SP5 Questionnaire

I just got my e-mail saying I'm all set up for Secret Pal 5 (commence smiling from ear to ear). So I wanted to fill out the little list of questions...

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?
Because of my fairly minuscule budget, I pretend that it's all the same, but the only kind of acrylic I really like is Caron Simply Soft (because it is). I love wool of all varieties, and variegated/self-striping sock yarn is my new best friend.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?
I do crochet, and my mom and I are planning on learning how to spin this summer; she's still in school, teaching first grade, so we probably won't start until mid-June.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
I feel like a wimp, but dust allergies kick my butt. Plus also cats, even though I think they're super cute.

4. How long have you been knitting?
Four years. My college housemates and I picked up the habit freshman year, and we've been having impromptu couch-lounging, movie-watching, knitting parties ever since.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I have one with Froogle, and there's a link to it in my (currently pictureless) profile.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
When it comes to putting smells on myself, I'm a huge fan of anything citrusy and fresh. If it's for a candle or larger area of the house, I like lavender and strawberry.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
Absolutely, and it loves anything made out of custard :) Caramel is super, too.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
I'm trying to improve my sewing skills and do justice to the fantastic machine I got last Christmas. I also like to relieve stress by coloring with markers - my friends get lots of embellished letters and cards. I enjoy crafts that allow me to work with strong, saturated colors, so I prefer markers to colored pencils or crayons and I make most of my cards out of construction paper.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
Country, country, and more country! But I do tend to avoid the really twangy stuff and lean more towards Shania Twain/Dixie Chicks/Kenny Chesney style music. I also like bluegrass (Nickel Creek) and artists/groups that use interesting minor chords with acoustic guitar and piano (John Mayer, Maroon 5, Jamie Cullum). And I have a weakness for clever rap, so I enjoy Black Eyed Peas and, on occasion, even Eminem. And even though that sounds like I have really specific tastes, I'm always open to new kinds of music!

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
Blue all the way... I don't think I've ever met a shade of blue I haven't liked, from navy to steel to periwinkle to day-glo. I also like really rosy pinks and raspberries. I don't like most shades of brown, orange, or cream, and olive-ish greens are vile :)

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I am the oldest of 4 kids in my family, and this summer we're all home with my parents in sunny California. We always have an assortment of goldfish, and there is currently a charming hamster named Little Boy (not so creative with the names, oh well) living above our tv.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
I want to be happy :) That also involves getting my PhD and becoming a college professor, but being happy with myself, friends, family, work, and knitting projects galore is the ultimate goal.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
So far, Regia self-striping sock yarn. It's mesmerizing! The KNitPicks stuff is running a close second.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Truly squeaky acrylic = Truly dreadful. And fun fur reminds me too much of freaky wild animals who had unfortunate run-ins with the Easter Bunny's dye factory. Anything else is A-ok.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
Socks and Glampyre Stefanie's top-down raglan pattern

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Scarves, because I always love to have more than one in my room, giving myself options for how to keep warm!

17. What are you knitting right now?
I have nothing on the needles because I was so productive today. Tomorrow will be another sock, I'm sure.

18. What do you think about ponchos?
I think they're done for the moment, but could resurface at any time, without warning. When it happens, I'll try not to miss the boat again (my sister was very disappointed I didn't make her one during the huge craze).

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
Mostly straights, and especially dpns. Circulars just don't look vicious enough...

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Aluminum!!! clickety click click. It gives me the same satisfying feeling as typing a paper on a noisy keyboard.

21. Are you a sock knitter?
Ayup.

22. How did you learn to knit?
I had several brilliant teachers freshman year. Two housemates got me started, and another housemate's mother helped fill in the details. It was all going well until just a year and a half ago I got the (fantastic) Stitch and Bitch book and realized I was purling wrong and twisting all of my stockinette stitches. Oopsies... My finished fabrics look a lot more even now, and lace patterns have holes in the right places :)

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
2.5 years. And it's because of the twisted stitches thing. I just can't bring myself to finish the other pieces of the pullover by knitting wrong the whole time. I also can't bear to frog the back, since it's the first thing I made that wasn't a scarf. Let's just call it a souvenir instead of a UFO.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS!!!

