The following questionnaire is for Secret Pal 12…

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I’m definitely a wool-girl. Especially since I started spinning, I’ve gained a whole new appreciation for all the different types of wool. I like natural fibers in general. The only yarn I’m not especially fond of are the “squeaky”-acrylics, but I’m sure I’m not alone in this!

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
Right now, my strait metal needles are in a needle case (which is full), my strait bamboo needles are displayed in a vase, my DPNs are in gift boxes that were meant for wine bottles, and I have a zippered-case (from KnitPicks) that holds all my circular needles.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I’ve been knitting since fall of 2006. Though I haven’t been knitting long, I’m always eager to tackle a new skill and I love learning. I also love helping others and have found that extremely rewarding. I think I’d say I’m an intermediate knitter.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I have wish lists at The Loopy Ewe and on Amazon.

5. What’s your favorite scent?
I like most scents — almost anything tropical (mango, orange, pineapple, etc.), anything berry-scented (strawberry, raspberry, etc.) and I’m an absolute fanatic for anything scented with lavender, hyacinth or lilac. The only scents I don’t care much for are cherry and coconut.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I enjoy sweets, though I am trying to lose a little weight at the moment! My favorite is dark chocolate.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I do spin! I love to spin. It’s my new obsession. I also sew a little bit and do some papercrafts (scrapbooking and card-making mostly).

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
That’s a difficult question. I like a lot of different songs but there aren’t really any particular artists or genres that I follow closely. If I had to label myself, I’d say I’m mostly a classic-rock sort of gal.

9. What’s your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can’t stand?
There are very few colors I dislike. I actually tend to fall in love with really odd shades of colors (particularly those “yucky”, strange olive/army-green tones). Red is my favorite color but I have very little red yarn strangely enough. I love green, blue, purple, and pink a lot too.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I’m recently married. My husband and I live with our dog (a pug/beagle-mix named Gracie), a cat (a tortoiseshell named “Gidget”) and 2 ferrets (”Bink” and “Shenanigans”). I also have an aquarium with some fishies. I’m a huge animal-lover.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I definitely wear scarves and mittens! I’ve never owned a poncho, but something tells me I’d probably not look good in one (then again, ya never know…). Hats are a possibility too.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I’m sort of “known” at my LYS for being a sock-knitter. I definitely knit a lot of socks and enjoy it very much. Just recently I’ve really gotten in to lace knitting — unfortunately I haven’t had the time, patience, or skill to finish any of my lace scarves or shawls yet, though. Not that it stops me from collecting and stashing lace weight yarn to use “someday” (ha ha). I also recently learned to knit fair isle and I really, really enjoyed that and would love to do some more projects (hats, mittens, etc) using that skill.

13. What are you knitting right now?
The list is always growing, it seems, and changing. The most up-to-date list would be on my Ravelry project page (or see the progress-bars on the sidebar of my website). At the moment, though, I have 3 pairs of socks on the needles (2 for me, 1 for my husband), a sweater, a shrug, several scarves, and market bags.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Absolutely! I’m a total fiend for shopping on Etsy. I love handmade jewelry, bath and body products, purses and bags, etc. I grew up in a family of talented women who crafted all sorts of things, so I certainly have an appreciation and love for all things handmade.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I like both strait and circulars, though I gravitate toward circulars (particularly for sock knitting — I always do those on 2 circs). I like aluminum needles most of the time except for some yarns or for intricate patterns when I think the yarn will slip too easily off the metal. Then I go for bamboo. I’m not much of a fan of plastic. I also enjoy having needles that are just pretty as well.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Yes and yes!

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
My oldest UFO is a simple drop-stitch scarf that is almost done. It’s been on the needles since Jan. 3rd of this year. That’s not that bad, is it?

18. What is your favorite holiday?
This will sound odd… but EASTER! It’s been my favorite since I was a little kid. I loved getting all dressed up in a brand-new, frilly pastel dress. I love the colorful eggs and the ducklings and baby chicks. I just love all the “spring” in the air that Easter brings. A close second is Halloween — I don’t enjoy being scared, per-say, but I think dressing up is a lot of fun!

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Other than yarn? Ha ha. I don’t really “collect” them, but I do have some of those Webkinz stuffed animals and think they’re super cute. I also like things with sheep or other fiber-animals on them (like little figurines or stitch markers or whatever).

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I have subscriptions to Interweave Knits, Spin-Off, and Knit Simple. I can never use enough stitch dictionaries. And because I’m new to spinning, any books about spinning or knitting with handspun yarn (such as Spin to Knit) are definitely on my wishlist!

21. Are there any new techniques you’d like to learn?
I can’t think of anything in particular, except that I really need to learn some better finishing techniques. I recently learned to do fair isle and that was a big technique-goal I had and achieved!

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes, yes, yes! I love hand knitted socks! I’m a US women’s size 6.5/7-ish.

23. When is your birthday?
My birthday is February 24, 1982. So I’m a Pisces.

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what’s your ID?
I’m a Ravelry-addict, so you can always find me there! My ravelry ID is mandi (all lowercase). Pretty creative, eh?