Secret Pal 8 Questionaire

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Yes I am a yarn snob. If there was such thing as 200% wool, that would be wonderful!
2. Do you spin? Crochet? I spin, weave, dye, knit, don't care to crochet though. I also sew and used to make fiber sculptures.
3. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? All our Turbo Addis are in their original packaging, and then they are all stacked in a canvas tote in order of size (Can you say Monk?) Then the DPNs are stored behind them.
4. How long have you been knitting? Knitting on and off since 1960. Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? Intemediate.
5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? No.
6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) I'm not really into scents. I guess if anything it would be green tea, melon, grapefruit or gardenia!
7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Can you believe it, I don't like chocolate. Unless you are talking about fresh picked rasberrys, I guess I have a fruit tooth! Favorite candy? Good and Plenty and Bit O'Honey.
8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Tinkering with computers and other electronics. Photography. Love cameras.
9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I've been stuck in this 1960's rut since the 1960's. I've been wearing my hair the same since about 1968 and listening to the same music. My taste in music is stuck in psychedelic rock. If it is San Francisco psychedelic rock it's even better! Yes on MP3s.
10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand? you just can't stand? Well there is deep dark royal purple. I love it. Not lilac, lavendar. Deep dark. Plum is good too. Deep rich colors are my favorite pallette. Dislike pastelles, dislike pink. Don't like sock yarns that are self striping.
11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I have one hubby,one son away at college. Three cats, Rufus, 9 year old Maine Coon, his daughter Ruby, 5 years old and Rosemary "Iam the the queen and don't you forget it", 13 years old Tuxedo.
12. Do you wear scarves Yes, hats No, mittens Yes or ponchos No?
13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? My own hand dyed colors. Koigu KPPPM and Cherry Tree Hill for socks. Kureyon Big for mittens. Anything by Mountain Colors.
14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? Synthetics
15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? Not an obsession but in ruts. This spring its been a lot of socks... and I'm proud of it.
16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Ones that don't take me 15 years.
17. What are you knitting right now? Rib and Cable Mitts from IK Spring 2006 and will be casting on for a hat for Dad, and some socks for me with my Cabin Cove yarn.
18. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes. Do you paint? I like little watercolor paintings. And B&W photographs.
19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Circs whenever possible
20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Turbo Addis in circs, Brysons for DPNs, no pref on straights because I tend to avoid them.
21. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Yes Yes
22. How did you learn to knit? My cute little Italian Mom taught me!
23. How old is your oldest UFO? Going on year 15...
24. What is your favorite animated character? Hello Kitty and Chococat or a favorite animal/bird? Cats and buffalos
25. What is your favorite holiday? I generally hate holidays, mostly the commericalism that goes with them. I do celebrate my own though. Like I look forward to the Perseid Metor Shower around August 12th. Does this make me a pagan?
26. Is there anything that you collect? I collect toy Vespa's and toy Mini Coopers. Plus anything in the Johnny Lightning British Invasion 2001 release die cast cars.
27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? None, I just buy them one at a time if I find something I like. Seems like every time I subscribe to a mag, the next years worth of issues stink.
28. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? No, Hubby keeps us pretty well stocked. Thanks though. Well maybe one thing. A diz.
29. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? Well since I finally taught myself lace and cabling, I'm not sure!
30. Are you a sock knitter? Oh YES!!
31. When is your birthday? (mm/dd) Same as Enzo Ferrari

I lead a pretty boring life out side of knitting!!!So here are more misc. facts. I'll just keep adding to them when I think of it.I love living in a community without much light pollution. We can see the Milky Way even on moon lit nights. I love watching meteor showers and ever since the days of the Echo satelites, have been fasinated with watching man made objects in orbit 100's of miles above us.I love the Pacific. I've been on, in or next to it from Alaska to Mexico and the southernmost tip of Hawaii. Some day I'd like to travel to other Pacific shores.

My family knows that someday when I die, I want my ashes tossed off one of the Washington State Ferrys as it winds its way through the San Juan Islands. That area just feels so restful to my soul. Oh and I want Norman Greenbaum invited to my wake so he can sing Spirit in the Sky. I have his email if you need it.

I have entire conversations with Rosemary our cat. She looks me right in the eyes and meows. I answer back in English. We both are satified with the conversations.

Our first 3 home computers were Macs, including the original that we got on March 13, 1984. We've had PCs since 1997. I'd go back to a MAC in a heartbeat but can't talk the hubby into it. I like my black and white photography than my color photography.I miss working in a creative environment. Somethings gotta change!I can't play a lick of music. I am not tone deaf, but I can't read music and I have no rhythm. Our son though is a very gifted bass player, both electric and upright. Music must have skipped a few generations on my side of the family.I do not like to quilt. Therefore I don't do it.

I like coffee but I like iced tea even more!!The Pad Thai at Zao's in Seattle is wonderful. Zao's is our latest favorite lunch spot in Seattle but a real pain to get to (not to mention that it is over 200 miles away). We usually have lunch there and then go over to The Weaving Works.