Showing posts with label swaps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label swaps. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Vintage Easter Basket!

I signed up for the Very Vintage Easter Basket Swap and my lovely partner, Yvonne, sent me my package already. She told me she'll be away all week so I'll be sending her's out at the end of the week so it isn't sitting waiting for her. This was a fun swap! I don't think I've done one before where you are teamed up with someone and you each send to each other. Usually you send to one person and get from another.



Here is a shot of the full basket, and the cute wooden box that didn't fit in the basket.
















This is the wooden box, opened up to show the decorated egg cup inside...


















here's the pretty bird egg cup with sparkly egg inside... I love this! It needs to be decorating a high cabinet though, because Butterkitty thinks it is food or something. She immediately started licking the sparkly egg like an ice cream cone. ;-) It looks good on the china cabinet, so it all works out.
















Super cute wooden row of three little chickies...

















beautiful little vintage vase with hanky tucked inside!

Also in the basket: reese's egg, easter tissues, pretty little note pad, ribbon, vintage buttons... Oh, and my very first Fannie May chocolate! And probably something else I'm forgetting at the moment... Thanks, Yvonne!













Oh! And this cute little felt cupcake with easter chicks on top. :-)

A quick update on the knitting front - I finally finished the latest/last pair of Fetching. Yes, they were a Christmas present. But the celebration got pushed until March so I kept putting it off since I was so tired of making these things. It's a great pattern but after *seven* pairs, I'm done. If I ever make it again, it won't be for a very long time. I'm happy with these though, the Comfort Ease shows the pattern very nicely and apparently my Uncle's fiancee had been saying how much she liked my grandmother's and would like a pair, which I hadn't known. I'm almost halfway done with Hey Teach!, or in my case, Hey Librarian! ;-) and need to get it photographed for here and Ravelry both...

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Dish Rag Tag follow up!

The Dishy Dozen finished up with a very respectable 7th place out of 24! This was very fun so I'll definitely try to compete again next year.

After the swap, most of the Dishy Dozen decided to do a reverse swap. Since Dish Rag Tag works down a chain, the reverse swap has you send a box of goodies to the person who send you the box during the tag. I forgot the shipping deadline and was a loser who sent my box off late. :-( But it went out in the mail first thing Saturday morning.

I got my box from Katherine on Thursday. She sent a super colorful dishcloth, three balls of cotton - one lovely blue sugar 'n cream twist, and two SRK CoolSpun which I've never seen before!, yummy sounding cherry tea, chocolate, a tube of needles, and pretty Japanese split markers.
Thanks again, Katherine!

Saturday, October 11, 2008

All Hallow's Eve Package!

Yay, I got my All Hallow's Eve Dishcloth Swap package in the mail today! I box of pumpkiny Halloween goodness. Thanks, Carrie! (Also, Carrie has a gorgeous weimaraner so that's another reason to take a look at her blog if you are a fan of those lovely dogs like I am.)

Here's a look at all the goodies:

peeking into the box...

a pretty wrapped up dishcloth

It's a jack o'lantern!

a nice old fashioned Halloween card
(I'll probably pass this on to my mom for her nifty altering art!)

wonderful pumpkin pie bodywash/shampoo/bubble bath, good enough to eat!

Nifty writing utensils! The crazy pumpkin hand is a pen, the pencil has candy corn all over it, and the skull is an eraser

Ooh, the knitty type goodness. Two skeins of 2nd Time Cotton from Knit One Crochet Too. This beautiful yarn (pink!) is also environmental! It is made from recycled cotton taken from the garment industry (75%) along with a little acrylic (25%). I'm not sure what I'll make with it, but I'm thinking maybe a cowl. I think I'd like one for chilly days at work when a scarf would get in my way. Now to pick the pattern!
And, a package of bent tip needles with the cute little plastic holder. I am always misplacing my (too small and not meant for weaving ends at all) needles so this will be a big help. As long as I put them back in the cute container ;-) but I'm sure I will.

Oh look, a pumpkin! What could be inside?

scrumptious caramels which I *might* be nice and share with my husband. Also a pumpkin pez dispenser!

Thanks again for all the fun stuff, Carrie! Oh, Carrie also has an etsy shop with quilting, stamping, knitting, and clay jewelry and stitch markers! So check it out when you are shopping, the holidays will be here before you know it!

