QUESTIONNAIRES QUESTIONNAIRES QUESTIONNAIRES

Well I have been meaning to put in these other two questionnaires for swaps but....... I had to think about the answers first

Here is my Secret Pal 11 Questionaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I absolutely abhor Phentex. I never made those Phentex slippers. I am becoming a bit of a yarn snob. I love the yarns I can’t get locally. Figures, eh? I also like Knit Picks yarn and yarns from Elann.com. I like sock yarns, wools that can be felted, wools that can’t be felted along with angora, cashmere, mohairs, alpacas, cottons, fun furs and even some acrylics for baby items.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have small DPN holder which I use a lot but it doesn’t fit them all.
I keep my round needles in a bag as I usually use my Denise which if not in the case are being used with projects. The long straights are in a big bag with matching sizes rubber banded together and I do use them occasionally. The shorter straights are in a basket nearer at hand as they seem to get more use.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I have been knitting ever since I can remember (school age) and I can’t believe the number of my age now but I still consider myself an advanced beginner - intermediate as there is still so much to learn.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
No. I don’t know how to do that. I do want to put a list of books I have in my library on my blog but don’t know how to make the list and on then on the side of my blog to have it say, See what books I own or books in my library: Click Here and have it take you to where they are listed. I have a list of books in my library on Ravelry. I have more than those but the rest aren't on Ravelry yet for me to list. I have a wish list of books on my side bar though.

5. What's your favorite scent?
Lavender, sandalwood oil (from the Body Shop), rose, ocean, fresh scents, some musks (Body Shop has a nice one) actually it depends on my mood. I used to love the Body Shop’s Dewberry but it is no longer available.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I most certainly do, unfortunately. I love chocolate, dark, chocolate, expensive chocolate and "Americian" Hershey’s chocolate. I also love Jelly Bellys. PLEASE no Black licorice YUK YUK!!!!

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
Do you spin?I would love to learn to spin. I am just starting with a spindle and I am not getting too far. I have a very small spindle but not a spinning wheel which I would love to own. I don’t have carders either. I crochet a little as long as there isn’t any or much shaping involved. I sew and quilt but now living in this apt I can’t use my sewing machine anymore. I was threatened with eviction so that now has to wait until I get into another place which I am the waiting list for. I was even taking an apparel design course that I had to give up close to the end. I used to do a lot of needlepoint, embroidery and ribbon craft but until I move all these crafty items are packed in boxes up in the locker area which I am also not allowed to go to anymore. I have been told the locker use is not for casual or seasonal storage use but to put things in that you won’t want until you move out?????

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I love the oldies from the 20’s to the 60’s. I love blues and jazz. I have a DVD player and a walkman that play MP3’s and my computer which didn’t play them before but made them now seems to play them also. I have a new computer which plays them fine.

9. Colors you just can't stand?
I really do not wear orange, yellow or lime, olive or drab green or brown. I knit them for others but I have to force myself. I love pink, red, purple, blue, black, white, dark green and all shades of them except for the green.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I have one feline fur toddler and that is basically it for family.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I wear scarves, mitts, gloves and should wear hats. I live in the great white north which has a very cold winter climate.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Socks, bags/totes and now shawls. I also knit dishcloths since I am in a lot of dishcloth groups and hope to turn them into a dishclothghan one day. I also knit scarves, afghans, baby items and hats.

13. What are you knitting right now?
A couple of Several pairs of socks, two three shawls, a couple of totes, a few dishcloths, and possible a scarf a hat and possibly a second hat.

14. Do you like to receive homemade gifts?
OH YES!!!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I usually use my Denise circs for straights even when I knit dishcloths as I do more than one at a time but when I knit one I use either short straights or my Denise. I love bamboo (DPNs and round) especially when I knit slippery items. I am using DPN Knit Picks for one of the pair of socks I am now knitting and the stitches keep falling off the needles. They should be on bamboo but I didn’t want to change them in the middle of the leg especially since I work two pair at a time on the DPNs. I have done the 2s2c method but with the cirs ends the same color I find that difficult and didn’t like the painting one set of ends with my nail enamel.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
No but I would love to have them.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
It is too much of an embarrassment for me to say

