Swap Fun!

Coffee

1. What is your preference? Whole beans or ground? Ground.. it just makes life that much easier!

2. What kind of coffees do you enjoy? A rich, bold roast; a light, fresh one, or something in between? Leaded or non? Any range from a medium, mild to a rich bold roast is good. Definitely leaded.

3. If you were headed out right now to buy some coffee for the house, what would you be picking up? I'd probably just grab some pre ground beans from Starbucks, so I could get a latte at the same time, and then I would get either the Verona, or the Sonoma blend.

4. Do you drink for caffeine, pleasure, or both? I'd say both. I love the aroma, and that a cup can warm you up or cool you down, depending on how you drink it, but the caffeine is a good perk that coffee has :)

5. Do you enjoy flavored coffees? How about add-ins or flavored creamers? I am not a fan of flavored coffees. If I want a flavor, I'm going to add it in with a flavored cream. I want to be able to change my mind about what the flavor is or if I just want it black.

6. A large, lovely mug or a small, dainty cup? Lovely and Large! I love those cups that are short and really wide so when you drink your entire face could sink into the mug! :)

7. Describe your perfect cup - not JUST the coffee, but how you'd enjoy it! I use a french press to Enjoy my coffee, and then I have this little milk-foamer tool, that I use so I let the coffee sit in the press before pressing it down, and then I take it down slowly. During that process I will pour some cream, usually french vanilla, chocolate caramel, or just plain soy milk (depending on the day). I use the foamer to fluff up my cream and then I pour my coffee on top, so that it stirs itself, and the foam settles to the top. Its delicious! mmmm.

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?
Right now I am on a health kick, but I do love treating myself to something sweet if I have had a good healthy week. Sweet treats go so well with rich coffee!

Yarn

1. Do you knit or crochet? knit

2. What are your favorite types of yarns to work with? anything that feels good, I just like to knit with something that feels soft and luscious running through my fingers!

3. What do you have on the needles (or hook!) right now? Three different scarfs.. two that are gifts and one for me for a nice lacy bright spring touch to add to a boring outfit!

4. What are your favorite colors in yarns? What about those that you'd never find in your stash? I love subtle colors, like light blues, yellows, and greens; I love to use gray, cream, and brown for neutrals; and then for a nice bright splash i'll use a bright apple green or red! I wouldn't probably use black, but everything else is good.

5. What sort of needles or hooks do you enjoy using? Any you just detest? I love bamboo needles, and other wooden needles as well, they feel really good in your hands. I'm not a fan of plastic, but I could use them if that was my only option.

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 don't have a stash of too many notions... just a handful of markers...

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? I'd have to go with the bamboo blend.

Spring

1. We're starting sign-ups on the first day of Spring - is it already truly Spring-like where you are?

2. What's your favorite spring flower? Do you have one? I love them all, but I am specifically a fan of the lily family of flowers.

3. What do you most look forward to about springtime? Color in Nature :) It makes me smile. And I love taking spring walks while the sun is shining and the air is so fresh, and everything is in bloom again... it is beautiful!

4. They've predicted a gorgeous day tomorrow - Sunny and about 65 with a nice breeze - how do you spend your day? Well since I am a nanny and have a ridiculous amount of flexibility with our schedule, I would take Little Dan to the park to run around and play, and then have a nice little picnic! We also have two big ponds near our house, so taking a stroll to one of them could be a nice way to spend the day. And during his nap time, I would sit outside, and read or knit, and enjoy the lovely day.

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? I actually love the rain (I think its the Seattle-ite in me).. but it doesn't effect my mood at all, we just play indoors, or spend the day being a little more productive, either running errands, or getting things done around the house.

Odds n Ends

1. Do you collect anything BESIDES yarn and needles? Not really.. I try to keep down on the clutter, so that if you have to pick up and move across the country (or if you choose to), you don't have to pack up a ton of small knick-knacks, or get rid of them.

2. Are you allergic to anything? Just the normal Allergens.. dust, cats, dairy...

3. Do you have pets? I have a pet Hedgehog, and the family that I live with has a dog, two cats, a bird, and a snake... some say we have a little zoo going.

4. Is this your first swap, or are you an old pro? What are the last 2 swaps you participated in? This is my second official swap. The last one that I participated in was the Dogs on Thursday Holiday Ornament Swap.

5. List 3 of your favorite blogs - craft related or not - and tell us why you love them. G-marie Sews, I love because it is my mom's blog, and I am very close to her, so it makes me feel at home to know all the little crazy details of her life other than just the stuff she tells me on our daily phone call.
I love Lapdog Creations, because Nichole always has something fun going on with the dogs, or with her crafts.
And Shut Up, I'm Counting, because Cass has a terribly fun since of humor, and I love the way she writes, and her funny stories. She also does fun craft projects.