Sock-ret Pal Questionnaire!

Sock-ret Pal Questionnaire

Please post the answers to your own blog once you receive your swap partner info – if you post it too soon, your pal will have trouble finding it, buried beneath other posts.

Also, on your initial contact with your pal, you will need to ask for their mailing address, since you don’t want to be posting that up on your blog *S*

The basics:
How long have you been knitting? Since I was 4 years old, but hardcore for the last 2 years.
Do you consider yourself a beginning sock knitter, an intermediate, or have you been doing this so long you could probably knit a pair in your sleep? I'm an intermediate/advanced knitter, but when it comes to socks I've only ever done one pair so I'd say I'm pretty beginner-y!
 
The measurements:
While your pal may ask for some additional info to ensure a great fit, please provide your shoe size, or any other fitting related info you think is pertinent. I am a UK size 5/6, European 38, US 7/8. I have skinny ankles so socks tent to fall down on me :(
 
(fiber related) Favorites:
What colors do you love? I love bright colours. Contrasting colours are beautiful like blue and orange, red and green (so long as they are the right shades for each other). I suit greens a lot, wear a lot of blue-greens/teals, purple/aubergine( I think you guys call it eggplant in the US), yellows, black, everything. Basically I love anyhing with conviction, deep colours like red/burgundy, khaki green, golds...autumn colours are boooootiful! I cannot stand pastel shades! They make me look ill when I wear them. So any colour is fine for me, just no pastels (why didnt I say it like that from the start, sorry!) :)
Do you prefer solids or variegated? I dont mind either way, though solids might just be my fav by a nosehair.
What fibers do you most love to knit with? anything natural and soft.
Who do you consider your favorite yarn vendors?
What projects (other than socks, of course*S*) do you most enjoy knitting? I love knitting hoodies and jumpers (sweaters). Also little booties for my newest cousins and newsboy caps for all the grown up ones. Really want to make myself a pair of legwarmers and some slippers for the Bostonian winter.
 
(fiber related) Dislikes:
What fibers can  you not stand to knit with? To wear? Anything scratchy or looks like my grandmother would have forced my Mother to wear!
What colors would you never wear? PASTELS....the only remotely pastel thing I own is a powder blue/green (nearly minty coloured) jumper, its lovely. I cant wear some shades of yellow, makes me look jaundiced...it has to be pretty rich and buttery..not lemony! NOthing too blue, must be on the greener side of things...sorry I'm just blabbing on here :)
 
The Tools:
Plastic or Metal? Bamboo or wood? any and everything. bamboo are for when I want to treat myself tho, student budgets dont quite stretch that far.
Circs or Straights? again either are cool with me.
DPNs or Magic Loop? I use DPNs all the time (as well as circular needles) I have no idea what Magic Loop is...maybe you want to educate me :)
Are there any knitting accessories you don't have in your collection but would like? Well at the moment I'm very low on everything, I had to leave my knitting bag back home due to limited packing space so I have pretty much nothing right now. I have been pining for some pretty stitch markers and point protectors, but at this moment in time anything would be helpful!
 
The Extras:
Do you have a wish list? If so, please share the link! no sorry, but feel free to ask me more questions if you like.
Do you like sweet, sour or salty? (or all of the above? *S*) I am a food fiend so anything is good. I love salty, dairy (cheese, glorious cheese!), sweet, sour, anything. I love chocolate, but particularly the dark stuff with high cocoa content, nice and bitter (being from Europe I'm a bit of a chocolate snob...not that I wont eat the cheap stuff, its good, it just all tastes different in the US until you get to the better quality stuff)
Do you have any allergies your pal should know about? (Certain foods, smoke, pet hair, etc) nope.
Favorite scents? Scents you can't stand? I love anything that smells natural and real. Lavender, rose, jasmine are a few favs. also love fruity smells. Basically again anything is fine, but cant stand things that smell synthetic...musks and fake floral smells just give me a headache.
Do you collect anything (other than yarn and knitting toys of course)? I love original jewellery. I have a ridiculous number of earrings! The bigger the better I think when it comes to them. I also love rings. I love collecting little nicknacks from vintage shops. I love things that look old/antique. I love finding little antique purses/wallets or wee nicknack boxes.
When is your birthday? (month and day is fine!) 9th June, 1985!
Do you spin? Dye your own yarn? No I havent done wither of those to things yet, but I'm really interested to learn about spinning, sounds fun.
Your favorite author/band/vacation spot, anything you think will help your pal know you better...hmmm well fav author would have to be....oh boy there are so many...Nick Hornby, Shakespeare, Emily Bronte, Zadie Smith.....fav bands, this list is going ot be even worse as I am a music student so I listen to ridiculous amounts of music, at present I am listening to (taken straight off my ipod!) Kate Bush (she rules!), Arctic Monkeys, SnowPatrol, Regina Spektor, The Who, Run DMC, Shostacovich (classical composer)...my tastes are varied. Right now my fav holiday spot would be back home in Ireland in my boyfriends arms! I would love to go to Australia some day and take more time exploring Europe, I go there so often but dont feel i take the time to really explore, I take it for granted being so close.

So as you've probably realised from reading this that I have hugely varying tastes in a lot of things. Basically I'm easy going, there are very few things I dont like...more than anything I want to get to know other passionate knitters!

A bit of background info on me...I'm from Northern Ireland. My mother is from the Republic of Ireland and my daddy is from Iran, so I'm half Irish and half Persian. I'm the eldest of 4 kids (I miss my wee munchkins!) and am in a long distance relationship with my boyfriend of 4 years, who is also from home.

I'm currently living in Boston, getting my degree at Berklee, College of Music, majoring in Music Production and Engineering (all the tech head studio stuff and live sound). I am a singer-songwriter, I also play the flute, tinwhistle, harmonica, arabic flute and am learning the guitar. My degree is the most fun in the world but is pretty stressful and hardwork, lots of late night sessions in the studios (I have been in the studio til 2am the past 2 nights producing and assisting recordings, and then am up at 9am for work and class). I get pretty burnt out so I'm really looking forward to a wee spoiling :)

Outside of music, I love art, literature, films (did you see the Illusionist? absolutely brilliant, go now, I insist you stop reading and go to the cinema!), clothes (shallow I know but I liketo make them, change them...buttons are great!), Sex and the City, West Wing (just got given the first few series and I'm hooked), Grey's Anatomy (It's not like I have time ot watch anyo f this, I just like to daydream about watching it while knitting)...hmm what else...walkis, the outdoors, I come from a wee village right on the coast of Ireland, surrounded by mountain on a lough that opens into the Irish sea, Boston is lovely but living in the city just isnt the same as having all that space and sky :)

My friends say that I am a fairy trapped in a humans body. When I was little I always wanted to be a punk, but always ended up more hippyish...I got pretty upset about this, a little Irish hippy fairy cant be listening to the Ramones and enjoying it so much?! but t was my mother who really hit hte nail on the head, she said you are all those things and that is called a Bohemian :) I am a proud Bohemian...nice to meet you. hope this was all helpful.

p.s. if you want to hear some of my music Iim on myspace...myspace.com/parisar