1. What is/are your favourite yarn/s to knit with? What fibres do you absolutely *not* like?
With all those beautiful yarns around, can you say that a yarn is a favourite? I love silky yarns, and merino, shetland, and and….so much. I have a special weakness for recycled yarns, from old jeans f.e.

But: I don’t like very thick or itchy yarn. And I don’t like most synthetics. 

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
My needles are stored in beautiful hand made (needle) cases and pouches that my one skein secret pal and secret pal 10 gave to me. I keep my on the road sock in a little handmade bag, also a gift from my secret pal. The rest of my knitting work is in a basket near my place of the couch. My stash collection is in Ikea boxes on shelves in my knitting (book)case.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
Now, I knit for almost 15 years. I learned it in school long, long ago. In the seventies I knitted a lot (but, then, who didn’t?). 

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Just on Ravelry.

5. What’s your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
Lemon, orange, cinnamon, lavender, thyme and rosemary. I love a scent, which the French call vétiver, it’s fresh, a bit spicy and if you want a colour: green.
Or, the real perfume thing: Paloma Picasso, J’Adore by Dior, Rush 2 by Gucci and Coco by Chanel

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
No,no, I’d rather not have sweets, sugar is poison for me. Besides, I’m an eternal dieter. Age comes with changes and since a while I have to cope with the love for deep, dark chocolate.  But most of all I love soaps and candles.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
 No spinning, I do not like it. I embroider and sew (in the summer). 

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
Opera, other classical music, French singers and jazz (Davis, Coltrane, Mingus, my partner is an aficionado, so we have everything). I have an iPod and I love podcasts.

9. What’s your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can’t stand?
Cool colours like blue, turquoise like the Greek sea. Powdery colours (soft pink, pastel blue, lilac) and what I call, dirty colours like taupe. I even like whites, off whites, milky, pearly whites in soft and luxurous yarn. I love beautiful, warm and deep colours (purple or burgundy) like a glass of red wine or berries in the forest. I don’t like brownish colours, but I do like golden colours. Greys: like the sky in summer before a storm or in autumn while it is getting dark. Grey blueish, I love it. My very favourite, special colour is green. Green like a forest in the summer or a flowery meadow in spring. In short: I love every colour except brown. But there are browns….:-) 

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I live with my husband, no kids, no pets anymore.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
No hats, no ponchos. I love scarves, gloves (especially without fingers), mitts .

12. What is/are your favourite item/s to knit?
On the moment I favour sweaters and cardigans. A hat or two in between, because of the nice colours of shetland yarn I have. 

13. What are you knitting right now?
Argent, a pattern by Louisa Harding for which I bought the cashmere yarn at Vogue Knitting. You can always look at my Ravelry projects,  faves list.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes, please, very.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I knit almost everything on circulars: Chiaogoo. 

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Yes, I own a yarn winder and a small swift. And I think these are awefully handy things!

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
About one year.

18. What is your favourite holiday?
Does one have to choose? Well, o.k. Easter, because of ‘spring is in the air’.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Nothing except patterns, preferably digital. And yarn maybe? Buttons, definitely buttons. Mother of pearl, f.e.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
My Finnish pal Heidi gave me silkwool by a Finnish brand and I love it: Wetterhoff. But to be honest: I just love presents, so you can make me glad with everything.

I write for a Dutch magazine: Handwerken zonder Grenzen.  Also on Facebook. I subscribed to Interweave Knits in winter 2006 and Piecework. I read Vogue Knitting, the British Knitting Magazine and some other British Magazine, there is Knitting in the name. 🙂

21. Are there any new techniques you’d like to learn?
I keep on learning. Busy with the course Tech Editor by the The Knitting Guild Association. No specific techniques. I do not like brioche. Not at all. Though I like Nancy Marchant very much.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes, yes, but sometimes I just do not want to. Most of the years I join Sock Madness.  European size 39.

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
22 april.

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what’s your ID?
Yes! I’m in as yvonnep. .