I'm a swap ho

Whee! More swap fun! The latest in my growing series of swaps is the Favourite Colour Swap, generously hosted by Nichole. I'm having minor issues in the whole joining-of-the-blog thing, but it'll get sorted out sooner or later, I'm sure. In the meantime, here's the 'ol questionnaire...

Favorite Color Swap Questionnaire

1. What are your top three favorite colors?

Oooh, greens (especially olive & earth toned greens...purty! But no neon or lime...they make me look like I've been dead for three days), reds, & blues. I like deep, rich colors...pastels are nice, but not my favorite. I have very yellow-olive skin, so yellow or orange tones don't work on me well...warm colors look fabulous though (think red with a hint of brown). Ooh, or maybe warm neutrals...like warm shades of brown--chocolate & coffee & camel & all kinds of things that start with c. I recently received some cream & camel colored alpaca in a trade that are just lovely! Overall, earth/warm tones are best. I'm pretty darn easy to please, though. It doesn't take much to thrill me.

2. What crafts do you really enjoy?

Knitting!!! I also crochet, though nowhere near as much since I discovered knitting. I also like cross-stitch (though I'm sort of particular about the patterns...my favorites are old samplers, especially historical ones), embroidery, a bit of sewing (I'm *really* new to it, but I'm learning!), and a little bit of paper crafts (mail art & the like). Mostly though, I adore knitting.

3. What products do you really covet?

Oh my...sock yarn is my most dearly beloved these days! Aija keeps talking about these gorgeous ebony needles that are made of reclaimed musical instruments, and that is just incredibly intriguing. I love pretty much all natural fibers, most notably merino, silk, & alpaca. Yum. I'd really really like a nice needle case--especially one with lots of pockets for the billions of circulars I have. I've been wanting to figure out how to make a dpn case for myself for a while, but since the sewing thing moves rather slowly around here, I'd certainly be happy to have one that I didn't make myself (besides, I kind of want to see a nice one, so I can try to deconstruct it in my head & figure out how to make my own!). But yeah, mostly sock yarn...all kinds, all colors. Socks That Rock, Mountain Colors Bearfoot, Koigu, Lorna's Laces, Cherry Tree Hill...they're all my soft, fluffy little friends. Good lord, I sound warped.

4. What other activities do you enjoy besides your favorite crafty things?

I love to cook & bake, I'm a rabid book addict, I really love being outside-whether it's hiking, mountain biking, or just plopped in a chair in the park (knitting, natch), just being outside amongst green living things thrills me. I'm a farm girl, born & bred, and this apartment life is HARD.

5. Is there anything you collect?

Um, sock yarn? Heh. I collect books--knitting books, certainly, cookbooks, and I really like mysteries-especially the cozy mysteries that run in a series. Yeah, they're fairly light & fluffy, but that's half the appeal. I collect antique photographs--the older, the better. I really really covet the ones that aren't posed, but they're hard to come by. I also collect antiques, anything from the first half of the century or older is wonderful. I generally only spend money on things that are still useful, but I've been known to buy things simply because they're pretty and/or they call to me.

6. What is your zodiac sign and/or Chinese zodiac symbol?

Um, I'm a Virgo, and I'm pretty sure I was born in the year of the horse, but I don't honestly put much stock into such things.

7.What are your favorite……

scents/smells?… I like fresh, green scents for personal fragrance (soap & body care), and also cinnamon-y, Christmassy fragrances (if we're talking candles & room scenting). I wear Vera Wang Sheer Veil, DKNY Be Delicious (STUPID name, really great fragrance), and Calvin Klein's Euphoria.
types of music and/or bands?…Old jazz!! I LOVE the music from the 20s & 30s, and the big band/swing of the 40s. I also like the brit bands of the 80s & 90s, like Depeche Mode, Information Society, Tears for Fears, The Smiths, etc. Actually, I like most anything, but those are my favorites.
authors?…Well, I like fluffy mystery novels, so Diane Mott Davidson, Tamar Myers, Ayelet Waldman, that sort of thing. I also really like Stephen King, Ann Rule, David McCullough, and just about anybody who can write about history, and still be interesting & maybe a little funny. I LOVE history (non-fiction, not historical novels). The only thing I really don't like is romance.
animals?…I'm a Crazy Cat Lady, without a doubt. I'm also fond of dogs & horses (my mom's a trainer, and I was heavily into horses when I was younger), but cats are my favorites by far. Especially my own demented feline.
places to shop?…Yarn stores!! Also bookstores, Amazon.com, that sort of thing. Good antique shops are soooo fun to poke around in, though I only buy once in a great while.
season?…Summer/spring. I love the renewal, the fresh warm breezes, and the way everything is so green.
yarn/fabric/paper/other craft supplies?…Oh lordy...sock yarn is my favorite! Like I mentioned above, Socks that Rock, Lorna's Laces, Cherry Tree Hill, Koigu, Mountain Colors...they're *all* my favorites. I'm awfully fond of natural fibers, but it's also nice when there's a little nylon or something in certain yarns, to keep them from wearing out quite so quickly.
candies or goodies? . . . Oooh, hard one. I'm a chocolate addict, but it's virtually impossible to ship chocolate this time of year. I like an awful lot of junk food...I've got a serious sweet tooth. There's very little that I *don't* like!

8. Do you have any wish lists?

Yep, on Amazon.com. I used to have one on KnitPicks, but they've since done away with that option, which is a bummer.

9. Are you allergic to anything?

Chlorophyll, if you can imagine. It's the stuff that makes grass & plants green, so it's pretty much EVERYWHERE. It's not a respiratory allergy, but a skin one, so when I come into contact with grass (or whatever), my elbows & knees break out. It's itchy as heck, and a little bit weird looking, but frankly, I just ignore it. I'd much rather be a little itchy than not sit on the lawn! Oh, I'm not exactly allergic to cigarette smoke, but I'm an ex-smoker, and I HATE the smell now!

10. Do you have any pets? What are they?

My beloved Crazy Kitty, Tipsy. Um, her picture is all over this blog, so I'm sure you know what she looks like by now. She's my shelter baby, and we've had her for about a year & a half. She is truly the most wonderful, patient, gorgeous cat I've ever had the privledge of knowing. And she's completely off her rocker, which is a great bonus.

11. Please include anything else you would like your secret pal to know about you- anything that would be helpful in finding you little gifts that you will really enjoy.

Gee, I dunno...I'm drawing a blank! I'm a stay-at-home homeschooling mom, I'm married to an incredible man (who is also an incredible musician...there are drums everywhere in my house!), I adore my demented kitty, I LOVE to knit, crochet, cross stitch, embroider, a little bit of sewing, read, write a little, cook, bake, dream about my someday house, I love history, especially anything from the first half of the century, Prohibition & the Depression intrigue me to no end, and I have a really warped sense of humour. I can't really think of much else right now, but if I do, I'll be sure to let y'all know!