Secret Pal

I'm joining in Secret Pal 10! Any excuse to buy more yarn, right? But first, the questionnaire:

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I am something of a yarn snob and love soft, touchable fibers. Silk, cashmere, alpaca...mmm. Since I am not independently wealthy, however, I do tend to buy blends, though I avoid acrylic whenever possible. Really, I'll knit with anything that feels good and looks pretty.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a Lantern Moon needle case that I love. Since I bought complete sets of bamboo circulars in three sizes, I'm rather swimming in needles and had to devote three dresser drawers just to my circulars. The extra straights go in a vase near my bed (I do most of my knitting in bed).

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
Only since December 2006. I'm a newbie, but I really just took to it. I started my first jumper two weeks after I learned how to knit. I figure that, so long as I know my knits and my purls, I can figure out any pattern. I'd describe myself as an advanced beginner/slow intermediate. I can do most of the intermediate work; it just takes me a few more tries than someone who has been doing it for years.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I do! It's actually on amazon.com, since I'm an expat American living in Sussex. It's something of a mess, as I remember I have it once every six months, add everything I'm obsessed with at the time, and then promptly forget about it. I still want everything on it, though. It can be found through my email address, majea7 at gmail dot com.

5. What's your favorite scent?
I'm not really a perfume person, though I will wear oils or other, non-chemical sorts of things. I especially love amber and ginger, and tend to fall in the 'floriental' category. At least, that's what the nice woman at Nordstrom's told me.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Sometimes. I don't turn down chocolate, that's for sure, but I rarely think to buy it for myself. I'm more of an ice cream and baked goods sort of person. Mmm, ice cream sundae.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
Are you kidding? Other crafts would only take away precious knitting time. Spinning seems like it might be interesting if I had more time, but at the moment it doesn't really appeal.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
Anything. Really, anything. I'm something of an idiot when it comes to classical music or opera, but that's not the fault of the music. I particularly like the 'alt country' genre, although I hate that name. And yes, MP3s are fine.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I love rich jewel tones and earthy naturals. Red, purple and green are my favourites, and I have a particular soft spot for all shiny things. Shiny is a colour, right? I'm not a big fan of blue or orange, and pink is only okay in small doses.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
'Family situation' sounds like some kind of horrible pregnancy euphemism. I don't live with any other people, if that's the question, as my family lives in the US and my partner lives in Kent. I do have a small, furry family: two Bengal cats that are completely, utterly mad.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Scarves, yes. Hats, when it's cold. Mittens, when it's freezing. Ponchos, never. Why would I choose to wear a tent that adds ten pounds to my frame without feeding me ice cream first?

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I love knitting tops and seem to always have at least one on the go. Jumpers, tanks, t-shirts, etc. Scarves are great as presents, though they can get boring. I think I'm going to start knitting shawls next, as they seem rather appealing.

13. What are you knitting right now?
I'm just about to finish Sahara, and am debating whether to start Soleil or Green Gable next. Of course, I'm already hitting the pattern books to line up my next six projects.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes, I think so. It doesn't happen very often, but I like it when it does.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
For the most part, I do longer projects on circulars, shorter ones on 10" straights. I have a lot of bamboo and occasionally find use for metal needles, though my particular preference is the Lantern Moon rosewood ones. When I claim my calling as a lady of leisure, I will invest in a complete set of those. Maybe the ebony or blond wood ones, as well. I am fascinated by the Namaste glass ones, but fear them. I've given up on birch, as I seem to break every set I touch.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
No, but someday I will. Oh yes, I will.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
December. When I first learned to knit, I started a bunch of scarves in various textures, patterns, etc. About halfway through, my skills had improved so much that I was appalled by the initial work and abandoned them. Someday, I will frog them and give the yarn new life.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
I love Christmas. Food, wine, family, presents, days off work...it's perfect. At least, until you have to go back to work in the dark, rainy days of January.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Really, no. Perhaps I should develop some interesting and eccentric collection as a conversation starter.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Lots of them! I'm a fan of some of the Rowan magazines, particularly the last one based on Morocco. I'll have to hunt that link down. The others I want are on my Amazon wish list. As for yarn, I'm pretty much dying to try all of it, although Koigu is especially tempting.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I haven't done any Intarsia or Fair Isle work yet. That's next on the list.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I haven't knit any socks yet, and I managed to break the set of DPNs I bought to knit my first pair (see above re: birch). As soon as I get another set, I'll try again. I'm an Amazon with very big feet, also. I'm actually embarrassed to say how big, so let's just call them 'really long and skinny', okay?

23. When is your birthday?
16 September.