Winter Madness Swap

Yeah, I know. I haven't even started on the TARDIS swap yet, but I've got ideas!

? > TARDIS September 2011 > ?
Big Damn Heroes September 2011 - Aranov
? > Buffy August 2011 > ?
meredithparker > Steampunk June 2011 > Caitinc

henchwench > Hennson April 2011 > Melinda77520

Sparkleshan > DotD September 2010 > JoanC2

Lalsox > zombie 2010 > therowantree
divamaglia > Buffy August 2010 > Saberpirate

Ocean angel July 2010 > lycanthropica

ladyval75 > Firefly May 2010 > drewbird

heathen13 > DHSAB May 2010 > swamps42

Twilight April 2010 - xmasangel69

Neighbors: cephalogal, isilzha
Friends IRL: nanonukie, snowpony, scarletampersand


Favorite Color(s): blood red
Favourite Colour Combination(s): red+olive, jewel tones, or autumn colors
Favorite Snack(s)/ Beverage(s): I’m on a no-carb diet, so it gets kind of difficult to snack.
Do you knit, crochet, spin, etc? YES.
Favourite (and not-so-favourite) fiber(s): Anything natural with a maximum of 25% acrylic. I can’t stand acrylic in anything other than amis. Preferably in a lace-to-worsted weight. I also have no clue what to do with art yarn, and cannot find the appeal for Noro.
Favorite type of project? Anything that is a challenge. I like texture/structure work rather than color work, and use mainly solidish colored yarns.
Do you have any allergies? Scented things, like candles and commercial body products.
Do you have any pets? Monster of a cat.
Do you have a post in the “wish list” thread? 249
What holiday do you celebrate? I don’t celebrate anything, but I offer moral support to my roommate with his family travels. Christmas, if anything, but my family has a history of making plans without me.
Do you collect any holiday motif? Does Dia de los Muertos count? Yeah, not really.

EXTRAS

How do we feel about paper vs. PDF patterns? I technically prefer PDF, since I don’t print them until I’m actually going to use them, and then I’ll lose them and need to print them again. Books and other print media, though, are quite cool.

What type of project bag do you like the best? (Zippered, drawstring, box bag, etc.) I have never found a project bag I didn’t like. I have SO MANY UFOs that they just sit in their own bags, ready to be picked up at any moment.

Square, Circle, Triangle, Octagon, or Rectangle? Every shape has its place. I’m an equal opportunity shaper.

Straights, DPNs, or Circulars? Never straights. Small projects on DPNs, anything larger on circulars. I have both AddiClick and KnitPicks interchangable sets, but I’m growing fond of fixed circs. Either way, always metal!

Magic Loop, DPN, or Two circs? Magic Loop always gives me ladders, and two circs gets tedious when redrawing the cord. I love just one circ, or DPNs if I can pull them off.

What material do you like for your needles/hooks? METAL. I am far from dainty.

What style of stitch markers do you prefer? Flexible wire, hard metal ring, rubber ring, etc? Earring hook, lobster clasp, etc? I have love for all stitch markers. Flexible wire are nice because they are the most inconspicuous. As long as all the ends are well tucked in and snag free, I’m fine.

What knit/crochet/spinning notions have you been secretly lusting after but probably wouldn’t buy yourself? Ooo… hmmm… I don’t know; I’m pretty impulsive.

Stollen? Do you know what it is? Do you love it, hate it, want to try it? Aw man, that sounds amazing, but I’m on a no-carb sugar-free diet :/

Do you have a yarn winder already? Nope.

Do you want your project yarn wound, or would you prefer it left in a hank if it comes that way? As is. I usually borrow my friend’s winder and she borrows my swift.

Mulled Wine or Egg Nog? Cider!

What level of knitter/crocheter are you? Jump first, ask never. Highly experimental. As long as I can find a description of how to do the individual steps, I’m fine.

Nostepinne? Niddy Noddy? Yarn gauge (wpi)? Needle gauge? I could use a niddy noddy.

Do you have any unique holiday traditions? Just for New Years, but everybody in this country looks at me like I have seven heads.

