Hot Cocoa Swap

I have just been accepted into a new swap.... The Hot Cocoa Swap. I must have been a little crazy to join as I am not a big time knitter but I do love hot cocoa! This swap has a lot of requirements and one is to post things to my blog at least once a week. One of the postings has to be the answers to a questionaire so here goes -

Cocoa: I like my cocoa in a thick mug with marshmallows, made with (at least) half and half in a double boiler on the stove. I love making it from scratch but have been known to put some Nestle’s Quick and milk in a mug and zap it in the microwave.

Yarn/Knitting/Crochet
1. What is your favorite type of yarn? Everything but fuzzy yarns and lace weights. I haven't found a color I really don't like.
2. Do you knit or crochet (or both)? Both – I started as a crocheter and taught myself to knt.
3. What are your favorite type of needles, would you like to try something new? Again, I like them all as I tend to use whatever I have on hand. As I have my mother’s and grandmother’s sticks I have a lot of double pointed needles of bamboo, meal and plastic. The last one’s I bought were bamboo circulars in a large size and they are currently my favorites. I’ll try anything and have found that the yarn really dictates which sticks are best for a project.
4. Do you have a healthy supply of notions? I do have a healthy supply but I am always looking for stuff that others recommend.
5. What one thing do you keep thinking you need to buy for your knitting habit (outside of yarn)? I need to buy more books. I tend to have leaflets and reference materials but I need to get some of Elizabeth Zimmerman’s books (as a for instance) so I can see whole range of work rather than just one or two patterns from a particular designer.
6. What is your favorite 'quick knit/crochet' pattern (quick gratification) Not a pattern per se but I do like to grab a ball or more of something, needles that might work and go to town on a scarf as a practice piece with an untried stitch pattern. Makes for a lot of frogging but eventually I get it.

Miscellaneous
1. What is your favorite thing to do in the Winter? Work on hand work projects with all the windows open dreaming of all the snow I am not shoveling.
2. What is your favorite animal? Dogs, even though I am incredibly allergic.
3. Do you get the 'winter blahs'? Absolutely - the lack of color in the landscape and the shorter days can send me into the doldrums.
4. What is your favorite way to beat the blahs? I try to banish the doldrums by taking an impromptu road trip to someplace I have never been before and shopping like a mad woman. The shock at being so selfish usually snaps me out of it in a day or two.
5. What is the thing you are most looking forward to this spring? The return of color.
6. What are your favorite treats? Treat, as in food, is the recipe I just rediscovered of my mother’s for Peanut Butter squares. YUM! Anything with peanut butter is wonderful. Treat as in activity, would be a couple of hours with like minded individuals talking about the craft that we love.
7. What is your favorite board game? I love board games especially Scrabble, I am lousy at them but love the camaraderie while playing.
8. Do you have any children (furry or human)? I have one grown son and one Dachshund. I also have my son’s two Dachshunds here most of the time as I have a big yard and a doggy door to amuse them while my son lives in a town house with a tiny yard.
9. Do you have any allergies or special considerations you partner should know about? I am allergic to wool but have found that as long as it is not too rough or too fuzzy I can tolerate working with and wearing it.