Spring Fling Coffee Swap Questionnaire

Firstly - Happy Easter! Happy Spring! Secondly - I feel odd putting up this questionnaire before I've had confirmation that I've been accepted... However, since it is a requirement that the questionnaire go up before the close of registrations on the 25th, I present you with my Spring Fling Coffee Swap Questionnaire. (I've been a good swapper in the past, but still live in fear that someone may have had a bad experience with me, unbeknownst to me. What can I say? I'm a pleaser...)
Coffee
1. What is your preference? Whole beans or ground?
Ground. I like whole beans, but never seem to have the time to grind them right before I brew…
2. What kind of coffees do you enjoy? A rich, bold roast; a light, fresh one, or something in between? Leaded or non?
A nice rich dark roast… Definitely leaded.
3. If you were headed out right now to buy some coffee for the house, what would you be picking up?
Probably something pretty basic. I usually buy President’s Choice Canadian Coffee. (It’s a house brand for a chain of grocery stores.)
4. Do you drink for caffeine, pleasure, or both?
Both…
5. Do you enjoy flavored coffees? How about add-ins or flavored creamers?
I do enjoy flavoured coffees, but flavoured add-ins and creamers are a DEFINITE DON’T with me.
6. A large, lovely mug or a small, dainty cup?
Unless it is an after dinner coffee, following a formal dinner, it is in a mug.
7. Describe your perfect cup - not JUST the coffee, but how you'd enjoy it!
It’s a warm spring morning. It’s bright and sunny. The kids and the husband are otherwise occupied. I’m sitting on my porch swing with my coffee and my knitting, just watching the world go by on the river that runs in front of my house. The coffee is rich and dark. Nice and hot with just a splash of milk. As a special treat, some Queen’s Muffins have just come out of the oven. I get to eat my muffin and drink my coffee without any interruptions. And then I get to have a second cup while I knit a few rows… Heaven!
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?
That would be a peanut butter filled oatcake dipped in chocolate. Sort of decadent – the chocolate. Sort of salty – the peanut butter. Sort of healthy – the oatmeal (work with me!).
Yarn
1. Do you knit or crochet?
I knit.
2. What are your favorite types of yarns to work with?
I like to work with natural fibres. Probably something with a fairly firm twist, and I’m not usually attracted to things that are very textured – I’m not a fan of boucle or fun fur, although both have their uses.
3. What do you have on the needles (or hook!) right now?
Well, I just need to cast of my second Jacobean sock, so they’re almost done. And then there’s a pair of 4 by 2 rib Tiger socks for Older Son. And I’m on the final clue of the SoTSii. And then there’s all that stuff that lives in my various baskets…
4. What are your favorite colors in yarns? What about those that you'd never find in your stash?
I like pinks, purples, greens and blues. I tend towards the grey tones – you know – cool colours as opposed to warm colours… Truth be told, you would find the rainbow in my stash. I’m not a big fan of yellow, but there is yellow in stash just waiting for the perfect project.
5. What sort of needles or hooks do you enjoy using? Any you just detest?
I’m loving my Harmony wooden needles. They are heavenly. I don’t like plastic needles, with the exception of my Pony Pearls for sock knitting.
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?
Nope. There is a creature that lives in my sewing room that eats measuring tapes and small scissors and then swallows them all down with some stitch markers. About once a year he vomits them all at once and I have a momentary abundance. But then he gets hungry again… Sorry for any disgusting visual that may have popped into you mind with that.
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?
Do I have my credit card with me? Can’t I use that? Okay – I probably buy the sock yarn and the bamboo. Then head to the bank for more money. Or I call a friend so that she can come and buy yarn too, and I can live vicariously through her purchases.
Spring
1. We're starting sign-ups on the first day of Spring - is it already truly Spring-like where you are?
Decidedly NOT. Our yard still looks like this.
2. What's your favorite spring flower? Do you have one?
Daffodils. They are so happy!
3. What do you most look forward to about springtime?
Not shovelling snow… Seriously – open toed shoes and pedicured feet. After a winter in boots, I’m ready to pamper myself and my feet a bit.
4. They've predicted a gorgeous day tomorrow - Sunny and about 65 with a nice breeze - how do you spend your day?
If it’s after spring lift in, we’re probably going sailing! I always take my knitting with me, so that I can knit when we drop the sails to just drift and enjoy the sun.
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 probably don’t feel very energetic. I’d probably spend the day in either the parlour or my sewing room working away on projects. Or if there was a good movie to watch, we’d all snuggle up in the living room to watch a movie.
Odds n Ends
1. Do you collect anything BESIDES yarn and needles?
I have a small collection of teacups that I inherited from my Grandma and I have a collection of Madeline rag dolls.
2. Are you allergic to anything?
No fibre allergies. Don’t send penicillin, okay?
3. Do you have pets?
Tiger the Cat and the kids have gerbils. Tiger is a 1.5 year old tabby cat that has “cattitude”. It is very clearly that he only tolerates us because we feed him. (But I love him anyways.)
4. Is this your first swap, or are you an old pro? What are the last 2 swaps you participated in?
I’ve been swapping for a about a year, so I’ve done a few… The last 2 swaps that I participated in were Sock It To Me Twice and the Scavenger Hunt Swap.
5. List 3 of your favorite blogs - craft related or not - and tell us why you love them.
Shut Up I’m Counting. Cass is always good for a laugh and has convinced me that I’m not the most uncoordinated and clumsy person on earth… Although I do remain accident prone.
Chan Knits. Chan talks about her life and her dogs. Reading Chan makes me feel warm.
CanKNITian. I know J in person and love reading her blog because of that, but I wish that she’d blog more often. Her stories are always amusing – more so because she’s very much a real person to me.