When do you (if you do) start decorating for the holidays? What kinds of things are a must as far as decorations go? Never. The cat eats EVERYTHING that isn’t bolted down.

Would you like to receive recipes for Christmas cookies or traditional holiday food from your spoiler? Even though I can’t eat them, I love making them for other people! I have a huge book of cookies, but I love anything that is traditional or local.

What’s the best holiday present you got as a kid? Tied between Barbie’s Rock Stage and ice cream Parlor (with ice cream making machine!)

For recipes - can you handle weight measurements? Metric? Cups? I are engineer. Me math good.

Aside from the winter holidays, what do you love about winter? I’m not much of a winter person. I come from a tropical climate, so snow is still odd to me. Probably the food. I love turkey and ham!

Are you a coffee drinker or a tea drinker? Or do you swing both ways? What kind(s) do you prefer? I’ll drink them, but I’m not a -drinker- per se. I stay away from black tea and highly favor herbals. As far as coffee, anything that has some rich and creamy flavoring, like caramel or nuts.

What is one seasonal treat that you rarely if ever allow yourself (foodstuff/dessert/beverage)? Meh? I don’t really hold back. Or at least I didn’t until three months ago when I started this diet.

How do you feel about mohair? See post #1537 for more details. I, um, don’t have a preference? I liked knitting with lambspride, and snowpony just gave me a basketball sized loop of something burnt red and fluffy which I plan on making into a sweater. I guess I like it, but haven’t had a reason to actively seek it out.

I’ve been making a lot of jams. Do you like jam and jelly? (I’m making more so this list could change). Which do you prefer: apple butter, plum jam, fruit-hot pepper jelly or watermelon rind preserves? (or a surprise!) Ooo, fuit-hot pepper!

When knitting accessories for yourself, what kind of style fits you best - are you a girly, girl? classic styles? Tom boy? Other ideas? I'm a chameleon. I'm mostly a tomboy, and I'm big on classic, but sometimes you just have to go all out and be as girly as humanly possible!

Is there anyone/something else living with you, the we need to take into consideration when sending your package? For example - please entertain, choose one/all - the kids, dog, cat, pet, husband/wife, significant other while I am opening my package with catnip toy, doggy treats, husband/wife/kids - suggest something? Nope. Swap packages are all for me!

Have you any interest in/ use for those super short circs, you know, those 9” ones? Never tried them, so maybe? Perhaps as a pair?

Hand Lotions: good, bad, indifferent? scented or not scented? If scented, what scents do you prefer? Floral, Foodie (ie. vanilla, peppermint), musky (sandalwood, etc)? Unless you made it yourself from petroleum-free ingredients, no thank you. I'm a dirty hippy and I don't use commercial bath products. I'm also very touchy with scents, but more because of their intensity than their contents. I prefer fresher floral/fruit/sweet scents, and honeysuckle is my favorite!

Candles: yes, no? Same scent question as above. No thank you, I have a cat.

What top 3 patterns would you like to receive? Hrm, not sure?

Are you in with the craze that is the bee keepers quilt or hexi puffing or any other remnant project? If yes would you like mini skeins of items? No, but if you have leftovers, I can always find something to use them for.

Big Damn Heroes swap

I got my package from Aranov!!! I was very happy when I got home yesterday to find a soaking wet box, which luckily kept everything inside of it dry.

I got two balls of Serenity Yarns in Yo-Saf-Bridge, which is totally closer to Kaylee’s parasol!
A pair of fingerless mitts in a cotton yarn that are really interesting, with ties up the side.
A tin with my favorite rebel-turned-smuggler instead of the smuggler-turned-rebel,
And a super awesome olive green bag with Kaylee’s bear patch, geisha lining and safety belt strap. I wore it last night to No Refund Theater's presentation of Little Shop Of Horrors and my friends loved it.

This was a non-secret swap, which was kind of difficult! How can you stalk someone and ask questions, if they know you're asking directly of them? In the end, I used a friend of hers that was also in the swap as my mole. I sent her:

A very cunning shrug, two dinosaurs, chocolate and some Shimmer.

Docs

I figured I'd start making a catalogue of all the Docs I own...

