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 not sure if I am snobby, but I don't use artificial fibres for clothing.

I do knit sculptural jewellery with fine wire and other odd yarns/fibres.
I don't like thick yarns (that means DK or thicker) unless it is my own handspun.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?

Yes, I spin (but not often enough), and ocasionally crochet.

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

All sorts of things, such as the cardboard tubes that whisky bottles come in.
I have separate needles for yarn and wire.

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

I could knit before I started school, aged 5.
So, since that was back in prehistoric times to a lot of my friends, I must be advanced in some things.

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

Not at the moment.

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

I like natural scents, rosemary in particular.
I shower, rather than bath, so am not interested in bath oils etc.
I don't like scented candles either.

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

I only like plain chocolate, preferably 70% or more cocoa content.
I tend to snack on apples.

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

I attend weekly pottery and enamelling classes.

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

I have an eclectic taste in music, but usually listen to the radio rather than CD's.
Bach, Arvo Part, and Jan Garbarek are favourites, along with jazz.

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

Purple, magenta and other similar bright colours, and (in small amounts) the acid greens and ochres that complement them.
I don't like pale pastel colours, particularly yellows.

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

The goldfish all died of old age, so that leaves me, my husband, and nephew (17) at home.

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

Scarves - yes
Hats - rarely, as they flatten my curls too much
Mittens - I prefer gloves
Ponchos - never have and never want to (they wouldn't work with a bicycle and backpack)

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

Anything fine, as I can always double or triple it up if necessary.
I'd like to try more laceweight silks and wools.
I haven't had a chance to lay my hands on any Koigu yet, but their yarns look good.

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

Almost all novelty yarns.
Any yarn with more than a small percentage of synthetic fibres.
Anything thicker than 4ply.

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

I'm back to knitting socks.
As a teenager I knitted many pairs of knee length grey school socks.
That put me off for a while.

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

Whatever my latest idea is!
As I tend to design all my knitting, sometimes starting with designing the yarn, this varies a lot.

I do like the challenge of knitting a new piece of jewellery to wear for an occasion.

17. What are you knitting right now?

Socks, and a scarf using Kaalund ClassicTwo (fine merino) together with other suitable oddments from my stash.
Also some pieces of jewellery, using fine wire with fine wool.

18. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Yes

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?

I use circulars or dpns, as I often need to get to the other end of a piece if I am not knitting in the round.
I never use straights.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

Ebony or other hard woods for dpns.

I do like the look of the Susan Bates sock needles, all colour coded for size, which I assume are coated aluminium. They go down to quite fine sizes.
I haven't seen them, so don't know if I would enjoy using them.

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

Two of each, I'm not sure why so many.

22. How did you learn to knit?

From my grandmother and mother as a pre-school child, and I've been knitting ever since.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?

I'd hate to know.
Possibly dating back to the early '70s, in which case it ought to have been finished or frogged or handed on long since!

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

No favourites, apart from the birds that fly around our garden and feed on the seeds and windfall apples we leave for them.

25. What is your favorite holiday?

A chance to explore new places, and meet old or new friends.
Any time off from the daily grind.

26. Is there anything that you collect?

Any small thing that takes my fancy, and that might become jewellery.
Recently this has been small seed beads and sequins in single colours.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

I subscribe to "Spin-Off".
I also won a subscription to "Knitting".


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

Elizabeth Zimmerman's "Opinionated Knitter".

I haven't yet tried spinning ingeo.
I'd like to give that a try.

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

No, I'd rather invent them!

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

Yes I knit socks in 4ply, and take a size 39 (UK6)

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

12th June