Yep, it's that time of year again! Secret Pal question and answer time! Here ya go, and for those that don't want to read the answers don't, but for the rest of you, read on!!!
1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high-end/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
•I don't like to think of myself as a yarn snob, but I kind of am:) I learned to knit using natural fibers and anything else just doesn't feel right! I do use acrylic on occasion...like with the knitalong that I started last February where nothing else would do, it had to be acrylic!
2. Do you spin? Crochet?
•Nope! Aside from decorative edges, I don't really have a desire to learn to crochet...I'm fascinated with people who spin, but I still don't know if I really want to learn or not.
3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
•no, but I really don't like the smell of smoke.
4. How long have you been knitting?
•It was 3 years this past March!
5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
•yes, amazon is my friend. See the link on my sidebar under the Little Me. It says Wishlist with a little Hello Kitty face...awww! I just updated it, since my brother has been asking me to do it before my birthday, which is coming up in June!
6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
•I am super picky about smelly stuff, but I love anything with a citrus scent, especially grapefruit.
7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
•Not just tooth...sweet teeth!! I love candy! It's really, really bad. You can't go wrong with Haribo Gummi Bears or Grapefruit Slices, Peanut M &M's, twizzlers, anything with Peanut Butter. Have you seen the new 'Big Cup' that Reeses put out? They are awesome!!! They are my new obsession since they are a "limited edition". Do you see the trend? My name is Stacey...and I'm a candyaholic!My brother-in-law and I even want to start a candy blog. We're dorks.
8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
•I've tried just about everything, but knitting and painting are the two that have seemed to stick! I love painting with mixed media and watercolor. Since I started knitting it's been fun to try and incorporate fiber into my paintings. I am asking my parents for a sewing machine for my birthday, so I hope to start sewing soon!! Yes, the fabric stash is growing!!
9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s?
• I listen to just about everything, except country and rap. I have been on a big Ben Lee kick lately. On the subject of MP3 players, I got an iPod mini for Christmas...Yipee! iTunes is a wonderful and yet dangerous place for me;-)
10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer?
•in one word PINK!! Ever since I was 5 years old and got to pick out my carpet and wallpaper at our new house and I had floor to ceiling pink!! I can't have too much. My friends can testify, the longer they hang out with me, the more pink creeps into their wardrobe. It's catching!
•Looking at my finished projects will show you that I love bright colors...red, orange, and pink especially
11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
•single, never married
•I have the world's greatest cat named Jesse, he thinks he's a dog.
12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
•When I grow up, I want to own my own yarn store with my friend RayLynn, I could handle being able to support myself by doing the things that I love...creating things with my hands, be it with paint or fiber. I'm also considering moving to Kenya, Africa for a year to work at an orphanage that a friend of mine recently opened!
13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
•My all time favorites are Koigu, Noro, Manos del Uruguay, Interlacements, Lorna's Laces, and Black Water Abbey Yarn. I love trying new yarns though...so if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear it!!
14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
•I don't like "Splash" yarn. It's a furry, hairy yarn that is so soft it feels greasy. It kinda creeps me out. I'm also not a big fan of acrylics, or plastic feeling yarns. I don't think there have been many yarns that I can't find some kind of use for for...I'm really not that picky.
15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
•Besides buying yarn:) I have been looking for vintage knitting images, in art, cards, books, postcards, etc. I love old knitting needles too, it's fun hunting for the old bright plastic needles. I have them all in a big vase on my kitchen table.
*KOIGU...I can't stop buying it! I allow myself to buy a skein or two at out-of-town stores when I am visiting differnet cities. As of today, I want to learn to make mittens. You know, the really complicated carrying 3 to 4 yarns variety. I have the instruction books, now I just need to find the yarn.
16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
•Felted clogs are what I have made the most of (12 pairs), currently socks and items that make me laugh...like the Fry-Up! bag.
