Secret Pal
1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? Actually - I use a lot of acrylic because me & my boys have yarn allergies. Caron Simply Soft is inexpensive & soft. Bamboo is delicious but not right for many projects. Cotton is "ok". LOVE cashmere but have to do a cashmere blended with something else to avoid allergies - besides who can afford to spend so much for yarn? I've knit with wool - once - never again. Am still trying to learn to have the patience to knit with laceweight yarn.2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have vases for my double-points and regular knitting needles. Right now my cable needles and extended needles are tangled up in a photo box.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I tried to learn as a child - didn't really work out then. I picked it up again in 1988-1989 - but after knitting up a couple of Christmas ornaments, I dropped it again. Picked it up again in 2006 after my stroke. I find the yarns available now really spur me on to try more and new things.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Yes, have Amazon for books/movies and a wish list on Tiger Direct for electronics.
5. What's your favorite scent? vanilla
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Totally - White Chocolate; Chocolate in almost any form
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? Crochet, paper crafts (scropbooking, card-making), beaded ornaments, just about any glue & go craft - am tempted to learn to spin, but putting it off because I don't know I could afford to learn to spin with non-wool fibers.
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I've got an MP3 that I've used like once... just don't download songs... love classic rock the most.
9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? Love blues, purples, deep greens, reds ... don't care for pink for myself, not much into orange/brown shades.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? Divorced mother to two... plus a dog & cat
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Scarves & mittens yes - hats in the worst of winter only - ponchos never....
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Right now - it's baby sweaters (good thing got two babies to knit for)... wanting to make a sweater for "a" but have to finish his blanket first.
13. What are you knitting right now? WIP - "a"s blanket started two months ago (haven't worked on it for two weeks - on a sabatical); baby sweater for Sebastian (four weeks old) started Saturday and about 75% complete; a summer top for me started (sigh) two years ago - and not worked on for over four months - it's in a time out because I have to redo a couple of rows and am not in the mood.
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes!
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I mostly use circular's (Addi's) and have a collection of straight needles when needed - mostly aluminum, but some plastic.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? No - but I want one or the other
17. How old is your oldest UFO? My top - which was about 75% done at one time and ripped out back to the beginning. I'm about 60% done now - and still need to rip out a couple of rows.
18. What is your favorite holiday? What winter holiday do you observe? Christmas by far my favorite holiday - my mother made it truly magical and my goal is to do the same for my chidlren
19. Is there anything that you collect? besides yarn? I like to collect various things for Christmas - lit houses for a Christmas village, little santas that are about two -three inches tall, stuffed animated santas, 10" angels.
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? More yarn would be soooo cool - love, love, love having yarn around to inspire. Would love to get more patterns for knitting top-down one piece construction (though I have a book now that's supposed to have that covered, it's hard to follow)... and I don't subscribe to any knitting magazines - I'll buy one every once in a while, but most of my patterns come from the internet.
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? Tons - some of it is a matter of repeating things so that I don't have to always look them up (i.e., kitchener stitch, provisional cast on) - I can do them, but I have to look up how every time I do them. More cast ons, more cast offs, and would love to have some laceweight lace skills..... mostly the last I need to do better at learning how to count (lol).
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Yes, I have knitted socks... have done a couple of children's socks and one pair of adult socks.... but my adult socks were done in wool I was thinking about gifting them - but can't get the cast off done right - so will probably end up ripping them out and re-using the yarn for something else.
23. When is your birthday? 29June
24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? I'm pennyia on Ravelry.
