SP9 questionnaire
1. What are your favorite yarns to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely not like?
I love working with natural fibers, particularly wool. They have a certain "coziness" that most synthetics just can't match.
I've really tried to be open minded about acrylic, but I've recently admitted to myself that I just can't stand the stuff. I hear that there's some very nice acrylic out there, but I've decided to abandon the hunt. That said, if my Secret Pal knows of an absolutely mah-velous acrylic and wants to try to convert me, I'll give it a try!
2. What do you use to store your needles?
My Denise needles (obtained just a couple of months ago) have miraculously managed to stay in their case when they aren't being used. I'm hoping to make it to the end of the year without losing any of the parts.
My straight needles are in a beautiful cloth roll-up case that my friend Gina gave me.
My double-pointed needles and my circular needles are . . . well, all over the place. Some of them are in a gallon-sized zip-lock bag, and the rest are scattered among various tote bags and flower vases and desk drawers. This particular organizational scheme really isn't working for me, but I haven't gotten my act together yet to do anything about it.
3. How long have you been knitting, and how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate, or advanced?
I've been knitting for nearly three years. A woman I worked with at the time helped me pick out the needles and yarn for my first project (a scarf, of course!), cast on for me, and showed me the knit stitch. Three skeins of Lamb's Pride Bulky later, I looked up binding off in a book (The Knit Stitch, by Sally Melville) and since then have relied mostly on books and the Internet--and occasionally on knit-knowledgeable friends--for learning other techniques.
If you don't count finishing (seaming is the bane of my existence), then I think I'm an intermediate knitter. But if seaming is included . . . .well, then let's say beginner-intermediate. Yeah, that sounds about right.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I do! You can look me up on Amazon.
5. What's your favorite scent (for candles, bath products, etc.)?
I'm a big fan of woodsy smells, such as cedar and sage. Vanilla, lavender, and citrus are sometimes nice, too. Floral scents are hit or miss: some are fabulous (I'm a longtime fan of the Body Shop's dewberry), but most are just too cloying for me.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Hello? Does good cheese smell bad? Is Tom Baker the best Doctor Who ever? Are ninjas and pirates cool? Is Joss Whedon a genius?
The answer is yes, yes, yes! Dark chocolate is up there for me, with pretty much every other kind of chocolate (other than white) a close second. Caramel is lovely, too. Most hard candy doesn't thrill me, and as a vegetarian I avoid gummi-anything and marshmallows (both of which contain gelatin).
7. What other crafts or do-it-yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
Spinning--'fraid not. One day, perhaps, but not today.
I'm craft-minded but don't actually pursue a lot of regular DIY projects. When I'm not tending to Life Responsibilities or knitting, I'm often working on my photography.
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)?
Keen on (among others): Jane Siberry (now Issa), U2, The Pogues, Argentine tango music (the danceable stuff, not so much Astor Piazzolla's concert pieces), Tom Lehrer, Eddi Reader, Bach's Magnificat, Poi Dog Pondering (before they moved to Chicago), Philip Glass, Anonymous 4, Daniel Lanois, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Kronos Quartet, Ella Fitzgerald, Dar Williams, Emmylou Harris
Not keen on: rap, heavy metal, country
MP3s: no problem!
9. What are your favorite colors? Any colors you just can't stand?
I love muted earthy colors--browns, greens, blues, plums, grays. I also like black, robin's egg blue, and red.
Pastels have never thrilled me. And white . . . well, I have no objection to it as a color, but I never manage to keep it pristine, so I've sort of given up on it.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
One husband (who crochets!). One daughter (seventeen months old today). Two cats--one of which is my daughter's best friend, personal maid (i.e., cleaning up the floor under the high chair at mealtime), and favorite huggable purring pillow with claws.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens, or ponchos?
Yes, yes, yes, no. (But not because I am anti-poncho--I just haven't gotten around to making one for myself yet!)
12. What are your favorite items to knit?
I love to knit sweaters (see here, here, and here) and hats for my daughter. She's still small, so the objects are finished relatively fast (ah, completion satisfaction!), and I get to experiment with color, shapes, techniques, etc. (I like knitting hats in general, actually.)
I'd really like to get into sock knitting. I knit 1 1/2 socks (my first!) last spring before I got sidetracked by other projects. Now that half sock just stares at me mournfully whenever I open the door to my stash closet. I feel like I need to finish that half sock and find sock closure before I'm allowed to move on to one of the nine million other interesting sock projects out there . . .