25. What is your favorite holiday?
Halloween, no question. My mom always sewed all of our costumes, and we go all out to decorate the house and scare the candy-collectors.

26. Is there anything that you collect?
Unintentionally, Stationery! I'm so horrible about using it because I like to hoard all of the really nice stuff for myself. Nothing on purpose, though.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
None, but I buy Interweave when there are projects that stand out.

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?
Not at the moment, but I'll let you know if I see anything :)

This was fun - I'm really looking forward to the Secret Pal process!!!

FO! FO! FO!

No, I'm not just super excited, I actually have three (that's right, 3 in one week) FOs to share. I'm so productive when pesky classes and homework aren't getting in the way... :)
And now for three important announcements:
I finished the flower basket shawl and gave it to my mom. She seemed very excited, but hasn't worn it yet. Project specs? Mystery brown silk from Michelle's stash on size 6 straights and no stitch markers (I felt brave).
I also made a sort of abbreviated version of Ruffles from Scarf Style. I figured that since it's largely decorative anyway there was no point in making it 6 feet long, so it'll just be for fun. Mine is black, from Caron Simply Soft on size 6 straights.
Last but not least, I broke into the lovely KnitPicks sock yarn and made one whole sock today... top down, size 4 metal dpns... and I promise promise promise I'll have pictures by Tuesday. And maybe another sock!!!
My family is going to Santa Cruz and Great America this weekend, so I'll come back with my brains all shaken up and twisted around. See you soon.

Pomp and Circumstance (and Knitting)

Hello!
I'm finally home after (thankfully) surviving all those final papers and exams and the graduation ceremony. It was okay weather until the religion majors got up to get their degrees (I was sitting with them all), and then it started pouring like you would not believe. I think it was a sign, though I'm not sure of what! ;)
It was fun to do the drive back here as well! Dad and I stopped in Ashland to see a play - "Room Service" - and now I want to see the Marx Brothers' movie of it; pretty funny stuff.
I got my KnitPicks order of fantastic sock yarn, and I get to start knitting like crazy again. I'm amassing back-tack materials for a surprise package and working on finishing up the flower basket shawl - 2 more repeats to go, unless I decide the neck-kerchief size is too small.
That's all my scatterbrained updating for now :)

Reading Period and New Knitting

I am so glad I'm graduating this year, because apparently the school is thinking of taking away reading period! It's so nice to have a four day weekend before finals start. You get to sleep for two days and then start your studying. It's the only way, honestly, that I would actually have a weekend before finals, otherwise you'd wear yourself out with studying the whole time and be in horrible shape for the actual exams. But we have it this year, and I'm into the studying days.
I worked 5 hours in the CWL yesterday with extra stats and writing advising appointments, so my paycheck will be a little bigger this month.
In knitting news, I started the Flower Basket Shawl from Interweave Knits last night. I'm halfway through the third repeat and really loving this pattern. I think it'll make me more adventurous when choosing patterns, because now I like lace. This is also my first time using a lace chart, and it's going really smoothly. I even made a minor mistake and managed to fix it myself! Woohoo! I'll try to get a picture sometime.
But for now, I took a quiz and turns out:

You are plastic.
Futuristic, milky, and silky, you are willing to go
where no crafter has gone before. You can do
just about anything, with strength agility, and
pretty colors to boot! While you are good at
slipping and sliding out of sticky situations,
remember to stay where and when you are needed.
Don't overdo it on star gazing when there's
earthbound knitting to be done!


What kind of knitting needles are you?
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Have a great day!

Back-Tack!

Well, first the boring news, which is that slowly but surely various items are being crossed off my list of assignments! Just 3 drafts to revise tonight and then I can take a break for a day - the last day of classes :)
The exciting news is that I have my back-tack buddies! I'm excited to pick out some cute fabric and buttons to send along to the next person, and I'll try to make sure I get some pictures up here while everything is in progress.

I promise there will be some actual knitting starting this Friday, so check back for updates soon!