my questionairre

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?

i don't mind the "cheap" stuff. i use it for my kids, and charity knitting. it's all the same to me, as long as it's not scratchy.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?

i do both. right now i havne't spun much, but i do thoroughly enjoy spinning. there's something so primal about it. and i've crocheted longer than i've knit (34 years) i do prefer knitting, though.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)

i'm allergic to bananas and watermelon. the scents kill me. other than that, not anything else (well poison ivy, but that doesn't count, lol)

4. How long have you been knitting?

twenty-nine years. but i'm still learning. just discovered last year that i was twisting my stitches, so i figured out how to fix that, but i don't knit like any one else i know. i can teach my kids to do it the "proper" way, so they can follow other instructions, though.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

not yet, gimme time. i'm still learning this blog thing as well, so you may have to just get a link from me, sorry.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)

vanilla. berry scents (as long as they don't smell too grapey). sandalwood. jasmine. anything that smells "incensey." exotic stuff.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?

what kind of question is that? i'm a woman, aren't i (last time i checked anyway, lemme ask mark) yes, i like sweets. dark chocolate, milk chocolate, medium chocolate (did i say i like chocolate?) DON'T like stuff like kettle corn. blech.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?

i dabble in this and that, but the fibers are my main squeeze. i do create my own halloween patterns for the boys.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

i like an eclectic mix. my last secret pal gave me a cd by sting of love songs from Victoria's secret. it was cool. i also like linkin park, marty stewart, chris ledeaux (rest in peace), the eagles, etc. very mixed up, lol.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?

my absolute favorite color is royal blue, so blue it's almost purple. also like royal purple. about the only thing i don't like is brown. i can even suffer that. green is pushing it. i'll try anything, though.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

i have a fiance, 2 boys, ages 11 & 13 (close enough, their birthdays are in august), and 2 girls ages 19 & 20, and one cat, named jimi. actually, between me and mark, we have 2, but joplin lives at his place.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)

i want a yarn store where there's a small coffee shop attached to it. would love to serve lattes and merino.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?

hmmmm. i bought 3 skeins of alpaca silk that are delish, but i havne't done anything with them yet. i intend on making myself a scarf. i'll try anything. i do love handspun (think hellow yarn, lol (hint, hint))

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

i never met a fiber i didn't like

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?

it's all an obsession, lol.

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

right now, baby clothes. i'm in the sockpal2za, so i'm looking forward to that, as well.

17. What are you knitting right now?

rogue in (gulp) redheart for my younger daughter
a garter rib sweater for mark in woolease
baby things in cottonease for charity
a poncho in woolease chunky for me (gee i'm using a lot of acrylic, aren't i, lol)

18. What do you think about ponchos?

i made one in lion brand homespun this winter, and see # 17, lol. that's what i think of ponchos

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?

i use both interchangeably. i'll be traveling soon, so wood/bamboo circs would be good, lol

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

plastic doesn't thrill me. although sean has a pair of baleen2 needles that seem to be nice. i prefer aluminum or wood/bamboo.

21. Are you a sock knitter?

would like to be, lol. you ahvne't seen my box of sock yarn yet, lol.

22. How did you learn to knit?

my maternal grandmother taught me to cast on and knit at 10. she refused to teach me to purl until i "held my yarn right." i taught myself everything else.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
6 years. it's an afghan for youngest daughter, and when i went back to it last year, the yarn kept breaking. i may throw it all out, and start over.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?

dragons, dragons, and did i mention dragons? i also like fairies. unicorns don't do much for me, though.

25. What is your favorite holiday?

halloween, hands down. christmas is a close second.

26. Is there anything that you collect?

dragons and yarn

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

interweave knits and spin off (they do knitting in there, too, lol)
i'd like a subscription to knitters, or knit'n' style. or any of the others, except creative knitting. i didn't care for my trial issue. or Knit1, for that matter.

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?
Opinionated Knitter by EZ. Confessions of a Heretic Knitter. Knit Lit & 2. dyeing books. the one about self-patterning yarn would be cool.

hope you have fun, secret pal!