Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Secret Pal 6 Questionnaire
SECRET PAL 6 QUESTIONNAIRE
1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high-end/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
I am somewhat of a yarn snob. I prefer natural fibers, but do not look down on inexpensive yarns. In fact, I am a great shopper and love a bargain.
2. Do you spin? Crochet?
I just learned to spin almost two years ago, but haven't progressed much.
3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
Smoke, dogs.
4. How long have you been knitting?
20 years.
5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes, a link is in my sidebar. Here is a link to make it easier: Amazon Wishlist: Knitting.
6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
Citrus, pear, melon/cucumber. I also like light florals, like jasmine, freesia and lilac. I do not like most vanilla or cinnamon scents (prefer the real thing) and don't like lavender at all.
7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
I am mostly a salty and crunchy snacker, but I have a weakness for good chocolate, caramel and sweet and sour candies, and I love the Trader Joe's Sweet & Salty Trek Mix.
8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
I have been learning to sew in exchange for teaching a girl at our church to play the violin. I love cooking, baking and preserving.
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 Big Band, Salsa, Salsa, Salsa, 80s pop, classical, some R & B, some contemporary Christian and worship music, really anything except rap, country, banda or vulgar lyrics. My computer can play cds, but I don't know if that means it will play MP3s, our DVD player does, though.
10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer?
Red. Deep, true red. Blues of various sort, think oceans, skies, flowers, anywhere from the green end to the violet end. Yellow from butter to lemon. Rose and raspberry pink, but not much else pink.
11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I am married and have four children; three boys ages 7, 5 and 3 and an 18 month old daughter. No pets.
12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
I'd love to have about 30 acres on which we could keep a good sized flock of laying chickens, geese, ducks and turkeys, an apiary, a huge kitchen garden, an orchard, angora rabbits, and Dexter cattle. We are currently working toward part of this. We have five acres to work with, are getting chickens next year and three or four orchard trees, and adding more trees and new animals each year and Rich is building me an outdoor kitchen and working on preparing the yard for a large kitchen and herb garden.
13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
Natural fibers, soft yarn, especially polwarth and merino wool, alpaca, angora and silk. I tend to knit between sport and aran weight yarn, except for socks, shawls and small projects for which I will use fingering or lace weight yarn.
14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I guess I'll say acrylic, even though there are some that I like, like Microspun from Lion Brand, because I'm so picky about it. I'm not a huge fan of most of the novelty yarns, but a little glimmer or something like boucle or ribbon is fun. I do like loopy mohair, it and baby mohair are about the only mohair I like.
15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
Cables, as always. Any texture knitting or lace
16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Pullovers, shawls and baby sweaters.
17. What are you knitting right now?
Aran Braid socks for myself, a cabled and texture sweater for my middle son, a bolero for my daughter, and some finishing work on a sweater for my youngest son.
18. What do you think about ponchos?
I have found very few of which I have a good opinion.
19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
In general I prefer circulars. However, for small projects, I like 10" straights.
20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
In order of descending preference:
Aero Needles from long ago are my favorites
Nickel coated aluminum like Addis
Bamboo/Birch/Rosewood/Ebony
Steel
Don't really like:
Plastic
Aluminum (which is scratchy sounding and grates on my ears)
21. Are you a sock knitter?
I have knit socks and plan to knit more, but I am not a rabid sockster.
22. How did you learn to knit?
My mother taught me how to cast on and knit and purl while my teachers were on strike when I was in the 5th grade. She couldn't remember how to cast off or anything except basic knit/purl, so she brought me to a friend of hers who showed me how to cast off. The rest I learned from books and magazines.
23. How old is your oldest UFO?
A baptismal gown that was meant for my second son, for a baptism that was 4 years ago. It's now planned for a grandchild.
24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
Wallace & Grommit, Chicken Run (really most of the Nick Park stuff), Veggie Tales anything. As for animals, sheep, of course, though chickens are pretty close.
25. What is your favorite holiday?
Favorite Christian holiday is Pascha/Easter, with Christmas a close second, favorite non-Christian holiday, probably a tie between Thanksgiving and New Year's.
26. Is there anything that you collect?
Yarn, books and vintage books and patterns.
27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Interweave Knits, and I would be incredibly grateful to receive the Summer 1998 issue.
28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?
Poetry in Stitches by Solveig Hisdal and Heirloom Knitting by Sharon Miller.
29. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven't bought for one reason or another??
The Diamond Patch Sweater from Just One More Row, the Rose Garland Shawl and anything fromHeirloom Knitting's Simply Stunning Collection.
30. What are your foot measurements, and what kind of socks do you like?
Well. I wear a 7 1/2 shoe in American sizes. My foot is almost nine inches long, and I like textured/cabled/lace socks more than bright, multi-colored socks, though I do like color (not just white/beige/black/navy).
