Secret Pal 7 Questionnaire

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand?

I’m probably somewhere in between. I love finding a bargain and don’t like spending huge amounts of money on “special” yarns, but yet have a yen for luxury. I don’t like 100% acrylic but have two children, so knit for them with acrylic wool mixes (Plymouth Encore) or superwash. I am currently in passionate, heart-rending love with Malabrigo and have discovered that Handpainted Yarns are the same people so have been gazing at their website in yarn lust.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?

Neither. No time to add anything new to the mix right now (although I have a plan to learn to spin in a few years. Shh. Don’t tell Ed.)

3. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

Um, a big jar. The bed when I fall asleep knitting. Luckily, Denise Interchangeables come with their own case or I would have lost everything long ago. I am planning to make a double pointed needle case soon so I can stop guessing what size a set of dps are.

4. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I’ve been knitting since I was six or seven (although not continually) – I’ve gone in spurts. I’d say I’m an intermediate knitter.

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

I have an Amazon list, but please don’t feel you have to refer to it. It’s mostly so my inlaws stop buying me soap.

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

Spicy or citrus scents. I really dislike florals and heavy scents.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

Nope. No sweet tooth (she lied). But as my gorgeouso sister is getting married in the summer, and my other gorgeouso sister is also a best woman, I am trying to lose some baby weight. Finally. Really.

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

Nothing really. I do crafts with the children but for myself, I knit.

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 everything. Pretty much (not so much girly pop or techno stuff but even then there are exceptions). Can indeed play MP3s.

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

I like everything. I love dark, sultry reds and warm browns. I love purple and blues. I don’t wear green too much but just knit a hat and gloves of yellowy green which I like. Yup, nothing I don’t like (although most of my wardrobe is, in fact, black.)

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

Married with two children (5 and 3). No pets. Asthmatic, darn it.

12. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

Yes, although I also usually wear underwear shirts and trousers while wearing the above. And not in the summer.

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

Did I mention Malabrigo? Aurora 8? Sock yarns? Lamb’s Pride?

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

I like all fibers but don’t like novelty yarns so much. I also don’t like overly fuzzy things or boucle.

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

Everything. Well, not everything but my list of things to knit next has me pretty obsessed. I’m doing some socks – am about to knit Rogue, several baby garments, a sweater for my son’s birthday, la la la.

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

Well, (she confessed) I like results so I suppose I like churning out hats and other small things. But I also like the broad satisfaction of a sweater. I don’t think I’d like to knit afghans – to much time for too little result. For me, knitting helps soothe that need for gratification that doesn’t come with parenting small children – where the rewards are all years into the future.

17. What are you knitting right now?

Socks. The cover pattern off the latest Interweave Knits. More socks.

18. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Absolutely!

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?

Circular.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

Depends on the project.

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

No (boo hoo hoo). I promised myself that next winter I could beg for these for Christmas.

22. How did you learn to knit?

My mother taught me.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?

Half of a huge Aran sweater I started when I was 18. So 19 years old.

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

I don’t – I sort of – I have no idea. Not really into cartoons or animals, as such.

25. What is your favorite holiday?

Shakespeare’s birthday. No, I jest. Christmas, maybe.

26. Is there anything that you collect?

No, I’m an anti-collector. I throw stuff out.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

Interweave Knits.

28. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on?

Probably but cannot focus enough to think what they might be. Last Minute Gifts? Would help with current baby boom, perhaps, but not really “dying” if you see what I mean. Some things were meant to be borrowed from the library.

29. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

Recently learned toe-up sock knitting and Magic Loop. Would like to do more intarsia/fair isle type stuff so could knit impressive small garments.

30. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

I do knit socks. I have a size 7 foot. Will measure it as soon as I can find a tape measure.

31. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)

November 24

32. Allergies?

Everything. All animals, chocolate (boo hoo hoo – I eat it anyway). I am sort of allergic to wool (spend much time scratching self and sometimes sneezing maniacally while wearing wool) but knit with and wear it anyway. Bugger allergies.

Secret Pal 6 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?

I love high quality and natural fibre yarn -- I would love to be rich enough to be at least a little bit of a yarn snob. But then there are things you just have to have to knit in acrylic. Or nylon. Or microfiber (how cool and mysterious is that?) But I do prefer smooth, soft yarn for most things (although a really good scratchy aran is sometimes perfect) and I'm not really into boucle.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?

I pretend to crochet -- enough to do a row of single crochet along the edge of a knitted garment, but I don't really crochet. I am not allowed to learn to spin yet. No no no no. Not yet. But someday (small, delighted evil laugh).

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

Yes (boo to asthma) I'm allergic to things -- especially pets and smoke. I'm not allergic to wool enough to worry about and I wear perfume so I must be able to cope.

4. How long have you been knitting?

Since I was 6 or so? At first it was incredibly tight dollhouse carpets. I knit my first garments as a young teen and have knit pretty steadily since then although right now I'm having a marvellous two-children-finally-in-school knitting seizure. It's lovely.

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

Nope.

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

I don't know, really. I don't like heavy, floral scents. I suppose I like spicy or herbal things.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?

Um, it's more like my sweet tooth has me but I am in a huge session of trying to resist. I've even joined a gym. Ooooh.

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

I sew -- children's clothes, Halloween costumes and suchlike; I embroider and cross-stitch and paint and stuff and I probably do a bunch of other things but right now knitting is IT. Really so it that I don't feel like doing much of anything else. Obsessive, me?

