the yarNerd!

i desperatly wanted to return to posting on a more regular basis, now that my houseguest is out of my hair (ick ick, enough on that). but well, i'm SICK now. ears and throat hurt, low-grade fever, and a SHIT apetite. the only thing i ate today was chicken and stars soup, the ULTIMATE comfort food.

oh, and i broke my middle finger on my left hand yesterday (i'm a massage therapist, what was i thinking!!!) so i cant quite knit as well as i'd like to at the moment. i never realized just how integral that finger was to the knitting process, ::sigh::

so instead of a real post, i'll do the no-originality-required secret pal questionaires! that way i can at least still feel productive :)

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'd love to be a yarn snob, but i so cant afford to! i'm realistic :) if i could have nothing but noro, lornas laces, and koigu in my hands, i'd cry. hah. but until that day, i'm really not all that picky. i do prefer lion brand to red heart, but yarn's yarn, right? i love 'em all :)
2. Do you spin? Crochet? i crocheted for years, but now i'm whole-heartedly a knitter. i dont mind whipping out my skills for a nice border or edging or something, but i much prefer knitting. i'd love to spin, but i just havent been able to get a hang of it yet.
3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.) just seasonal, stuffy nose stuff
4. How long have you been knitting? 1 1/2 years :) and i'm quite proud of the amount of skills i've picked up in that time.
5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? absolutely. i believe you can find my amazon wishlist if you search for my email address, brokedown_tiger(at)yahoo.com. i should post it on my sidebar, too, hmm...
6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) jasmine. fresia. plumeria. the disturbingly girly florals, hahaha. i also like spice-stuff, like cinnamon, ginger, etc. i'm not a fan of food scents in general though. those pumpkin pie candles and stuff just never appealed to me. but oh man i love candles :)
7. Do you have a sweet tooth? yes! candy candy and more candy... but i'm such a weirdo when it comes to food. i like things original, plain. dark chocolate, no nuts. swedish fish, just simple sugar in fish form. popcorn, with butter :) and pistachios! (so that's my salty-tooth rearing its head, too)
8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? there's a lot of things i'd LIKE to do, which i've just never gotten to. i used to do a lot of beading, and polymer clay work, and carving rubber stamps, and collage-making... i'm slowly trying to get back to all of those fancy things.
9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? indeed i'm MP3 ready. i'm a big fan of music, in general. i have the most eclectic tastes, ranging from mastadon to modest mouse. sick of it all to sigur ros. alkaline trio to ani difranco. i'm totaly open to new music!
10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? i love violent pinks. i like my colors either a. vibrant, like hurt-your-eyes, or b. woodsy and organic. despite my love for pink, my favorite colors are actually green and purple
11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? me, my kitty, and the boyfriend who sleeps here 3 nights a week. heh.
12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know) wow, THATS quite a question. luckily i come prepared. big house in vermont/northern mass. lots of animals and kids. a thriving massage and/or midwifery practice. and the cute little yarn store that i'll own in town... oh, and the lovable capable male-type by my side :)
13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? i'm totaly a noro-girl. i have a crapload of it floating around... probably enough to get rent for a month or two if i were able to bring myself to e-bay it. i like the feel, AND the color progressions. particularly in kochoran... mmmm. i'm also a fan of cascade for scarves and hats, and uh... i'm really not too picky :)
14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? red heart super saver. ick! and ribbons, while pretty, drive me batty unless they're a cotton or wool ribbon or something...
15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? shawls and lace. i'm working on flower basket, kiri, clapotis, and another lace stole of my own design at the moment.
16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? most gratifying - hats. fast, and people tend to love them and wear them a lot. MY favorite, though, is sweaters. especially my own designs. it's so much more fulfilling to see something so large come together in your hands. i just wish i could finish a few of them! hah.
17. What are you knitting right now? ok we dont have time for my FULL w.i.p. list, but i'll just tell you what's been worked on in the past few days.
a. clapotis II - not as big as i'd l ike, it was sort of an experiment with Encore before digging into the more expensive stuff.
b. cabled hat - encore, to go with the clapotis
c. fbs - noro iro, lovely browns and tans
d. entrelac wrap from the scarf style book - noro iro, rainbow colors (remember that #26 everyone helped me with? this is almost done for my aunt!!)
e. a simple roll-brim cap with some kureyon. i broke a finger yesterday, and while i can still knit, albeit slowly, purling is beyond me right now. so i started this hat to keep me busy.
18. What do you think about ponchos? (this is really a curiousity question for us) i like making them for kids, i think it's a lovely garment for them, and if made right they feel all fancy and grown-up in their 'big girl poncho'. or maybe that's just my cousins? heh. for me, though... i have one big lacy thing i made years ago, and its the ONLY poncho that's ever managed to look good on me. short row boob shaping and ponchos do not go hand in hand, hah.
19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? ever since teaching myself to knit while commuting, i've found circular needles to be one of the biggest blessings. i do almost EVERYTHING on them.
20. How did you learn to knit? a website with step-by-step photos, i had learned years before but i needed a refresher.
21. How old is your oldest UFO? i learned to knit so i could make a harry potter scarf for my little brother. i still havent finished that scarf. i suppose that wins!
22. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird? i actually JUST got mooch, from the mutts comic strip tattoo'd on my ankle, haha. but uh, i love cats. and dogs. and stewie from family guy. and spike from cowboy bebop, and roger from big o, but those are a different kind of love :)
23. What is your favorite holiday? all of them! christmas, the house is packed with family. for the first year ever i'm looking forward to valentines day :) st pats is always one hell of a party with me and my friends, and i cant wait for this year... 4th of july is always a big family/friends party at my parents house. halloween, well, i'm pagan and happen to find that one a LOT of fun. solstices and etc, i feel very connected to my spirituality at times like those. i like any holiday where you get to gather with people, and create fantastic memories.
24. Is there anything that you collect? i'm like a magpie, anything shiny that passes my way... heh. but intentionally collect? these days, it's a lot of LOTR type stuff. candles. other people's artwork (i'm trying to fill up one wall in my apartment with all the artwork of my friends and family members). fairy stuff. um... anything leafy, organic, vine-like. i'm going to live in a fairy palace some day, with bright pink and purple and orange walls, and green vines and flowing leaves and glistening flowers everywhere. and i'll knit nothing but gossamer fabrics, and dance barefoot. yep :)


