Mmmmmmmore Swap Goodness!

I said in my last post that the next one would also be swap related, and since there's been little knitting going on around here, I was right!

(The below is mostly copied directly from my Ravelry post, with minor changes as needed.)

Today's mail brought two packages from my Malabrigo Swap pal on Ravelry, Anne (TheBagLady, AKA half of The Bag Lady and The Pro). The first one I opened was sent from The Loopy Ewe, where I had recently set up a wishlist... this package contained the gorgeous Dream in Color Smooshy in Blue Lagoon. Love it! Anyway, on to the photos and all the goodies...



The box, with it's pretty, pretty rose printed paper and everything still hiding inside.



All the goodies together.

Yarny bits - Malabrigo Silky Merino, 2 skeins in Blackberry (OMG so pretty! So soft! So luscious! I LOVE it!) and the Dream in Color Smooshy in Blue Lagoon (So, so gorgeous! I will have to find the perfect pair of watery looking socks for this yarn. My first thought is Cookie A's Mingus, even though I tend to shy away from lacy patterns, I think it will be a beautiful one for this yarn).

Not-yarny bits - Dove Beautiful chocolates - milk chocolate with vitamins c and e... never seen these before, but I love Dove milk chocolates, and these are no exception (she types while letting one melt in her mouth), Back to Nature White Cheddar Rice Thin crackers - I love the Back to Nature products, and these are wonderful. Whisker Lickin's kitty treats - Shadow is curled up in a ball behind me right now, so I'll open these for him later. He loves kitty treats though, and we just ran out, so these came at a perfect time! Three lip balms - two of the Whole Foods ones in Vanilla Honey and Tangerine (Anne is an amazing stalker!) and one Lavender & Orange Badger lip balm... yummy! A very cute pen from The Kookys - this is funny because we were just looking at these somewhere last week and I almost bought one! And the last item, a beautiful set of four snag-free stitch markers with frosted white, orange and yellow beads on them. They are gorgeous and I cannot wait to put them to use!

Thank you, Anne, you are seriously awesome!

Dia de los Mayo?

Last fall I participated in a Day of the Dead swap on Ravelry. Due to rather unforeseen circumstances and life getting in the way of things, the girl who was sending to me never got a chance to get the package sent...

Until a few days ago. It arrived earlier today, and though the box was rather mangled, everything inside appears to have been completely intact. (Though I don't know if anything may have gone missing, since I don't know what all she included in the package.)

At any rate, what arrived is lovely.



Lots of yarny goodness (I am awaiting a response from her in regards to the yarn since there are no tags on any of them, though they all appear to be around sock-weight), a yellow 7-day candle with a gorgeous lady on it, some really cool Day of the Dead magnets, an equally cool Day of the Dead pin, and lots of skull lollipops (which have been confiscated by the girls).

My next blog post will most likely also be swap related, as I am currently in yet another Malabrigo Swap, because I just cannot get enough of that wonderful yarny goodness.

Favorite Color Swap - received!

Today brought the arrival of my package from the Favorite Color Swap 3. My sender, Sandy, AKA Hockeymom Knits was wonderful - very communicative throughout the contest, and she picked some wonderful goodies for me.



Let's see...

• Malabrigo chunky in Olive (I am almost positive I know what I want to make with this already)
• two balls of Rowan Pure Wool DK in Port (beautiful color, think I may have a project in mind for this too)
• Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's newest book, and it's signed to me too! I don't know if the wonderful Yarn Harlot is planning a stop in Pittsburgh this year or not, if she is, now I won't have to wait in line to have her sign a copy of this for me like I did last year.
• Aura Cacia Lavender body cream (I am hoping I can use it, I recently discovered a sensitivity to lavender essential oil, but with it in a cream instead of neat, I may be ok with it.)
• two endangered species milk chocolate bars (oddly, with one of my totem animals, an otter, on the wrapper)

I seriously love everything. You did a wonderful job, Sandy! Thank you!

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!

Favorite Color Swap Questionnaire

I was going to have my next post be progress from my Mr. VaaJeans, but then I forgot about the Favorite Color Swap, so instead it's questionnaire time...

1. What are your top three favorite colors?
Right now (and for the past 5-6 years or so, so it's unlikely to change anytime soon) my favorite colors are olive green, deep burgundy (almost blood red) and deep rich plum. If I had to list five instead of three the other two added to the list would be black and silver.

2. What crafts do you really enjoy?
I knit, I sew, I take photographs, I dabble a little in other things too... I've painted, though not recently (and most likely all of my paints are dried up, but they are inaccessible at the present time), and recently attempted wire-wrapping (though not very successfully - I need more practice on that I think).

