Secret Pal 13 Questionnaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I love silk and silk blends, merino and alpaca. Merino and silk blends are particularly nice. My absolute faves are Handmaiden Double Sea or Great Big Sea. I do not like synthetics though I will tolerate viscose or microfiber in a cotton blend. I'm not fond of 100% cotton either

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a shaker box for my straights and Addi circulars. I keep my double points in wine tubes and my interchangeables in their binder.

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 for over 40 years! My mom tried teaching me when I was a kid and she got frustrated with my stubbornness. I ended up teaching myself from a book. I would consider my skill level to be advanced.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I have an Amazon wish list. It can be found in the sidebar of my blog.

5. What's your favorite scent?
It depends. I like unscented body products. For candles, I like food type scents--particularly spicy ones like apple cinnamon or citrus scents.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I love dark chocolate--especially if it has fruit or nuts in it. I indulge in a small amount of it daily!

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I do not spin. I sew a lot and I love designing garments. I make jewelry--both metal work and beaded jewelry. I dabble in woodwork and paper crafts as well. I love to cook and garden. I have a vegetable and herb garden. Fiber arts, though, are my first love.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
My computer does play MP3's. I like just about any kind of music except rap. I have rather eclectic taste.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I love earthy colors like rust, gold, orange, brown, olive green, sage green and teal. I also like periwinkle or dark purple. I absolutely do not wear pink or gray in any variety.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I am happily married and an empty nester. I have two grown kids--a boy and a girl. I also have 4 cats, who are now my babies and a water turtle.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I wear scarves a lot. I love hats but don't wear them too much. I wear gloves but not mittens. I don't wear ponchos, but I do like shawls!

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
My favorite items to knit are top down fitted sweaters. For smaller projects I love to knit hats and make quite a few of them as gifts. I also enjoy knitting scarves and gloves.

13. What are you knitting right now?
I am currently working on Stitch Diva's Silken Scabbard, Classic Elite's Feather and Fan Cardigan (from the Make it Modern book) and a scarf.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Absolutely! I would be thrilled if someone took the time and trouble to make me something special!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I prefer circular needles. I particularly like Addi turbos and Knitpicks options nickel plated needles. I like very slick wood needles--Lantern Moon Ebony are my favorite wooden ones.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Yes--I own both!

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
I think it is about 4 years old, but I may very well have lost track!

18. What is your favorite holiday? What winter holiday do you observe?
I love Christmas! I can't get enough of it! I start getting ready for it the day after Thanksgiving! I also love my birthday.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
I collect unusual snowmen--I like handcrafted or antique ones. I also collect scotty dogs. I also collect unusual buttons--particularly antique ones or hand crafted ones. I also love unusual cookie cutters and molds.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
My Amazon wish list has the books I would like on it. I would also like to try KnitPicks Harmony needles. They look lovely. I subscribe to Interweave Knits.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
None that I can think of.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I'm not a sock knitter. I have a small stash of sock yarn and a lot of patterns, but I've just not been bitten by that bug. I like hats and gloves for my small projects. I wear a standard size 7.5 shoe.

23. When is your birthday?
April 8

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
Yes I am on Ravelry. My ID is kozykitty