secret pal 8...the questionaire

Welllp, a few weeks back, I signed up for Secret Pal 8.
It's my first time doing anything like this. I'm really looking forward to it to giving the swap thing a whirl ;-)

Here's the questionaire I'm supposed to leave somewhere obvious for my buddy!
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Hi, Secret Pal!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I'm not a big fan of acrylic, but I am not opposed to man-made fibers. I'm cool with novelty yarns and blends, but as a general rule I prefer natural fibers. I'm pretty new to using cotton, but enjoying it...and fibers I have not tried yet, but would like to, are soy silk, linen, and hemp. If I'm knitting for TheMIG, I avoid silk or silk blends as he's a vegetarian and will not wear any products that harm an animal (and yes, they kill the silkworm to get the silk). But I like it.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
Oddly enough, they are always put back in the original packaging they came in...and they are all together in one basket. Completely organized. Totally unlike the rest of my house.

3. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
Detailed description of how I started knitting, blogged about here. I'd consider myself an intermediate knitter.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Nope. But thanks to beanmama, I recently catalogued all of my knitting books here.
I've had my eye on "Handknit Holidays" (Falick) for awhile, the Elizabeth Zimmerman books to complete my library, and "A History of Hand Knitting" (Rutt).

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
I typically don't wear or use synthetic perfumes. Not that I mind them, I just tend to be drawn towards essential oils. I occasionally wear amber, which is actually a resin, and sometimes a vanilla/sandlewood essential oil.
With scents for the home, I usually opt for any type of citrus or "fresh" kind of thing (tangerine, grapefruit, "ocean breeze", "fresh linen", etc). Also like roses, freesias, jasmine...but a word of warning: I really really cannot stand lavender.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Sweet tooth?? It's more than just a tooth.
I like almost all candy, but I love anything thing chocolate.
Preference to dark chocolate. But I've never met a chocolate I didn't like.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I dont have much time for other crafts right now. I don't spin, but I've been considerring trying my hand with a drop spindle. Once I get into something I get fairly obsessed, though...and I know a wheel wouldn't be too far off in my future once I got started. I can't afford to get into that right now, nor do I have the space in my postage stamp size home for a wheel and a pile of fiber. But the drop spindle could be something that could work for me, provided I can control myself (yah, right).
Aside from crafts, I'm a big time foodie who is seriously into cooking gadgets, and I'm a dancer.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
My favorite band is Radiohead.
My cd collection is eclectic. I've got everything from Shawn Colvin to Dead Can Dance, Diana Krall to Nine Inch Nails, Dire Straits to The Crystal Method.
The radio stations I listen to most often play Indie Rock, Pop Rock and Classic Rock. I also listen to world music on a local public radio show.
Music just kinda has to "move me" in some way...emotionally, or physically. Gotta dance.
Yes, my computer can play MP3's.

9. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
My favorite color in general is a deep sky blue. In terms of clothing, I have been deemed a "winter" (in the color family/season thing), and I primarily wear jewel-tones. I only wear pastels or dusty colors if I'm trying to convince someone that I'm sick. I really despise butt-brown/tan. In the past year I've developed a fancy for wearing lime green and some pinks, separately and together...and both of those used to be off my list.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
Single mom with an 8-year old son living with me...two dogs (Roxy & Lily--sisters), a cat (Tramp..he's the brother of the recently and sadly missing Lady), and a gecko (Flash).

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I wear scarves, I love hats (and when I knit hats, I like 'em silly). I don't wear full gloves that often (because of the crutches and wheelchair) but do wear fingerless gloves. I'm not a fan of the traditional poncho (more of a capelet/wrap/shawl kind of gal).

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Socks.

13. What are you knitting right now?
Socks.

And a shawl.
And a lace scarf.
And a some secret birthday gifts I can't mention here.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes, but I've never been given a knitted gift.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
My needle collection is pretty damn full, so please don't send more....unless they are unique in some way...but to answer the question, I try to match the project and the fiber I'm working with to the type of needle.
I most often knit with circular needles (or for socks, double pointed needles).
I'm actually not a huge fan of bamboo (not because of the bamboo itelf, but because the bamboo circs I've tried all have had joins that aren't very smooth). I own a set of Denise Interchangeable Needles (plastic). I have Addi Turbos in pairs from size 1-4. I have dpn's for socks in wood (Lantern Moon & Brittany) and plastic (Bryspun). I also have a few pairs of vintage aluminum straights, mostly just for looking at ;-)

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Both.

17. How did you learn to knit?
From a kids knitting book I bought from a toy store in Solvang when I was 7.

18. How old is your oldest UFO?
February 2006. The cursed shawl for the Knitting Olympics.

19. What is your favorite holiday?
I'm a big fan of birthdays....but I'm horrible at keeping track of them. I'm working on that.
I'm not a hardcore practicing pagan, but usually do something to honor the changes of the seasons (solstices/equinoxes). Holidays have gotten a bit too commercialized for me.

20. Is there anything that you collect?
I collect whistles. Toy whistles.
And when people go on vacation to places that sound interesting to me, I ask them to bring me back a rock.

21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I'm about ready to start looking at a book or two about sweater design. I think I have enough knowledge at this point to just start winging it and customizing my own stuff.
For books on my want list, I answered that in Question 4.
I do not subscribe to any magazines, but I do buy Interweave and Vogue pretty much every time they come out.

22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Next on my list is felting.
But the big thing I need to learn next is how to make a fitted garment. I've made only one sweater..and it FITS (really well, actually), but it is not FITTED. It was a drop shoulder hoodie. I'm now ready to make something more shaped.

23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yup.
Size US-8 shoe, foot length=9-1/2", circumference at ball of foot=8-1/4", narrowest part of ankle= 8-1/2"
And I only have one leg...so while I do need two socks for when I wear my prosthesis, when I'm lounging around the house in socks or slippers, I only wear one.
A little odd. But whatcha gonna do :-)
Just thought I'd mention it because giving me felted slippers (well more than one of them) would be a complete waste.

24. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
February 4th....and I know they didn't ask, but next year I'll be the big Four-Oh.

Looking forward to "meeting" you...
XO!