Secret Pals Announced!

You might assume from my failure to post recently that some misfortune has befallen me. Well, it has, if by "misfortune" you mean going out for drinks several nights in a row, or you mean "that &%$#ing Interlocking Rings top" [more on that later].

I would be, however, totally remiss if I failed to post PRONTO my answer to the questionnaire for Secret Pal 5 Participants. I have been waiting to sign up for one of these swaps for a while now, and am verrrry excited to be a part of this one.

Zee Questionnaire:

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?
Yarn snob, I guess. Not a big fan of synthetics, though I don't necessarily insist on "shiny label" fancy yarns. I am most snobby about novelty yarns: they have no place in my stash. I like merino wool and mohair, and have enjoyed knitting with linen and hemp in the past.


2. Do you spin? Crochet?
I knit and crochet, though I want to get into (but haven't yet) spinning and dyeing


3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
No known allergies.


4. How long have you been knitting?
For four years. I wanted to knit a gift for my brother's wedding, so I taught myself from a book on the way to the site of the wedding. WheW! Talk about pressure!


5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I have an Amazon wishlist, created just for this occasion, here.


6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
I am a big fan of LUSH cosmetics!! I like their use of "traditional" scents for perfuming, like neroli, sandalwood, rose, jasmine, lavender. My favorite flower is freesia, and I love freesia-scented bath stuff.


7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
I enjoy dark chocolate, but I really have more of a "savory tooth." Oh, I shouldn't forget to mention green Jelly Bellies (any flavour that's green, really).


8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
I like baking, machine sewing, embroidery (a la sublime-stitching). Does blogging count?


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 indie/college music, although I don't think I'm "snobby" about it. Also, alt-country, and music of a "retro" fashion, like 50s, 60s, 70s.


10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
RED RED RED! I love red, and its friends orange and pink. I have yet to find a yellow that *I* can wear, although I enjoy working with yellow yarn anyway.


11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
Single chick in an apartment with a couple houseplants.


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

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
I love Brown Sheep's Cotton Fleece and Lamb's Pride, because they feel great, are economical, and have a wide color range. I'm so practical and boring!! I covet most Rowan yarns. I generally go for very basic, smooth yarns with muted colors, and tend towards finer yarns. (My most-used needles are in the range of US1-US6.) My aversion to "color pooling" has turned me away most handpaints and variegated yarns although I think they look fabulous in the hank form.


14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Polyester. Most acrylics.


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


16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Anything requiring red yarn. I'm a big fan (and virtual factory) of the Devil Hat.

17. What are you knitting right now?
Summer tops, some socks, and crocheting squares for a "someday" blanket.

18. What do you think about ponchos?
Like most fashion fads, only a small percentage of the population can really "pull off" the look without looking silly or trendy. Ponchos don't look good on short stubby people like me. Shawls... that's where it's at.


19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
I think both are equally useful, and it really depends on the project.


20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Of the three, I'd only use bamboo, although I do use Addi Turbos for some projects.


21. Are you a sock knitter?
Yes.


22. How did you learn to knit?
See Question 4. I used two books: Debbie Bliss's How To Knit and Maggie Righetti's Knitting In Plain English.


23. How old is your oldest UFO?
Oh, that would be my second project, which I always say "I WILL finish that someday" whenever I come across it in the corner of the closet. I should probably face the fact that the garment was already out of style when I bought the yarn... and it will never be in style again.


24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Everybody loves a shake and some fries.


25. What is your favorite holiday?
Either my birthday or Halloween.


26. Is there anything that you collect?
Old knitting books (cheesy or not-cheesy),


27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Just one: Interweave Knits.


28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?
A Gutenberg Bible!! One of those would be just GREAT! [For real, my Amazon wishlist is full of books.]

/end questionnaire

So, there you have it, reading public, more information about me than you ever thought you might want to know! I promise to post updates on my knitting progress sometime soon, but I have been so busy WORKING on stuff that I haven't really had the time to blog about it. Pictures soon!