Answers to the Coffee Swap Questionaire (a little ahead of the game!)

Coffee

1. What is your preference? Whole beans or ground? I love whole bean coffee - there's just something about that amazing smell of coffee you've just ground!

2. What kind of coffees do you enjoy? A rich, bold roast; a light, fresh one, or something in between? Leaded or non? Although I should stick to decaf, I really prefer fully leaded! Usually a lighter roast suits me well!

3. If you were headed out right now to buy some coffee for the house, what would you be picking up? Well - I'd probably head to Starbucks for a Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte

4. Do you drink for caffeine, pleasure, or both? Depends on the time of day! ha ha! I guess both!

5. Do you enjoy flavored coffees? How about add-ins or flavored creamers? Mmmmm... love flavoured coffees. Don't do so well with the flavoured creamers though.

6. A large, lovely mug or a small, dainty cup? Oh give me a great big latte bowl and I'm a happy girl!

7. Describe your perfect cup - not JUST the coffee, but how you'd enjoy it! A frothy flavoured latte in a big mug or bowl and I'd be sipping it slowly while sitting on my back deck on a lawn chair with the sun shining and the birds chirping and it should be on a weekend so I don't have to think about going to work in a few minutes!

8. You're sitting down to enjoy a nice cup in the local coffee shop, knitting bag in hand, iPod all tuned up - or maybe you're there with a few friends for knit night! What treat do you pick up to enjoy with your coffee? A sweet, rich brownie, or something more healthy? How about a salty treat? What goes best with that great cup and company? I think something sweet goes perfectly with coffee. Probably a muffin or a scone. Maybe a piece of pie or cake if I'm feeling decadent.

Yarn

1. Do you knit or crochet? Knit a lot and just beginning to crochet

2. What are your favorite types of yarns to work with? Natural fibres - right now I'm excited about hemp and linen

3. What do you have on the needles (or hook!) right now? A very dull pair of socks, a pullover for myself, a hat for my son, the Clemetine Shawl, and a baby blanket (as of today anyways - who knows tomorrow - I lack focus these days and keep starting new projects)

4. What are your favorite colors in yarns? What about those that you'd never find in your stash? I am a bit weird in that I don't think I have a favourite colour as such - I like anything from pinks and purples to blues and greens to oranges and browns. Just not a big fan of neons (I overdosed on it as a teenager in the 80s I think) and pastels aren't usually my cup of tea either.

5. What sort of needles or hooks do you enjoy using? Any you just detest? I'm crazy about bamboo needles

6. Are there any particular notions you absolute do NOT need? Some of us swap a lot - are you sure that you have enough tape measures to last your lifetime? Enough stitch markers to mark every stitch of a 10 foot wide afghan? I can always use tape measures and stitch markers, but would love one of those click-y type stitch counters someday.

7. You walk into the yarn shop and have exactly and only enough money to purchase 2 skeins of yarn in their 2 for 20 special they have going..The choices are a soft, thick cotton/viscose blend in your favorite colors, slightly variegated..a beautiful sock yarn that's just squishy and sproingy in your hands.. a soft, worsted weight wool like malabrigo.. and a lovely bamboo blend with colors to just die for. Which do you walk out the door with? Oh my goodness... probably the sock yarn (I am a complete sucker for squishy sproingy sock yarn!) although I'd be scraping the bottom of my purse to see if I could scrounge up enough for the bamboo blend too! ha ha!

Spring

1. We're starting sign-ups on the first day of Spring - is it already truly Spring-like where you are? I wish... although it's not bad for Winnipeg. By the end of March I still need a gloves and a winter jacket though.

2. What's your favorite spring flower? Do you have one? Tulips. I LOVE tulips (but have sadly never managed to ever get the bulbs I plant to grow.)

3. What do you most look forward to about springtime? Warm air, sunshine, green grass that feeling that everything is coming alive again after winter.

4. They've predicted a gorgeous day tomorrow - Sunny and about 65 with a nice breeze - how do you spend your day? Outside!!!! I don't care what I'm doing, just don't make me sit at my desk in my office!

5. The day after, it's going to be cooler and pouring down rain - does that impact your mood? How do you spend that day? what helps cheer you up? If it insists on raining so be it - I'll stay indoors and catch up the housework I neglected yesterday and probably curl up in the living room and knit. (Or if I'm at work I'll secretly be cheering that it's raining so I'm not missing out on any good outside time!)

Odds n Ends

1. Do you collect anything BESIDES yarn and needles? My family tell me I have a slight addiction to snowmen. Not spring like indeed - but you asked! :) Other than that, I have a collection of buttons I am very fond of. (Buttons for sewing not for pinning on a jacket)

2. Are you allergic to anything? Nothing that should affect me in this swap

3. Do you have pets? I have a whole menagerie. Two golden retrievers - Guinness and Lucky (11 months old), Sola, (5 year old himalayan), Hollycat (11 year old black and white short haired cat), Milo the rat, and many fish

4. Is this your first swap, or are you an old pro? What are the last 2 swaps you participated in? I've done lots of swaps over the past year or so - the most recent two are the "Longing for Spring Swap" and the Valentine Swap on Knitty.com.

5. List 3 of your favorite blogs - craft related or not - and tell us why you love them.
Three blogs I love are as follows in no particular order:
Yarn Harlot's because she's funny, down to earth and I always enjoy her antics whether they be accidently locking herself outside of her hotel room in her scivvies or knitting the most tedious, incredible socks for someone because although she wouldn't ever wear them, she knows her friend would love them.
Bespoke by Bruhaha because Kristina is zany and irreverant, and knits like a fiend! She posts every day and you just never know what she's going to present you with next. Plus she's just a darn great gal - last year she heard my cry for help when I lost one of my favourite sock needles on the transit bus and within days I had a extra set of the same needles waiting for me in my mailbox from her.
Knittywhipped is a great blog! She's also really funny - I love her captions under the photos she posts, and she always gives loads of information for any modifications she's done to patterns she's made. I love the details!