A questionnaire in honor of Secret Pal 8, for my secret pal and whoever else is interested.

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I use a lot of wool, wool blends, cotton and cotton blends, and alpaca. Favorites include Knitpicks Shine Worsted, Andean Silk, Andean Treasure, and good ‘ol Cascade 220. I just picked up some Misson Falls cotton and am digging it. I was one of those people who went a little nutty when Cotton-Ease was discontinued (no, I don’t need any more — heh).

I tend to stick to slightly upscale stuff — “workhorse” yarns, I call them. Lots of Lamb’s Pride. I rarely treat myself to the really expensive yarn. I don’t do lace, and I do not get what all the Rowan Kidsilk Haze fuss is all about (hee!). I’m generally not into ribbon yarn, eyelash yarn, funny novelty yarns or those yards that are inconsistent in their thickness (ie, skinny in parts, thicker in others). I can get behind a good boucle, though.

I’ve never tried handpainted yarns and would love to.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

Leland made a rather large canvas needle roll for me. The goods are not that organized.

3. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

Wow, it’s been eight years. I’d say I’m an intermediate knitter. It’s an escape for me, something I do to chill out or recuperate from the rest of my life, so anything that’s too taxing defeats that purpose. Leland is always saying that it’s the process that I cling to, but I get incredibly crabby without the payoff of a finished object (kinda like storytelling). I’m also a slow knitter, which only increases the importance of a cookie at the end of the hard work.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

I do.

5. What’s your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)

I’m a big fan of lavender. For a while, I was making regular orders with BPAL. I love perfume and I’ll try just about anything that isn’t too manly, though I do try to avoid smelling like, say, a piece of fruit or a chocolate bar.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

Haribo gummy bears, animal crackers; milk chocolate is always welcome.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

No spinning. Lots of beading, and I’m just starting to get back into sewing again. Also new: paper. I’m a hardcore notebook keeper (unlined, thank you) and have recently picked up a few books on decorated journaling and altered books. I want to start making mini-shrines (think matchboxes and Altoid tins). Charms, sequins, shiny bits, found objects, little things that can work their way into other projects are all fun.

I make zines and comics.

I have a very urban-meets-nature aesthetic. Edgy, centered urban bohemian. I’m myth and folklore obsessed, and these things sneak into the crafts, too. I like to play with things in our murky past and bring them into the present day.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

Traditional Irish fiddle. Old-skool folk music (the Traditional Ballad Index and Mudcat are among my favorite reference sites. Check out the mixtape and my MySpace profile for more ideas.

9. What’s your favorite color? Or–do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can’t stand?

Love love love red, greens, blues, purples, both light and dark shades. Pink is the new black, don’t you know. I love colors that are found in nature, though not so much on the neutrals, browns, yellows and oranges (though a bit of the latter two are okay). I prefer a blue-red to an orange-red.

Red lipstick is a very, very good thing, as are variegated yarns in pretty colors.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I’m getting married on May 20. I have two cats.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

Yes, yes, yes and no. I make a lot of scarves and hats. I’ve never worn a poncho in my life.

I want a perfect shawl pattern: not too easy, not too hard. I’m in the middle of making Cozy.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

I’m in a hardcore handbag/purse/pouch phase right now. If I had time to design, it’d be handbags. The only — and I mean only — sketching I ever do, of any kind, are of the cool handbags I see the sisters sporting on the subway. Latest skill: adding a zipper and a lining to a handbag (thanks Keri!).

13. What are you knitting right now?

A handbag, a simple pouch to hold my pens (I keep a steady supply of Pilot .07 G2’s on hand; I’m a fountain pen fan), a crocheted shawl, Cozy, more handbags. I also love “instant gratification” projects like knitted flowers and one skein wonders.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Yes!

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

I love my Denise interchangables. I’m all about the circular needles these days, either plastic or bamboo. I “should” dig Addi Turbos, I suppose, but they drive me fricking insane (sorry, Brenda).

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

Yes! Behold, for I am marrying a man with “tool confidence” (cha!).

17. How did you learn to knit?

A good friend with whom I am shamefully out of touch taught me. Her name is Jackie.

18. How old is your oldest UFO?

What’s a UFO?

19. What is your favorite holiday?

Oh, gracious, I love them all. Very partial to Halloween (though I call it Samhain) and Christmas (though I call it Yule) and the 1st of May, which I call Beltane, which almost — almost! — passed us by this year.

20. Is there anything that you collect?

Notebooks. Vintage post cards (originals, repros). I’m starting to gather the bits and bobs for minishrines. Victoriana. Pewter charms. Beads with nature-ish elements on them, rubber stamps with the same. Yarn, craft supplies, stickers. I’m also a fan of the Pre-Raphaelites.

21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

An amazing friend scored Starmore’s St. Bridgit from ARAN KNITTING, so I’m squared away on the obscure patterns front for a while. I tend to pick up knitting mags ad-hoc at the bookstore. At the moment, I think I’m covered on books, though I believe there are a couple on my wishlist.

Okay, so there are a lot on my wishlist. My bad.

Oh, wait! Knitpicks has these Elizabeth Zimmerman DVD’s that I’d love to get my hands on: this one and this one.

22. Are there any new techniques you’d like to learn?

Not really — I pick things up as I go. I am always obsessed with knitting faster. I wish I was one of those “60 stitches per minute” people.

23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

My dad is still patiently waiting for his first pair of socks, so, there’s that. He might have to wait out the handbag obsession. I wear a size 8.

24. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)

June 23.