SP6 Questionnaire

As a participant in Secret Pal 6, I was asked to post this information to my blog so that my secret pal will know what types of gifts might be good to send. But perhaps everyone else can also learn a little more about my knitting personality too:

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you? Red Heart's not my favorite, and of course there are some expensive yarns that I covet, but I don't think of myself as a yarn snob. Better to have cheap yarn than none at all!

2. Do you spin? Crochet? I don't know how to spin, though it could be fun to learn. So far, I only crochet granny squares, but I wouldn't mind learning a bit more.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.) I don't have any allergies that I know of.

4. How long have you been knitting? I've been knitting on and off since I was about 10, but most avidly for the past four years.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Not yet, but I will look into making one and post a link to it on my blog.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) I like melon/cucumber, and citrus-y scents, as well as gardenia, sandalwood, tea tree, and green tea. Nothing too chemical or overly flowery.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Yes, but I'm really really really trying hard to avoid sweets, so please don't enable my addiction too much! (Dark chocolate is better than milk, for example)

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Not many. I aspire to make a scrap book, but never have time, and there's a part of me that would like to learn to sew clothes, but it seems like too much work to get set up.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) Yes, music in MP3 format is great! Especially world music, but also pretty much any other kind of music is good. I'm always open to new stuff. You can see my Blogger profile for more ideas.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand? Blue is my favorite color, and I'm into blues, greens and purples in general. But I also like most other colors. For my own clothes, I tend to avoid anything with too much yellow in it, such as orange, yellowish greens, and of course yellow.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I live with my serious boyfriend and we have two cats.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know) To have enough free time to knit and read and camp and be with my loved ones as much as I want to while still accomplishing work that lessens people's suffering and makes the world a better place. You know, since we're stretching it anyway.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? There are so many I still haven't tried! I love alpaca and soft wool blends, and even certain acrylics are nice. I don't think I have a favorite, although I've been dying to try a silk blend and/or an angora blend of some kind.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I'm not too into the really really novelty yarns, except in small amounts for accents. Also, really bulky yarns don't look good on me (though that doesn't mean I can't use them to make something for someone else). But nothing is totally off limits.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? I really want to make a few felted bags, maybe even a felted jacket eventually. And thrummbed mittens fascinate me, even though I'm not sure how often I'd wear them. As for what I'm knitting the most of right now, that would be wrist warmers and very simple lace shawls.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I love sweaters once they're completed, but they take so long it's easy to lose motivation. I also like short projects like hats and wrist warmers and socks, but I can only use so many of those. So basically, I'm open to anything, especially if it will keep me interested and motivated without making me tear my hair out and cry (at least, not too often).

17. What are you knitting right now? A lace-weight cardigan for myself, wrist warmers for a friend, a ribbon yarn shawl for myself, and almost finished with a baby sweater for my boyfriend's niece/nephew.

18. What do you think about ponchos? No, no and NOOOOO!

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Circular, but it's not like I have a personal grudge against straight needles.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Babmoo or Addi Turbo, though I also have some regular aluminum ones. Not so big on the plastic.

21. Are you a sock knitter? I'm not a fanatic, but I have knit socks and enjoyed them and will probably knit more.

22. How did you learn to knit? From my mother, once when I was about 10, and then I sort of re-learned a couple more times over the years, also from her. She's so wonderful (and patient)!

23. How old is your oldest UFO? Technically, it's a Lopi sweater I started about 15 years ago, but after many years of it languishing in my mother's knitting basket, I have decided it is now going to become a felted bag instead. So aside from that, my oldest unfinished object is only about 4 months old (and it's almost done, I swear).

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird? Animated: Hello Kitty, Wonder Woman, and Winnie the Pooh. Real animals: turtles, loons, owls, elephants, and cats (especially house cats and tigers).

25. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas (yes, even though I'm Buddhist) and Thanksgiving, but I hate holiday-related kitsch.

26. Is there anything that you collect? Other than knitting supplies? Not really. I used to collect post cards, but at this point in my life I just have too much clutter to want to start a new collection of anything.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? None (well, no print ones--I do subscribe to knitty.com). Every now and then I consider subscribing to Interweave Knits, but then they come out with a disappointing issue so I don't.

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on? I'd like one of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's books, or maybe Last Minute Knitted Gifts. But I'm open to anything!

29. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven't bought for one reason or another?? Rogue and Bless are the only two I can think of at the moment.