Punk Rock Gift Exchange Questionnaire

1. How long have you been knitting/crocheting/spinning?
I’ve been knitting for a year and a half. I would like to learn to crochet, but no spinning for me.

2. Do you consider yourself a beginner, novice or experienced yarn artist?
I’m an advanced beginner or intermediate knitter.

3. What fibers (materials) have you knit/crochet with?
Wool, acrylic, alpaca, mohair blends, cotton (never again on the cotton)…

4. What are your favorite yarns?
I enjoy natural fibers the most, especially merino wool, alpaca blends, and lambswool. Some current favorites are Malabrigo, Plymouth Suri Merino, Debbie Bliss Cashmerino, Fleece Artist Blue Face Leicester,

5. What fibers are you dying to try?
Wools, wool blends, alpaca, alpaca blends. Worsted and DK weights are most useful for me.
- basic wool yarns like Beaverslide or Cascade 220or Mission Falls 1824 wool – I haven’t knit with any of these
- organic and/or plant-dyed wool
- handp-dyed yarns (not fingering weight sock yarn though – I don’t have the patience for tiny needles)
- Madil Kid Seta or Kidsilk Haze (for a Kiri shawl)

6. Do you prefer solid, self striping, or handpainted yarns?
Hmm… everything has its place. I especially like heathers and solids, and I also like handpainted yarns for socks (DK weight) and shawls. Self-striping is not my cup of tea.

7. What fibers do you dislike?
Cotton is too rough on my hands and wrists, and I’m guessing that hemp and linen would fall into the same category. I’m not a big fan of 100% acrylic yarns, but blends have their uses. I’m not into boucle or fun fur.

8. What are your favorite colors?
Blue is my absolute favorite color. Every shade speaks to me, from periwinkle to navy to powder blue. I also like lavender, heather grey, dark brown, natural/oatmeal, cranberry, dark red, cherry red, and sage green.

9. What are your least favorite colors?
Orange, yellow, peach, or green with olive tones

10. How did you learn to knit/crochet/spin?
I learned at a local indie coffee shop.

11. What projects are you currently working on?
- Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl in sage green alpaca (DK weight)
- Campfire Socks (ribbed) in a variegated blue DK sock yarn from Cider Moon
- a rather tiresome Wavy scarf (from Knitty) in red alpaca/merino.
- feather and fan scarf in Noro Silk Garden
- baby blanket from Louisa Harding’s Natural Knits for Babies and Moms
- Hourglass sweater
- basic ribbed socks in blue Lamb’s Pride Wildfoote (on hold)
- Mason-Dixon baby kimono (on hold)

12. How old is your oldest UFO? What is it? Will it ever be finished?
A Mason Dixon baby kimono in Bernat Cotton Tots has been in my WIP basket for about 7 months. The cotton yarn just kills my wrists. I’ll finish it sometime when my wrists are feeling strong!

13. What is the most heartbreaking project that you ever frogged?
My Hourglass sweater! I need to cast on again.

14. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
Straight, but I use circs too. I use DPNs for socks and small things.

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

16. Where do you keep your needles?
My straight needles sit in two ceramic sheep vases in one of my bookcases and in a lovely blue needleroll given to me by my awesome SP9. The DPNs and circs are jumbled up in a cardboard box under my bed.

17. Do you enjoy helpful hints about your knitting or does it just piss you off?
Helpful hints can be great if they’re delivered in the right tone.

18. What techniques are you still a virgin in (lace, cables, etc.) and are you interested in trying them?
Cables, stranded colorwork, crocheting. I would also like to try needle felting (esp. cute little animals)

19. What knitting magazines do you subscribe to?
Interweave Knits. That's really the only knitting mag I like besides Rowan.

20. Are there any books, needles, yarn, patterns that you are dying to get your hands on?
I would like to try the new Addi lace circular needles in size 5 or 6. I would also like to try out some different laceweight yarns, like KnitPicks Shimmer in Morning Mist or Flower Garden. I'm also interested in handpainted yarns from Fearless Fibers, and I just love Cider Moon yarns. You can check out my Amazon wishlist for book ideas.

I'm dying to get my hands on the Fiber Trends pattern for "A Felt Flock" (206x). The sheep are just so heart meltingly cute. On a related note, there are some very cute kits out there for beginning needle felting that involve little penguins, racoons, sheep, goats, etc.

