Secret Pal 9 Questionnaire

The fun is starting! This is the opening questionnaire for the Secret Pal 9, this will help my Secret Pal to find out about me, so here we go...

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? I don't really have a 'favourite' yarn; it's more the colour that I am drawn to. There are quite few yarns that I haven’t tried like the Alpaca, Recycled Silk and Angora – already on my list. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I strongly dislike the Kid Silk Haze and Mohair; I don't like to knit with them and they're too itchy for my skin.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? My 'non working needles' are stored in an old wooden trunk along with my collection of wool; each size is tied together with a pink ribbon, easy to find the one I need. I also have a size 25-30 mm in a corner of my sitting room, these needles are nearly 5 foot long so not easy to store them but they are the talking point of the room so why hide them!

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Learned how to cast on, purl and knit when I was about 6 years old but never progressed any further. It's always been in the back of my mind that one day I would become a knitter so it all started in the summer of 2003 together with my dear friend Jessica. Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I consider myself to be at an intermediate level but I am not afraid to take up a challenge.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? I do have a wish list on Amazon which has got mostly knitting books and some Christmas ideas for my husband and children - never too early to think about it!

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.) I like white musk, jasmin and rose.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? I am not a sweet tooth. Favorite candy? I like liquorice.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I don't really have much time to do anything else a part from knitting and blogging! I love baking and make jam, even though I don't eat it but that’s what my children are for. Do you spin? I have just bought a drop spindle to teach myself how to hand spin, I just need to find the right wool to do it.

8. What kind of music do you like? I have a very broad mind when it comes to music, I listen to anything that suits my mood of the moment from heavy rock to classical, my favourite music though is jazz. Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) Yes, no problems.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? My favourite colours are pink in absolutely every shade in particularly antique pink, but as long as it's pink it's fine! and red: hot, sexy and so warm. Any colors you just can't stand? I am not too keen on blue (turquoise not included), yellow and orange.

10. What is your family situation? I have been married to Nick for the past 8 years and we have 3 boys age 6 and 5 years old and 15 months. Do you have any pets? We don't have any pets as my oldest is allergic to animal hair, I would love to have a cat though.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I wear all of the above except hats, I have short hair and it would ruin my style!

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I haven’t knitted long enough to decide what are my favourite items.

13. What are you knitting right now? A man's jumper, a cardigan for my son, a scarf and the second of my 1st pair of socks.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? I love handmade gifts, very personal and unique.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I haven't used circular needles yet. I have a large collection of straight needles in bamboo, rosewood and now glass. I love needles so I always find an excuse to buy some more even though I might not need them... yet!

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? No, my chairs in the dining room work a treat.

17. How old is your oldest UFO? As I juggle several projects at the same time, at the moment my oldest UFO is 3 months.

18. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas

19. Is there anything that you collect? Besides yarn, needles and knitting books… I collect tree ferns and adore anything from the 1950.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? There is always something that I like to get but my short list is: Books: Naughty Needles: Sexy, Saucy Knits for the Bedroom and Beyond by Nikol Lohr; Knitting for Peace: Make the World a Better Place One Stitch at a Time by Betty Christiansen and Not Your Mama's Knitting: The Cool and Creative Way to Pick Up Sticks by Heather Dixon. Pattens: Skinny Tube Baguette, Majolica Vases and The Unfurling Rose by Noni. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I’m subscribed to Rowan International, Simply Knitting, Knitting, Vogue International, Interweave Knits, Knit1 and Knit Simple.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? As I am not a very experienced knitter there are quite a few techniques that I haven’t tried. I would like to try cables and lace patterns and felting.

22. Are you a sock knitter? I wouldn’t call myself that really, I am knitting my second sock and it’s going very slowly but I am enjoying it. What are your foot measurements? I am not sure how to work this out but I have a small feet UK size 3½, European 36.

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd) 6th of October