Hope that helps! I'm off to check out my spoilee's list now.
1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high-end/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
I am somewhat of a yarn snob. I prefer natural fibers, but do not look down on inexpensive yarns. In fact, I am a great shopper and love a bargain.
2. Do you spin? Crochet?
I just learned to spin almost two years ago, but haven't progressed much.
3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
Smoke, dogs.
4. How long have you been knitting?
20 years.
5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes, a link is in my sidebar. Here is a link to make it easier: Amazon Wishlist: Knitting.
6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
Citrus, pear, melon/cucumber. I also like light florals, like jasmine, freesia and lilac. I do not like most vanilla or cinnamon scents (prefer the real thing) and don't like lavender at all.
7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
I am mostly a salty and crunchy snacker, but I have a weakness for good chocolate, caramel and sweet and sour candies, and I love the Trader Joe's Sweet & Salty Trek Mix.
8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
I have been learning to sew in exchange for teaching a girl at our church to play the violin. I love cooking, baking and preserving.
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 Big Band, Salsa, Salsa, Salsa, 80s pop, classical, some R & B, some contemporary Christian and worship music, really anything except rap, country, banda or vulgar lyrics. My computer can play cds, but I don't know if that means it will play MP3s, our DVD player does, though.
10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer?
Red. Deep, true red. Blues of various sort, think oceans, skies, flowers, anywhere from the green end to the violet end. Yellow from butter to lemon. Rose and raspberry pink, but not much else pink.
11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I am married and have four children; three boys ages 7, 5 and 3 and an 18 month old daughter. No pets.
12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
I'd love to have about 30 acres on which we could keep a good sized flock of laying chickens, geese, ducks and turkeys, an apiary, a huge kitchen garden, an orchard, angora rabbits, and Dexter cattle. We are currently working toward part of this. We have five acres to work with, are getting chickens next year and three or four orchard trees, and adding more trees and new animals each year and Rich is building me an outdoor kitchen and working on preparing the yard for a large kitchen and herb garden.
13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
Natural fibers, soft yarn, especially polwarth and merino wool, alpaca, angora and silk. I tend to knit between sport and aran weight yarn, except for socks, shawls and small projects for which I will use fingering or lace weight yarn.
14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I guess I'll say acrylic, even though there are some that I like, like Microspun from Lion Brand, because I'm so picky about it. I'm not a huge fan of most of the novelty yarns, but a little glimmer or something like boucle or ribbon is fun. I do like loopy mohair, it and baby mohair are about the only mohair I like.
15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
Cables, as always. Any texture knitting or lace
16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Pullovers, shawls and baby sweaters.
17. What are you knitting right now?
Aran Braid socks for myself, a cabled and texture sweater for my middle son, a bolero for my daughter, and some finishing work on a sweater for my youngest son.
18. What do you think about ponchos?
I have found very few of which I have a good opinion.
19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
In general I prefer circulars. However, for small projects, I like 10" straights.
20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
In order of descending preference:
Aero Needles from long ago are my favorites
Nickel coated aluminum like Addis
Bamboo/Birch/Rosewood/Ebony
Steel
Don't really like:
Plastic
Aluminum (which is scratchy sounding and grates on my ears)
21. Are you a sock knitter?
I have knit socks and plan to knit more, but I am not a rabid sockster.
22. How did you learn to knit?
My mother taught me how to cast on and knit and purl while my teachers were on strike when I was in the 5th grade. She couldn't remember how to cast off or anything except basic knit/purl, so she brought me to a friend of hers who showed me how to cast off. The rest I learned from books and magazines.
23. How old is your oldest UFO?
A baptismal gown that was meant for my second son, for a baptism that was 4 years ago. It's now planned for a grandchild.
24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
Wallace & Grommit, Chicken Run (really most of the Nick Park stuff), Veggie Tales anything. As for animals, sheep, of course, though chickens are pretty close.
25. What is your favorite holiday?
Favorite Christian holiday is Pascha/Easter, with Christmas a close second, favorite non-Christian holiday, probably a tie between Thanksgiving and New Year's.
26. Is there anything that you collect?
Yarn, books and vintage books and patterns.
27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Interweave Knits, and I would be incredibly grateful to receive the Summer 1998 issue.
28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?
Poetry in Stitches by Solveig Hisdal and Heirloom Knitting by Sharon Miller.
29. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven't bought for one reason or another??
The Diamond Patch Sweater from Just One More Row, the Rose Garland Shawl and anything fromHeirloom Knitting's Simply Stunning Collection.
30. What are your foot measurements, and what kind of socks do you like?
Well. I wear a 7 1/2 shoe in American sizes. My foot is almost nine inches long, and I like textured/cabled/lace socks more than bright, multi-colored socks, though I do like color (not just white/beige/black/navy).
Hope that helps! I'm off to check out my spoilee's list now.
