A Secret Pal for me...

I'm going to have a Secret Pal!

Yay!

I signed up for this a couple of weeks ago, and then in the mess of life, promptly forgot that I needed to fill out a questionaire about myself for my secret pal (and now all of you!) to get to know me a little bit better. Thankfully one of the lovely listmoms sent me a kind reminder that I had responsibilities here too! So here it goes... Secret Pall 11 questionaire


1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I don't know if I have a favourite fiber yet...I like really soft things, but I have not ever had the chance to knit with anything famously soft like cashmere. I am not a fiber snob though, I will knit with anything that I like the feel of. What I have knit with so far is various wool, cotton, acryllic, and nylon - both alone and in blends. I hate anything that is scratchy and uncomfortable against the skin.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
Mostly my bedside table drawer. I don't have any really good needle storage, but I'm thinking of making one....

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I have been knitting constantly for two years now. I was first taught in an extra-curricular class taught at my middle school, but then promptly forgot. While I was pregnant with my third baby, I had this incredible urge to create something in all the time that I was going to be spending nursing her. I thought of the knitting that I had abandoned so long ago. I found a book, followed the instructions and away we went. I found places like Knittinghelp.com, and dove fearlessly into knitting a baby sweater for my new addition. At this point I would consider myself to be an intermediate knitter, but I can definitely stretch to the advanced patterns. I'm always willing to try new things, and I'm not afraid my yarn and needles - or the frog pond. Been there quite a lot lately. Lovely, but the bugs bite.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Oh yah.... About $1000 worth of knitting books on that by now....

5. What's your favorite scent?
Hmmm, my husbands is vanilla, but me? Fresh spring smells - wild and growing.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I live for chocolate. Seriously.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I want to learn to spin, but haven't yet. I'm also working on crochet, but after knitting, my love has to be quilting. I just don't have time or space to set that up right now, with three munchkins looking to "help" all of the time. :D

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I was a Music Education Major in college, and got my BA in that subject, so my music interests are quite eclectic. A wide vairiety of things catch my ear, and are not limited to particular genres. I love celtic influenced music, I have a soft spot for the rock of the 80's and 90's, and have found myself enjoying (much to my surprise) artists like Eminem and Marilyn Manson, but they are not my usual suspects. Bluegrass gets my toes tapping, and Metallica was a favourite from High School. Go ahead and surprise me. I use itunes (with my tiny ipod of 4 gigs) and I have it linked to my stereo. MP3's are wonderful.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
My favourite colors are blues and greens, but I'm pulled to autum colors in the warmer tones. No colors that I can't stand.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I have been happily married to my wonderful husband for 11 years now, and we have three beautiful children - 2 boys (ages 7 &5) and my baby girl (2). We also have 1 Dog ( a black labradork ), 2 cats, 2 birds, and a fish. Hopefully we are full up on pets for now.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I do wear hats and mittens - the occasional scarf. I'm not so likely to wear a poncho. I'm a voluptuous beauty, and generally try not to resemble a beach ball. I like shawls though....

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Wow, favourite item to knit? Hmm, right now it's lacey things, and I'm branching out into cables. I enjoy a challenge more than anything else.

13. What are you knitting right now?
2 pair of socks, 2 stoles (both for gifts), 1 hat, and a Lace Edged Tee which is on time out right now, because I had to frog it back to the beginning band. It was trying to be a tent, and I had no interest in wearing one. So back to the beginning, to replan the increases and decreases for shaping. Sigh.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
I love to recieve handmade gifts. What could be more exciting that knowing that someone was actually thinking of my happiness and joy for the number of hours that making that gift took them. The highest of all compliments, really.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
It all depends on what I'm working on. For socks, I like the metal (knitpicks options are my favourites right now), for middle weights (DK to heavy aran weight) I like the wooden needles. Bamboo are very nice. I will knit with aluminum and plastics, but they are generally not my first choice.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
I wish..... My swift is currently my husband (or a child's rocking chair, sometimes an upside down laundry basket), and my winder is exclusively my hands.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Hmmm 2 years old.....

18. What is your favorite holiday?
I love the Christmnas/ Winter solstice season. It makes me happy (if I'm not thinking about being poor...)

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Books. I also have an unnatural fondness for teapots and cups, and chess sets. Sigh. Oh, and boxes. I love little boxes. I have no place to put them, but I love them...

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 would love to be wealthly enough to own some Lantern Moon needles. And Cashmere. As far as books, I'm currently drooling over pattern and stitch books - take your pick - and things like "Knitting in the Old Way," as I am seldom content with just knitting a pattern as is, so I'd better learn all I can about how to tweak others, or design my own. I currently suscribe to Interweave Knits, and am getting Vogue knitting too. I'm still wondering if I signed up for that online some late evening, or if they are just being super nice....

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Stranded Knitting (Including Fair Isle) and Steeks. Not quite brave enough to take scissors to my knitting yet... but I'm working on it.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I am a sock knitter. My foot is 9 inches long, and 9 inches around. So is my ankle. My calf gets a little bigger, but I generally like my sock cuffs on the short side.


23. When is your birthday?
June 6th.


24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
Not yet....waiting for my invite.