Whoo Hoo!! It's Secret Pal 6 Time!!!!

1. Are you a yarn snob? I must confess, I am. There. It's out. I am sensitive to some wools, so usually try to stick with 100% merino or a wool/silk blend. I love alpaca, as well.

2. Do you spin? Crochet? I don't spin - yet. I can crochet, but I definitely prefer to knit.

3. Do you have any allergies? No real allergies, but some wools irritate my skin, so I have to do the "neck test" on them first before I buy!

4. How long have you been knitting? About two years.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? No, but the things that would be on it are: Knitting on the Edge, A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns (B. Walker), and any books about lace.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) Rain, vanilla, lavender.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? I love hard candy, especially anything sour. Chocolates, too!

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I enjoy pretty much anything crafty. I work with various metals forming jewelry, and also do stained glass as my main hobbies. I love beads and also am a scrapbooking junkie, although I don't complete very many pages. I just like to fondle all those neat papers and embellishments!

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? I love music, and listen to a variety of things. I enjoy mostly alternative, pop and new wave instrumental. Pretty much anything except hip hop/rap or country. Yes, I can play MP3s.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand? I am always drawn to the earthy colors of nature - reds, golds, browns, olives and eggplant. I shy away from most primary and pastel shades.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I'm married to my high school sweetheart; currently no children. I have a Maine Coon kitty who's constantly proving that no matter how old he gets, he'll always be a two year old in terms of behavior.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know) If money were no object, I'd plunk myself down into an artist's community so I could be surrounded by creativity every day. I'd also love to travel more - there are so many places I want to see!

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? Koigu, Lorna's Laces, alpaca, silk, wool....almost anything! I am always on the lookout for new yarns from smaller distributors/farms.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I prefer natural fibers, so I stay away from acrylics and most novelty yarns. Although I like the finished product, knitting with cotton tires my hands, so unless a project strongly calls for cotton, I usually substitute another fiber. I'm also not a big fan of self patterning sock yarns (I never can get those patterns to quite line up!), although I do like some self striping yarns.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? Lace - scarves, shawls, etc.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Socks - small and satisfying.

17. What are you knitting right now? I have a lot of projects on the needles right now.... Branching Out, Opera Scarf and a felted Fair Isle bag are the three that immediately come to mind.

18. What do you think about ponchos? I've never knit one or worn one, but I am open to the idea.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? For me, it depends on the project. I am comfortable with either.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I'm not a big fan of metal needles unless it's sticky yarn (they're too slippery for me). I love rosewood, ebony or bamboo. I've never tried plastic needles.

21. Are you a sock knitter? Yes! Oh, I forgot to mention above, I've got Little Shell socks on the needles, too.

22. How did you learn to knit? I took a class at my LYS.

23. How old is your oldest UFO? Two years. A Fun Fur scarf started before I decided that I hated synthetic yarns.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird? I'm a sucker for anything cat-related.

25. What is your favorite holiday? Thanksgiving.

26. Is there anything that you collect? Blown glass (Radko style) Christmas ornaments.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? None right now - I can't seem to choose!

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

29. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven't bought for one reason or another?? There are too many Fiddlesticks and Fibertrends lace shawl patterns I want to list - since I'm new to lace knitting - I want them all! ETA: I just saw Silvia Harding's Diamond Fantasy Shawl pattern - so pretty!

30. What are your foot measurements, and what kind of socks do you like? I wear a size 6 shoe, and prefer socks with at least a 6" cuff (rather than the short anklet variety).