Bunnies, needles and books: The Vegan Pal 2 Questionnaire

It feels like ages since my last post, but rest assured that I have not been lazy in all these weeks! Firstly, however, I have to catch up with the questionnaire for my first ever craft related swap, the Vegan Pal 2 - I have always been intrigued by the knitting swaps, but somehow never managed entering one, as I always ended up finding out about them when the deadline was long expired :(
So, here it is...

What is/are your craft(s), & how long have you been doing it/them?

I have many crafty hobbies, but I can truly say that the only two I have been indulging in the last 3 years are knitting, spinning and a bit of sewing. I used to do patchwork quilts (the type you quilt by hand), but nowadays I just don't have the time for it. Knitting has truly taken over in the last 1 1/2 year, after a break of 7 years. I've been knitting since I was 11 (my mum taught me to knit and sew) and didn't stop until the mid '90, only to re-discover it recently. With my housebunnies, it is my substitute for a psychiatrist and keep me sane :)
Are you a vegan, vegetarian, veg-curious, veg-friendly or other?

I have been vegetarian for almost 6 years now. Although I have a lactose intolerance, however, this is almost confined to cows milk and some cheese sorts, so that I am not considering becoming a vegan in the near future - I blame my being Italian and loving cheese! Still, because of ethical reasons, I prefer to buy cheeses from small farms, where animals are kept with dignity and in a suitable ethical and natural way.
Is this your first swap, or have you done previous swaps before? What makes a swap enjoyable for you?

It is my first knitting/crafty swap ever, and I am very excited! However, it is not the first type of swap I've been involved in... I am an active bookcrosser and book swapping has become a second nature for me. The best thing is the element of surprise, and the anticipation in preparing something that your pal will hopefully enjoy :)
What is/are your favorite color(s)? Do you particularly dislike any color(s)?

I don't like much pastels and prefer mostly strong colours. Right now, my favourites are greens, purples and their shades...
Do you have any allergies (such as pets, foods, fibers or cigarette smoke)?

I suffer of what is called "cross-allergy", birch/hazelnut pollen in the air, and foodwise many tipes of nuts (although not peanuts!), and fresh fruit with a large hard stone in it (cherries, peaches, apricots, etc) plus kiwis. It is a bit of a pain especially in late spring/summer, when all those fruits are at their prime. Eating them cooked it isn't just the same :(
I am not allergic to smoke, but being a ex-smoker I just cannot stand the smell - plus, I get an awful headache when I am in a room full of smoke for longer than 10 min.
Luckily, I am not allergic to pets, but if I was I would go any extra length to keep my housebunnies!
Do you have any companion animals? If so, name(s) and type(s)?*

Can you guess?? Two housebunnies :D Nik is a male dutch, now almost 4 yrs old, who likes to explore the house and get cuddles; BillieBun is a cross mini lop, about 7 yrs of age, the sweetest cuddly bunny with a lovely face. Both are rescues - Nik would have ended as snake food :( and Billie would have been probably pts because of health reasons....
Do you collect anything?

Not anymore. However, if you consider "collecting" the compulsive purchasing of knitting books, yarn, knitting accessories and the odd Renaissance music CD, well... then probably I still do!
Do you have a favorite vegan food, snack or dish? If no fav that's vegan (for those who aren't vegan), what's your favorite food? (Hopefully your pal can find a vegan version!)

I just love dark chocolate - never been a milk choc person, and prefer fair trade chocs.
What are some of your favorite/least favorite tastes/flavors? (e.g. sweet, salty, chocolate, crunchy, smooth, tart, sour, spicy, thai, whatever - Help your pal get a feel for what kind of recipes you might like and/or never ever make.)

I love Italian cooking (as long as vegetarian!), of course, and since in the UK I have a particular love for the afghan/indian/pakistani cooking. The mix of spices is just fantastic, and I love both the spicy and the mild dishes!
I like almost anything... as long as vegetarian and I am not allergic to it!
What tools/supplies/accessories for your craft(s) are you wishing you had but don't? Also, what do you have TOO many of? (basically a wish and anti-wish list)

Uh... well, I wish I had an extra room for storing my yarn, but I guess it is not easy to mail :D
I think what I cannot get enough are stitch markers.... whenever I am looking for them, they're either in a project on the go, or I haven't enough of them for what I need them for! I also am starting to get dpns in wood/bamboo for socks, as I have only one set, and what I would like to get one day is a wood/plastic foot shape to block socks.
I would be tempted to say that I have too many knitting needles, but... there isn't such a thing as too many knitting needles!
Are you on Ravelry? What's your handle?

I have applied, but not yet in the circle of lucky ones!
Is there anything else you would like your pal to know about you?

I try to live an ethical lifestyle as much as I can, and I have a very eclectic taste... I will listen to some straight edge hardcore and five minutes later to Tallis' "Spem In Alium", dress with cargo trousers and DocMartens but also capable of dressing very ladylike, and love paintings by the old masters as well as Art Nouveau, Expressionism, Wunderlich, Hausner, Fini and Brauer.
What scents do you like/dislike?

I like the smell of freshly cut lawn, and the smell of water melon - both are related to childrens' memories. So when it comes to scents I prefer the fresh ones to the herb, spicy ones.
Do you prefer fall or Halloween or some other Autumn theme?

Autumn is just fine... I love the season, as I was born in autumn myself ;-)
Just for fun - tell your favorite Halloween or Autumn related memory.

Halloween memory: evening of 31 Oct 1996, walking in the streets of Munich with my boyfriend at that time, and enjoying a hot pumpkin soup in a bistro in Schwabing... Halloween is still a bit of an exotic thing to me, as in Italy we did not have Halloween until in the late 90s...
Autumn memory: every time that I went to a park to walk amongh the red/yellow/orange leaves! I could indulge in this every year since 1986, the year I moved away from Italy. There is something magic about wrapping up and having a walk on a sunny/cloudy/foggy day with all the autumn leaves crunching under your feet :)

So, this is it.... it took me longer than I thought because with my verbosity I wrote a lot, so I had to cut down some of my answers... I hope you haven't fallen asleep reading all this, and thanks for reading :)