21. Do you enjoy knitting socks? How big are your feet?
Yes, but only on size 3 or 4 needles! I’d probably be OK with 2s, but my attempt at socks on 0s made me crazy. I wear a US 9.

22. Do you have a wish list?
Yes, at Amazon. Search by my name, and it should be easy to find. There’s quite the mixture of things on there, so consider yourself forewarned.

23. What are your non-knitting, crochet, spinning hobbies?
Reading, cooking, baking, indie rock, piano, and yoga.

24. How do you feel about sports?
Ugh… not my thing for the most part. I like ice skating, skiing, and hiking. Yoga’s a sport, right?

25. What is your favorite season? Least favorite season? Why?
Winter! I love snow and hot cocoa, and having time off to spend with friends and family. I don’t like summer since I hate being hot.

26. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas.

27. Do you like handmade gifts?
Yes

28. Do you wear jewelry that isn't real?
Not really – sometimes earrings.

29. What are your favorite foods? Scents that you love?
Pizza and chocolate! Wait… I’m trying to eat more healthfully, so maybe raspberries and yogurt? I love coffee and tea (fruity or spicy green or black or red). I do like chocolate, but I definitely need to watch the quantity. I like to snack on dried fruit and trail mixes.

I like natural scents that aren’t too strong – lavender/vanilla combinations, honey, almond, nut, mint, citrus. I love bath and body products, esp. natural soaps, hand lotion and lip balm.

30. What is your family situation? Do you live alone?
I’m married to my college sweetheart, Paul. We live in quirky vintage apartment less than 2 blocks from Wrigley Field. Go Cubs!

31. Do you have any pets?
I have two eleven-year old tabby cats – Capricha and Kylie. They’re much beloved.

32. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3's?
Indie rock, mainly, plus some old favorites like Simon and Garfunkel. Lately I’ve been listening to Regina Spektor, REM, Snow Patrol, Reindeer Section, The Decemberists, The Replacements, The Flaming Lips, Belle and Sebastian, and The Magnetic Fields. CDs and MP3s are both great with me.

33. What are your favorite movies? TV shows? Actors?
I like quirky movies like The Royal Tennenbaums, The Life Aquatic, and Little Miss Sunshine. I also dig literary adaptations – A Room with a View, Pride and Prejudice, The Hours, The Cider House Rules. When I'm feeling blue I dig out old 80s favorites like Pretty in Pink, 16 Candles, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

I used to like Gilmore Girls, but I’m sick of it now. I do like Grey’s Anatomy and the new Dr. Who, but I’m a season behind on both. I don’t watch TV very much, but I do watch reruns or DVDs of Buffy, Scrubs, and Seinfeld.

Colin Firth, Jeremy Northam, Clive Owen, and Johnny Depp top my list of favorite actors. For actresses, I like Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Laura Linney, and Maggie Gyllenhall.

34. What do you collect?
Books, cookbooks, CDs, and yarn! I’m a grad student in the humanities, and I also love to read novels, so I’m building up quite the library. I also collect blue floral Polish pottery mugs as well as blue or blue patterned handmade pottery.

35. What do you do in real life -- besides knit and blog?
I’m working on my PhD in Classics (Latin and Greek literature), and I hope to get a job as a professor someday soon. Please, no “It’s all Greek to me” jokes.

36. When is your birthday? Is it a national holiday or just another day?
March 30. I like to celebrate, but not party too hard.

37. Do you have any allergies, medical conditions or disorders that your pal should be aware of (ie. diabetes, food/pet allergies, ect.)?
Nope! I’m allergic to some grasses, molds, and the like, and I know that Bath and Body Works Flowering Herbs lotion makes me very sneezy. Really old books often make me sneeze, too.

38. Are there any scents, phobias, or sensory thing (ie, the way certain objects feel) that your pal should be aware of?
Nope!

39. What is the most difficult thing that you have ever knit/crochet?
Probably the socks on size 0 needles – so tiny and so annoying.

40. What is your personal style? Is there a time period/fashion movement that you take your cues from?
Hmmm… I’m not sure about this one. I’m really a jeans and black turtleneck (or Fair Isle cardigan) kind of girl. I love clogs and really eye-catching footwear! My home is very cozy, and I like retro 50s style for the kitchen.

41. Anything else that you would like to say?
:-)