sheep in the city

Exchanges abound!!!

First, I joined the Gimme Some Needles exchange...because, yes, I am a joiner and I do love mail!! Here's my info for my partner:

1. What do you like to knit or crochet? I like to knit just about anything and everything. I am currently working on Rogue, socks, and a never ending Harry Potter scarf! (and of course about 10 other things that I have around the house in various knitting spots!!)

2. What fibers do you like? I love working with wool, cotton, alpaca...honestly just about anything except for some novelty yarns (like Splash) that are so soft that they feel greasy. That yarn creeps me out!

3. What type of needles do you use most often? I learned on Addi Turbos...so I'm a bit of a snob. I love my addi's and I'm convinced that I knit better on them! But, I have some of just about every kind. Bamboo, metal, plastic. I love vintage needles. I have them on display in my dining room on a shelf arranged by color. They make me happy. But as far as what I like to use the most, I would have to go with Addi's or the Lantern Moon ebony/rosewood needles.

4. Do you like to knit in the round? Absolutely! Whenever possible I knit in the round because then it means less seaming when you're done!

5. Do you use a magic loop method or any other we should know about? Are you interested in learning a new method? I haven't used the Magic Loop method, but I'm very interested in learning it. I'm always up for learning new techniques. I love learning new ways to improve my knitting!!

7. Do you have a favorite place that you shop online? (knitpicks.com, knitpixie.com, jimmybeanswool.com....)? I have enjoyed KnitPicks, can't beat the price. I like www.theknittinggarden.com, and www.patterworks.com. In the end though I have such great local knit shops that I tend to buy from them. I love to "window shop" online though!

Next up...I joined Secret Pal 6, because I really enjoy it and I've continued to have wonderful experiences each round. (fun mail is a bonus!!) So, here's the questionaire:

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!

Keep on reading below if you want to...I don't want to bore everyone that has seen some of these answers before.

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!

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. My grandma recently gave me one of her sewing machines, so I have been sewing like crazy!! Yes, the fabric stash is growing!! I haven't been able to find any Amy Butler or Kaffe Fasset fabrics here in Denver...it's my new obsession to find some!

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 last Christmas...Yipee! iTunes is a wonderful and yet dangerous place for me;-) It's pink and her name is Pinky of course! (names after one of my favorite cartoons of old...Pinky and the Brain)

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! Orange and pink, or orange and brown are my new favorite color combinations!

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. I'm thinking of using KnitPicks Palette 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), Rogue out of Peace Fleece, Crumpets dress for my niece, Harry Potter scarf, a second Clapotis out of Southwest Trading Co. Bamboo, and I'm sure that there are more...but that's all I'll mention:)

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! (maybe with KnitPicks Shine?)

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! That was about 3 1/2 years ago!

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
•Ummm...how long have I been knitting...about 3 1/2 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, ShirtTails, 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. I have to say that the "candy" holiday thats coming up is pretty fun too...I love Halloween candy. This time of year has the best candy corn. If you buy it at any other time of the year, it just tastes like it's leftover from Halloween...but that's just my theory.

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 Nancy Drew books, I don't care if they are old or new. 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. Have you seen AlterKnits?! It looks like a great book!

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 September 13, 2005 07:52 AM