While I'm pimping etsy shops, I can't remember if I showed off my mom and sister's new shop? They are both great artists and crafters and are selling beeswax collage, the cutest clay figures (I am in love with the bunny reading to the baby bunnies), paintings, and much more! Please take a look and consider them for your holiday and other shopping needs as well!

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Dish Rag Tag!!!

Thursday night I got home late and the Dish Rag Tag box was waiting for me! Woo, time to get knitting. But first, the box and its contents:

the box

inside the box

the goodies!
The DRT box came to me from Carole (ravelry link), here's what she included! Her completed dishcloth in the official pattern for me to keep, yummy Ghirardelli chocolate, York mints (ooh, something new!), stitch holders, and a bamboo mini crochet hook for emergency stitches and the like! Oh and the cotton for me to make the next dishcloth with. Thanks, Carole! I'm enjoying the chocolate and mints. :-)

So I knitted the dishcloth a little bit Thursday night until I had to turn in for the night, then I spent Friday morning knitting. Luckily it came on the right day - I had Friday off work for working on Saturday. I got it finished and packaged up with new goodies to go off to Katherine around noon and off it went to the post office!

Unfortunately I didn't realize that my camera battery died without saving the last photo so I don't have a good shot of the dishcloth I finished, just this photo trying to get a closeup of the pattern. Oh well.


We only have two team members left after Katherine so I think we are in the running to not finish bad at all! Go Dishy Dozen!

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

All Hallow's Eve Dishcloth Swap!


Vampire Pumpkin, originally uploaded by Alissao.

Yay, another seasonal dishcloth swap is coming up! There's only a few days to sign up if you're interested...

Here's my questionnaire that needs to be posted before the end of registration:

Knotting Yarn
1. Do you knit or crochet? For how long?
knit; a little over a year (I do know how to crochet but don't do it actively right now)

2. What sort of needles or hooks do you enjoy using the most? Are there some you've been dying to try out and haven't?
I have just about every different kind of needle, and enjoy them all for different types of projects.

3. What kind of projects do you most enjoy? Small things you can take with you, or big complex ones that are just gorgeous when they're done?
both!

4. List one pattern for a dishcloth that you love to make, or just tell us about one you've made or received that you loved.
I'm a big fan of the "petal" dishcloth pattern, and I also like the ones that make different pictures in the center.

5. What are your 'must have' notions? Are there any notions you need or can never have enough of? Any that might make you cry if you owned more?
hmm, stitch markers? I've been doing a few projects lately that need them. I can't think of anything I have too much of...

Petting Yarn
6. What are your favorite yarns to work with? Any you hate or are allergic to?
cottons and intriguing cotton blends (cotton with linen or silk, etc.). I am allergic to wool, even a small amount in a blend. Not only can't I wear it but I get rashes when I work with it!

7. What colors do you like to use in projects? Any we'd never catch on your needles?
I am partial to pinks. I can't think of any absolutely hated colors, just depends on the project.

8. Any cottons you'd like to try you can't find by you, or just haven't gotten around to getting?
Nothing specific I can think of.

Halloween, Fall, and General Stuff
9. Do you like to use bar soap or shower gel more? What kinds of scents do you love? What kind do you hate?
Shower gel! I'm not a bar soap person. I love food scents (fruit, baked things, pumpkin, etc.). I don't like vanilla (yeah, that's a food scent but the one I don't like!)

10. What's more 'Halloweeny' - Ghosts, Pumpkins, or Witches?
I'd say all are equally Halloweeny but I guess I'm partial to pumpkins of the bunch.

11. What's your favorite Treat to get? Sweet or Salty? Anything you're allergic to or just hate?
chocolate! sweet and salty is the best combination! I'm not a fan of nuts unless they're ground like peanut butter.

12. What was your favorite Halloween Costume as a kid? As an adult??
hmm. When I was in kindergarten I was a nurse with a coffee filter cap... I don't think I've had any costumes as an adult? My usual halloween gig these days is the Target halloween tshirt of the year with goofy socks and the like.

