Sectret Pal 6

Oooh -- secret pal time again!

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?
When I answered this for sp5 I ended up saying that I might be, though it’s not intentional. I talked about how these 2 skeins of Lion Brand Jiffy are bothering my stash (they still are). I said how I don’t like wool or alpaca or anything like that because I’m vegan, and I know that some people are yarn snobs because they only like these animal fibers, and that’s not me. But really, except for maybe a small percentage of microfiber or the like for elasticity in the right yarn or for a specific project that calls for a certain yarn, I’m really not into acrylics. So, I guess that's a "yes" to this question. I really like natural plant fibers best (such as bamboo, cotton/modal, hemp, tencel, banana yarn, etc.), and those are the ones I like to buy for myself.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?
I do neither, but I'd like to learn how to crochet, especially for edgings and ornamentation, etc.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
Pets! (specifically cats [a lot] and dogs [a little]). I sneeze when I'm around strong perfume, and I don't like smoke at all though I'm not sure if I'm "allergic" to it. The idea of having yarn with any of these qualities attached to it makes me very unhappy.

4. How long have you been knitting?
I tried to learn 2 years ago but it didn't stick. Almost 6 months ago I learned again, and now I'm at it almost every day. I've knit several scarves, a poncho, 2 shrugs, a tie, a capelet thing, 2 shawls, a kerchief, branching out from knitty, a tank top, a baby hat, a legwarmer, etc.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes, but I haven't updated it in forever. Some things I've added recently, and some things have been there a while and need to be cleared out. (Update: I cleared out the items that I have received as gifts or bought for myself).

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
lavendar, lemon/lemongrass, ylang ylang, tea tree, tangerine. Nothing too perfumy or fake smelling. Stuff that's vegan and not tested on animals.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
Yes, but for vegan chocolates mostly and some vegan candies (no gelatin). I love the whizzer eggs and whizzer beans, and I love peanut butter and chocolate and vegan peanut butter cups. I like dark chocolate and raspberries. I like pure maple sugar candy. I love smores with vegan marshmallows, soy soft serve with vegan oreos, and vegan donuts that I ate in the Pacific Northwest, though none of those would do too well in the mail. A resounding "YES!"

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
beaded jewelry, making beads out of polymer clay, bookmaking. I'd like to know how to sew better and make my own clothes. I really don't need any more materials for beading or clay, though I am excited about learning to sew with a machine though I don't know what materials I'll need.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like krautrock, electronic music, some 80's new wave, some newer "indie" bands, etc. My cd player and my computer 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?
My favorite colors are orange, lime green, lemon yellow, variations of purple like violet and periwinkle, pinks, brown, deep red, maroon, etc. I love color, but there are variations of colors that I think are boring like certain light blues or shades of green. I like cornflower blue, though, but I dislike navy. I like minty/turquoise green, but I dislike forest green. Even worse for me is navy blue combined with red or red combined with green. I'm talking primary red with primary green.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I live with my boyfriend. We don't have pets.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
To work on my own schedule doing something I love (clearly I don't know what that would be yet. Something crafty or creative, I think). I do like teaching (my current job), but I can't really call that my life's dream because I always have this nagging feeling that I don't have the freedom that I want in a job.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
Bamboo right now (both southwest trading company and classic elite bamboo are nice). I haven't tried Alchemy or the other brands of bamboo, yet, but I know they'd be great. I also love soy silk, hemp, things like modal and tencel, banana yarn, soft cottons, variegated colors. I'd like to try euroflax linen, pakucho organic cotton, and other types of fibers that are non-animal and soft and/or earthy (no mohair, wool, angora, merino, etc.). I'm into texture and I'm into softness. My new love is rowan calmer because it's super soft. I really wish I had more of these yarns and less of the less exciting yarns (boring/not soft cottons, acrylics, novelty from when I first started knitting and thought those were really cool. I know, that wasn't that long ago)

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
any animal or non-plant fiber (this includes silk), acrylics that are boring or not soft, fun fur type yarns

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
learning new techniques so that I can make more lace patterns. figuring out how to make things that fit. concerning myself with gauge. knitting on the subway. knitting during staff meetings. knitting in the round.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
shawls/stoles/scarves. I really like knitting in the round when I can now and want to make more hats and legwarmers

17. What are you knitting right now?
legwarmers. I'm looking forward to starting two projects from Vintage Knits as well as a fall scarf/shawl.

18. What do you think about ponchos?
Some storebought ones that I see around are boring (read "ugly"), but many hand knit ones I've seen are lovely. To be honest, it depends who is wearing it and how. Some people really know how to work the poncho, and that's what makes it nice. I probably won't be making any in the near future but you never know.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
Circular, though I never seem to have the size I need.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I mostly have bamboo needles -- warm and comforting. I have 2 pairs of addis turbos (one of which I can't find) and those are definitely cool and super smooth. I have a plastic clover for the legwarmers and it's very lightweight and smooth, too. My larger sized needles are plastic crystal palace daisy needles. I don't use those much any more. My vote goes with bamboo and addi circular needles. I don't have any needles smaller than 5s, and I have a bunch of projects coming up that require 2s or 3s. (Update: I I have all of the smaller needles under 5s EXCEPT 4s).

21. Are you a sock knitter?
no, I have never made socks, but that would be nice someday. Many sock yarns aren't vegan, though I do have 2 balls of Cascade Fixation (same color, different dye lot) that I hope to turn into socks, someday. If it's enough yarn, I would make longer socks or knee socks.

22. How did you learn to knit?
My sister and then someone from work taught me how.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
approx. 2 months

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
I can't think of an animated character, though I like the frog, the turtle, the ladybug, and the seahorse.

25. What is your favorite holiday?
halloween, though I don't always dress up

26. Is there anything that you collect?
oh yeah -- beads, yarn, paper, books, fabric, old/vintage clothes... though I'm trying to cut down on the amount of stuff that I accumulate and just stick with the stuff that I really really like.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
none, though I buy Interweave Knits and Vogue Knitting at the news stand when it comes out.

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?
Loop - d - loop by Teva Durham. And, I like the Folk Shawls book that I have seen. A lot. Oh, and I have Vintage Knits so now I'm looking for the Rowan Vintage Style book that just came out. Something like Socks Soar on Circular Needles? Umm, I forget the others. Oh, some vegan cookbooks that look neat are Vegan with a Vengeance and La Dolce Vegan.

29. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven't bought for one reason or another??
I like the Baltic Sea Stole and the Lace Leaf Shawl. I've been thinking of this scarf for a while. I wish I had rowan 35 so that I could knit Agnes.

ETA: 30. What are your foot measurements, and what kind of socks do you like?
I don't even know what foot measurements someone would need in order to make me socks (that's what this question is about, right? I don't want to assume too much. Could someone tell me?) I'm a size 5 1/2 shoe us (3 uk, 36 eur). If you tell me what needs to be measured, I'll certainly do it. I've never worn a pair of knit socks, and I'm sure it's dreamy. I like socks with my favorite colors in them (see above) and socks made without animal fibers.

Thanks for reading, and I can't wait to meet you!