SP7 questionnaire answers

(entrada apenas em inglês, desculpem).


I will post this only in English, I don't feel like translating this into my mother-tongue.

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand?

Of course I prefer higher quality, and mostly natural fibers. Maybe I'm a bit of a yarn snob, though my budget is somewhat tight. I discovered some time ago that I don't usually like ribbon yarns, and I don't like splitty yarns either. Other than that, I have a slight skin problem. I cannot wear scratchy yarns, or my skin will get red and itchy. Please see the entry on fibres I don't like. I have never knit with Lion Brand or Red Heart. I have no problem with the yarn having some synthetic content, and sometimes it is needed. I kind of like viscose. What I don't like are plasticky yarns.

I also usually prefer yarns that knit with needles 3mm to 8 mm. Or sock yarn.
But still, the most important thing is that the yarn shouldn't be rough on the skin. All the rest is secondary.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?
I crochet. I have one big crocheting project in hands. I don't usually crochet with wool, though. And I don't usually crochet clothes. Maybe I will do that in the near future...
About spinning, I have recently bought some fiber (Corriedale and Merino), and I hope to meet a local spinner that will teach me in her spindles. If I can learn, I will need a spindle myself.

3. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
A needle bag I have knit from a ball of sock yarn and a bit of leftover yarn (I will post a picture some day). Nice, pretty, but I will need to line it with fabric, as the thinner needles poke outside! And maybe replace the velcro with buttons or other closure.

4. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I don't know. I learned when I was a child, but soon lost my interest. I got interested again more or less 5 years ago, I think. Still, I have been knitting more since last April, and learned a lot in the last year. I believe my level is intermediate, though it depends on the technique, really. I have not knitted big projects (sweaters or cardigans) since 2003 because I'm not having enough time...

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
No.

6. What’s your favourite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
Because of my skin problem, I must be careful with things I use on my skin. (If you wish to send me a bath product, choose it like it was to a baby sensitive skin). Anyway, I like vanilla, cinnamon, almond, apple, mint (but please no mint-smelling bath products: potentially aggressive to my skin), pine, lavender, frankincense, rosemary... I don't usually like strong, heady scents (oriental-like). I also like honey, tea and anise smells. And also: my skin problem is only in my face, neck and upper torso. In the rest of my body I have normal, slightly dry, skin. So when I cannot use a product in my face and upper torso, usually I can use it in the rest of my skin.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favourite candy?
Yes. In chocolate realm, I LOVE dark chocolate (the darker and the more bitter the better) and hate white chocolate. I love bittersweet and sour candy, also. I don't like excessively sweet things. I also love anise candy. Favourite candy? Difficult to answer!

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
Cross-stitch, half cross-stitch, Arraiolos rug making (I have made 1 and a half small rugs... I wish I had more free time!). I started beading, but I'm not doing it now (need to knit my stash!). I also will try dyeing some yarn, as soon as I can find some Kool-aid or other non-toxic colouring.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
My computer can play mp3.
I like classical music, especially choral. I love sacred music (ancient, medieval, gregorian chant, baroque...), and also some profane music from the same periods. I don't like the pop gregorian phenomena (sp?) though. I'm curious for byzantine and orthodox sacred music. I also like heavy metal, and rock. Some examples: I own all Metallica CDs prior to 1994 (I don't like their new style). I like the newest Rammstein albums (Mutter and Reise, Reise), but not the older ones. I LOVE Queen, every single album of them. But the safest bet is sacred choral music. I like gospel, too.
And I'm starting to like soundtracks of movies (the orchestral ones, like LOTR or Star Wars).

10. What’s your favorite colour? Or do you have a colour family/season/palette you prefer? Any colours you just can’t stand?
I usually prefer secondary, complex colors. But I also have some primary colors clothes. An example: I don't usually like orange, but I love rust color. And I have one orange T-shirt. Added: Colours I just can't stand? Bright fluorescent colours, I think. (English is not my mother-tongue, so I spell colour/color according to my mood). On sock yarn, I like bold variegated yarn. I like blue very much, and also bordeaux, rust and dusty pink. But it's hard to pick a favourite colour. When I have the link to "my stash" working, maybe you can check there.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
Single, sharing a house with 3 other girls (I would prefer living alone, but my budget does not allow it). I don't have pets, and will not have them until I can afford living alone. I do intend to have a family of my own, some day.

12. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I wear scarves a lot, though most are not knitted... yet! I wear warm scarves and wraps while it's cold enough, and then I start wearing thin scarves as an accessory and to protect my delicate larynx (prone to inflamations) of the night chill. I avoid scarves only when it is really hot.
I wear gloves (I would wear mittens, but I don't have any since many years ago) when it's cold, and I sometimes wear a knitted hat. The hat's yarn is not soft enough for some days, unfortunately. I will knit a new hat some day. (I don't like felted hats).
I don't wear ponchos.

13. What is/are your favourite yarn/s to knit with?
I love merino from handpaintedyarn.com. It's really soft, though I believe it will pill and it's not very resistent. I recently bought 2 balls of a wonderfully soft alpaca yarn, though I have not knit with it yet. I like yarns which are not harsh and not splitty. I have knitted with some samples of other merino yarns (and knitted my mother's scarf from a superwash merino, which was less soft but more durable, and still very very soft) and liked them always. But I like most wools which are not harsh.