13. Are you on Ravelry? What's your ID?
yup. yarnlibrarian surprisingly enough ;-)

14. Anything else you'd like to be sure your pal knows?
um, can't think of anything?

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Wee Tiny Socks and Loopy Ewe Goodies

Last night I made my wee tiny sock for the swap, tomorrow morning this sucker will be headed off to the UK and its new home.
It's Cascade Fixation in Italian Ices # 9955 out of the Jennifer's Mini Sock pattern I've used before.

This one is for me, it's the same yarn but using the Keychain Sock Blocker Sock pattern that comes with the mini sock blocker. (used size 4 needles with the fixation) Very nice pattern. This is my second mini sock blocker, I had a Loopy credit and I used it to get another one of these for my knitting bag (the first is on my keychain)
and to get this
it's a kitchener stitch dogtag! This ingenious little thing comes from Knitcellaneous the same people who do the mini sockblocker keychains. Here it is at the Loopy Ewe, unfortunately they are out of stock at the moment but I'm sure there's more on the way! Oh, I see they are still available directly from Knitcellaneous. But if you're working toward Groupie status, cough cough... I am also in deep love with Sparkle the Peacock and really want one. But I'm holding off because Sheri said she'll be getting them and you know, I'm a groupie wannabe. ;-)

Here it is again in it's new home attached to my sockmonkey sockbag. Just what I needed to keep the steps in my head!
One more goodie from The Loopy Ewe, this time a freebie! This purchase put me one step closer to being a Groupie and got me this little treat from Sheri!

Fitting into the tiny sock theme, it's a Loopy's Red Sock Kit! Since I can't make it myself (wool) my friend Katie has offered to make it for me. yay!

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Two quick things...

  1. My progress on Danica - I'd say I'm 70 to 75% done now? I'm guessing I have about a quarter of the yearn left. And it is just over four feet long so it should be a good size when I run out of yarn. I am kind of working on this all the time when I should be making progress on other things because I want to get it done so I get to wear it this year before it gets too warm!
  2. Wee Tiny Sock Swap! - If you don't do sock swaps, like me, (too much work to swap away, the wool thing etc.) consider the Wee Tiny Sock Swap from yarnmiracle - all you do is make ONE tiny sock, send it off to your assigned person and get one from someone else in return! There's a flickr group, there's a ravelry group... You have to sign up by this Thursday, you'll get your assignment on Friday, you mail the sock on Monday. Emily has a pattern (pdf) you can use or use any tiny sock pattern - if you have the mini sock blocker that has a pattern, or this is the one I've used in the past. These things are quick so the weekend is really not a bad deadline. Or, get started now! Info here, sign up here

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

A day of packages!

On Friday I had a very good mail day! I got my Defeat the Winter Doldrums Dishcloth Swap package from Georgi (Thank you!), and my prize package from winning the drawing on the swap blog.

First, the swap package:
We have here not one but two lovely pink dishcloths that Georgi knit for me (the dark pink one has a heart on it), lavendar soap, two yummy sugar n' cream yarns, a smiley card, a Godiva chocolate bar!, and the little tube is a batch of lovely stitch markers!

Here is a closeup of the two dishcloths
And here is a closeup of the lovely glass stitch markers. The best part is they are a larger size (up to a 10 needle) and the set I already have is for smaller needles. So now I'm pretty well covered. They are made by Julie Beers Designs and are called "Field of Flowers". Pretty, aren't they?


And now for my prize, here's the bag all buttoned up. This is a really great, well made little bag! For an idea of the size, it is holding three balls of sugar n' cream with a bit of room to spare. It has that great button closure and a pocket on the outside as well. I'm currently using it as a project bag for a scarf project.

And now here's the bag opened up and showing off the contents! Two balls of sugar n' cream (blue and green twist) and a yellow and white ball of peaches n' cream.
Yay! Thanks again to Anne and Holly and the entire Winter Doldrums gang especially Cindy who made the bag and donated it all to the swap.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Me? A winner?

I'd like to thank the academy... O.k. I was picked randomly. Thank you random number generator!! ;-) I won a prize for signing up for the Defeat the Winter Doldrums Dishcloth swap and posting about it here. squee! You can see my prize here and I'll blog it when it arrives!

Friday, January 11, 2008

Defeat the Winter Doldrums Dishcloth Swap Questionnaire

There's still time to register!