1999: Brown 8 holes, with a more square toebox. I outgrew them before I ever wore them down.


~2000: the only pair I ever got rid of. Got them small because they were the only size in stock, before everything had a zipper. I took them to many concerts, but didn't love them as much because the leather was always too stiff and bent into my achilles.


2007: I got these for fighting in beige with a grass and butterfly lazer print. They are the softest leather and very nice, but the zipper is a bitch to all my socks.


2008: Christina. Damn, I love these shoes! I have worn through half the heel in the last three years because I wear them so much!


2008 (same purchase) or 2009: Thema. Gorgeous. I love these boots, but they are annoying to put on because of my heel getting stuck in the straps.


2010: 1914 Triumph. They are the first I ever saw that are lined and fold over. Very comfy!


2010: Same purchase. Darcie, cherry red rub off. I like them, they are comfortable, they aren't my favorite. I don't know why...



This week I plan on purchasing another pair of 1914 Triumphs; brown with flowered lining. I also want a pair of 8 holes in black flowered canvas, and a pair of plain green 8 holes, but I should probably draw the line somewhere...

ETA: Yeah, I drew the line. One pair farther than that.

These are a few of my favorite things.

I am a nerd. Seriously, nerdy things make me extremely giddy. If something related to any of these things finds itself into one of my packages, I will squee very loud.

- Buffy
- Firefly
- Dollhouse
- Doctor Horrible's Sing Along Blog
- Anything Joss Whedon (including Roseanne)
- New Doctor Who (someday I'll pay more attention to the old stuff)
- Star Wars
- Dungeons and Dragons (though not 4E)
- Society for Creative Anachronism, focusing on early 16th century Spain, preferably Basque
- Spiderman
- Wolverine
- Rogue
- Phoenix
- the rest of the X-Men
- Iron Man
- the new series of movies leading up to the Avengers
- Hello Kitty
- Metroid (Samus Aran has green hair bob damnit!)
- treehugging
- more fiber crafts than I will ever have time to complete
- cooking
- force feeding people

Doctor Who Duck Pond swap

Favorite Doctor: Tennant was my first, but I am really loving Smith!

Favorite Companion: I loved Donna ever since I watched their RND skit, and Sara Jane Smith was very charismatic. I love Rory’s heart, and River just keeps getting better and better!

Favorite Baddie: Angels!

Favorite Master: 8.5 and his Dalek bumps!

Do you anti-love any Doctors, companions, or baddies? If I never see another Dalek or Ciberman, it will be too soon. Though the worst Who baddie is RTD.

Are you mainly a new Who fan (8 and up), a classic Who fan (1-8), or both? I love New Who, and have seen very little old, though I’d like to watch it all one day. I think Three was the one with a good ass…

Have you enjoyed Doctor Who in any medium besides the TV series (or fan-fiction or private musings)? Other than Brit!Torchwood and RND specials, no.

Do you like tea, coffee, and/or cocoa? Not particularly.

What do you like to nibble with your beverage(s) of choice? Get detailed. Go on, make us drool! While I do love any home made baked goods and candies, I am currently on a no-carb diet :(

Hrm, difficult. I’m not much of a planner, and I love just jumping in head first when I travel, so I’d very much love for the TARDIS to take me wherever she wants me to be. As far as which Doctor, Tennant would be very caring and educational, but Smith would be spastic and entertaining!

All of my electronics are already cozified, but I can always use more project bags of all sizes!This one is always difficult for me. I currently do many fiber crafts, including sew, knit, crochet, spin, drop spin, dye, and tablet/inkle weave. I have been known in the past to cross stitch, embroider, chainmail, fimo, blow glass and make jewelry for other people (including stitch markers). I will throw paint on a project and am really good at copying an image, but I don’t draw or paint for the sake of “art”.
I have touched so many bases in the past that I know how to appreciate all kinds of hand mades, and I wouldn’t mind glass beads for a change.

Chucks: Ditto with the red.

DVD regions I have machines for 1 and 4, but my roommate can play anything on his computer.

Cozies: I think everything is properly cozied at the moment. I have a black 15” MacBook which may or may not be replaced in the who knows how near future, and an iPhone4 that wouldn’t mind a proper protective skin or case.