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

What a nice idea! Actually I like lots of things but love to be introduced to new stuff since I no longer really have time to listen to the radio or lounge around listening to friends' music -- things I would choose to put on right now might include Ben Folds, the Story, old Genesis albums, Dream Warriors, Bare Naked Ladies, Tori Amos' first album -- I think the computer plays MP3s otherwise what does my husband listen to all day?


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

I love everything. Really. I might not do something serious in hot pink but I'd do something wacky (I'm thinking of doing that wig from Knitty for Halloween.) I think right now, if I were choosing myself, I'd choose warmer colors as the days edge very slowly towards autumn.

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

My situation is this: two small children. I'll say that again. Two. Small. Children. And a husband writing his PhD dissertation. We have no pets (that whole asthma thing again).

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

Right now my life dream is a full night's sleep in a huge clean bed, able to wake up any time I want and find someone bringing me a huge cup of black coffee and a copy of the Sunday New York Times. Ooh, and something delightful to knit on the bedside table. And maybe some hot toast. And a massage in about an hour. Did I mention I have two small children? And a husband writing a PhD?

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

This is tough -- I'm in the stage right now of trying things. I have lots of things I'd like to try but haven't yet -- Rowan, Manos de Uruguay, Noro other than Kureyon -- oh heck, everything. I can't even pretend to have a favorite.

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

None. Although, actually, I just knit a scarf with a fuzzy ribbon yarn and didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Too slippery and unappreciative of being knit. I think, on the whole, I like yarns to show the pattern I'm knitting rather than being their own pattern -- although that doesn't apply to colors or self striping stuff, I'm talking about the things with bumps and bobbles and intermittent fuzzy bits.

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

I'm obsessed with trying new things -- I'm obsessed with Knitty and Interweave Knits, both of which a friend introduced me to -- I have a list of at least 30 things to knit just from three issues of Interweave Knits and the back catalogue of Knitty patterns. I also have Stitch n' Bitch out of the library and LOVE it. I'm into cute hats, wrap sweater, felted bags, wristbands, socks, lace shawls, small aran blankets, baby sweaters, disappearing alien scarves. I want to knit the one skein wonder. I want to knit with cashmere.

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

I think I like to knit sweaters best, but I'll knit anything. Oh, except legwarmers. Why oh why are they back in fashion?

17. What are you knitting right now?

I'm knitting a cropped Annie Modesitt sweater from Interweave knits, a baby cardigan from the Yarn Girls Guide to Kid Knits, a tank from an old pattern magazine of my mother's, a baby hat shaped like a raspberry and another Kureyon Booga bag -- that might be it but I'd have to look in the bag.

18. What do you think about ponchos?

I love them. I'm thinking of doing one this winter. But I might have to try a lace shawl first. I've never tried on and the Yarn Harlot is inspiring me.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?

I'm converting to a circular needle user. What genius those things are! I don't have enough double pointed needles (only 6s and 10.5s) but am thinking I should learn the two circular technique. Maybe.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

Aluminum, for preference... but those colorful plastic needles out there are very appealing. Like candy needles.

21. Are you a sock knitter?

Well, I have knit socks (two pairs to be exact) although both were intended to be thick woolly things to wear with boots and they were (nothing delicate). I was thinking of trying something more fancy soon.

22. How did you learn to knit?

My mother taught me. My aunt helped. Since then, I've taught myself.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?

As part of my latest knitting onslaught I've had a stash tidy up and I ripped my oldest UFO which was about five years old -- it was a baby sweater for my son and the gauge was all wacky and the wool was too thin. I also tried to frog a UFO of my mother's from 30 years ago but gave up -- the wool had gone all brittle and flaky.

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

I don't know if I have such a thing. I used to like Dangermouse a lot. I don't have a favorite animal or bird.

25. What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas. My birthday comes second and Halloween third.

26. Is there anything that you collect?

Nope. I'm the opposite. I love to throw things out and have clear empty places where the junk had been.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

Just subscribed to Interweave knits so I could stop trying to steal my friend's copy. I think I ought not have any more subscriptions because Knitty and MagKnits are going to keep me plenty busy.

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?

All books. Books books books. I love books. Oh, you probably mean knitting books. I was thinking of getting Stitch n Bitch because I liked so many of the patterns and I learned some interesting things from her basic lessons. Ditto Stitch and Bitch Nation. It just seems very me. I was also thinking about acquiring something by Elizabeth Zimmerman (sp?) whom everyone seems to love and I really would like to read Knitting Over the Edge and Knitting On the Edge since I'm planning a dress for my daughter (three) and would like to put something fun along the bottom but not furry wool since she says she doesn't like furry wool. But man, knitting books are expensive. Used books are clearly the way to go.

29. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven't bought for one reason or another??

The Yarn Harlot was just talking about the Lotus Blossum shawl she was knitting on her camping holiday which looks amazing. I was also thinking about the Lily Chin whatever her name is -- the urban knitter woman -- reversible cable pattern shawl which also seems really interesting. Oh heck, clearly I want to knit pretty much everything. See a trend here?

30. Sock size?

Well, I wear a size 7.5 shoe (sometimes 7) and I can happily measure if you are a sock-knitting fiend. I won't say no.

And in fact, if there' anything else you'd like to know, secret pal o'mine, just ask.

Secret Pal 6 and the Secret Blog Stash

I probably am a geek, but I think knitting is keeping me sane right now. Some one called it stress knitting. This is a good description. Imposing order on long lines of potentiality. Creating something. Seeing results. All good.