1. Do you knit, crochet, or do both?
I know how to do both, but at this point I really only knit.

2. What types of needles do you enjoy using for making dishcloths?
bamboo or wood; straights or circs or the flexs (split circs)

3. What types of cotton do you enjoy using for making dishcloths? Is there any that you've been wanting to try?
Anything! So far I've used sugar n' cream, peaches n' cream, and Blue Sky Cotton

4. What color(s) are your kitchen and bath decorated in (if any)?
My kitchen is turquoise and pink (1950s!) with also some red. My bathroom is blue and neutrals (stone colored floor etc.).

5. What are your favorite colors for yarns? Least favorite?
I am overly fond of pink. ;-) I can't really think of any colors I don't like except for just yucky colors like 70s green and yellow.

6. Do you like Winter, or do you count the days until it ends?
I like Christmas and I like it to be snowy at Christmas. After that, I'm pretty much done with it.

7. What's your favorite way to brighten your day when you're down in the dumps?
Knitting and British tv.

8. What is your favorite treat to indulge in and when your down in the dumps?
chocolate

9. Do you drink coffee? Tea? Cocoa?
no coffee or tea for me. I do like cocoa.

10. If you could take a vacation starting tomorrow and go anywhere for one week and money were no object, where would you go and what would you do?
Hmm, either Ireland or Savannah. See the sights in Ireland, show Trevor everything I loved in Savannah last time.

11. Do you have any allergies or aversions your pal should be aware of?
Allergies: wool Aversions: I am not a fan of nuts, even in the aforementioned chocolate

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Defeat the Winter Doldrums!

Remember the Fall into Autumn dishcloth swap I did? Well it is now time for the Defeat the Winter Doldrums swap! Registration starts on January 11th.

These are the swap requirements:
  • You must have a blog.
  • You must post regularly - no less than once weekly.
  • You can't have flaked or been AWOL in previous swaps from that group, in the Tea Swap, or in KVVS
  • Package Requirements:
    • $20US Minimum Spend Requirement
    • Knit or Crochet Dishcloth(s)
    • Yarn for your pal - at least enough for a small project (100g or more recommended)
    • Some sort of yummy soap - there are links to some handmades in the sidebar (of the dishcloth swap blog), and any kind that's not your average Dial or Lever 2000 is welcome!
    • Any other treats that you think will brighten your pal's winter - Edible treats or notions for Knit or Crochet are great things to include.
And you can go here for more information and to sign up starting January 11th.

Saturday, October 27, 2007

All my Fall into Autumn Goodies!

O.k., here it is, my Fall into Autumn swap package!
Here we have: the keychain sock blocker with sock pattern!!!, Halloween stickers, a cute little lion clip, a Hebert's Mokanola chocolate bar (dark chocolate with java drops and granola - yummy, I'm eating it right now), and that gorgeous yarn! It is Rowan Summer Tweed and I have been wanting to try it. It's 70% silk, 30% cotton and the pink has beautiful tweedy bits of yellow and purple. ;-)

And here, the lovely dishcloth Jenna made me (I haven't tried this kind of pattern yet so I am very impressed by the round kind of dishcloth!), a pretty fall kitchen towel, a shiny flower embroidered purse (soon to star in my knitting bag), and two yummy smelling soaps - Canus Goat's Milk Soap with Marigold Oil (saw this at Rhinebeck but didn't treat myself to any!) and Pre de Provence Exotique.

Thanks again, Jenna, I've enjoyed getting the secret swapper messages from you and love my package.

Friday, October 26, 2007

Fall into Autumn package!!

Just a quick note to say that I got my wonderful Fall into Autumn package today! I love everything and I will be posting photos and info Saturday night. :-D And! See that link to swapdex over there? The Jenna of Swapdex was my secret swapper! :-) I really appreciate the work you put into swapdex, Jenna, so it is easy to find swaps all in one spot. O.k. more swap info tomorrow, I must go to bed!

