Secret pal 8 questionnaire

1. What is/are your favourite yarn/s to knit with? What fibres do you absolutely *not* like?
I like fine yarns made from natural fibres. I do not like eyelash or other fancy yarns.
I do not use artificial fibres for clothing.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
Some needles are in cardboard ex-whisky bottle containers. Circulars are packed in a box.

3. 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. I am advanced in some techniques, a beginner in others.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Not at the moment

5. What's your favourite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
Rosemary, but I rarely use any of these items.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favourite candy?
I only like plain chocolate, preferably 70% cocoa or higher.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I spin sometimes. I attend pottery and enamelling classes.

8. 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.

9. What's your favourite colour? Or--do you have a colour family/season/palette you prefer? Any colours you just can't stand?
I like purples, 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.

10. 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.

11. 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)

12. What is/are your favourite item/s to knit?
Whatever takes my fancy at the time, currently 4-ply socks

13. What are you knitting right now?
Socks, a laceweight scarf, various experimental pieces in fine wire

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?Most certainly

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminium, plastic?
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.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.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Both twice over, I don’t know why.

17. How did you learn to knit?From my mother and paternal grandmother as a very young child

18. How old is your oldest UFO?
Quite likely from the ‘70’s. I’d have to dig around in the loft to look.

19. What is your favourite holiday?
Any break from the norm

20. 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.

21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Elizabeth Zimmerman's "Opinionated Knitter".

I subscribe to "Spin-Off" and “Simply Knitting”.

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

22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
No, I’d rather invent them.

23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes, I am an avid 4ply sock knitter. I take a size 39 (UK 6)

24. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
06/12