Secret Pal 12

I'm participating in Secret Pal 12 and I have to answer the following questions so that my secret pal knows just how to spoil me. You can choose to read this or not maybe you'll learn something new about me, maybe not.

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I love anything especially if it is soft. The only fiber I have some problems with is cotton. I like organic cottons because they're soft but some cottons hurt my hands when I knit with them. I'm not so into the novelty yarns either.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I use my knit picks options the most so I keep everything in the little black binder. All my other needles are scattered around my giant knitting basket.

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 known how to knit for about 5 years but I've been knitting seriously now for about 1 year and I just want to learn more and never stop. My mom taught me back in college and I made a few scarves and then forgot about it. A friend was having a baby last year and I decided to make her a baby blanket. I knit this thing for 6 months and when it was finally over I realized that I was totally hooked on knitting and had to knit more things and challenge myself to learn new techniques. I think I'm somewhere between intermediate and beginner. I think I'd need to push myself more and learn more things before I can consider myself advanced by any means. Of course I think we all sell ourselves short when we need to pick a skill level so who knows what I really am.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Oh I have an amazon wishlist that will scare you. I think its currently 9 pages long. I also have a wishlist at The Loopy Ewe.

5. What's your favorite scent?
I don't like really musky scents or anything super sweet. This is a hard one. I love gardenia and orange blossom.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Anything chocolate, especially with mint...yum yum!

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I learn to use a drop spindle and love it. I took a dyeing class and love that too but I don't have any supplies to dye anything on my own so I haven't done much dyeing. I'm big into photography and I'm trying to learn how to sew but I'm awful at it.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
This is another hard one. I like indie bands, well they used to be indie now they're all popular and crap. I like opera, classical, jazz, some rap...basically if it is composed well and is interesting musically I will like it. I love love love Martin Sexton...he's awesome!

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I don't know. I like all colors except maybe puce. I live in New York City so I feel like my whole world is black so my knitting needs to be colorful.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I live with my boyfriend who must love me dearly to put up with my knitting and fiber obsession. We met just about 2 years ago, started dating and a month later we were living together. I have no pets but I really want a puppy but you can't mail a puppy.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Scarves, hats and mittens no ponchos but I like wrappie things since I'm always cold.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Socks and I'm starting to really like sweaters. I'm working on my second one right now.

13. What are you knitting right now?
The Loopy Frolic socks from The Loopy Ewe and the knitandtonic Somewhat Cowl sweater and I have a pair of lace mesh gloves on the needles but I haven't worked on them in weeks. And a clapotis I haven't worked on in weeks.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Of course.

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

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Yes and Yes. I <3>

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
About a year. I ripped out the oldest one about 8 months ago, that one was about 3 years old at the time

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas, I get a little obsessed. My boyfriend loves Christmas too just not as much as I do so every year I sneak another decoration thing so he doesn't notice.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Other than yarn? Nothing really. Though I love Alpacas and people keep giving me sheep related things. I think in a few years it will become a collection but everything was given to me.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Oh wow I have a lot of books (check out ravelry) and a ton on my amazon wishlist. I own one EZ book and I really want more but I just haven't been able to get anymore of her books. I buy almost every knitting magazine that's out there so I whenever people pick one up for me I usually have it already and have read it cover to cover 5 times. But I love knitting books. I'd love some books on spindle spinning so I can get better but I can never find them at the book store. I love top down sweaters and socks. I've never used malabrigo or socks that rock so I'd love to try those yarns out. Really I just like to try new yarns.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I would love to be good at colorwork and I want to learn to do lace.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I love socks. I usually have a pair on the needles. I'm about 9/9.5 US

23. When is your birthday?
October 17th

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
StitchBitch23