3. What products do you really covet?
Other than Malabrigo, and a remote for my camera, I've been coveting assorted watch parts (gears and the like) to try my hand at some SteamPunk inspired items. For the most part though I don't covet much... usually if I want something, I get it.

4. What other activities do you enjoy besides your favorite crafty things?
Watching dvds - we don't have cable and seldom watch tv, so we have a fairly large dvd collection. I also enjoy thrift store shopping, because you never know what you find when you browse a thrift store.

5. Is there anything you collect?
I have a wonderful vintage camera collection, though I've not seen most of it in a good 6 years due to it being packed away in boxes. I also collect vintage darkroom supplies - amber bottles, glass funnels, etc., though not nearly to the extent of the cameras. I love old skeleton keys and unusual silver spoons too.

6. What is your zodiac sign and/or Chinese zodiac symbol?
I am a Leo, as well as a water rat. I don't feel like a typical Leo in most senses, I tend to be fairly introverted and timid.

7.What are your favorite…

…scents/smells?
Coconut, vanilla, and lavender would have to be high on this list, though artificial scents almost always bother my sinuses, so anything scented has to be done so with natural essential oils.

…types of music and/or bands?
I love Nine Inch Nails, Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Johnny Cash, Melissa Etheridge, Sinead O'Connor, Reverend Horton Heat, Social Distortion, and Minsitry. I've most likely forgotten another 50 bands/musicians that I really like as well, and my tastes are wildly varied, as long as it's not hip-hop, rap, country or pop I usually at least like it.

…authors?
Neil Gaiman and Poppy Z. Brite are my two favorite authors, and I've read almost everything they have both written. I do like a lot of the teen fantasy type books that have become popular in recent years, though I don't read nearly as much as I used to.

…animals?
Cats. I do not really have a list of favorite animals, but I do like animals of all sorts.

…places to shop?
Other than thrift stores? I love Joseph Beth bookstores, REI, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, our local food co-op, and to some extent Target. For yarny goodness, Natural Stitches in Pittsburgh is awesome.

…season?
Autumn. When the leaves are first starting to change, yet it is still warm with only a slight chill in the air.

…yarn/fabric/paper/other craft supplies?
I already mentioned Malabrigo in my covets, I love the Merino Worsted yarn in the kettle-dyed colors. I also really like Louet Gems Pearl and the indie dyers who use it as a base yarn. I have enough fabric to mast me a decade or more, but I love funky skully printed cottons. I don't do much with paper crafting, and I don't expect anyone to buy me any accessories for my Nikon D40x, so that covers my craft favorites.

…candies or goodies?
The Swiss milk chocolate from Trader Joe's is wonderful, but I really love milk chocolate Wilbur Buds (google it if you've never had the pleasure of living in Lancaster County, PA where they are made). Good creamy smooth milk chocolate from almost anywhere always makes me happy, as do yummy fruity hard candies. I've become addicted to the Nori Maki rice crackers from Trader Joe's too. I am fairly open to all sorts of candies and foodie items as long as they are free of high fructose corn syrup.

8. Do you have any wish lists?
Yep, I've got a few on Amazon. This is the main one, though I do have several others, which are hopefully linked as well on the left sidebar.

9. Are you allergic to anything?
Other than the already mentioned artificial fragrances, which isn't an allergy so much as a severe sensitivity, and the high fructose corn syrup, I have no allergies.

10. Do you have any pets? What are they?
We currently have one older (or should I just say old since he's close to 17 years old?) black cat named Shadow, we recently had to have our guinea pig put to sleep due to a tumor, and our girls want a dog. Personally, I'd prefer cats only, though.

11. Please include anything else you would like your secret pal to know about you- anything that would be helpful in finding you little gifts that you will really enjoy. Also, if you have a Ravelry ID, please include it here.

I am blackrayne on Ravelry, and I cannot currently think of anything else to add to this last bit, though I will update it if I do.

Editing because I just remembered that I also wanted to mention that I have a public favorites list on etsy, my username there is also blackrayne ... I have favorite items and sellers there, though I've yet to buy much of anything there for myself, most of my prior purchases have been stitch markers for other swaps and I'd love to finally get some of my favorite ones for myself.

Mmmmmmalabrigo Swap

My addiction of Malabrigo knows no bounds. I am currently participating in a Malabrigo yarn swap on Ravelry, and I happen to be one of the swap moderators. Not that moderation matters right now, though.

The above photo is missing one item from the package, a cd of music by In Our Cups. I am about to load it into the computer to see if it is what I think it is and yep... Renaissance-Medieval wenchiness. I love it. And looking at the inset, one of the lovely ladies in the group is my swap pal, Ravelry user FaithEllen.

