Secret Pal 15 questionnaire

Oh my - has it been 3 weeks since I last posted? I have been knitting - but for some reason can't upload the picture of the cats sleeping on my lap while I'm knitting. So here are some old pictures of the cats sleeping: The rest of this post is a Secret Pal Swap questionnaire; hopefully next week I can do a real post with actual new stuff. ******************************************************************************* What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? I tend to prefer yarns with a nice tight twist. What fibers do you absolutely not like? Splitty yarns. I am also not a huge fan of yarns that shed excessively - I have cats who do that for me. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have a great needle roll which I received in a swap from indigomouse How long have you been knitting? about 8 years now How did you learn? I took a learn to knit class at a yarn shop (which has since closed) in Burlington Ontario. Much of my more recent learnin' has been Internet based, although I have taken a few workshops. Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? Somewhere between intermediate and advanced. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? No What’s your favorite scent? Cloves. I also like lavender. But not the two together. Do you have a sweet tooth? I am a fan of chocolate - the darker the better, not so much a fan of candy. Favorite candy? See above. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? When I was young, I used to do needlepoint. When I was in university, I did a bit of "strip quilting". I acquired a very basic sewing machine a year or 2 ago with the intention of doing some sewing or quilting, but I think I've only used it a dozen times to do quick repairs/hems. Do you spin? Dye? The nice people at Rowan, Patons, Berocco, Mission Falls, Auraucania and all of their compatriots do a good job of making yarns, so who am I to horn in on their territory? Plus, I don't have enough time to knit, so the last thing I want to do is start aquiring a fibre stash! I've done a bit of Kool-aid dyeing, but again, the commercial and indie dyers seem o know what they are doing... What kind of music do you like? I'm a bit weird in that I listen almost exclusively to CBC Radio One, which is similar to NPR, or BBC4. Most of my music listening is at the gym (during classes), or when I am driving with my husband in his car with his satellite radio. I like 80's music, as well as folk/alternative. Not a fan of hiphop, but some pop songs strike my fancy. Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) Yes. What’s your favorite color(s)? Red (deep blue toned red rather than orangey red), purple, and greens (olive/lime/forest/teal/turquoise, but not kelly green). I'm also a fan of chocolate brown. Any colors you just can’t stand? Pastels don't work for me - baby blue, lilac, pale grey, most pinks, but I do like charcoal and fuschia (not necessarily together). What is your family situation? One husband, 2 cats. Do you have any pets? See above Are you allergic to any pets? No, but my female cat seems to have a housedust allergy, and since 90% of housedust is shed skin cells, it's possible that my cat may be allergic to me! Perhaps she should wash me regularly. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Ponchos no - everything else yes. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I usually have at least one pair of socks on the go. I am trying to focus on knitting sweaters/tanks, since my queue is full of them, and I have several sweaters' worth of yarn sitting in my house waiting to be knit up. What is on your needles right now? A shawl for my Mother in Law, a Poppy Sweater that just needs to have a few ends woven in before I block it and do a crochet border on the neckline, a pair of plain stockinette socks that I am striping by alternating yarns, a garter Noro striped kerchief. These are the active projects - I have several hibernating UFOs. Do you read knitting books? See below. What kind of books i.e. technique, pattern, fiction? Mostly pattern books, and combination pattern/technique books. I read one "knitting fiction" book, so I really have no need to read another one, and I have no interest in anything that the Yarn Harlot cranks out. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes! Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Circs all the way. I am a HUGE fan of Magic Loop. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I tend to use metal needles for the most part, but also use wooden ones. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Yes; the swift is one of those ones that looks like an umbrella skeleton; in retrospect a wooden one would be more sturdy. How old is your oldest UFO? I have a red cotton tank top that is at least 5 or 6 years old. It's probably about 65% done, and I am starting to wonder if I should just frog it, since it's a somewhat boxy tank and I prefer stuff with waist shaping. What is your favorite holiday? A beach holiday! What winter holiday do you observe? This year we took a beach holiday over Christmas - most relaxed Christmas I have had for quite some time. Is there anything that you collect? WIPs Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? The new Chrissy Gardiner toe up sock book, a set of "connectors" for the Knitpicks interchangeable needles, patterns: Koolhaus, Sahara (by Wendy Bernard). What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? None. Are there any new techniques you’d like to learn? I hear that there are knitters who actually finish one project before starting another one - that would be pretty neat! Are you a sock knitter? yes. What are your foot measurements? Women's 11. I think circumference is about 10 inches, length 10.75 inches. I do have a high instep, so the cuff portion of the sock has to be able to stretch to at least 13 inches When is your birthday? October 19 Are you on Ravelry? yes - I am Ladylungdoc there as well. Are you on KnitPicks Knitting Community? No