Hurricane Sock Party Questionnaire

The most we ever see in the Midwest is rain from the tail end of a hurricane, but since we have plenty of our own bad weather I've signed up for the Hurricane Sock Party exchange. So here's the questionnaire:

1. Repeat after me "no hurricanes, no hurricanes, no hurricanes" . Okay we just had to get that one out of the way first. We needed to created a bit of "good weather karma"! GRIN

No hurricanes, no hurricanes, no hurricanes! No tornadoes either. Unless they're in a totally deserted area and I can get a really cool picture.

2. If your pet(s) wrote a paragraph about you to describe you to us what would they say? (If you have no pets then just pretend you husband or best friend wrote it! This is a 3rd person writing exercise that is always fun.)

Where is she? It's dinner time. It's dinner time! IT'S DINNER TIME!!!!
See, she's always late for dinner. She thinks we can just eat any time of day. I mean, I can eat any time, but I need my scheduled feedings, too. She says she has to go out and work - or go to class - but I don't know why. I only had 16 weeks of Obedience School - Oscar's NEVER been - but she's been going to "class" ever since I've been around. When she's here, she's pretty good. She pets us a lot, and she's never embarassed to get down on the floor and roll around with us. I've heard of some homes where the dogs aren't allowed on the furniture, or they have to sleep in cages, or they're kept from jumping up to greet people, but she knows better. She knows it's only polite to sniff someone's butt to say hello, and realizes that when you're a little dog you can't sniff butts and lick faces without jumping. She spends a lot of her time reading - big, thick, boring-looking but sometimes tasty books - but that's not so bad, because we can sit on her lap and get petted. She also likes to watch TV - we like the dog shows best, or Iron Chef, but she'll watch other stuff. When she's watching TV, she'll pull out her wool to play with. That doesn't seem fair, because she won't let me play with the wool. Why not? It smells like sheep. Sheep are food, all things food-related are for dogs, so we should get to play with the wool, right? Sometimes, when we're trying to make a place to sleep, we'll get all tangled up in the wool. Generally she ignores us, but Oscar doesn't like it. He gets annoyed when the yarn drapes over him, and starts making faces and sneezing at it. I don't mind it so much, because if I'm tangled up in wool it means I'm asleep next to her, and probably getting petted. And it makes it easier for me to chew on the wool when she's not looking.

-Max

3. What is your favorite hurricane supplies snack?

Mixed nuts, gummi bears, cheese & crackers.

4. Do sock patterns normally fit you "as written" or do you usually modify them for size in any way? (other than foot length)

They generally fit, except for toe socks. I have to modify those pretty seriously. A few turn out a bit loose, but I get by.

4a. What are your foot measurements, not just shoe size? (Measure the length of your foot from heel to toe, then the ball of your foot. )

8.25 inches around the ball of my foot, and 9.25 inches long. The only shoes I wear anymore are size 38 Birkenstocks.

5. What one city abroad would you visit and why if money was no object? (and terrorism was non-existant)

If money were no object, I would visit Bora Bora. That's the only way I'm likely to get there, since I'm sure it's a wildly expensive trip, and an insanely long trip, and there's no scholarly justification for it. I'd like to visit because I've never been anyplace in the Pacific, and because James Michener's Hawaii is one of my favorite books.

6. Do you wear socks all year round or just during the winter? Do you prefer them tall or short or regular height?

I wear them year round, but less during the summer. I work in too many *$%#!# cold air-conditioned buildings (I HATE air-conditioning), so I carry wool socks with me and slip them on when I get to work.

I prefer my socks a little long - 7-8" in the cuff, or so.

7. The last time the power was out during hurricane season (or bad weather of any kind) did you knit by lantern or were you lucky enough to knit to the humm of a generator? Or did you knit at all?

I don't know if I've ever had a long power outage to knit through, but I've knit by firelight while camping. The last time I cooked when the power was out (I had a big party planned for the next day) I was cooking by candle and flashlight - no generator.

8. Make a wish for your favorite sock yarn that you've already used once. What would it be? ? Dont be shy about listing an exact colorway or two if you'd like.

Cherry Tree Hill! I'm not sure that I have a colorway picked out. I try not to touch the stuff when I'm in the yarn store - it's the only way I can resist temptation.

9. What is it about sock knitting that keeps you wanting to knit more and more socks?

I discovered a couple of years ago that I stay warmer and my feet feel better if I wear wool socks and Birkenstocks than they do with any other shoes. The wool sheds the snow, and gives my feet a chance to dry if I've walked through slush.

10. Make a wish for a sock yarn that you are dying to try but haven't bought for yourself yet. (be specific,even colorway if you'd like)

Socks that Rock! I'd love to get my hands on Jewel of the Nile, but Fire on the Mountain would be cool, too - as would Chapman Springs, Love in Idleness, Lucy, Puck's Mischef, Nodding Violet, Watermelon Tourmaline (because I like the stone), or just about anything, really.

11. What size needles do you knit socks for YOURSELF with the most? Are they circular or bamboo needles? What brand?

I probably use size 2 Crystal Palace more than anything else, with size 1 as a close runner-up. I'm just now trying the two-circular-needle technique, and I'm sure I'll use it for some socks, but not for all of them.

12. If you could only take 3 yarn related books and one previously knitted project that you love with you when you evacuated what would they be?

The books: Socks Socks Socks, definitely my favorite sock book.
Armenian Needlelace and Embroidery, because it was such a huge pain to find.
Folk Bags, because it has many many projects I want to do.

The project: My first pair of Turkish Socks. They were the ones that taught me the joy of handmade wool socks.

13. What knitting notion do you wish you had that you just keep putting off getting for yourself?

A case to hold my double-pointed needles. Or things to hold the needles together on a sock-in-progress. Or a Chibi.

14. What is your favorite tv show?

Currently, Battlestar Galactica. Of all time, Cheers or Hogan's Heroes

15. Do you want a lacey sock or a "solid fabric" sock from your hurricane partner?

Either would be lovely.

16. It's midnight and the power has been off for two days, its hot, and you have a craving for something sweet! What would it be? (This is a FOOD related question ladies! LOL)

I'm guessing I can't have raspberry sherbert, but that's what I'd be craving! Probably cookies...maybe jam-filled cookies...with an ice-cold glass of milk, of course!

17. Tell us a story about any of your hurricane weather related experiences.

We don't really have hurricanes here. I'm told that when I was not quite a year old, a tornado hit just across the street from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway while I was there with my parents. They just shoved me under the bleachers, and waited for the storm to pass so qualifying could resume. You can't leave the race just because of bad weather!

18. What was the one thing you wish you had remembered to get last year for hurricane supplies that you swore you wouldn't forget this year?

A weather radio is at the top of my list. I should probably stock up on bottled water and doggie chew toys, too.

19. What color sock would you like to recieve from your sock partner? (if you don't have a pref just say so otherwise give us a hint!)

Any color - that's part of the fun!

20. Well surprise, this one isn't a question at all, it's a THANK YOU for filling out this questionnarie and posting it. Also, don't forget to send (in a private email) your snail mail address to Christy for later when the packages are mailed