17. What are you knitting right now?
•Koigu wristlets (fingerless gloves), Tank sweater for a friends birthday out of Rowan Summer Tweed, Fry-Up bag, Clapotis, baby blanket for my niece and a friends baby, socks out of Interlacements, and some others that are on indefinite hold!
18. What do you think about ponchos? (this is really a curiousity question for us)
•I like them, I just don't know if they like me. I keep seeing photos of myself in them and the verdict is still out on them for me. But, there is a great pattern over at MagKnits called Frida...is it coincidence that Frida Kahlo is one of my favorite artists?! I think not! Someday I'm going to knit Frida!
19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
•Circulars, but sometimes I just love using straight metal needles, Inox makes great metal needles! I'm a big fan of vintage too!
20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
•Mostly Aluminum Addi Turbos, sometimes Bamboo (straights), never plastic because I don't like how the yarn sticks to plastic.
21. Are you a sock knitter?
•I'm starting to be! There are so many great sock yarns out there...I want to try them all! Ha! I recently read about a yarn called "The Socks that Rock", now that sounds like my kinda yarn!!
22. How did you learn to knit?
•I took a class at a local shop in Littleton called A Knitted Peace with my mom, sister, brother, roommate, and a couple other friends. I've been hooked ever since!
23. How old is your oldest UFO?
•Ummm...how long have I been knitting...about 3 years...soooo, I guess my oldest UFO is about 3 years!
24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
•I love cartoons...I'm just a big kid really. I love things that remind me of my childhood, like Strawberry Shortcake (have you seen the updated version? What they have done is a tragedy...I'm old school all the way), Jem, The Power Puff Girls, Rainbow Bright, Pinky and the Brain, Smurfs...I love Smurfs!, Dexter, and the list could go on and on, but I'll stop there!
25. What is your favorite holiday?
•Christmas, definitely Christmas, and of course my birthday! which is on Flag Day...the most obscure holiday ever.
26. Is there anything that you collect?
•Apart from knitting related items, I collect stuff from Paris or Paris-themed, like miniature metal eiffel towers (preferably older ones, but I have some new ones) I also collect children's books, both new and old. I want to start collecting old Nancy Drew books. Probably the largest collection I have is of baby plates. They are primarily from the early to mid 1900's and are made from heavy china (so that the baby can't move them that much) and have bright pictures and stories on the face of the plate. I am also big on vintage knitting needles...you know the bright colored plastic/metal/wooden, it doesn't matter as long as it's older. I have found a lot of needles at thrift stores or garage sales!
27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
None! Which I find hard to believe. I usually end up buying Interweave Knits, that is the one that seems to consistently have things that I'd like to knit in it. Someday I'll get a subscription.
28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?
I love, love, love books. Check out my wishlist to see the current ones I'm obsessing over, many of which have yet to be put out. There are some great ones coming out, Oddball knitting and Nicky Epsteins Knitted Flower are two that I hope are goodies, not baddies.
That's all I've got, hope this list helped. If you have any specific questions, feel free to email me!! This is going to be fun!!!!
Posted by Stacey at May 27, 2005 10:21 AMHave you gotten your SP yet?
Posted by: Cathi at May 27, 2005 02:27 PMNo Secret Pal yet...but I'm getting very excited!!!
Stacy- this has nothing to do with your post, but I was just reading your comments on Amy's blog about Alias...I feel better knowing I'm not the only Alias freak in this world! I am so sad Will is not on there anymore...but damn, so-called-Vaughn is man enough for me!If Syd decides she doesn't want him as a bad boy, I will volunteer my services...
Posted by: Danielle at May 27, 2005 05:09 PMhiya stacey! well we have very close birthdays i see! mine is the 11th. i enjoyed reading your questionare and finding out more about you. i didn't participate in sp5 this time around. too much going on :)
how are you enjoying middlemarch? i am only on page 100 or so.
ok enough chit chat, just stopping by to say hi! i see that the little vaughn confession has caused quite an uproar among us alias fans :)
Posted by: amy at May 31, 2005 05:32 PMThanks for the info Stacey, it's given me all sorts of ideas!
xoxo
your sp