crime and romantic novels. I don't usually enjoy short stories because they are over too quickly.

28. I am currently very overweight, but am newly on medication to reduce my appetite. I have lost nearly half a stone in the first month and dropped a dress size already!

29. I am the eldest of three children, with a younger sister and even younger brother. I have two daughters and my son is the youngest. The girls and I have birthdays which fall on the same day of the week each year. My husband and son have the same birthday.

30. My favourite clothing store is Gudrun Sjoden and most of my clothes are bought on the internet.