SP13 questions answered

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I’m not a very picky person about yarn — I tend to match the yarn to the project. I do tend to avoid acrylics [100% acrylics - sometimes I use wool/acrylic blends or cotton for baby stuff] and fun furs (don’t like working with them and most projects I am attracted to don’t need those).

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? A couple big plastic containers, with a few smaller container inside those to separate different types of needles. (I have my own needles, plus those I inherited from my mother……..). A nice binder with Knit One's holders for circulars best sytem I've found so far for them.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? 30+ years, although serious knitting has only been the last few years and a few similar previous spells. Intermediate level.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? yes - Amazon. Link is to main list, with all the sublists (by topic) linked on the left side. The things I’m most interested and/or those that don’t fall into my major categories that get a sublisting are on the main list. Plus, a decent chunk of my library (including all the knitting books) is listed online at LibraryThing (a resource which is worth checking out if you haven’t seen it yet).

5. What's your favorite scent? Either subtle flower/plant smells (lilac/lavender) or ‘baking’/homey ones like vanilla, key lime pie, or apple cinnamon

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Yes. Chocolate (milk chocolate is the first choice, followed by white). Definitely prefer foods with hechshers.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? Have a wheeel - learning to actually use it. Would like to learn to weave; currently do some photography and sewing as well as soap and candle making.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) Scottish folk, Jewish, some country, much classical. Yes.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? Love purple and mauve, with the colonial family [as I call it: sage green and slate blue] not far behind. Apartment is done in what I think of as dark rich colors: navy, burgundy/maroon, hunter green with bits of purple/lavender and mauve to lighten it up. Yellows/reds/oranges make me look like I died three days ago, so I tend to avoid them ;-)

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? Married, no children, one very cranky and very old cat

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Yes to all but ponchos

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I’ll do just about anything.

13. What are you knitting right now? Shawl from Knitter’s Book of yarn (had put it aside for a bit and recently picked it up again); several hats; a couple baby items for friends who are expecting; a sock or three

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Depends on the project and the yarn. I use all of them at various times. Mostly use Knitpicks Options these days.

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

17. How old is your oldest UFO? I’ve got a sweater that I’ve puttered on for almost ten years; I’d forgotten about it until I was rummaging for Flash Your Stash a couple years ago and found it at the bottom of a bin of stuff...... and I still haven't gotten around to finishing it yet ;-)

18. What is your favorite holiday? Pesach (Passover), although I also have a great fondness for Shavuot (who wouldn’t like a holiday that involves cheesecake and staying up all night learning interesting stuff?). What winter holiday do you observe? Chanukah.

19. Is there anything that you collect? Post-it notes with cute pictures/sayings, calendars, mugs, t-shirts and canvas bags with pictures of things I’m interested in (cats, Scotland, Maine, genealogy, Judaism) [I’ve managed to help Cafe Press’s business quite a bit.......].

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? See Amazon wishlist for books. No subscriptions - for magazines, I tend to buy only some issues with patterns I'm likely to make (need to control the clutter somehow.........)

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? Fair Isle is next (one of these days…..).

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Yes. Wear a size 8 wide.

23. When is your birthday? May 19.

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? Killearnan