13. What are you knitting right now?
I have a few projects in progress:
Yes!
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, or plastic?
I like both straight and circular needles. Wood is far and away my favorite material for needles, with metal a distant second and most plastic not even rating consideration.
16. Do you own a yarn winder or swift?
Neither.
17. How old is your oldest UFO?
The sweater I'm making for myself (see #13 above) is about a year old.
18. What is your favorite holiday?
I like Christmas the best--not because of the gift giving or any religious meaning. There's just something so lovely about a light- and food-filled celebration in the middle of winter, when it's dark and cold out. (If I lived in the Southern Hemisphere, I'd probably like a different holiday more . . . something in June or July, I guess.)
19. Is there anything that you collect?
I currently have about two hundred refrigerator magnets from all over the world. I started collecting them years ago while traveling around the USA: they're cheap (don't make a big dent in the travel funds!), they're small (don't take up much room!), and they're everywhere. I still buy them wherever I go and occasionally get additions from my brother or friends, who sometimes pick one up for me if they go somewhere interesting. I like 'em as kitschy and as tacky as possible.
20. Any books, yarns, needles, or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Books I'd love to add to my knitting library include:
I currently subscribe to Interweave Knits, which I adore (even though the patterns tend to call for outrageously expensive yarn).
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Intarsia, baby! I got my first taste of it last spring when I made the Anouk pinafore, and I'm eager to try more. I've even bought some bobbins in anticipation of my next intarsia project.
I'd also like to try fairisle knitting, though I'm not sure I can carry strands of yarn all over the place without winding up with the Tangle From Hell.
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I'm a sort-of sock knitter. Let's say I'm an aspiring sock knitter. (See #12 above.)
My shoe size is US 7.5.
23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
May 8.
I love working with natural fibers, particularly wool. They have a certain "coziness" that most synthetics just can't match.
I've really tried to be open minded about acrylic, but I've recently admitted to myself that I just can't stand the stuff. I hear that there's some very nice acrylic out there, but I've decided to abandon the hunt. That said, if my Secret Pal knows of an absolutely mah-velous acrylic and wants to try to convert me, I'll give it a try!
2. What do you use to store your needles?
My Denise needles (obtained just a couple of months ago) have miraculously managed to stay in their case when they aren't being used. I'm hoping to make it to the end of the year without losing any of the parts.
My straight needles are in a beautiful cloth roll-up case that my friend Gina gave me.
My double-pointed needles and my circular needles are . . . well, all over the place. Some of them are in a gallon-sized zip-lock bag, and the rest are scattered among various tote bags and flower vases and desk drawers. This particular organizational scheme really isn't working for me, but I haven't gotten my act together yet to do anything about it.
3. How long have you been knitting, and how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate, or advanced?
I've been knitting for nearly three years. A woman I worked with at the time helped me pick out the needles and yarn for my first project (a scarf, of course!), cast on for me, and showed me the knit stitch. Three skeins of Lamb's Pride Bulky later, I looked up binding off in a book (The Knit Stitch, by Sally Melville) and since then have relied mostly on books and the Internet--and occasionally on knit-knowledgeable friends--for learning other techniques.
If you don't count finishing (seaming is the bane of my existence), then I think I'm an intermediate knitter. But if seaming is included . . . .well, then let's say beginner-intermediate. Yeah, that sounds about right.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I do! You can look me up on Amazon.
5. What's your favorite scent (for candles, bath products, etc.)?
I'm a big fan of woodsy smells, such as cedar and sage. Vanilla, lavender, and citrus are sometimes nice, too. Floral scents are hit or miss: some are fabulous (I'm a longtime fan of the Body Shop's dewberry), but most are just too cloying for me.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Hello? Does good cheese smell bad? Is Tom Baker the best Doctor Who ever? Are ninjas and pirates cool? Is Joss Whedon a genius?
The answer is yes, yes, yes! Dark chocolate is up there for me, with pretty much every other kind of chocolate (other than white) a close second. Caramel is lovely, too. Most hard candy doesn't thrill me, and as a vegetarian I avoid gummi-anything and marshmallows (both of which contain gelatin).
7. What other crafts or do-it-yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
Spinning--'fraid not. One day, perhaps, but not today.