14. What fibres do you absolutely *not* like?
Scratchy fibers. Splitty yarns. I don't like most eyelash yarn, unless it is used only for a small detail, or if you are knitting a small furry animal ;) I also cannot imagine myself knitting very bulky yarns (yarns that knit with needles thicker than 10 mm). They scare me, and besides, I don't own needles thicker than 8 mm! I don't usually like ribbon yarns.
My skin problem makes me avoid yarns with a high percentage of angora. I have a sweater with 30% angora, and I can wear it with no problem (unless I'm having a severe skin crisis), but a 50% angora yarn might be troublesome to me.
Another thing: I cannot block decently, so it is probably better you avoid giving me laceweight yarn (unless it can be used as sock yarn). I have some in my stash, but I will leave it to knit later...

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
I'm not sure. I think I don't have any obsession, but I strongly want to knit some pairs of socks. Still, I have left my Jaywalkers in standby until I finish 2 other projects.

16. What is/are your favourite item/s to knit?
Don't know. I'm knitting scarves now, because I'm very busy and not having time for bigger projects, but I like sweaters and cardigans as well. I'm learning to knit socks, and liking it. And I have plans to design and knit a simple top some day...

17. What are you knitting right now?
See here.

18. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
Both. In different situations.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I have never knit with bamboo needles.
I prefer aluminum coated with a greyish, slick enamel. They are called INOX, I believe it's the brand name. I have aluminum (both coated and painted) and plastic needles.
But I use an unusual kind of knitting needles: needles with a hook. (It's like I knit with a pair of Tunisian crochet needles).
I knit the way everybody else does, but I use this kind of needles. I could not find a picture of straight knitting needles with hook, so I will illustrate with double pointed needles (which I found here) and a picture of the hook. You can see more pictures in the posts about my SP5 packages.

My mother and my grandmother, and all my family knit with needles like these, and I cannot knit well with other kinds of needles. My mother owns DPN and circular ones, all with hooks in the ends.
So, please do not send me needles unless they have a hook like the ones above.

21. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
No. I have posted before about my adventures in yarn winding, and I will post again about it... (Lately, I am winding by hand again, alone, with the skein in one arm and the yarn ball on the other!)

22. How did you learn to knit?
My mother taught me, and I keep learning by reading online references.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
Almost 4 years old, I think.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
Favorite animal: cat. Favorite mythological animal: dragon. Favorite animated character: I don't know. Favorite movie character: Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. I love his duality. I also love the Star Wars universe...

25. What is your favorite holiday?
Easter (I'm Christian!). But also Christmas Eve, a strong holiday in my country. (which is also my birthday, see below)

26. Is there anything that you collect?
Coins. But I believe sending money in mail is forbidden. Illustrated postcards, written and unwritten. Yarn... I have a big drawer of scarves, a lot of earrings and hair clips, but I never admitted I collect them ;)

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
None. (Tight budget...)

28. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on?
Oh my God, so many! Needles: DPNs with hooks (all needles with hooks, really. They are getting very uncommon even here, so I buy the ones I see). But especially DPNs (I only own a set of 2 mm and a set of 3 mm) in intermediate (2.5 mm) and bigger sizes (3.5 and 4 mm, maybe).
Books: Some good knitting reference books (any suggestions welcome!). The Star Wars books, also. Hard-core theology books, especially the ones from John Paul II/Karol Wojtyla (I know I'm weird...). I can read fluently in English. I also like a good novel, but I'm not having the time to read now.
Yarns: so many! I would like to try some of the lovely variegated sock yarns I see, like Koigu or Socks that Rock or Sock Garden or any similarly pretty sock yarns. I am intrigued by silk and soy silk. I have seen a lot of lovely yarns out there, but I don't remember any at the moment.
Patterns: a lot!
Here are the links:
These 3 wonderful patterns (but I'm not an experienced knitter!), Ribby Cardy, Mrs. CB, Lo Tech, some cardigan which looks like this, OSW, Orangina, and also some patterns from Whitelies Design, such as: Bella,Shelley, Angelina, (with a very different yarn, less shiny) Heather, and even (with some small adaptations to make a more modest summer top that I can wear outside my house!) Rita Mae and Alene. I really love their designs! I also like these tall stockings, which would have to wait till I learn how to knit socks!
(It seems I decided to make a bookmarking list of all the patterns I like!

29. Are there any new techniques you’d like to learn?
Intarsia and Fair Isle (jacquard).

30. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I'm learning to knit socks. My foot measurements are: Let me see: 22.5 cm long, 21.5 cm perimeter (measured just below the smaller toe), 25.5 cm around the thinner part of the ankle, 42.5 cm around the fatter part of the calf. I believe you don't need all those measurements... I have never worn hand-knitted socks since I was a toddler (then, my mother knitted me some wonderful lace socks, in wool and in cotton. She still has a pair of them somewhere).

31. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
December 24th.