Secret Pal Six

I'm doing an amazing job avoiding finishing up my homework. I joined Secret Pal 6, and although I can't figure out how to put a button for it on the blog, I can cut and paste the questions and answer them here:

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? I'll admit to being a little bit of a snob. I like those natural fibers an awful lot.

2. Do you spin? Crochet? I do a little crocheting. I'm trying to learn to spin, but it's not going so well. Hoping to take a class this fall.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.) Yup, lots o' allergies. Cats, smoke, strong perfume.

4. How long have you been knitting? Fall of 1997 I made my first sad little purple wool scarf and gave it to my friend Andy. I took a class in early '98 and things have improved since then. Sorry about that scarf, Andy.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Just started one on Amazon, mostly to keep track of books recommended to me. Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/registry.html/002-7978450-4901644?%5Fencoding=UTF8&id=7LESYZDDZYBC

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) Yankee Candle "Clean cotton," anything lavender or cucumber/melon.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Not a fan of chocolate, but I like cookies and ginger-flavored things.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I'm learning embroidery and want to learn book making.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) My pink mini-ipod sure can play music. I like pop, rock, jazz, blues, Dan Bern, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams...

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand? Love black, love pink and chocolate brown. Like sage green, but not kelly green. Like marine blue but not navy (ok, I'm getting silly. What's the difference?)

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I have a dog, Maddie, who is living with her sister, Tilly (adopted sister, not biological) in CT while I'm sludging through a hectic MFA year.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know) Um, world peace...while I'm working on that, I"d like to finish up my MFA, get a job teaching at a supportive school and write, all while living happily with someone who loves me despite my flaws...spending a summer or two in Italy wouldn't be bad, either.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? I like Quest, Manos, 1824 cotton (a tear is welling), fiesta yarns.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? Soiree. It's in the shrug I'm finishing up, and is soooo hard to work with. Good thing the shrug is for my sister!

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? Excited about felting and then embroidering...going to start with an i-pod cozy and work up to a booga bag with Sublime Stitches mermaids on it.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Shrugs/capelets right now.

17. What are you knitting right now? Just finishing a shruglet for my sister, but OTN is a sweater from "Yarn Girls," a baby sweater for a child due in a week, SnB Nation Spiderweb capelet, Clapotis and a variety of Christmas gifts.

18. What do you think about ponchos? Like them, haven't made one, though.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Circular

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Generally bamboo.

21. Are you a sock knitter? I knit one sock for my ex, never finished the second.

22. How did you learn to knit? Originally from Martha Stewart Living, with some help from my Peekskill LYS owner. After that I took a few classes from a sweet, patient woman.

23. How old is your oldest UFO? Welll...it dates back to 1998. It was a vest for my ex that might fit a five-year old. Every now and then I pull it out.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird? The Get Fuzzy gang are my faves. I also like beavers (see below), cranes, and of course, dogs.

25. What is your favorite holiday? Hard to decide between Christmas and Thanksgiving, but Christmas probably wins.

26. Is there anything that you collect? Beavers...my name means "meadow where the beaver dwells" and I like how industrious they are. Always feel I have to explain that.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? None.

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on? I liked the Yarn Girl's baby pattern book.

29. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven't bought for one reason or another?? Not that I can think of.

ETA: 30. What are your foot measurements, and what kind of socks do you like? Size 7-7.5. Since moving to NM, I mostly wear ankle socks...although I like a thicker, higher one for boots.