Spring Fling Coffee Swap Questionnaire

What better thing to do on a rainy day than post my Spring Fling Coffee Swap Questionnaire...

Coffee

1. What is your preference? Whole beans or ground?

Either is perfectly fine!

2. What kind of coffees do you enjoy? A rich, bold roast; a light, fresh one, or something in between? Leaded or non?

Leaded is a must (what's the point in drinking unleaded anyway?)! I prefer light to medium roasts.

3. If you were headed out right now to buy some coffee for the house, what would you be picking up?

Something from my LCS (local coffee shop)... The Village Bean or the 'ole standby, Dunkin Donuts.

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

Both.

5. Do you enjoy flavored coffees? How about add-ins or flavored creamers?

Yes, yes and yes! I adore flavored coffees and enjoy almost anything with the exception of raspberry flavors. A few of my favorites from Village Bean are Rainforest Nut, Hawaiian Hazelnut and Sinful Delight.

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

Extra large mug!

7. Describe your perfect cup - not JUST the coffee, but how you'd enjoy it!

A nice weekend morning, lounging on the couch with a big mug of coffee and my knitting (having my dogs and my honey nearby would be a bonus) .... or just about anywhere, chatting with good friends over a great cup of coffee (which often happens on Wednesday nights at A Knitter's Garden!).

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?

Probably banana nut bread or soft peanut butter cookies. Chocolate covered macadamia nuts could satisfy the need for sweet & salty at once. (I actually brought M&M cookies to last week's knitting guild!)

Yarn

1. Do you knit or crochet?

Knit.

2. What are your favorite types of yarns to work with?

Soft wools, Alpaca, luxury blends (cashmere, silk)... I love malabrigo, most superwash sock yarns, handdyed yarns, etc.

3. What do you have on the needles (or hook!) right now?

2 pairs of socks, 2 shawls, Yarn Harlot's One Row scarf, Clapotis, Booga Bag, and various other items that have been WIP's for some time now. I'm about to cast on a pair of felted slippers...

4. What are your favorite colors in yarns? What about those that you'd never find in your stash?

I tend to always lean towards shades of purple, jewel tones, reds and natural colors. I'm pretty open to color, except for neons or the drastically ugly...

5. What sort of needles or hooks do you enjoy using? Any you just detest?

I use a lot of bamboo straights & DPNs ... for circulars its almost always Addis. There are no needles that I truly detest, like yarns, everything has its purpose.

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 love notions of all sorts and would welcome anything, especially unique and handmade stuff! I'd say the only thing I truly do NOT need are scissors, wraps per inch tool and needle sizers (the things with all the holes to check what size your unmarked needles are - I must have 5 or 6 already!).

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?

Probably the worsted weight wool like malabrigo and the bamboo blend. My sock yarn stash is pretty hefty at the moment (not that my overall stash isn't....), so I'd go for the always useable soft wool and the colors to die for bamboo blend!

Spring

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

Hell no... scroll back in my posts about a week and note the record snow falls we are having!

2. What's your favorite spring flower? Do you have one?

Gerber Daisies! I also love tulips, especially all the wonderful colors they come in.

3. What do you most look forward to about springtime?

Fresh air, warmer (but not hot!) temps, blooming flowers (even if some make me sneeze), the Robin's eggs hatching ...

4. They've predicted a gorgeous day tomorrow - Sunny and about 65 with a nice breeze - how do you spend your day?

Sounds like a great day to grab Joanne and head off on one of our fiber adventures! Or... a day out and about with my honey... brunch, some shopping, maybe take the dogs to the dog park...

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?

Nah... enjoy the nice day while we have it. Then spend the cooler, rainy day (like today!) inside with the dogs, my knitting, a cup of coffee and some guilty pleasure TV.

Odds n Ends

1. Do you collect anything BESIDES yarn and needles?

Dog related stuff ... bags (my knitting bag stash is growing as quickly as my yarn stash these days!) ... Willow Tree Angels ... knitting related ornaments.

2. Are you allergic to anything?

No cigarette smoke please ... and no rose/heavy floral scents.

3.Do you have pets?

Yes, 4 dogs who you will read about lots on my blog ~ Zeus, Lola, Teutul and Sophie.

4. Is this your first swap, or are you an old pro? What are the last 2 swaps you participated in?

I guess I qualify as an old pro now... The last 2 swaps I did were the Defeat The Winter Doldrums Dishcloth swap and the Dogs on Thursday Valentine's swap (see bottom of my blog sidebar for past participation).

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

Chan Knits ~ she's my long lost, wonder twin!

A Place To Bark ~ Bernie is an absolutely amazing woman with a heart of gold, and we share a passion for Dog Rescue!

Shut Up I'm Counting ~ Need a laugh? Pick me up? Go here.