Crafts: I try to limit myself to fiber crafts, since my basement is beginning to overflow with stash. I currently spin, knit/crochet and sew. I don’t need any random notions, but can always have more bags of all sizes, organizational cases, stitch markers, AddiCircs or books.

Yes, I love cosplaying. This Otakon I dressed up as Bellatrix, Kaylee and Idris. I was missing a couple of details, but I think I managed to get it pretty accurate. The bodice was a bit of a pain to fit completely because I didn’t have a dress form, but I finally remedied that at Pennsic. The Kaylee suit was only missing an accurate pink pagoda shirt, an accurate parasol, and the wooden flipflops, but a kid stopped by to take my picture at the same time as this one wearing a pair, overheard my lament and sold them to me! Next year, I’m making the pink frilly dress with all nine frills! And hopefully there’ll be another cool DW thing to dress up as.Other than Otakon, I am a SCAdian. I do early 16th century Spain, though I’d prefer to focus on Basque if only I could find enough info.With as much as I love Halloween, I never find any decent parties to go to, so I don’t do standard costumes, but my everyday wardrobe is pretty interesting and costumish. Those were originally my Going Out coveralls from when I was in college.

What’s your Whovian Rainbow, ie, what color/item combos say “Doctor Who” to you? And if there’s a color in there you want no part of, please say so!
Pink: I know there’s a chick around four or so that dresses up like the Doctor, only does it in pinks. This is cute, but I have watched very limited Old Who.
Red: This evokes the fez and the dress on the robot in The Girl In The Fireplace. I love red. I love red a lot. I even love red alot! It also reminds me of Donna. Oh! And yummy, yummy James Marsters!
Orange/peach: I don’t have a Whovian memory, but I likes. Probably Amy. The Flesh would be peach, but I felt they shouldn’t have taken two episodes on it.
Yellow: Regeneration.
Green: The forest and River’s name leaf. Smith’s screwdriver.
Teal: Well, the closest thing I can think of is Jack’s coat, which is a tealy grey.
Blue: TARDIS, Idris, space. Blue is wonderful in many of its shades and just essential to Who.
Purple: Reminds me of Rose and Martha. I love the color, but really don’t care for Rose.
Brown: Ten, most definitely Ten. And this is where the teal comes in! Derp.
White: Was it six or seven that had the sweater vest with the question marks? And I think the poodle was white.
Black: Black is also ever present in Who. I immediately think of the first two or three Doctors that were all somber looking, and Eckleston’s leather jacket.
Multicolor: The scarf and the technicolor dream coat. And then the skittle Daleks. I highly dislike the Daleks and their constant “oh you did away with all of us but they couldn’t think of another enemy for this week”ed ness.
I’m going to add Grey: The Angels! I love the Angels!

ETA: As far as what to wear, I love all colors as long as they commit to being a color. I’m not big on wishywashy.


20110912

Which other swaps have you been in at this point in your timeline? Please provide a link to the thread for any non-Duck swaps. Who were your spoiler and spoilee for the previous Odd Duck Who swap, if you participated?

Big Damn Heroes September 2011- Aranov
?} Buffy August 2011} ?
meredithparker} Steampunk June 2011} Caitinc

henchwench} Hennson April 2011} Melinda77520

Sparkleshan} DotD September 2010} JoanC2

Lalsox} zombie 2010} therowantree
divamaglia} Buffy August 2010} Saberpirate

Ocean angel July 2010} lycanthropica

ladyval75 } Firefly May 2010} drewbird

heathen13} DHSAB May 2010} swamps42

Twilight April 2010 - xmasangel69

Neighbors: cephalogal, isilzha
Friends IRL: nanonukie, snowpony

Are you willing to ship internationally/do you have shipping preferences? Not currently.

Please list your allergies (pets, smoke, spices, fibers, metals, alien technologies) Scents, smoke, baby melting acrylic.

Do you or anyone in your household smoke (tobacco or bio-combustive processes)? Nope

Do you or anyone in your household have pets? If so, what kind? C.A.T.

