Secret Pal 11 Questionnaire

yay! this is my first time doing a secret pal thingo. i love the idea of getting surprise packages in the mail. it will be a sad day indeed if the postal service becomes extinct and replaced with some weird computerised system.
anyway, the questions!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I tend to prefer soft natural fibres, such as merino or alpaca. Am also partial to a bit of cashmere and kid mohair. I prefer lighter weight yarns, usually in the fingering to DK range.
I have a very bad tolerance of novelty yarns. I've used them about twice and each time it was a hideous nightmare.

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

My storage system is pretty craptacular. All my circular needles are higgeldy-piggeldy in a cloth bag, and my straights (which i very rarely use any more) are in an old vase. l

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I've been knitting seriously for about 10 years now. My mum first taught me when i was about 8, and I insisted on trying the largest, most complicated project in the book. Needless to say, it was never completed. I picked knitting back up again when I was in high school, and haven't stopped since!

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
My Amazon list is not very well-kept. There's some knitting books on there, I think.


5. What's your favorite scent?

I love vanilla and coconut.

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

I love candy! Especially gummi!

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

I used to do a lot of embroidery, but that has taken a back seat lately due to my sock knitting obsession. I also do a bit of crochet, and have dabbled in quilting. I have a spinning wheel but currently don't know how to use it. I keep threatening that every summer holidays i'm going to go to the Spinners Guild beginner's workshops, and i think this summer might be the one!

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

I love love love old jazz and blues, like Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Benny Goodman et al.
Lately have been listening to Josephine Baker singing in French about Haiti - so wonderful!
Also like indie stuff, especially Arcade Fire, The Decemberists, Bjork, and old school stuff like Sonic Youth. For me, the 1990s never really ended music-wise.
Computers all systems go re MP3s.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

Favourite colours are probably black, red, pink, brown. Not a huge fan of cream/white/beige type stuff.

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

I live at home with my mum, my Cornish Rex cat, and two poodles.

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

Scarves and mittens i wear a lot. Not so much hats and ponchos.

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

Socks!!!!!! Absolutely love love love knitting socks!!
Have just recently gotten into lace knitting and have been enjoying it a lot, making scarves and stoles etc.
Also, you can't really go past a good cardigan.

13. What are you knitting right now?

Currently on the needles are two pairs of socks, a lace scarf, a children's jumper for Mongolia, and a black shrug in fingering alpaca (obviously these are not all on the same needles!)

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Not really.

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

Definitely circular. I love Addi needles and bamboo needles. Not a huge fan of plastic.

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

I have a winder, but not a swift.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

I dont' really have any UFOs (shock, horror!). Instead of letting things sit around, i tend to rip them out and declare i'm not making it any more!

18. What is your favorite holiday?

I don't really get into the major holidays all that much. Probably my favourite would be Halloween, even though it's not celebrated that much in Australia. But it usually means some good B-grade horror flicks get screened on cable TV!

19. Is there anything that you collect?

Apart from sock yarns (!), I do love anything associated with lighthouses.

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'm desperately in love with Cookie A's sock patterns, like Twisted Flower etc. Also have been trying unsuccessfully to snap up some Yarntini sock yarn.
Books - craving Knitting on the Road (Nancy Bush). can't think of any others right now, but i'm sure there are more. oh, i know, the new KnitKnit book!
I have a subscription to Vogue Knitting magazine.

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

Steeking! Still haven't gotten over my dreaded fear of chopping up my precious knitting with scissors! But i have some Alice Starmore projects in mind, so that might be a good starting point.
Also would like to attempt toe-up socks.

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

Yes!! Love socks!!! My feet are teeny, about 8" around, and about 8.5" from heel to toe.

23. When is your birthday?

22 April.

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?

Not yet, but apparently there are only 324 people ahead of me on the list. so maybe i'll be on in about a week or so? fingers crossed. (like i need any more reasons to procrastinate from doing homework).