Monday, October 1, 2007

Craftiness and a friendly swap

In June I went to visit my friend Amy and she let me pick out some fabric from her stash and said she'd make me a needle roll with it. She sent me the wonderful finished products a little while ago and I have been a little late in getting photos. In exchange I made her a few crafty things and sent them back to her! First, the lovely needle rolls (I actually got two different sizes!) both rolled up and in action. I especially love the pink and green retro cocktail fabric. :-)














the red one holds my straight needles and the black one is holding my circular needles and my long dpns



These are what I made her - a Skully Dishcloth, a tiny sock on a string, an emergency dropped stitch fixer, and some shrinky dink sock monkeys. Here's a close-up of the smaller items with a bit more information.















Excuse the sock monkey glare. The sock monkeys are very teeny tiny thanks to the wonder of shrinky-dink (I loved this stuff as a kid!). I used a rubber stamp (you need to use permanent ink not the plainest cheapest kind) - I stamped the monkey on with brown ink then colored the eyes and lips with colored pencils then presto changeo it is shrink time! A few are on jump rings to be stitch markers or charms, a few are earrings, and one is on a hook as a knitting bag decoration or something. :-) I am making bunches of the tiny sock monkeys as part of my Christmas gifts - the tiny shrunken ones will go onto my tiny sock ornaments and the full size stamp will go on the labels on my handmade sock gifts.
Thanks again, Amy!

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Fall Into Autumn Questionnaire

I just joined this swap! So here are my questionnaire answers for my future swap-ee:

1. Do you knit or crochet? How long have you been doing it?
Both, but I prefer knitting at this point. I have been crocheting for two years and knitting for four months.

2. Have you made dishcloths before? Do you use them yourself, give them as gifts, or both?
Yes. Both.

3. What's your favorite cotton to make cloths from? What cotton would you like to try that you haven't before ?
Any cotton really! I frequently use Sugar 'n Cream or Peaches 'n Cream. Sometimes I make decadent ones using Blue Sky Cotton.

4. If you knit, do you prefer circular or straight needles? For all, do you prefer wooden, metal, or plastic needles?
Usually straight but I use circular some too. Wooden/bamboo is my favorite, plastic is o.k., I am horrible with metal needles. The stitches just jump off!

5. What are your favorite colors? Any colors you don't like much?
Pink is a favorite. I can't think of any colors I don't like, really.

6. What do you like best about Autumn?
Going apple picking, pumpkin picking and carving, halloween decorations, baking, cool but not too cold weather, leaves changing...

7. Pies: Pumpkin? Apple? Pecan? All of em? or No Thanks!
Apple - yes Pumpkin - yes Pecan - no thanks!

8. When you were a kid, were you the one who couldn't wait to get started with school , or the one who overslept on the 1st day?
Hmm. I think I was excited about school for the first day (but still didn't want summer to end) then didn't like it after that.

9. Do you celebrate Halloween? (The real key here guys is especially knowing if you have an aversion to the holiday or little goodies/decorations associated with it, given the timeframe of the swap)
yes

10. If you had to choose just 3 edible 'goodies' to eat for a full year, what 3 would you choose?
chocolate. Just chocolate. Of any kind unless nuts are involved. ;-) Also, fruit, and... more chocolate I guess.

11. Do you have any pets? Kids? Husbands who seem like kids? ;)
Yes (two cats); No; You could say that ;-)

12. If you were to describe a particular yarn that shares traits of your personality, what would it be and why?
Pass? I'm just not good at that sort of thing. I don't know what kind of animal or tree I'd be either.

13. Do you use your cloths mostly for dishcloths, or as facecloths?
dishcloths

14. Favorite Fall Holiday: Halloween or Thanksgiving and why? (Feel free to share another fall memory if you do not celebrate either of these holidays)
Probably Halloween for the fun and the fun decorations. Although Thanksgiving used to be a favorite when I was doing the cooking and spending the day with my family.

15. Do you have any allergies or aversions your pal should know about?
Wool! That's it really. I'm good with other animal fibers like alpaca. Not allergic to any foods etc.

Friday, March 30, 2007

No sheep for you!

Woo hoo, I have just signed up for the No Sheep Secret Pal Skein Swap thanks to my friend, librarianamy! Yay for non wool yarn. I don't actually have No Sheep for You yet but I'll be checking out the library copy if I haven't gotten mine yet by the time I am up to speed on knitting. (I am experienced with crochet but am just starting out with knitting)
 

Made by Lena