another quiz of the same sort, but slightly more specific:

1. What is your current skill level: despite only having started in september of '03, i feel pretty confident about my abilities. i'd say borderline-advanced.
2. What are your favorite fiber colors? organic, woodsy colors. greens flowing into browns, etc.
3. Are there any fiber colors you absolutely do NOT like? If so which? none, really... i dont look good in most blues or pastel colors, but i can always find someone else to knit for if those colors end up in my stash.
4. What are your favorite fibers? i dont have a very broad range of experience, but i know i love the interesting blends noro comes up with.
5. Do you have any unwelcome fibers (stuff you just don't need more of or like?) not really... even acrylic has its place!
6. What is your Dream Yarn? i dream of being able to make clapotis in the called-for yarn, but i'll NEVER be able to afford that. ::sigh::
7. How do you feel about novelty fibers (both the yarns and the items made with them)? i dont like wearing novelty stuff, but i enjoy coming up with interesting stuff for gifts
8. What is the next thing you want to learn (techniques etc.) on the needles? i just cant seem to grasp fair-isle... but i REALLY want to learn to spin.
9. What item(s) do you knit the most? a lot of shawls, wraps and such lately. i want to start adding in socks and gloves and stuff, for some variety.

WANTS & NOTS:
10. What is on your Cool Stuff Wishlist (knitting or not)? i love... oddly enough, pens. and paper. i have tons of stationery, nifty hand-made stuff, cheap Pooh stationery, etc. and pens, i'm rediculous. colored, every size and thickness, fountain, felt tip, ball-point, gel, i have a real problem :) oh, and... tea, and candles. ever shopped at avalon apothecary? their 'dream' tea is HEAVEN. and they make the most amazing jasmine lip balm.
11. In the event your SP lives outside the the US, is there a particular yarn, etc. you can't find in the US? i've always wanted some fantastic irish rustic wools to make my own aran out of... oh and i dont think this is even POSSIBLE any more, but i spent many a night dreaming about making a sweater out of phildar's onde, in the volcan colorway... le sigh. i dont know everything that's out there, though, so i'm TOTALY open to new stuff.

FAVORITES:
Who/What is your favorite...
Chocolate: dark!
Muppet: sweetums
Flower: jasmine
Ice Cream flavor: hagen daas chocolate chocolate chip
Fragrance: origins ginger
Shoes to wear: i'm such a girl, i love shoes. especially cheap, frivilous ones! hah.
Animal: my kitty. but i want a horse :)
Beverage: dr pepper, capuccino, beer

RORSCHACH ETC:
If you were candy would you be sweet, sour, or cinnamon? i'd be a sour patch kid.
If you were a fruit which would you be? a green apple
Are you a Java Junkie? only if there's good capuccino to be found.
As this swap ends near the holiday season do you celebrate Easter or Passover (in the event your SP wanted to send an appropriate holiday themed gift). easter with the family, easter the pagan way with friends.
Do you have a personal mantra? not yet...
How do you really feel about socks? hate them, but hand-made ankle-length socks and i have come to see eye to eye.
What is your shoe size? 8 1/2 i think
Rate yourself on a girly/fruh fruh factor from 1 - 10: i'm totaly girly, but me and my pink fancy-sneakers could kick your butt ANY day. i'm the most un-girly girly-girl, as my friends have tagged me.
What languages do you speak (besides English)? some spanish, but its been ages
If you could have any "super power" which would it be? teleportation
Anything else? i have short hair, frequently dyed un-natural colors. i have several piercings. i wear band t-shirts a lot. i just got my fourth tattoo last week. and i TOTALY get funny looks from little old ladies when i knit in public :) that's all