Knittyboard Secret Pal

Over on the Knittyboards, volunteer members periodically arrange "Secret Pal" exchanges, in which board members are assigned "pals" to send several small gifts to over the course of three months. This is the first time I have participated, and I'm very excited! In order to help participants tailor their gifts to their pals' likes and dislikes, we all fill out extensive questionnaires. I'm jumping on Amy's and Alesia's bandwagon and posting mine here for the boundless interest of the knitblogging public.


KNITTING & FIBERS:
1. What is your current skill level? Intermediate (more or less, depending on the day)
2. What are your favorite fiber colors? Neutrals/earth tones; rich, muted colors.
3. Are there any fiber colors you absolutely do notlike? If so which? I do not care for variegated yarns (unless it’s very subtle), neon colors, or extremely bright colors.
4. What are your favorite fibers? Mostly “classics.” Naturals over acrylics, mostly, though of course there are exceptions. Super soft is always a bonus!
5. Do you have any unwelcome fibers (stuff you just don't need more of or like)? Novelty yarn, yarn where two threads/colors/fibers are very obviously mixed together (like a tweed), very bulky yarn.
6. What is your Dream Yarn? Soft, strong, luxurious to touch. Nothing flashy or trendy.
7. How do you feel about novelty fibers (both the yarns and the items made with them)? Oops, should have read ahead before answering above. I am not interested in novelty fibers or items made from these fibers.
8. What is the next thing you want to learn (techniques, etc.) on the needles? I just finished my first cable sweater and would like to do more cabling. I also really want to make a man’s sweater.
9. What item(s) do you knit the most? Baby sweaters, but I really want to be doing more adult clothing.

WANTS & NOTS:
10. Allergies: Do you have any food, fiber, smoke, pet allergies your SP should be aware of? I can smell smoke in anything (that has been near smoke, that is) and can’t stand it. Other than that, just penicillin and shellfish, allergy-wise. But I sort of doubt that info will be particularly relevant.
11. Do you have an Amazon.com or knitpicks.com wishlist you'd like to share with your SP? http://tinyurl.com/6js4e (That link should work for my Amazon wish list.)
12. What is on your "cool stuff" wishlist (knitting or not)? Pretty, frivolous stitch markers; an under-bed storage something or other (my stash, while not comparable to lots of people’s, is growing rapidly), a small bag to carry individual projects on planes, etc., double-pointed needles in various sizes.
13. What about stuff you don't need at all? Knitting-wise? Uhhh…my hobby only recently became a full-scale obsession, so there’s not much I’m maxed-out on yet.
14. Do you have hobbies other than knitting (tv, sports, collectibles, fave things)? The Boston Red Sox, photography, the Sims, my husband.
15. Books you would like (knitting or not): Many, many knitting books. I sort of want the Stitch and Bitch books, just because they seem to be instant “classics,” but I’m interested in a number of things. A stitch dictionary would be really cool. Or one of those books with small projects like “Weekend Knits” or “Last Minute Knitted Gifts” or what have you. Also magazines – I only subscribe to Interweave Knits.
16. For those of you who live outside the US, is there anything you'd like that you can't get your hands on? N/A
17. In the event your SP lives outside the the US, is there a particular yarn, etc. you can't find in the US? Hmm. I don’t know enough about yarn outside the US to answer this. I’d certainly be open to something I couldn’t get here! An issue of a knitting magazine not sold in the U.S. might be cool, too.

FAVORITES: Who/What is your favorite...
Chocolate: Any sampler box that comes with a map
Muppet: Rolf, the piano-playing dog (mostly because I love his “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” with John Denver on the “Christmas Together” album)
Flower: Blue hydrangea
Ice Cream flavor: Ben and Jerry’s sweet cream and cookies
Fragrance: Soapy clean; lavender
Shoes to wear: Well-worn sandals
Type of garden: Languid, overgrown, in full bloom
Animal: In person? My cat. As a zoo exhibit? Penguins.
Beverage: Cream soda

RORSCHACH, ETC:
19. If you were candy would you be sweet, sour, or cinnamon? Hmm. I’m trying to think of a candy that is mostly sweet but with a sour coating. Sour Patch Kids? Ech, not what I want associated with me. Okay, so let’s just say 75% sweet, 25% sour.
20. If you were a fruit which would you be? A green apple. Classic, tart, preppy.
21. Are you a Java Junkie? No. You should see me after one cup of coffee. And by that I mean, you really shouldn’t see me. It’s not fun.
22. Your birthday, in case it falls during the swap and your SP wants to send you a card: February 19. I don’t even think my half birthday will fall during the swap. Maybe my quarter birthday? Yes, I will be 27.25 on May 19. Woohoo!
23. Do you have a personal mantra? No, but I’m about to make one up for the purpose of this question. Wait, I take that back. I just googled “personal mantras” to borrow someone else’s, and apparently they’re supposed to be kept secret. So yes, I have one, but I’m not telling.
24. How do you really feel about socks? How do I really feel? I had no idea this was something people weren’t forthcoming about. I am generally in favor of socks, but I stick with the basic solids. Nothing too crazy. Although my first-ever knitting project was socks, I no longer have much interest in making them.
25. What is your shoe size? 7.5
26. What kind of music (and/or which artists) do you listen to when you are happy? I almost always listen to my complete music collection on shuffle on my iPod. Favorites include the Dixie Chicks, Crowded House, Lisa Loeb, Simon and Garfunkel, Moxy Fruvous, and cheesy Broadway musical soundtracks. I’m pretty flexible us long as it’s not uber-poppy or too loud and screamy.
27. Rate yourself on a girly/fruh fruh factor from 1 - 10: If 1 is Janeane Garofalo and 10 is Barbie, probably a 3.
28. What languages do you speak (besides English)? Fairly bad French and quickly diminishing American Sign Language.
29. If you could have any "super power," what would it be? For practicality, teleportation. For luxury, the power to slow time (while still moving at a normal speed myself) – I’d like to make Saturday mornings last forever. But the good old classic – flying – is mighty, mighty tempting.
30. You're given $10,000 for traveling. Where do you go and why? Australia/New Zealand. Because that’s where I really want to go but without free money it’s pretty much beyond my means right now. I am dying to see that part of the world (and I wanted to go before LOTR made New Zealand trendy).