I'm craft-minded but don't actually pursue a lot of regular DIY projects. When I'm not tending to Life Responsibilities or knitting, I'm often working on my photography.
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)?
Keen on (among others): Jane Siberry (now Issa), U2, The Pogues, Argentine tango music (the danceable stuff, not so much Astor Piazzolla's concert pieces), Tom Lehrer, Eddi Reader, Bach's Magnificat, Poi Dog Pondering (before they moved to Chicago), Philip Glass, Anonymous 4, Daniel Lanois, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Kronos Quartet, Ella Fitzgerald, Dar Williams, Emmylou Harris
Not keen on: rap, heavy metal, country
MP3s: no problem!
9. What are your favorite colors? Any colors you just can't stand?
I love muted earthy colors--browns, greens, blues, plums, grays. I also like black, robin's egg blue, and red.
Pastels have never thrilled me. And white . . . well, I have no objection to it as a color, but I never manage to keep it pristine, so I've sort of given up on it.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
One husband (who crochets!). One daughter (seventeen months old today). Two cats--one of which is my daughter's best friend, personal maid (i.e., cleaning up the floor under the high chair at mealtime), and favorite huggable purring pillow with claws.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens, or ponchos?
Yes, yes, yes, no. (But not because I am anti-poncho--I just haven't gotten around to making one for myself yet!)
12. What are your favorite items to knit?
I love to knit sweaters (see here, here, and here) and hats for my daughter. She's still small, so the objects are finished relatively fast (ah, completion satisfaction!), and I get to experiment with color, shapes, techniques, etc. (I like knitting hats in general, actually.)
I'd really like to get into sock knitting. I knit 1 1/2 socks (my first!) last spring before I got sidetracked by other projects. Now that half sock just stares at me mournfully whenever I open the door to my stash closet. I feel like I need to finish that half sock and find sock closure before I'm allowed to move on to one of the nine million other interesting sock projects out there . . .
13. What are you knitting right now?
I have a few projects in progress:
- A purple-red-and-green cardigan (using yarn left over from Anouk--I ordered a lot of extra skeins) for my daughter. (Half a sleeve to go!)
- A Christmas stocking for my daughter. (Just started this one . . .)
- A sweater for me. (One sleeve to go.)
Yes!
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, or plastic?
I like both straight and circular needles. Wood is far and away my favorite material for needles, with metal a distant second and most plastic not even rating consideration.
16. Do you own a yarn winder or swift?
Neither.
17. How old is your oldest UFO?
The sweater I'm making for myself (see #13 above) is about a year old.
18. What is your favorite holiday?
I like Christmas the best--not because of the gift giving or any religious meaning. There's just something so lovely about a light- and food-filled celebration in the middle of winter, when it's dark and cold out. (If I lived in the Southern Hemisphere, I'd probably like a different holiday more . . . something in June or July, I guess.)
19. Is there anything that you collect?
I currently have about two hundred refrigerator magnets from all over the world. I started collecting them years ago while traveling around the USA: they're cheap (don't make a big dent in the travel funds!), they're small (don't take up much room!), and they're everywhere. I still buy them wherever I go and occasionally get additions from my brother or friends, who sometimes pick one up for me if they go somewhere interesting. I like 'em as kitschy and as tacky as possible.
20. Any books, yarns, needles, or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Books I'd love to add to my knitting library include:
- Knitter's Companion, by Vicki Square
- Picture Knits, by Betty Barnden
- Hip Knit Hats, by Cathy Carron
- Knitted Flowers, by Nicky Epstein
- And So to Bed, by Lucinda Guy
- Handknits for Kids, by Lucinda Guy
I currently subscribe to Interweave Knits, which I adore (even though the patterns tend to call for outrageously expensive yarn).
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Intarsia, baby! I got my first taste of it last spring when I made the Anouk pinafore, and I'm eager to try more. I've even bought some bobbins in anticipation of my next intarsia project.
I'd also like to try fairisle knitting, though I'm not sure I can carry strands of yarn all over the place without winding up with the Tangle From Hell.
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I'm a sort-of sock knitter. Let's say I'm an aspiring sock knitter. (See #12 above.)
My shoe size is US 7.5.
23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
May 8.
1 Comments:
Hi, it's your secret pal! I look forward to spoiling you over the next couple of months! :)
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