Hi there (potential) swap partner.

Things I do best:
Knitting! Right now, I'm going through a lace and felting phase, but I like to knit most anything.
Stencils - I like to stencil t-shirts and fabrics
Decoupage coasters and boxes.

Color/style preferences:
Looking at my wardrobe, it is primarily blues and blacks, so I'd like to branch out a bit. I look good in earth tones and can pull off pastels. In particular, I'd like more brown and green things. I also like purple and orange though I own very little of it. I don't like neon or pink (though they can be in a print). I stain white things very quickly. When choosing accessories, I have a pretty even mix between the colors listed above and bright colors.

In general, I prefer prints to solid colors. I particularly like retro prints - I've included a number of fabrics that I like on my wist, but these are just examples. I love a-line skirts. If I devoted the time to it, I'd like to develop a more hipster/punk wardrobe, but since I don't, I actually end up wearing tshirts and jeans most of the time. When I'm done breastfeeding, I think I'll wear more dresses (with boots).

Things I like (in no particular order):
Monkeys (chimps), ants, robots, and crazy ocean creatures. Bayesian statistics. Human anatomy. Electron microscope images of stuff. Evolution. My son is named after Alan Turing. Decision analysis. Stars, space, rockets. I like the creative commons and science commons. Gardening.

Things I don't like:
I'm really not a knick-nack sort of person - I like my house uncluttered as much as possible and the things I do have are very carefully chosen. I much prefer things that I can use. No Disney, please. I am allergic to oranges (technically, I am allergic to most citrus, but I can eat most everything in moderation except oranges). I am vegetarian, so no leather, please. Wool is OK.

Specific things I want:

• A white linen skirt. I’ve been trying to buy myself a white linen skirt for years, but never manage to find the *perfect* one, though many have been quite good, so I’d like someone else to decide for me! I can PM you my measurements, but I’d prefer something with a resizable waist (elastic or ties) since I’m hoping to be pregnant again next summer.
• A petticoat or a skirt with a built in petticoat. I like retro prints, but I’m not sure what sort of retro-print would work with a petticoat . . . . Since it is a skirt, I can probably get away with a lot of colors I wouldn’t otherwise try, but I imagine wearing it with my engineer’s boots . . . I leave this creation up to the craftster with a good idea! Again, I can PM you my measurements and I’d prefer something with a resizable waist (elastic or ties) since I’m hoping to be pregnant again next summer.
• Knitting tote bag. An over the shoulder bag about 12 inches deep with a non-velcro closure. Any kind of funky/retro fabric would rock.
• A conference bag. A professional bag to use at conferences, so a bit subdued. My ideal bag would have a divider in the center with one side that can hold those obnoxiously large binders they hand out (like school binders, probably 1.5 inches thick). The other side would have my knitting. Oooh, and an internal pocket for the hotel key/pens. Shorter handles, as I won't be carrying it on my shoulder.
• A gym bag. Now that my boy is nearly a year old, I can no longer pretend that the post-pregnancy weight will decide to leave on its own. Big enough for a towel, swimsuit, shampoo, and a clean shirt.
• Clip-on earrings. I’d like some dangly clip-on earrings. I don’t look good in gold-colored jewelry - I look best in silver, but can pull of bronzes, too. I *really* like the gear-based earings (and necklace) at the bottom of this page [http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=50876.40]
• Clip-on earrings and/or necklace reconstruction from a freshwater pearl necklace I already own. I recieved this necklace as a gift while living in China, so I am sentimentally attached to it. I have, however, a nicer string of pearls, so I never wear the gift. I would be thrilled if someone would use some of the pearls in a different necklace design and/or some clip on earrings. I'd be happy to donate the left over pearls to that person.
• Brooches for a capelet. I’ve been meaning to make a capelet for quite a while, but haven’t been able to decide on yarn because I don’t know what I’ll use for the brooch.
• A doll for my son. My son is 11 months old. We just had gender-neutral toys around, and then my MIL sent him a toy drill. My immediate response was that we need to go out and buy him a doll to balance things out. This needs to be sturdy and without any small parts that he could tear off and swallow.
• Some big bibs for my son. I like having cloth bibs to just throw in the wash, but it is impossible to find any big enough to cover the entire area from his chin to his tray. Inevitably, there are a bunch of stains on his belly after meals because the bibs we have aren't long enough. The ideal bib length would be about 10 inches from chin to edge.
• A book of knitting lace patterns or history of knitting type stuff.
• Picture frames of any size themed on something I like.
• Knitting needle rolls. I have been keeping all of my knitting needles in a jar, but the jar is now full. I think it is probably time to move on. Ultimately, I'll probably need two rolls and one of those hanging things for circular needles. Actually, I'd really like to adorn my crafting area with beautiful knitting needle rolls hung on the walls, so if you are so generous as to actually make me one, I would really appreciate some tabs on the upper corners so I could hang it without having to pierce the fabric.
• A belt. Hipster/punkish something? I honestly have no idea what I want in a belt, but I know I need one. I do really like these ribbon belts and similar belts made out of fabric: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=75711.0
• A wrap dress with short sleeves. I would like some in printed fabrics, of course, but I'd also really like a black one. Or three.
• Some shirts for my husband, as he needs some craftster love, too. And some shirts. His primary interests include robots, helicopters (radio control), space/vastness of the universe, being vegetarian, and the first amendment.
• A fridge caddy - a small magnetic box/cup to put pens in.
• A swap journal - OK, OK, I give in! I thought my scraps of paper and email and stuff was going to be sufficient, but I now realize a swap journal would make this all so much easier.
• A serving tray - This is a gift for a friend who just bought a condo with a dining room that is separate from the kitchen. Painted or tiled would be awesome. She is a chemist who likes to go to the goth club and to rennisance fairs. She really likes fairies.
• Cloth headbands that tie in the back. Some in funky fun fabrics and just one or two that are more professional.
• CD of children's music or stories in a language other than English. We're doing a terrible job of exposing my son to other languages. I know some Spanish and Mandarin and my husband knows some German, so we might be able to translate songs in those languages on our own.
• A kimono inspired top. Something like [http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=126177.0]. I love the mid-length sleeves.
• Surprises. Vegetarian ethnic foods from other parts of the world that I can't get in the US (and candy!). There is just something so awesome about getting packages in the mail.