18. What is your favorite holiday?
I always loved my birthday (HMMM love cake and ice-cream & pressies of course) and Christmas even thought I am not a Christian. Since I live alone most of my pressies are from swap exchanges although I do receive a few gifts from friends. I like the happiness of the season, the lights and the fact that most people are kinder to one another than usual which should be an all year round occurrence but… Living alone does make them lonly holidays. Not only b/c I am alone and these are family gathering, gift giving, food holidays but b/c I love to cook. I love thinking of what to give friends for Christmas and their birthday as it is my chance to pay back all that has been done for me during the year. My next favorite holiday would be Thanksgiving. AH another food holiday. BUT of course there is Valentine Day, Easter and Halloween which are candy holidays.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Angels, fairies, cat stuff, Americana, yarn, fabric, books, patterns, magazines. I am a bit of a textile, yarn and magazine junkie.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I currently only have a subscriptions to Cook’s Illustrated. I have none to any knitting magazines. I want to get myself some Berroco Boho Colors (in Newsprint) so I can make the Talisman bag. I would like to try Trexxing, Claudia Handpainted, Socks That Rock, Tofutsies, Jitterbug, Yarntini, Sundara, Chewy Spaghetti, Sweet Georgia, Cider Moon, Posh yarn, Zen String, Yarn Pirate,Trexxing, yarn made of corn, milk, wood and any yarns I am unable to get here locally. AND to have some Tilly Thomas (with beads and crystals in it) would be like WOW WOW WOW!!! I keep reading about smaller yarn companies that make wonderful hand dyed sock yarns that I am unable to get.
Would love a pair of sock blockers and mini sock blocker key chain, stitch markers and any of the latest knitting goodies that are out.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Yes, toe up socks, magic loop (I can do 2s2c), reading charts, entralac but I am not sure if I will like it

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Most definitely. I wear a medium size sock and a size 8 – 8.5 shoe. The circumference of my foot is 9”, my ankle is 9” and the length of my foot from heel to toe is 9” – 9 ¼”.

23. When is your birthday?
Feb 4

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
I am still on the waiting list. My name on Raverly is pennala but there isn't too much there yet as I screwed up my photos and have to fix that.

And now on to: Monkey Sock Swap THREE Questionnaire

The basics:

Do you consider yourself a beginning sock knitter, an intermediate, or have you been doing this so long you could probably knit a pair in your sleep?
I have been knitting socks for a very very long time. I stopped for many years but took it back up several years ago. AND I love to knit socks!! I am sure I could knit socks in my sleep if they didn't have a complicated pattern. BUT I consider myself at most an andvanced beginnner - intermediate knitter since there is so much more to learn such as reading charts.

The measurements:
Shoe Size: 8 – 8 1/2
Foot circumference: 9”
Foot length: 9” – 9 1/4"

Yarn Preferences:

What colors do you love?
Pinks. Reds, Purples, Blues, Greens, Blacks and Whites and most shades of them.

Do you prefer solids or variegated?
Either is fine with me.

Do you prefer wool, cotton or acrylic yarn?
Wool & nylon combination, wool, cotton & nylon combo, cotton, wool & nylon combination, or sock yarn with bamboo or silk but no acrylic sock yarn and as long as I know what it is so I know how to care for it.

What colors would you never wear?
Orange, lime green, yellow and brown as a solid color sock. It is okay if there is a little of those colors in a variegated yarn just not a variegated yarn made of all of them together.

What are your favorite brands of yarn?
There are so many. Fleece Artist, Lorna Laces & Regia. Louet Gems and all of these I can get. Opal (I have a couple skeins) that I received in swaps and I once received a Cherry Tree Hill skein of sock yarn.

Are there any new brands you would like to try?
OH YES!! Claudia Handpainted, Socks That Rock, Tofutsies, Yarntini, Sundara, Chewy Spaghetti, Sweet Georgia, Cider Moon, Posh yarn, Zen String, Yarn Pirate,Trexxing II now have one skein of it), Jitterbug, Applelaine,

Cookie A. Patterns:

Which of her patterns have you already knit?
I have never knit a Cookie A. pattern. The monkeys are going to be my first.

Which pattern(s) would you like to knit and don’t already own?
I would like to have the Titania’s Revenge (From Blue Moon), Mona, or Thelonious as these look the easties for a non chart reader.

Other pertinent information:

Would you be willing to have an international Monkey Pal or do you prefer one in the US?
A US pal would be great

Do you have any allergies?
Wasps but they don’t count. NO black licorice or anything with that flavor please

Will your knitting be exposed to smoke or animals?
No smoke but a feline does live with me and she likes to check everything out

Are you on Ravelry yet? If you don’t mind having new friends, what is your Ravelry name?
I am on the waiting list still