Secret Pal 10 Questionnaire

Here is my questionnaire for my secret pal:

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I love anything soft, especially alpaca. I’m very entertained by self-striping and self-patterning sock yarn.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I made a rolling needle case for my straight needles. I would like a small case for my dpn’s that I can carry around in my knitting bag. My circulars are just sort of floating around, they don’t have a home.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I bought a couple of books and taught myself to knit about a year ago. Then I took a sock knitting class back in September. I would call my self an advanced beginner. I can knit a sock so I’m not totally a novice but I don’t know that I’d call myself intermediate quite yet.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes I do. I have a Wists List on my blog. See it scrolling happily along to the right of this post?

5. What's your favorite scent?
Hmmm .. anything earthy. Love Jasmine and Nag Champa. Don’t like rose.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Absolutely. I love those dark chocolate bars with the fruit and nuts in them.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
Mostly just knitting these days but also tie-dye, sewing, making stepping stones for the yard, and I’m always trying to come up with my own new recipes for a cookbook I plan to write one day. I don’t spin but I plan to learn sometime after my kids get a little older.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s?
I love music. I’ve been getting into Jazz lately. I love music with good instrumentation like Sister Hazel, Dave Matthews Band, Lenny Kravitz, etc. I enjoy mainstream stuff but also like acoustic guitar, classical crossover, drum beats, middle eastern dance, bluegrass and pretty much anything I can groove to. And I always like female singers like Alanis, Tori, Jewel, Melissa, etc. Yes I can play MP3s on my computer, my stereo and in my car.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
Deep purples, blues and greens and earthy colors. I don’t like pastels or neon and I really don’t like yellow.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I live with my hubby, our two boys, Houston (2 yrs) and Brody (8 mos), four dogs and a cat.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I live in Florida so I don’t get to wear them often but I do enjoy fun scarves and hats. I would really like to knit myself a lace stole.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Socks, socks, baby hats for friends, socks, stuffed animals, and more socks.

13. What are you knitting right now?
Socks for one of my sons, yoga socks for me, and baby socks and hat set for a baby shower.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Most definitely do. And as for patterns, books, and needles (and even yarn as long as it hasn’t been used and frogged a bunch of times) I would prefer for them to be second-hand/used if possible. (browse this blog for recent posts about compacting if you are curious as to why)

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Don’t have a preference between circular and straight. I like bamboo but I’ve recently discovered that I prefer size one dpns in metal rather than bamboo … although it may just be that I don’t like the ones that I have with the yarn that I’m using.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Nope. Don’t even know what a swift is.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Hmmm … a baby blanket I started when I was pregnant with Houston who is now 2-1/2 years old. It’s a girly blanket as I was told I was having a girl. Houston, however, was born very much a boy. I planned to finish it for a baby shower gift at some point but that hasn’t happened yet.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Fourth of July. Fun, food and fireworks on or near the water surrounded by friends and family and no pressure to give the right gift. Of course I may be biased because it’s also the day before my birthday.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Refridgerator magnets and toothpick holders.

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 really want the Sensational Knitted Socks book and Special Knits by Debbie Bliss. I don’t have a subscription to any knitting magazines but wouldn’t mind a subscription to Interweave Knits. I’d also like to try some Crystal Palace bamboo dpns and I’m always up for trying new sock yarn. I would really like to try some Summer Breaze Cool sock yarn by On Line, especially color #787 or #793. I would also like to try Jitterbug by Colinette.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I really want to learn all the ways to knit a sock … different heels, toe up, etc.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes. Not a very experienced one but a sock knitter none-the-less. My foot is 10 inches long, and 9 inches around the middle of my foot. I wear a size 8 shoe.

23. When is your birthday?
July 5th