Secret Pal # 9

Here is my Secret Pal #9 questionnaire

This is my first time doing the secret Pal Thing and I'm all excited. I found out My "Pal" is on anther continent and I can't wait to see the blog entries when she/he opens my packages. I must admit I read every entry and comment on the blog when I learned who I was paired with.

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

I prefer to knit with something that I would wear next to my skin. I prefer silk or silk blends, cashmere and cashmere blends. My favorite yarns are:

Capistrano Fiber Arts 100% silk available from La Petite Knitterie

Alchemy Silk Purse

Debbie Bliss 100% silk
Twisted Sisters Voodoo
Malabrigo Merino
I also Love local hand dyed yarn wherever I travel.
Please no acrylic

See my Stash flickr for my current stash inventory

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

A special coupon holder that works very well as a Addi Turbo circular holder. The Knit Picks circulars came with a nice zippered binder

I have a Namaste Vintage bag that holds my straight needles.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I started eleven months ago and I consider myself a budding intermediate. My loving wife taught me last year so I could make my daughter a felted purse for Christmas.

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

I will post it on my blog soon.

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

Heavy or flowery, fruity scents don’t work for me. I prefer very lite clean scents. By the way I’m 6’5" and really don’t fit in the tub very well….STRONG>

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

See’s Dark Chocolate, Dove Dark Chocolate

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

I want to purchase a spinning wheel soon. We dyed our first yarn last week, Noro 100% silk. See blog for details and pics

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 Music, from Brian Setzer to Sinatra to NOFX to Alan Jackson to Weezer to SRV etc. Rock, Punk, Ska, New Wave, Blues, Standards, Swing. really perfer local/regional or unsigned bands …………….I will have a music list posted on my blog as well...... I have some updating to do I guess

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

My favorite is Purple and Purple variations, I have a deep Purple couch. Fan of the Jeweltones, anything deep and rich in color,reds, burgandy/magenta, deep blues and dark emerald greens and Teal! Sheen goes along way in my book. I don’t care for the NT color=#33ff33>pea soup/ army greens and brown/orange colors.

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

Very happily married to my best friend and soul mate. Two wonderful teenage children living in AZ with their mom. Son 17, Daughter 14 No pets

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

Poncho… nope sorry. I live in So Ca so the hat season is thin and the gloves are not practical. I sometimes wear a hat or scarf if it’s cold and we walk some evenings on the beach.

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

I’m still learning so I haven’t tried everything yet. Only 4 FO’s so far.

13. What are you knitting right now?

I have a Mitered square rug in Manos almost finished, a pair of socks mid way in Koigu Merino, Flickering flame Lace Skirt in Blue Heron on hold until I finish a Cherry bomb Tank from big Girl Knits.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

I love hand made gifts, it shows some creativity and thought. Hint: I would love some cool stitch markers….

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

Here we go again; first of all I’m a guy, I love the tools. I bought clover circulars for my first project and gifted them as soon as I tried Addi Turbos. I prefer Ebony,and Rosewood needles by Holz & Stein when I can find them. I bought the new Knit Picks Options in september and love them too. I will post a needle list and flickr pad on my blog. No plastic needles here. I know, I know yarn snob and needle snob too..

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

But of course.. See # 15 for reason and see #2 for picture. I have a Oregon wood worker cherry wood yarn swift and royal ball winder
http://wood.charlestree.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=35

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

Three months, I have a project I designed for my guitar. I need to block and sew a silk lining into it. It’s a guitar neck cover made from Noro Kureyon to keep my guitar neck from getting dusty while it sits on the stand.

18. What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas, I love the shopping for just the perfect gift. Seeing the surprise on the face when the recipient opens the gift and loves the item.

19. Is there anything that you collect?

Yarn, Needles, Guitars, Music, Christmas ornaments and Refrigerator magnets.

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 will amend this soon

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

Continental Knitting

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

I'm learning Men’s US size 15 Eur size 49.5 (what do you expect, I'm 6'5" tall)
Bare foot is 12 ½" long. I will have a dimensioned foot print on the blog shortly

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

10/05