Secret Pal 8 questionnaire

Here is my official entry into the world of Secret Pal swaps. This is actually one of the reasons I started my own knitting blog, since I had so much fun reading and seeing what other people got in swaps like these!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? My favorite yarns are natural fibers, especially wool. I also love alpaca/llama/angora/etc, and I have some of each in the stash, but I haven’t knit much with them yet. I’m not keen on acrylic. If I want something I can wash I’ll use superwash merino over acrylic any day.
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? My needles live in their original packages in a drawer in my living room. It’s getting messy in there but I don’t have a good case for them, despite lots of looking. Haven’t found just the right thing…
3. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I’ve been knitting for about 2.5 years, and would consider myself intermediate.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Yes, if you search for me you should be able to find it. I love books, and reading, although the knitting has been cutting into the old reading time…
5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.). I like vanilla, mint, lemongrass, and things like that. I really don’t like lavender or anything musky or incense-like
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Yes! Milk chocolate, preferably with nothing in it - the plainer the better.
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I make paper, and occasionally I do some needlepoint. I just started spinning on a drop-spindle and although I enjoy it I’m pretty bad and I’m not sure how into I’m going to get, although all my friends are hooked and I’ll probably decide to really get into spinning to keep up with them!
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD). I listen to mostly British rock/alternative/techno, and some US stuff in the same vein. However, I’m always open to new thigns, so I’ll listen to almost anything except jazz. I can play Mp3s everywhere I go…
9. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand? Teal and turquoise are my favorites at the moment, as well as other jewel tones (green/blue/dark purple). I’m not big on yellow or orange. Red is okay. Pink, not so much. On the whole I prefer cool tones since they go better with my skin and hair.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I live with my boyfriend and a lovely orange tabby cat named Oliver. If you hunt around on the blog you can find photos of both of them.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Scarves yes, hats yes, but it depends on the shape, mittens yes, and ponchos, most definitely not my thing.
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Hum…I’ve knit a lot of hats, and a lot of scarves, since it took me awhile to get past that phase of knitting. I also like knitting armwarmers, since they’re like the beginning of a sock but with big needles. I’m trying to finish my first sweater and have many more planned, but I’m not positive that’s my favorite yet. I’m also currently in a sock phase. Yes, I realize I haven’t answered the question! Really I like to knit things I can see myself or someone I know using. So, I guess that means I’ll knit anything but ponchos and tea cozies…
13. What are you knitting right now? Right now I’m on the second sleeve of my first sweater. My other big project at the moment is a clapotis, but I’m also knitting two pairs of socks, and planning to start a knitted teddy bear for a friend’s impending baby.
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes, but my taste is pretty modern.
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Straight bamboo. I will knit as many stiches as possible on a straight needle to avoid knitting back and forth on circular needles. For circular needles I can do bamboo or aluminum. I have some of both and I do agree the metal needles are faster, but I like the feel of the bamboo better. I’m not keen on metal straights – too slippery. For DPNs I prefer bamboo since they’re slightly flexible yet grab the yarn enough that it doesn’t slide off the ends.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? I just got a nostepinne from my Project Colorwap pal, but I don’t have a swift.
17. How did you learn to knit? A combination of an aunt, a cousin, and my mother, as well as my Seattle knitting crew, the Fiberphiles. A special shout-out goes to my friend Rachel, who taught me how to purl and saved me from endless garter stitch scarves. She also taught me the wonders of increasing and decreasing, and convinced me that I could indeed move on from scarves to garments, and for this I thank her.
18. How old is your oldest UFO? I’ve been making a pink shrug from Rowan 37 since last August, but it’s a disaster so I think I’m going to frog it (does that make it not count?). Otherwise I don’t have many old UFOs. I had a Lenten vow that I wouldn’t cast on anything new, which meant I had to finish a bunch of old projects just to keep knitting, and that really cleared out the knitting baskets…
19. What is your favorite holiday? Halloween.
20. Is there anything that you collect? Does yarn count? I certainly have plenty of that (and always want more!).
21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I don’t have any subscriptions. From looking at all the magazines Interweave has been my favorite lately. I also loved almost everything in Rowan 37, but haven’t seen much I liked in the two issues since then so I’m not sure what to think about them now. I can’t really think of anything I want desperately. I have a pattern that calls for a 12” size 11 circular, so I’d love to have one of those, but I’m not sure they exist outside the designer’s imagination, since I can’t find one even with intense Internet searching…
22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? At some point I should really learn fair-isle. First I should learn to knit continental so I can get two yarns going at once…
23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? I am a sock knitter (newly converted by the loveliness of Socks that Rock and all the beautiful socks knit in the blogosphere). I wear a 6.5 (little feet=less yarn=lots of fun leftovers!).
24. When is your birthday? (mm/dd) 5/11/79