Hogwarts Sock Swap 3 - package arrived!

Look at all the goodies that arrived today! Ahem... I forgot to put one very important skein of yarn in the photo... whoops! Not pictured in the above photo is a beautiful skein of Malabrigo Lace in Forest... so soft, so pettable, so pretty. How on earth could I have forgotten it?

Included in this package were so many goodies, I don't know how my pal Ana got everything to fit into the box. She did an amazing job on the socks, Monica Jines's Triple Twist Socks...



They fit perfectly and the yarn she used, vanCalcar Acres Jennifer's FlockSock Sock Yarn, is very sot and squishy and my feet are quite happy right now.

Other than the socks and Malabrigo Lace, she also sent lots of other yummy yarns - two skeins of Brown Sheep's Wildfoote in Rock 'n Roll (Harley fell in love with the bright rainbow colors, I have a feeling this will end up as socks for her), Elann's Sock it to Me Colori in a wonderfully bright colorway (of which I cannot locate a name, only a color number, which happens to be 33), Some Sugar 'n Cream in Beach Ball Blue, which is possibly one of the few colors of theirs that I have really liked but never bought (and now I have some so I can make something other than boring off-white dishcloths the next time I feel like making one which will probably be soon since a lot of ours are holey). There was plenty of non-yarny goodness in there too... the Fawkes sock pattern from the late Gigi Silva, a very nice old-world style journal, The Magic Loop book and a 40" US1 Addi Turbo circular needle (since I mentioned wanting to learn magic loop for socks, and now I can!), two little packets of Soak in citrus and sola - very excited about trying these scents, the one Soak I tried in the past was lovely and I bet these are as well, a wee little soap bar from Biggs & Featherbelle and a very cute card with knitted socks on the front.

Thank you Ana! I love my goodies!

HSS3 questionnaire

The first two Hogwarts Sock Swaps were a lot of fun and I was saddened when I discovered that both blogs had been deleted. The former Headmistress is no longer running these, but we have had a wonderful woman step up and start a third sock swap. Here is my questionnaire for this third one, which I am very much looking forward to (and I am wondering what the chances are of me getting yet another book-color-loving Ravenclaw as my pal).

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into?
Slytherin

2. List your favorite double-point needle brands, including size and length. Or would you prefer circulars?
KnitPicks - the metal ones; Inox; Brittany Birch, in that order of brand preference; I mostly have been using the smaller length sock ones lately, usually size 0-1-1.5

3. Would you like to try a new brand needle? If so, which brand? Size? Length?

I have decided that I want to learn magic loop for knitting two socks at one time. I love knitting socks on smaller needles (US0, US1, US1.5 are my most used for socks), and I think I want 40" cables, possibly longer, though I am not sure. I assume the 40" would be long enough to do two socks at once, so they should suffice. I do love the metal KnitPicks needles, and I've heard great things about the Addi turbos, so either would make me very happy.

4. If you are a RAVENCLAW, do you prefer the colors in the film or the book? Do you have a strong preference?

N/A

5. Do you have any allergies?

I am very sensitive to most synthetic fragrances, as well as high fructose corn syrup.

6. Do you smoke?

Nope.

7. Do you have cats?

Yes, one. He tends to be rather ambivalent about my hobbies, though.

8. Would you like and international pal if possible?

I'd prefer in the US, but can take international if needed.

9. Do you have a preference on the size of your stitch makers, fit a larger or smaller needle?

I normally don't knit on larger than a US size 8. I also prefer non-dangly stitch markers.