Secret pal 12 Questionnaire

I am in Secret Pal 12, so here is pretty much everything there is to know about me ... but were afraid to ask!

Questions
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 (wheee! Alpaca - smooshy soft!). 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 nothing! I learned to knit nearly 7 years ago to make a gift for my soon to be born 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?
Yes, as of today ... there are a lot of books on knitting I am coveting. 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 basically 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 (a lot 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 ( I tried 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 tendency 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! I recently took up spinning and have 2 basic spindles and a spinning wheel

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 (and I am really not a techie person so if I could play them, I likely couldn't figure it out! LOL!) . I also really love Harry Connick Jr., Michael Boublais and all of the old crooners - Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby ... voices like silk! ABBA, Super Tramp, the Eagles, -- the sounds of the 70s do it for me too!

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I am trying to be a bit more experimental with colour, and am developing more "favorites" every day. I tend to go for the jewelly brights ... orange (actually any shade, tone, hue is instant and total love for me!), lime green, hot pink, 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 or grey. 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 9 years!) with no children. We have a black and white cat (she's our old girl, Louie), a flame point Selkirk Rex kitty (he's called Curly), a Valley Bulldog (she is a sweet nearly 3 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? Yes sirree Bob! 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? Generally I like socks, purses, baby items ... things that are complete able in a relatively short time! But recently friends' activities have inspired me to try to make a few larger items, and to try out knitting toys -- which I am lovin'!

13. What are you knitting right now? Socks (there are always socks on the needles, at least 2 pair, all the time), a dishcloth or two, 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! I really like Bryspun short dpns and Pony Pearls). 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 == I think they are Boye??

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Yes, I have both -- and don't know how I lived before I had them.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
ummmm , will you like me any less if I tell you the truth? Hmmm, let's see ... there are several things that I have no intention of ever finishing that are at least 5.5 years old (and really nice -- but I have no interest in the cardigan, the baby layette or the baby hoodie anymore - I am a fickle woman, constantly evolving - or lazy - you choose).

18. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas of course, and Canada Day is nice (I loves a day off with fireworks in the middle of the Summer). Labour Day is always special to me, as we got married on that weekend, and usually celebrate then, regardless of the date it falls on.

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

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? for my books, check Ravelry. 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, and sometimes another if it looks "good".

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I haven't tried a toe up sock yet, and I would kill to get good at colourwork -- I am really not good at it ... at all!

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 inches heel to toe (not sure if my ankle is fat - it is 9 inches around) -- does that mean my foot is a little fat cube? sounds like it -- 9 x 9 x 9? I like a 5 or 6 inch cuff on my socks, or a cute little anklet.

23. When is your birthday? I am a Groundhog Day baby -- Feb. 2nd

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
My name is Heddy on Ravelry