Spinning Roving Secret Swap Questions

I joined a spinning roving secret swap! I'm so excited to get fiber from a secret pal, chosen just for moi :) I'm also jazzed to try to pick just the perfect fiber for my secret pal as well...yay for swaps :)

Here are the answers to my fiber swap questionnaire...enjoy!

1) How long have you been spinning?
Actually, I haven't been spinning that long. I think I bought my first spindle in March or April of this year.

2) Are you a beginner, novice, or experienced spinner?
I'm going to go with intermediate beginner :D I can draft and spin at the same time; my singles are (relatively) smooth and even, I have been plying for awhile.

3) Do you spin on a drop spindle or wheel, or both?
I am a spindle spinner.

4) What types and weights of drop spindles (or what type of spinning wheel(s) ) do you currently own?
I have 6 spindles...my first one from Annie May on eBay(bottom whorl), a hand made CD spindle (top whorl), a rough wooden bottom whorl that I got for free so I know nothing about it(and have yet to actually use it), and my favorite, a bottom whorl Greensleeve Lionheart :) I also have a Spindolyn, which I've never used and a hand-made reproduction or something akin to a Rakestraw spinner, which I have used on occasion where I want to spin sitting down. It works well, but I get fed up with the constant park & draft you have to do in order to use it :)

5) What type of fibers have you spun with before?
Um, I haven't ventured too far into the exotic. I've done almost exclusively wool roving, with a dash of silk hankies throw in (I LOVE how the hankies turn out when spun, but my hands snag the HELL out of it, even when I use a glob of lotion). I'm currently spinning the silk hankies, some Brown Sheep Mill End Roving (wool), and some merino/New Zeland Possum mix. The possum is really sticky, even after repeated washings, so I am not enjoying it as much...but I need to get it done!

6) What fibers do you prefer to spin with?
So far, my favorite has to be the Brown Sheep Mill End Rovings :) They always send you extra fiber, it's processed AMAZINGLY and it practically jumps off my hand and onto the spindle, it's so easy to spin.

7) What fibers do you dislike?
I wouldn't say I've found anything I dislike thus far, but as I said above, the sticky possum is a pain in my ass and the silk is hard because it catches on my hands. I think for me, at this point, it is more fiber prep that I prefer/dislike. I like roving. Bats are okay. I'm not a fan of spinning from rolags or raw locks. I also dislike fiber that has a really long staple length. Although, after I learned how to spin from the fold months ago, even that isn't in the "dislike" category...it's just more challenging.

8) Do you prefer natural colored fibers, or handpainted/dyed fiber?
Honestly? I prefer natural colored fibers. The only colored fiber I liked, was the dark red with speckled bits of other colors I received with my first spindle from Ebay. I like the natural colors, direct from the animals :) I'm not one for garish, bright pastels and making "fun" yarn. I spin for utilitarian yarn and, well, I just love the natural colors of the animals :)

9) Would you prefer all one type of roving or smaller amounts of different types to sample?
I think I would prefer all one type of roving. I like to spin with one thing for awhile. I am not into mixing different colors (although, if the natural wool is striated, I really enjoy that. For example, some of the mill ends I just spun up was medium brown with some cream stripes. Spun up lovely!)

10) What are you favorite colors?
I like dark, earth colors. Brown, grey, forest green, dark reds and oranges.

11) What colors do you dislike?
Light colors, yellow, white, blue (except some dark cobalts), pastels, pinks.

12) What would you like to do with your handspun yarn, or what do you plan to do with it? (pattern clarification here)
Hrmmmmmm....well, I would LOVE to make fingerless mittens from it, but I don't know if I can spin enough to make them, lol. I haven't gotten to the stage where I can spin a lot of really thin yarn yet. my max so far is around 85 yards of 2-ply yarn. I envision it becoming a purse or a scarf, lol. Or maybe, I can use the handspun as an accent on the end of the fingerless mittens, using a different yarn for the hand...the possibilities are endless :) Just so you know, I'm a beginner to intermediate knitter....

13) What spinning projects are you currently working on?
Ooops! I answered this above :) I have the silk hankies on the CD spindle. Some brown and cream mill ends on the rakestraw knock-off, the possum on the eBay spindle and some dark brown mill ends on the lionheart. In the to spin fiber pile, I have a TON more of the dark brown mill ends, a fair amount of possum/wool to finish up on, and about three fleeces worth of washed, but uncarded wool in my garage : I found out after getting it all that I like to spin, not process wool, lol...so, it's waiting until I have some money to spare to send it all out for processing. Also, waiting for processing, I have a lot of mohair and angora. I'm thinking of trying to spin some of the cream angora in with the dark brown mill ends to see if I can get something nice with that :)

14) Do you have a wishlist?
Yes, of course I do, silly questionaire :P I am DYING to spin camel and yak. I would really love to spin some alpaca and/or llama as well. I look at the fibers online longingly all the time, but I figure I want to be a *really* good spinner before I try the expensive stuff....oooooh, but the baby alpaca and the baby camel call to me.....buuuuuyyyyy uuuuusssssss......spppiiiinnnnnn uuuuuussssss.....maaaaakkkeeee soooommeeeeethhhiiiinnnggggg sooooooooooooffftttt wiiiittthhhh uuuuuusssss........

15) What are your other favorite hobbies?
Gosh, I officially have too many hobbies :) I spin, needle knit, loom knit, crochet (although not really, just learning), I make jewelry. I am an amature photographer. I love to cook and especially bake. I do graphic arts and design websites on the side of my real, paying job :) I sew clothes and accessories. I read voraciously.

16) Do you have any allergies (pet, smoke, food, fiber,etc...)?
I'm allergic to chocolate. I don't smoke and don't like fiber from people who smoke. Other than that, I'm good to go :) Well, I'm allergic to gold, but I don't think you're going to be sending me gold jewelry, so that isn't pertinent :P

17) What is your preferred shipping method (USPS, UPS, FedEx)?
Aw, heck...as long as it gets to me, I don't care :)

THANK YOU SECRET PAL :D