These are my answers to the Secret Pal 5 questionnaire. If you’re not my secret pal, you may not want to read this, because it will be pretty boring. If you *are* my secret pal, you’re probably wondering what the heck you’re doing here since I don’t mention my knitting often enough. But I DO knit, and occasionally I mention things I’ve made on this ‘blog. Okay, so here we go, after the cut:

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?

To tell you the truth, I never have a whole lot of money to spend on yarn, so basically all I’ve been using is Red Heart and Lion Brand. It’s not that it’s all the same to me, I’ve just never had the opportunity to use the more “high-end” yarns.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?

I do know how to crochet although I haven’t really done much crochet work since last year.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)

I am allergic to lots of things (most pets, smoke, etc) but I figure that as long as your cat isn’t included in a package I should be okay.

4. How long have you been knitting?

My mom taught me the basics when I was about seven, but I didn’t progress beyond those basics (casting on, garter stitch, and casting off) until last summer when I bought Stitch N Bitch and learned a bit more.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

Why yes, yes I do. It’s over in the left sidebar there. It’s lovely and beautiful.

6. What’s your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)

I LOVE food-y smells. Well, I mean, I doubt I’d like roast beef scented bubble bath, but baking smells, apple, orange, mint, that kind of thing.
And the one and only flowery scent that I like is gardenia.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?

It depends on what kind of sweets. I don’t like milk chocolate, I do like semisweet dark chocolate. I like sour candies. That kind of thing. Then again, I probably shouldn’t eat any (she says as she glances at her ever- expanding bum).

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

I draw and paint, although I refuse to show my “oeuvres d’art” to anyone because they’re really no good. Knitting is mainly it, at the moment.

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

I love all kinds of music and if my buddy wants to make me a CD, they can include whatever kind of music they like– that way I’ll learn about them, too.

10. What’s your favorite color? Or–do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can’t stand?

Blue is my favourite colour– in fact green and blue are our wedding colours (getting married next summer! yay!). The only colour I don’t really love is orange, mainly because when I try to wear orange I kind of look like I’m about to barf.

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

I live in a pretty small apartment with my fianc?©, Rob, and our two pets– hairless guinea pigs, Emilio Estevez and Judd Nelson.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)

Hmm… wow, loaded question. I want to get back to work (I’m a teacher, I’ve been on stress leave for awhile now). I want to see Rob working at a job that he loves. I want some magical fairy to arrive at our house and clean it up so that I don’t have to. One day when we’re old I want to dance with Rob at our grandchild’s wedding.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?

Well, since I haven’t done much knitting with tons of different kinds, I’m not sure that I can answer this one. I’ve been aching to try out some recycled sari silk yarn because I totally want to make this bag, but I can’t find any around here (even in the shmancy knitting store).

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

Er… I don’t know that I have any. Really really cheap acrylics that squeak when you knit with them– they’re not so great.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?

Not sure that I have one, aside from my sari-silk-finding mission .

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

Lately, hats and bags. Especially felted hats and bags.

17. What are you knitting right now?

I’m about halfway done Sophie.

18. What do you think about ponchos?

I think that I would probably look like a giant tablecloth if I wore a poncho, but if other people want to wear them, go ahead.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?

I prefer double pointed needles to circular needles, and for just plain knitting unless it’s something huge then I really prefer just plain straight needles.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

Bamboo, but really I don’t have a huge preference.

21. Are you a sock knitter?

No. No matter how hard I try, no.

22. How did you learn to knit?

Um. I think I already told this story. Yes! Look up! Number four!

23. How old is your oldest UFO?

I’m too stubborn for UFOs… I hate starting something new if I haven’t finished something (even if it’s painfully boring or too hard for me) so I tend to just power through whatever I’ve got on needles before starting my next project. Or else I rip it out and wind the yarn back up.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?

Calvin and Hobbes– they’re my favourites.

25. What is your favorite holiday?

My birthday, June 25th!
Haha, okay, not really. Well, yes really, but it’s not a real holiday. Halloween and Christmas are tied on that one.

26. Is there anything that you collect?

Aside from human souls and copies of The Catcher in the Rye?
Not really. Wonder Woman stuff. Books. Mermaid things (NOT the Disney little mermaid I HATE HER yes I know I sound deranged now sorry secret pal).

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

I don’t have any which is probably a good thing– I collect clutter and they’d be lying all over the house.

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?

Basically anything that’s on my Amazon wish list. I’ve been totally yearning for something great to read lately– I’ve read and re-read every book on our shelves. I love reading and it sucks not to have anything new! It really does! Right now I’m “into” (well actually I’ve always been into) stuff about the Tudors– hence all the Henry the 8th stuff on my wishlist.
But really? I’m pretty easy. I’ll read anything– twice, if it’s good.