Secret Pal 11 Here I come!

Ah, the secret pal phenomenon. I have been too pre-occupied in the last couple years to participate in any of these, other than a small, one skein a month one a year or so ago, which was a blast (Hi Gabrielle!). The timing seems right for the secret pal exchange starting now, so I've decided to jump in...here I go! Just skip over this questionnaire if you don't want to know just about everything about me and yarn, and a few other things besides!

SP11 Questionnaire:

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I like them all, as long as they’re not synthetic. A little additive here and there is no big deal, but that acrylic crunch is icky. I’m also not crazy about eylash and other over-the-top novelty yarns.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
An old cardboard box for the straights and a round metal cookie tin for the circulars. Probably not ideal, huh?

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I learned to knit as a child, from my mother and my grandmother, and eventually 4H. But I mostly didn’t knit anything but small projects until a few years ago. I think I’m somewhere between intermediate and advanced.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
No

5. What's your favorite scent?
Rose, or lemon. I can’t be around anything that smells of peppermint, tea tree oil, eucalyptus, menthol, or camphor because I use homeopathic remedies.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Oooh, yeah, chocolate! Classy chocolate, either dark or milk, the classier the better. But again, nothing with peppemint.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I’ve spun since I was a teenager. I also crochet when it seems like the right way to approach a project. I do lots of artsy things, and am a glass artist/fuser/blower for a living. You can see my work at www.marthakauppi.com and www.glass-gem.com .

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like many/most kinds of music, with the exception of mainstream mega pop stars, generally. Some favorites are Tracy Chapman, Sarah McLachlan, Sting, The Judds (yes really), Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams, Dayna Kurtz, Leonard Cohen... Right now I’m totally in need of some peppy, got to move to it, workout music. I can play MP3's no problem.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I like ‘em all, really. I wear lots of dark blue, teal, light pink, melon, and spring or olive green. Don’t care so much for beige, taupe, ecru...by any name, nor for white, really. For some things I like that natural linen color, though.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I have a partner of 12 years, and a number of pets: a standard poodle named Zoe, a big red tabby cat named Ben, a new kitten named Mattie, and an elderly guinea pig named Teddy. Also, in the back yard, we have 4 hens. We have sort of an urban farm here on our city lot with a large garden as well.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes for all but ponchos.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I’m on a sweater jag right now, but I knit whatever...socks, mittens, hats, sweaters, scarves, even trying my hand at a shawl.

13. What are you knitting right now? The Boobalicious tank top from Big Girl Knits with handspun cotton/silk, The Braids cardigan with commercial merino/alpaca yarn, the Koigu Heirloom shawl with handspun merino, a wimple from Knit in America (I forget its name) with commercial alpaca blend yarn, and a pair of scandinavian mittens with handspun alpaca. Oh, and some washcloths to swatch lace patterns in a commercial cotton/linen.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Of course! I love the feeling that someone is thinking about me, figuring out what I would like. If they make something with their own hands and time, that is even better.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Not plastic. I have Knitpicks Options and like them a lot, but also really like bamboo and other wood. I make glass needles and knit with those too. I knit with dpn’s, circulars and straights...just depends on what’s called for.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
I have a yarn winder and use it all the time, but no swift.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Hm. Probably a year. Ok, maybe three years now that I think of the Weekend Getaway Satchel thats all felted and needs to be put together.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas or my birthday; I like the fall-into-winter season festivities.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Not really.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Money is tight here in my corner of the woods, so I rarely buy books for myself; knitting books and magazines are the ultimate luxury! I'm dying to get my hands on Cat Bordhi’s new book New Pathways for Sock Knitters, and the new Twisted Sisters Knit Sweaters book. I subscribe to Interweave Knits and Spin Off, but also really want Knitters Universe and/or Vogue knitting.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
One day I’ll get up my nerve and steek.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I knit socks, yes. My foot: 9 1/4 inches from toe to heel, 9 inches around the widest part of the ball of my foot, and I prefer loose cuffs to tight ones.

23. When is your birthday?
October 10; I’ll be 46.

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
I’m still on the waiting list for Ravelry.