Secret Pal 9 Questionnaire

Everyone except my secret pal, feel free to skip this post.

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I really love very soft yarns, especially ones with soy, alpaca or silk in them. I’m quite fond of hand-painted yarns, as well as self striping and variegated yarns like Manos del Uruguay, Tosca by Lang or Patons SWS. I don’t like rough/scratchy yarns (does anyone?), whether they’re acrylic or wool. I guess I’m not too fond of really crazy novelty yarns either… anything that sheds more than a small animal is not good.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
My Denise needles have their own case, my straight needles are displayed in a decorative canister thing, and my few circulars (besides the Denise set) and DPNs usually end up loose in my knitting bag or in a small zippered pouch.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I learned to knit a few times before it really stuck. My aunt taught me when I was a kid, but I never really got the hang of purling. I re-learned much more recently from the book Stitch ‘N Bitch. That was about 2 years ago. I would consider myself a beginning intermediate knitter with a willingness to take plenty of knitting risks.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes, both. SP, I’ll email you with how to access them, I don’t really want them public. Used books are definitely cool with me.

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
Um, I’m very sensitive/mildly allergic to many fragrances, so I’m not big on scented products in general. I do love beeswax candles, and I like natural, unscented or mildly scented body products, such as Burt’s Bees.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I definitely have a sweet tooth, and my favorite treat is chocolate, especially dark chocolate (bars, truffles, etc). My other favorite treat is tea (without sugar). I love herbal teas, red, green, and occasionally black teas.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I’m beginner at spinning. Right now I have a very basic drop spindle and a friend just got me a Navajo spindle. I will be attending the NYS Sheep and Wool Fest, so I’m hoping to come away with some fiber. I also like to sew, and I’m trying to teach myself printing/stamping. I love to cook, and have been on a baking kick lately. I also really enjoy growing things, and like to have plants around my apartment. I would like to learn how to crochet. My mom taught me as a kid, but I never got past the single chain.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
My taste in music is fairly eclectic, and I enjoy being exposed to new music. I’d love to be introduced to some good bluegrass or anything else you particularly like. My computer can play mp3s, but I mostly listen to music in the car, which does not have mp3 playing capacity.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I’m quite fond of colors in the red family – deep reds, burgundy, pinks, but I also like blues, purples, greens, earth tones, black. I guess the only colors I’m not crazy about are yellow and orange, and that’s just near my face (I’m blond and fair-skinned, so they tend to look funny on me).

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I live with my boyfriend, Mr. Cool. No pets.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes to scarves, hats and occasionally mittens. No to ponchos (I’m small, so I would get lost in them - I probably would wear something similar but smaller, like a capelet or wrap or even a ponchette, if that’s a word)

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I love quick knits like hats and wristwarmers, but I’m starting to really enjoy bigger, more wearable projects now like sweaters.

13. What are you knitting right now?
Armwarmers, a mesh produce bag, a vest and an afghan.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
I love it.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I have a set of Denise interchangeable needles which I really like, so I’m all set with circulars. I usually prefer wood or bamboo for straight needles and DPNs.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
I do not own either.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
That would be the afghan mentioned above (question 13), which was started last January or February (and I anticipate it taking many more months, if not years, to finish at the rate I’m going).

18. What is your favorite holiday?
I don’t really have a favorite, but any holiday involving food is a good holiday in my book.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
I try not to.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I’d really like to make the Ribby Cardi from Chic Knits. I like the color scheme they have, or I might consider a red or pink with brown, or perhaps go monochromatic and do two shades of reds or blues.
I’ve been wanting to try out Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk for a while, and I always swoon over hand spun and/or hand-dyed yarns. I do not have any knitting mag subscriptions, but am fond of some of the European mags and pattern booklets that I’ve seen, like Phildar and Drops.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Lace (I’ve done very basic lace, but I’d love to try something fancy), cables, colorwork, steeking, etc.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Not yet. I wear a women’s size 5-6, and my foot measures 8 5/8” from heel to tip of big toe.

23. When is your birthday? July 8