For my dear secret pal:
1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I like Knitpicks and Debbie Bliss yarns (cashmerino aran is soooo soft). I also like Noro (the colors are just fabulous!). In general, I’m not a yarn snob. I do have issues with ribbon yarn. I like the way they look but it seems to take a lot of effort to keep them from getting all twisted. Maybe I'm doing something wrong?
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have two Boye Needlemaster sets, which make up most of the needles I use. The rest are Addi Turbos and assorted metal and plastic straights. I have an Artbin Hook & Needle Folio which contain (most) of my non-needlemaster needles and notions. The really gigantic needles live in a tall decorative tin.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I learned to knit about ten years ago, though I didn't really get into it until about two years ago. Now, of course, I'm practically obsessed!! I would consider myself an intermediate knitter.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes, I do have an Amazon list. It's full of non-knitting books, though, so that might not be terribly interesting to anyone else, but let me know if you want to see it.
5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
I'm kind of sensitive to fragrances. It's kind of hard to explain. For example, I like the smell of roses, but only when it's coming from a rose, and not from somewhere it shouldn't. Ditto for food smells too (mmm...food...*drool*). Lemons smell lovely to me, but lemon-scented cleaners make me gag.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Yes!!! Love love love chocolate! I like to bake and I get a lot of satisfaction sharing what I make. Not a fan of cherries, mint or marzipan, though, so I guess I'll never be a pastry chef (*sigh*). My favorite candies are Twix and Cadbury Fruit & Nut.
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I've dabbled a little in decoupage and polymer clay. I’m a novice spinner.
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 lots of different kinds of music. "Eclectic" might be the right word to describe my taste. I like some of what I think is classified as Modern Rock (Barenaked Ladies, Ben Folds Five, Radiohead, Coldplay), folkish/indie things (Patty Griffin, Ben Harper, Billy Bragg) and classical choral works (Rutter, Brahms). My computer does play MP3s and I love mixes.
9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I really love green, though since I really started knitting again, I've gained an appreciation for many different colors. They've kind of grown on me.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I live with my parents and my aunt Dee, a Scottie dog and a nutty and long-lived cockatiel. The latter two shed periodically, but I love them all anyway.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I wear scarves and hats, though not mittens or ponchos.
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I do a lot of scarves, mostly because I'm impatient and they don't take too long. I also love knitting and felting bags.
13. What are you knitting right now?
Assorted scarves and baby things (for all the babies appearing out of nowhere).
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes, absolutely!
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Circular all the way! I find them to be really versatile. More importantly, they're compact and reduce the risk of injury (along with any possible lawsuits) while knitting on the subway. I used wooden needles once and didn’t like them (way too sloooooooow!). Of the needles I've knitted with, I much prefer aluminum to plastic.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Yes to both.
17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Hmmmmm, I recently went through the mound of UFOs and as far as I can tell, it’s the Knitty Baseball sweater I started in November of last year.
18. What is your favorite holiday?
The entire stretch between Thanksgiving and New Year's is my favorite time of the year.
19. Is there anything that you collect?
I have an embarrassingly large collection of turtle-ware: figurines, stickers, books, keychains, turtle-shaped things of mysterious origin and unknown function, etc. I may get around to documenting them some day.
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Knitting Beyond the Edge and Inspired Cables. I subscribe to Interweave and Vogue Knitting.
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I’d like to be a better finisher. I detest weaving in ends and seam kind of haphazardly. My seams ain’t pretty but they usually stay together.
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I’ve knit one sock. Ever. Not a pair of socks, but one sock. And it was even a tube sock, with no fiddly heel to mess with and I still couldn’t finish it. I do love sock yarn, though, for baby things.
23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
4/8
It's a lovely dark green triangular scarf made with Elann alpaca. It even came with an extra ball of this yummy yarn! That's so thoughtful! But wait, there's much much more...There was this cool ladybug bag:
Plus all these amazing goodies:
That's handmade vanilla soap, folks! How incredibly lucky am I to have such a talented and generous pal? Thank you, Judy! Oh, oh and guess what? She loves BSG too! I tell you, those ISE hostesses are totally psychic :)
