MrsQ

I'm a 30-something ESL teacher who loves music (listening and playing) and crafty things. My largest obsession is knitting; I also love a good novel, fine chocolate, and excellent espresso (or any kind of DARK coffee, preferably organic & fairly-traded - on the other hand, I don't like decaf, flavoured, or Starbucks coffees). My (wonderful!) husband and I are adoring housekeepers to three fabulous, lazy felines. I try to minimize the exposure of swaps to cats, but I can't promise 100%.

I love, love, LOVE the colour blue, especially darker, richer blues - cobalt, indigo, etc. However, I'm also trying to branch out, so other colours, especially rich jewel tones, are also welcome! (But please NOT pastels or neon-bright stuff)

For yarn swaps - all natural fibers except cotton, mohair or angora (the one hurts my hands to knit; the others make me sneeze - but small amounts in blends are fine). I have a mild (not militant!) preference for animal over plant fibres, but I think that's more about softness than actual fibre content.

Handspun/hand-dyed are great too - and I'd love it if there's someone local to you whose work spinning &/or dying you'd like to show off (or your own!) Superwash is nice, but I don't mind handwashing my knitting, either. When in doubt, sock yarn is always welcome - I'm rather an addict! (I have a secret, but not binding, preference for alpaca and merino - and, oh my! I have just acquired my first bit of cashmere...heavenly! I want to carry it everywhere and fondle it. Don't let that limit you, though - as long as it's not itchy, I'll like it!)

However, please don't send Lion Brand / Red Heart types of yarns, or acrylics and other mostly un-natural fibre content. I don't send it, and I won't use it. (The exception to the rule - a bit of nylon, etc, in otherwise natural sock yarn is absolutely not a problem)

I also seem to collect funky paper, pens that feel like writing with silk, Celtic themes, unlined journals, blue pottery, linen napkins, fabric placemats, candles...all manner of space-taking-up eclectica...."shoes and ships and sealing wax, and cabbages and kings." ...a decorating style that's more funky/Asian/ethnic than cutesy/floral/girly...

(I actually don't really like cabbage...but I do have a stick of sealing wax and a stamp for it - very fun!)

Candy: I like most everything except black licorice, peanuts (but I don't have nut allergies) and unusual "savoury" candies - I've had students from Japan and Korea give me candies with fish and stuff in them, and my bland Western palate can't handle 'em!

Regarding hearts...sigh! What a tricksy topic this can be! Anyway. I'm not stingy with them, but I won't automatically give hearts for extras - and I don't necessarily withhold them if there aren't extras in a package...I give hearts for swaps that "wow" me - because I can tell that someone put some genuine thought and effort, some "heart" if you will, into their swap. (And, to be honest, a sure way to not get a heart is to ask for one.)

My personal philosophy is to do my best to walk gently on the planet, shop locally, support small businesses and artisans, live authentically, and try to be nicer to people. I am far from perfect at it, but I bumble along doing the best that I can.

And by the way - if for some reason, the snail-mail gremlins waylay a package from me to you - please email me and let me know! I will do my best to trace, or replace...

Most anything that doesn't sound too twangy, or like rodents being tortured. Or jazz that considers "laptop" a genuine instrument in an ensemble...but I will confess to a preference for rootsy-folksy stuff, like Iron & Wine, Bruce Cockburn, Neko Case, etc. I especially love to discover & support "indie" music of most genres: ethnic/world; folk; roots; danceable rock; etc.

Amelie, Lord of the Rings, Rare Birds, Waking Ned Devine, Men With Brooms, A Mighty Wind

Too busy knitting/swapping/crafting to watch much (plus, we don't have a TV)...but I have one weakness that gets me every time: the "new" Battlestar Galactica.

I am still bitter that Firefly got cancelled...Grrr!

Knitting, making coffee, learning to make ATCs, journalling (or at least, collecting funky blank journals...faster than I can fill them up, it seems!)

Anything by Barbara Kingsolver; Tolkien; the Narnia books; Harry Potter; and I've fallen in love with Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat, Pray, Love" - though it does give me a serious craving for Italian food!