10.05.2006

Secret Pal 9 questionnaire

I am in for another round of the secret pal exchange!!!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
My favorite yarn to knit with is Blue Sky organic cotton, this stuff is awesome. I also really like Euroflax, I just started a hand towel from Mason Dixon Knitting with that stuff and I love it. I am not a fan of novelty yarns, but I use them on occasion for things like animal hair.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
Besides every surface in my house? I was using a vase, but it was sacrificed to the store so right now I have nothing.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I have been knitting and crocheting for 8-9 years now. I usually say my skill level is intermediate, but I might be advanced. There is nothing that I am afraid of and I do knit advanced projects, but generally I stick to simpler things. Lately I have been doing a lot of pattern design.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
My Amazon Wishlist is here.

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
I like fruit scents that are not too sweet and spicy scents. I love the smells associated with the winter holidays like pumpkin pie.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I love candy, but I am not a big fan of chocolate. My favorite sweet treats are the coconut macaroons from the Alternative Baking Company.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
Anything and everything, I love crafting. I mainly sew, knit, crochet and do some basic embroidery. I really like making old things into new things.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
My musical taste is pretty diverse. I love indie pop, especially j-pop and lately I have been listening to a lot of French pop from the 60's. For a list of some of the bands I really like, please checkout Myspace.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I love color, especially very saturated colors. Right now I am leaning toward browns and greens and blacks and whites. I hate any yellow-pink color combinations (i.e. peach, salmon,) but I love pinks and yellows when they aren't combined.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I live with my husband and our dog Astrid.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Everything but ponchos. I have yet to knit mittens, but they are something that I have been thinking about lately. I've knitted lots of hats, scarves, and gloves to keep me warm in the winter months.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
This changes almost daily. I love to knit useless things like food and inanimate objects and lately I have been using my stash yarn to knit cozies for everything standing. I am also a big fan of socks and hats, maybe because I really like knitting in the round.

13. What are you knitting right now?
Right now I am knitting a college scarf as a sample for the store I work in. Very basic, boring pattern, but when I finish I am going to create my own pattern for a crocheted earflap hat that uses the Patagonia cotton.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes, those are my favorite.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Depends what I am knitting. I don't like bamboo needles, but I love wooden needles, especially Brittanys. When knitting in the round I like to use addis or my Denise set. I am also a really big fan of handmade needles.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Both and they are fabulous.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
I purged my stash and frogged any UFO that was not going to get finished a little while ago. Now my oldest UFO is only a few months old.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
definitely Halloween!

19. Is there anything that you collect?
I think that I officially collect collections of things. I was driving down the street last weekend and I passed a yard sale. I parked and went in to find an old collection of spoons from around the world. I couldn't just leave them there, someone put their heart and soul into this collection only for it to be sold post-humorously on the street corner. I bought the entire collection for $8 to add to my other collections. I also collect tiki stuff, vintage cookbooks (1950-1969,) pin-ups, and old craft books.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I have subscriptions to Vogue Knitting and Cast-on, but I really don't like subscriptions since I have yet to find a magazine that regularly produces patterns that I like. I much prefer to browse the issues when they come out and pick the ones I like.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I need to learn more patience with my knitting. I want to take on a huge lace project at some point to really test my patience. I would also like to learn Irish Cottage Knitting so I can knit a sweater in a weekend. If you find any books or tutorials on this technique send them my way.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes, I love to knit socks.

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
January 19.

2 comments:

Kirsten said...

Do you still knit donation pieces with donated wool? I've got some natural colored wool tapestry yarn, and perhaps some other odds and ends that I'd like to send off. I vaguely remember that you might knit it up for Afghans for Afghans.

starrypurplehaze said...

hey robyn, i just wanted to make sure that you received your SP9 info. could you please email me back letting me know? thanks!