Listen - do you want to know a secret (pal)?

Yup, that's right. Yours truly is participating in the knitter's summer of love:




I'm really looking forward to this, since I haven't done it before.
Without further ado, here's my answers to the quiz:
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?

Total snobbery. If it’s for me, it’s natural fibers all the way (though really good blends or arty fibers are a happy exception).

2. Do you spin? Crochet?
Tried spinning a couple of times – hated it so much I gave away the spindle, the roving, and all associated materials. Rarely will I break out the crochet hook, though I’d love to find another cool (read: non-frilly) project.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
I am a chronic, year-round sufferer of allergies (I swear my photo’s in the dictionary next to the definition of hay fever!). I am especially allergic to cats. Smoke makes me nauseous.

4. How long have you been knitting?
Twenty years. (Ack!)

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

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
I love citrus & tropical scents. My favorite candles are by Trapp or Pacifica. For bath stuff, I like Carol’s Daughter, ShiKai, Avalon Organics, and Aveda.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
OHMIGOD YES!!
(Ahem. Excuse the shouting. I’m better now.)
My all-time, bar none, absolute favorite treat is Toffee Pops. (Ahh, the glorious chocolates of New Zealand…). Cocoa Camino bars are FABulous (and fair trade! Whoo!).

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
Cooking, sewing (rarely, but I’m not bad at it).

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
Alana Davis, Rob Thomas, Julia Fordham, John Mayer – soothing, reflective not-quite-pop. And old school jazz – Coltrane, Miles. I think The gypsy version of “Caravan” on the Chocolat soundtrack is possibly the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
This is so hard. I am a color *fiend*. According to the seasonal theory, I’m a Winter, though I’ve gravitated to somewhat more complex colors. Deep, dark RED makes me weak at the knees. As does the color that’s not quite red and not quite purple – Merlot, I guess I’d call it. And deep green. And orange that’s not Hunter Blaze, but more of what I call “Claudia orange” – deep, but not loud.
I loathe ‘quiet’ colors & pastels – it’s why I often avoid Rowan yarns – their palette isn’t usually flattering to me.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I’m a newlywed (almost two months, and we haven’t killed each other! Yay!), no kids, two pups.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
To “Go west, young woman!” with my adorable husband and our future offspring (yet to be determined exactly when/if that's happening) and have enough yard room for the evil sidekickspets to run loose in.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
Merino. Love it. (Jaeger, you temptress.)
Anyway, anyhow, any time of year, there is merino love. (Maratona, oh, how I [heart] thee. )
Did I mention I love it?(Koigu, mi amor: I would walk a thousand miles and suffer through as many Michelle Branch songs for the chance to pet you.)
Cotton Classic. It’s not the softest cotton I know, but the color range is to die for; Dale’s Svale has that honor. It is 'mmm mmm good'.)

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Superwash? Not so much. I like to work in the round and I love to spit splice. Most acrylics leave me less than satisfied (ie, I sometimes love the results but hate the knitting of the object).In the just don’t wanna play category, angora and straight cashmere aren’t fun for me – makes me itchy.(Don’t worry, SP, I’m not expecting that level of commitment!)

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
Designing tops that I can wear to work -- and after.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
My former BF used to call me the tank top queen – I thought (and pretty much still do) that with a little ingenuity any random quantity of yarn can become a tank top. ;-D
Mostly, I adore making anything with cables.

17. What are you knitting right now?
The second piece of a twin set, a cabled strapless top for the Delphine-along, and swatches in some of the Southwest Trading Company yarns.

18. What do you think about ponchos?
So OVER.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
Circs all the way, baby!

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Skacel Addi Turbo, with rare ventures into Inox territory. Occasionally I’ll step off the Holy Path of Slick Needledom, but it has to be something special (ebony, rosewood, etc.).

21. Are you a sock knitter?
Once in a blue moon. I’ve got way more sock yarn than patience.

22. How did you learn to knit?
My mom bought me a Coats & Clark book one summer. I’ve been obsessed ever since.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
Older than my sister (she’s not-quite-legal drinking age).

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
Edward from Cowboy Bebop always makes me laugh, though Faye Valentine’s crazy costumes are inspiring. Favorite animals, of course, are the doglets who run the house.

25. What is your favorite holiday?
I love Halloween – the possibility of becoming something else, even for a night, is always a thrill.

26. Is there anything that you collect?
Other than yarn? Not so much.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
VK. I usually pick up IK at the store where I teach.

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?
Loop-d-loop is looking pretty dang good. One of the few things I'd consider paying full retail for (and if you knew me, you'd understand how rare that is).