Secret Pal 9 Questionnaire

Wow... this is quite the questionnaire. There's a lot of detail in here!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I like natural fibers (esp. merino wool) as well as interesting blends. I love Malabrigo – it’s such a soft and cozy wool yarn. I like Lorna’s Laces in general, especially the superwash and the oh-so-luxurious Lion and Lamb (50% silk / 50% wool). Alpaca is great, especially when blended with wool. Silk/wool blends are another favorite. Like many knitters, I’m not into boucle, fun fur, or acrylic, although acrylic has its place, especially when I’m knitting for babies and busy moms. I'm not a big fan of mohair or anything too scratchy.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
A few needles are displayed in a cute sheep pottery vase in a bookcase in my living room. The rest live in an old cardboard box. I’m embarrassed to admit it.

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 for almost a year. I’m an advanced beginner.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes, I have an Amazon list. See here. It includes plenty of non-knitting content, so be forewarned!

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
I love lavender and vanilla combos (but not lavender separately, except for that horribly expensive but marvelous lavender hand lotion from L’Occitane). I like fairly natural scents – coconut lime verbena, mint, almond, lemon, citrus, nut. I’m a sucker for lovely handmade all-natural soaps, especially ones made with oatmeal, honey, goat’s milk, etc. I like milk-scented body products (like the Body Shop’s, or the Au Lait brand sold at Target).

I often burn candles in my study while I work, since the study doubles as the cats’ room and the litter box is in there. Stinky! All the above scents are great, and I also like pumpkin/cranberry/cinnamon/nutmeg type candles in the fall and winter. Soy candles are super neat!

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Yes! Dark chocolate is a favorite, and I also like chocolate combined with hazelnuts and Milka brand milk chocolate. I’m also into scones, lemon curd, shortbread, and Pepperidge Farm cookies. I’m not too big on fruity or gummy candies. I love to bake, but I try to keep it under control.

I’m trying to watch what I eat, so a few treats are great, but my waistline doesn’t need an abundance of sweets. I love flavored coffee and tea (esp. fruity or spicy black and fruity green tea). Other healthy options are granola and dried fruit.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
Quilting, cross-stitching, embroidering. No spinning 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 am a bit of an audiophile. CDs and MP3s work for me. I like indie rock, alternative rock, 80s pop, classical piano, and Brazilian music. No rap, R&B, hip-hop, or country (except for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band!).

My favorite artists include Belle and Sebastian, Snow Patrol, REM, Reindeer Section, David Bowie, U2, Pet Shop Boys, the Smiths, the Decemberists, and Death Cab for Cutie. In terms of classical composers, I appreciate Rachmaninoff, Chopin, and Liszt. I would love to add more Mozart and Beethoven to my music collection.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
Blue is my absolute favorite color! Dark blue, light blue, navy… it’s all good. I also like plum, dark red, sage green, lavender , and neutrals like black, grey, and cream. I’m not too into yellow, orange, or olive or forest green. I like solid, heather, and variegated colors.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I am married with no kids. I have two cats, Kylie and Capricha. They are 10-year old domestic shorthairs, and they love catnip! They tend to be strangely picky about cat treats.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Scarves, hats, and mittens – yes! I live in a cold climate, and I love winter. No ponchos for me.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Baby sweaters and blankets, scarves, and mittens. I also like making bags.

13. What are you knitting right now?
- Noro Silk Garden multidirectional diagonal scarf for the International Scarf Exchange 3
- Baby kimono from Mason-Dixon Knitting
- Another multidirectional diagonal scarf in a variegated navy/blue alpaca/wool blend
- lattice scarf

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Absolutely!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
They all have their uses. I prefer bamboo or wood, but I use others, too.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
No

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
6 months – I have to finish seaming a baby sweater. Ugh… seaming :-(

18. What is your favorite holiday?
I’m not very religious, but Christmas is still my favorite! I love cold weather, snow, ice skating, sledding, skiing, baking, spending time with family and friends, and relaxing. I also like all the bunnies, tulips, and spring weather associated with Easter.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Books! I’m a voracious reader. I collect mugs and tins with British themes. I also like patterned blue Polish pottery mugs.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
There are a couple basic knitting books that would be great additions to my knitting library: Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac and Ann Budd's Handy Book of Patterns. I'm dying to knit the mitred mittens in the EZ book. I saw a gorgeous pair made of Noro!

There are some more knitting books on my Amazon list (Greetings from Knit Café, Natural Knits for Babies and Moms: Beautiful Designs Using Organic Yarns, Knitting on the Road).

I want to start knitting socks. I have the book Sensational Knitted Socks (which seems a little overwhelming with all the charts), but if there’s a great basic super-easy sock pattern out there, that would be perfect for me.

I use Debbie Bliss patterns for baby sweaters, but I’ve never used her yarn. It would be nice to try that. I would love to try knitting with a soy-blend yarn like Rowan’s Tapestry or Paton’s Soy Wool Stripes.

I subscribe to Interweave Knits.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I want to learn to knit socks! I also want to try cables – I’m planning the Irish Hiking Scarf as a first cable project. I already picked up some Clover cable needles. I love the look of Fair Isle. I should probably start with something easy, but I’m dying to knit the Squirrelly Swedish Mittens from Elliphantom’s website. I don’t have any teeny tiny needles (no straights below a 5, and no DPNs below a 4).

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Not yet, but soon enough! I wear a US 9.

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
03/30