Secret pal 11 Questionnaire

Getting to know me ... getting to know all about me (well, the yarny parts mostly, but at least now we aren't strangers, eh?)

The Questionnaire
1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
* I like all natural fibres that I have tried and also have no issue with natural/man made blends. If it is soft, I love to knit with it! I am not a big fan of acrylic - unless it is blended with a natural fibre --and don't enjoy scratchy wool (there are so many nice soft wools now ... why bother with the itchy stuff!).

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
* I have a Laurel Burch pouch (with 3 funky kitties on it) that I love for my sock dpns. All my other needles are stored in an old knitting needle roll that my mom had years ago, and also in a big plastic zip lock baggie if they won't fit in the roll

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
* I tinkered with knitting as a kid in Brownies but retained none of it! I learned to knit 5 years ago to make a gift for my unborn niece. I taught myself from the "Susan Bates Learn to Knit" book (I still use it if a pattern calls for a stitch or technique I am unfamiliar with).

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
* No , but I wish I did ... there are a lot of books on knitting I am covetting (I may get ambitious and change this answer! Check back!) I love books.

5. What's your favorite scent?
* I like vanilla and most other food scents -- LOL! I prefer them to florals and strong scents.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
* I love candy -- enjoy especially anything chocolate (dark and milk are favorites), skittles, gummy anythings, and any candy in general -- I do have a hazelnut allergy and have to be careful when buying candy that it doesn't have them in it as an ingredient (alot of nice quality chocolate and other bars have hazelnuts (aka filberts ) in them) -- I used to love hazelnuts before I got this stupid allergy (and am a little bitter that I can no longer have them!) If it has sugar in it -- I am there!

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
* I sew, quilt, paint (very occasionally), make jams and jellies, do pysanky, and am willing to try any craft ( itried stained glass a few years ago -- cool, but I am a little clumsy - if you have followed my blog, the clumsy thing is a no-brainer - and was scared I would slice off a finger and not be able to knit, so stopped doing it, even though I loved it!) -- I have a tendancy to "get really into" a craft, then move on after a few years, this was before I discovered knitting -- now I find it hard to take time to do another craft! I think knitting is "the One" for me!

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
* I like the Rolling Stones, 80's music, and a lot of the poppy fun stuff on the radio ... I have no ability to play MP3s. I also really love Harry connick Jr., Michael Boublais and all of the old crooners - Frank Sinatra, Dean martin, Bing Crosby ... voices like silk!

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
* I like a lot ... and my taste changes daily! right now I am into jewelly brights ... orange (actually with orange, any shade, tone, hue is instant and total love for me!), lime green, hot pink, turquoise, purple (pretty much any shade, tone, hue).
I am also loving the colour combo of orange, tan and turquoise, and the blue brown mix that seems to be so popular. I like most colours ... just not a huge fan of yellow (it is ok in things, just not a big enough love of it yet to have it alone!), or pastel, pale colours. Blacks, browns, navy, burgundy are all great neutrals too!

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
* I am married (for nearly 8 years!) with no children. We have a black and white cat (she's our old girl, Louie), a flame point Selkirk Rex kitten (he's called Curly), a Valley Bulldog (she is a sweet 2 year old, Duffy) and our old lady dog, Elvis, is a brown dog. We also have a lot of fish -- quite a few tanks (mostly cichlids, but some smaller fishies as well)

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
* Yeppers, I live in Nova Scotia and wear all of them -- although I have a brown mohair poncho that doesn't get a lot of wear, so probably won't need another, thanks!

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
* I love knitting ... generally I like socks, purses, baby items ... things that are completeable in a relatively short time!

13. What are you knitting right now?
* Socks (Hederas -- giving me grief, and have a cuff cast on for a pair for my father in law - not sure of what I want them to be yet!) , a purse in SWS by Patons, a sweater with a tractor on it for my 3 year old nephew, and there are a few things buried at the bottom of my WIP bag that should move back up to the top!

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
* Yes I do

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
* For socks I like straight short needles, and like them in anything but metal (they make my finger joints ache!) For everything else, i alternate between like straight and circular ... my husband bought me a set of those needles that have the metal needles and the attachable flexi middle bits (can't remember the brand or what they are called - but I think you know what I mean!?!)

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
* No -- I plan to get one someday. I know someone with a winder and her balls always look neater than mine (for skeining, I use the legs of a footstool -- that works well!)

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
* ummmm , will you like me any less if I tell you the truth? Hmmm, let's see ... I have the back of a cardigan and 4 inches of the right side that was being knit for me -- that is at least 4.5 years old (i have been knitting 5 years!), and i have the arms, back, front and 1/2 the hood of a really cute infant sized hoody in chocolate brown fun fur for my nephew 9he's turuning 3 in a week or so! -- eeep!) Yeah -- sometimes I fall off the horse BAD!

18. What is your favorite holiday?
* I love all holidays -- Christmas of course, and Canada Day is nice (I loves a day off with fireworks in the middle of the Summer)

19. Is there anything that you collect?
* LOL! Tricky! Lots of stuff -- yarn! things with knitting on them, blown glass fish, I have a thing for cows, Rolling Stones stuff, shiny sparkley trinkets -- I am basically a crow and a packrat

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 like the Nancy Bush patterns, I haven't read the Stitch & Bitch books, as much as I rave about Lucy Neatby - you'd think I'd have her books - I don't, -- I am self taught from a book, and have only discovered all the fun knitting stuff on the net recently
I do read the magazines , and buy a few -- Interweave Knits, Knit Simple (very seldom), Vogue Knitting, but have been on a magazine diet lately -- trying hard to resist the pretty pictures

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
* I haven't tried a toe up sock yet, or any fancy heel (I have only knit the flap ... nothing else!)

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
* I am a sock knitter ... I wear an 8.5 shoe (North American sizing) and measure 9 inches around the ball of my foot, and 9.5 inches heel to toe (not sure if my ankle is fat - it is 9 inches around)

23. When is your birthday?
* I am a Groundhog Day baby -- Feb. 2nd -- and this birthday is gonna be a big one! Gack!

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
* I am hoping to be on soon ... there are only 7717 people in line ahead of me (getting close ... lol!)