SP10 Questionnaire

Well, my last Secret Pal (9) went so well that I've decided to do Secret Pal 10 (SP10). Kathy from bread_and_circulars was my spoiler from SP9 and now I'm truly spoiled for my next spoiler! Robin from Yarn Crawl was my spoilee and she was a whole lotta fun to spoil. So, if you want to participate, you need to have a blog, be a knitter or crocheter, be willing to spend $60 on someone you've never met and post 4 times per month and one of those posts needs to be related to crocheting, knitting or fiber. Without further ado, I present my SP10 questionnaire (many of the answers were taken straight from my SP9 questionnaire) ...

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I love soft wool, merino and alpaca. I also enjoy working with cotton blends. I'm interested in unique fibers like bamboo and silk blends as well. I'm not a big fan of acrylic unless it's added to something else to make it washable, or soft. I used to work in a yarn store and I confess, I'm a bit of a yarn snob.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have a Lantern Moon "wrap" for my straight needles, a case with zippered pouches for circulars and dpn's, along with the hard cover case that came with my Denise needles.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? My husband bought lessons for me approximately 4 years ago and I knit with my teacher and several others twice a month. I guess I'd put myself in the advanced beginner, beginning intermediate category. I have much to learn.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Yes! I will be happy to share that information upon request, Secret Pal.

5. What's your favorite scent? I love lavender but I also enjoy vanilla, lemon verbena, cinnamon. However, when it comes to flowery I'm not such a fan unless it's a really good quality jasmine or lilac.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Does a knitter like yarn? Uh, yes I have a sweet tooth and I go crazy for good quality chocolates like Knipschild or Belgian confections of any sort. However, I'm pretty darn happy with a Hershey bar too.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I don't spin and for right now, it doesn't interest me to do it. I love to take photos and I'm hoping to get back into doing some simple scrapbooks 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) Oh, music, music, music! Yes, I am MP3 capable. I really love world music especially (but not limited to) African and Cuban music. I'm always looking for Chinese music as well. My taste varies, but I like anything from Erasure to Joan Armatrading, REM to Ella Fitzgerald, Abba to Indigo Girls, The Beatles to the Doors, movie soundtracks to Broadway soundtracks. I'm not too into country, although I think Patsy Cline is a goddess and rap ain't my thang although there have been some songs that I enjoy. I enjoy classical and opera, but unfortunately not very knowledgeable about either.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I tend to stick to cool colors like blues, greens, purples and pinks for my wardrobe. I also like most reds as well. Although I enjoy them, extreme muted tones never look good on me (not that my knitting is all about me) but I would be willing to try them. I guess I'd say nothing too over the top for me like bright orange or super uggo green. The main floor of my home is done in butter yellow with sage green and has a little bit of red thrown in for good measure. My bedroom is a deep shade of lavender.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? Hubby, daughter "Buttons" and our fluffy grey cat "Dee Dee".

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Yes.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? It depends on my mood and concentration level. For mindless knitting, I go for scarves and washcloths. A little more fun is hats and felted handbags. I really liked knitting the stocking for Buttons along with a recent sweater for her.

13. What are you knitting right now? My first pair of socks (toe-up), a felted hat, a Wallaby sweater for Buttons, a sleeveless shell for me, a washcloth, and probably 3 other things I can't remember.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes, please!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I like the versatility of circular, however, the Lantern Moon straight needles make me a bit weak in the knees. I love my set of Denise Needles, but in general bamboo are my favorite. Iused Addi Turbos (Size 9, 16") on Buttons' stocking and really enjoyed working with them.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? No, but there's always hope, right?

17. How old is your oldest UFO? Maybe 2 and a half years?

18. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas.

19. Is there anything that you collect? Trying to simplify, but I just love knitting books and cook books. Recipes for yarn and food. I also enjoy Christmas ornaments, especially miniature knit items for the tree.

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'm interested in "Scarf Style" and "The Purl Stitch" and any book by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. I would love a subscription to Interweave as well. I'm on a "stash diet" right now, so I'm not allowed to purchase yarn, but may receive it as a gift. (Ah, loopholes.) As far as needles go, Lantern Moon straight needles in a size 7 (short) would be a luxurious way to make washcloths. 16" Addi Turbos in any size between 5 and 15 (except 9) would be a lovely way to make a hat.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I'd love to get better at finishing. I come to the end and then just seize up and hope I somehow figure it out through osmosis.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Gosh, I guess I am a sock knitter. However, I don't know my measurements. I'm around a size 7 1/2 shoe and the width of my foot is probably a bit above average.

23. When is your birthday? Late November.