The Malabrigo she sent? My formerly favorite colorway, Stonechat, just changed to the Vaa that she sent. Look at this beautiful goodness:



*drool*

I feel like Faith has known me for ages, she sent some of the most perfect things ever. Sushi tissues. A book (Knitorama) that I have wanted for a while (come on, everyone needs a pattern for a knitted ham sandwich!). Jasmine pearl tea (my one major consumable weakness). A new tape measure (funnily, I mentioned needing a new portable one in the swap group, and the next day I found mine - but the day after that it broke so I still needed a new one). A dashboard pirate (Yarrrrrrrr!). Wind-up sushi! And the wee little cutest plastic rubber chicken. Come on, look at this wee little cutie:



This is by far one of the absolute best swap packages ever. And I've done a lot of swaps in my time. Thank you, Faith!

Hogwarts Sock Swap - Design Contest!

I almost don't want to post this because my pal will know at least part of her gift, but I can't refuse a chance to score points for my Slytherin classmates. I have never written a sock pattern before, so it's rudimentary, and it assumes that you know how to knit a toe-up sock, if you need assistance with the toes or heels I suggest checking out the Universal toe-up sock formula on Knitty.



Dobby Style House SockMark

Materials:

fingering weight in your choice of two colors (Elann Peruvian Baby Silk in Cornflower and Mocha Cream pictured)
set of 5 size 0 DPNs (or one circular for magic loop or two circulars)

Gauge doesn't matter too much since it's not going on a foot, but mine is 11 stitches and 14 rows in a one inch square.

Finished size is just over 1" wide on the leg portion and 13.25" long from toe to toe.

There was an error in the second toe's decrease rounds, the correction is in bright red. Whoops!

Directions:

My preferred toe-up sock method may vary from what you use, so the first part can be changed to suit your needs.

Provisionally cast on (I use a long-tail provisional cast on, you can use a crochet chain if desired) 6 stitches with color 1 onto one of your DPNs. Since the provisional long tail creates your first knit row, purl the next row, then knit the following row. Pick up the stitches from the cast on edge onto another DPN (making sure you have 6 stitches on each needle), removing waste yarn, and continue to knit around the picked-up stitches. You can continue to work with your stitches on only 2 DPNs if desired, or you can divide them onto 4 DPNS. I divided mine after completing the toe.

Next round, K1, M1L, knit 4, M1R, K2, M1L, knit 4, M1R, K1
K one round
Repeat above two rounds, knitting 6, then 8 stitches in place of the knit 4, for a total of 24 stitches.

Switch to color 2 and knit 20 rounds.
Switch to color 1 and add your heel - mine is a short row one, with 3 wraps per side.
Switch to color 2 and knit 30 rounds.
Switch to color 1 and knit one round.
Switch to color 2 and knit 11 rounds.
Switch to color 1 and knit 2 rounds.
Switch to color 2 and knit 9 rounds.
Switch to color 1 and knit 3 rounds.
Switch to color 2 and knit 7 rounds.
Switch to color 1 and knit 4 rounds.
Switch to color 2 and knit 5 rounds.
Here is your center point, now the rounds reverse.
Switch to color 1 and knit 5 rounds.
Switch to color 2 and knit 4 rounds.
Switch to color 1 and knit 7 rounds.
Switch to color 2 and knit 3 rounds.
Switch to color 1 and knit 9 rounds.
Switch to color 2 and knit 2 rounds.
Switch to color 1 and knit 11 rounds.
Switch to color 2 and knit one round.
Switch to color 1 and knit 30 rounds.
Switch to color 2 and add another heel, making sure it's on the same side as the first.
Switch to color 1 and knit 20 rounds.

Switch to color two and work your second toe:

K one round
Next round, SSK, knit 8, k2tog, SSK, knit 8, k2tog
Repeat above two rounds, knitting 6, then 4 stitches in place of the knit 8, and kitchener your remaining toe stitches closed.



As with all patterns, this is for personal use only. Please respect my creative copywright, ok?

Hogwarts Sock Swap

So I just posted the questionairre for the Hogwarts Sock Swap and I should probably mention a few things in regard to it.

1. Go forth and join.

2. I have yet to knit a single sock.

3. I am crazy. Want proof? See #2.

4. Having to buy sock yarn breaks my Knit From Your Stash. Oh wait... *checks guidelines* 2.a. Sock yarn does not count. *breathes sigh of relief*

5. I made a button specifically for me because Slytherins rock.



Whoo!