What is your favorite icon of the series? As in graphic design, or personality? Can I say Van Gohs' Exploding Tardis?

Do you welcome a small item or two for the other members of your household? If so, what should it be: something for your SO or roomies, candy for kids, pet toys, etc? Nope, the other two are too spoiled. All for me!!!

What’s your favorite DW episode (or 3) and what about them did you particularly like? Least favorite(s) and why? Blink and The Doctor's Wife. The first one was a perfect Monster Of the Week. Self contained, and can be understood by someone that has never encountered the mythos. The latter is just wonderfully written and directed. I am a huge fan of Moffat's writing, and I love what he is doing with Smith. I also really loved Tennant, and the strength that both of them portray. I very much hate RTD, the daleks and the cibermen, and find them to be cheap copouts for when they can't think of any interesting enemies.

Should your spoiler look in your fave patterns or queue for ideas of what to make? Are there tags s/he should look for? My faves are only things I like, but have nothing to do with me. My queue is well organized and has been tagged with "me" if I "plan" on making it, some with yarn ideas. I only put it into my projects when I've actually committed to making something.

What length is your hair, and do you like hair toys? Mid back, very thick and growing, and I love them!

Would you like to receive patterns from your wishlist? Would it disappoint you to get the pattern rather than the made-up item? Either would be lovely.

What are your favorite things about Dr. Who (the actors, the writing, the time-travel, the drama, the comedy…)? I love brit humor. I am dry and snarky and I love the imaginativeness of the show. I enjoy some stand alone episodes, but I am more passionate about the long story arks and trying to figure them out.

Type to me of jewelry. Do you wear earrings? Bracelets? Necklaces? Anklets? Belly chains? What styles do you like? Supply 3 adjectives as a starting point. What metals do/don’t you wear? Meh? I love jewelry, but always forget to wear it. I only wear one necklace that my mom gave me with a Mexican coin and my birthdate engraved in the back, but can pair it up with something very long. I prefer bracelets and rings and earrings, and functional is my favorite descriptor! No allergies.

Bowtie, scarf, both, or neither? Love both, have none.

What is your favorite yarn weight to use for yourself? lace - worsted, mostly sock.

Favorite color(s)? strong, vibrant colors

Favorite fiber(s)? NOT ACRYLIC

In honor of Amy Pond: nail polish? What colors do you want and which colors do you have enough of? I have tons of red, and many other colors. I'll take any!

How do you feel about yarn bowls? Small tray-plates for holding beads and stitch markers and such while you work? Are there any other craft supplies or working aids that you’d love in some Whovian version? No need for a bowl or plates, but I love any kind of beaded counter/marker.

What snacks do you like? I'm on a carb-free diet...

Measurements, and I mean the kind involving numbers, cuz “average” or “big” means totally different things to different people. Imagine a Silurian trying to make mitts for an “average” Slitheen! hands, wrists, feet, neck, head. lol. Check the blog.

Do you have wishlists at Etsy, Knitpicks, Amazon, Audible, or other online places your spoilee might like to see for a sampling of your tastes? If so, please provide linkage! Yarrrrn.

Anything else your spoiler should know about you and your interests? My blog is the best link to who I am, and I'll try to add stuff as it becomes pertinent.

Big reminder-type things:
Have you re-read the first two posts in this thread and the Odd Duck rules (page and thread!) and agree to follow them? Yus.
Do you agree to check for DMs and reply to any mod-passed-along questions at least weekly throughout the swap? Yus.
Do you agree to answer all questions in this thread by the next check-in date, which includes weekly checkins for the first month? This includes ALL questions in post #2’s summary, even if you’re pretty sure that they’re not from your spoiler due to geography. Yus!
Have you updated your Odd Duck wishlist within the last 3 months (requirement!!)? What number is your post in that thread? In process, but mostly accurate. #249
Do you agree to ship on time, use Delivery Confirmation (USPS requirement) and send that number to the mod when you ship, or, if you reallllly need an extension, to talk with the mod about that before the shipping deadline? Yus.
Do you understand that not fulfilling the big-reminder-type things may result in your being removed from the swap and cursed with a black spot (ie, blacklisted)? Yus.