I Am Such the Joiner..

I wasn't going to. I was cutting back on exchanges. But....I NEED coffee, and I love yarn, so...I'm joining the Spring Fling Coffee and Yarn Swap.

I don't have any knitting to show, I've been working on Morning Surf, and it's growing, but that's it.

So, here are my answers to the Questionnaire.

Coffee

1. What is your preference? Whole beans or ground? Either, but I could use some ground to take to the office if I'm of a mood to.

2. What kind of coffees do you enjoy? A rich, bold roast; a light, fresh one, or something in between? I prefer medium to dark roasts. Leaded or non? Fully leaded please, I've no use for decaf.

3. If you were headed out right now to buy some coffee for the house, what would you be picking up? Some Starbucks Breakfast blend, or I'd go online to order some Baby's Key West Old Town Roast.

4. Do you drink for caffeine, pleasure, or both? Indeed, both.

5. Do you enjoy flavored coffees? not particularly in the a.m. In the afternoon or evening, yes. How about add-ins or flavored creamers? With the exception of an occasional peppermint mocha or a mocha Valencia, I take my coffee black, so the answer is no.

6. A large, lovely mug or a small, dainty cup? a mug.

7. Describe your perfect cup - not JUST the coffee, but how you'd enjoy it! I really do enjoy coffee on my deck in the late spring, early summer weekend mornings when all is still quiet and the only sounds are from birdsong.

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? Depends where I am. If at Starbucks, I like their cinnamon chip scones, or perhaps and espresso brownie. If at an indie shop, whatever looked good to me. Nothing overly sweet as far as pastries go, but with chocolate, almost anything goes. :-)

Yarn

1. Do you knit or crochet? Although I *can* crochet a little, I am a knitter.

2. What are your favorite types of yarns to work with? I adore alpaca, I love supersoft merino, and can't resist a colorful soft smooth wool/silk blend. I do a lot of lace knitting, so fingering weights are becoming a favorite.

3. What do you have on the needles (or hook!) right now? Morning Surf Scarf, and in hibernation are my Lotus Blossom Shawl and a Lace Panel tank top.

4. What are your favorite colors in yarns? The more I work with yarn, and color, I find I like just about any colors and shades. I am not a fan of brights or primary blues, reds, or yellow, but blends with those colors can be nice. My favorites? Oh, can't go wrong with aquas, lavenders, or pinks. Think: Ocean, Caribbean, or English Garden.

What about those that you'd never find in your stash? I surprise myself with just what is in my stash. I don't think I have any plain orange, unless it's dishcloth cotton.

5. What sort of needles or hooks do you enjoy using? I do enjoy my bamboo or wood straights. I love my Denise set, and my addi turbo lace needles

Any you just detest? I don't much like metal straights, but must admit they came in handy when I had no bamboo or wood in #3.

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'm good with tape measures, but can never have enough stitch markers, especially if they are fun and unique.

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?

Since I've just realized that sock yarn can be used for other than knitting socks, I'm going for the sock yarn.

Spring

1. We're starting sign-ups on the first day of Spring - is it already truly Spring-like where you are? March is fickle. Yesterday, I would have said yes. Today, it's cooler, but the birds are singing, days are longer, so, I would say, not quite. Ask me next week, I'll have another answer, no doubt.

2. What's your favorite spring flower? Daffodil. Do you have one? I've got a few that rebloom in my gardens each year. And I always pick up a small plant or two to go in my garden window each spring, and will plant them outside when they're spent. I also adore Lilacs, and I do have a tree that will bloom in May, with hope.

3. What do you most look forward to about springtime? All the flowers blooming, the leaves coming back on the trees, and finally feeling the warmth of the sun for the first time.

4. They've predicted a gorgeous day tomorrow - Sunny and about 65 with a nice breeze - how do you spend your day? This is in my perfect world right? When Monday is not a work day? :-) I'd go out on my deck and knit, while Reggae wandered around and patrolled the yard. I'd also walk around my yard and gardens, cleaning up what little I could without tripping and falling.

5. The day after, it's going to be cooler and pouring down rain - does that impact your mood? If it doesn't continue for days on end, it would be OK.

How do you spend that day? I'm going to stay inside and catch up on what's recorded on the DVR and knit, do a little blogging, and watch the rain come down.

what helps cheer you up? Talking to friends, and a good cup of coffee.

Odds n Ends

1. Do you collect anything BESIDES yarn and needles? Nothing really, I'm trying to pair down what excess I do have.

2. Are you allergic to anything? Nothing really in regards to the exchange, but I can't stand cigarette smoke or rose scented items.

3. Do you have pets? Reggae, my cat. And Freckles, my goldfish.

4. Is this your first swap, or are you an old pro? I've been swapping a while.

What are the last 2 swaps you participated in? Hot Cocoa Swap and the Winter Wonderland Coffee Swap.

5. List 3 of your favorite blogs - craft related or not - and tell us why you love them.

I enjoy all the blogs I choose to read, and it's going to be hard to pick only 3!

But if I must: In no particular order, Crazy Aunt Purl. Laurie makes me laugh, and I can emphasize with some of her writings. The Bag Lady and the Pro. In the blog shared with her sister Martina, Anne keeps me up to date with what's going on in blogland almost every Sunday, which I appreciate because I can't always get time to read all the blogs I'd like to. So by clicking on her links, I can get to them a little at a time. A Day in the Life of 5, 3 & 1. KM most always has Friday Flowers for me to drool over, especially good for me in the winter, and always has beautiful projects on or off the needles. And I enjoy reading about her time spent with her kiddos, now 6, 4, and almost 3!