Craftylilly

Swapalooza!

After about a year of taking a break from swaps, I recently participated in two fun swaps.  The first swap I had fun with was the Words and Bookmark swap organized by Zoe.  The idea was to swap books written before the 1940's that had a passage which references knitting.  Included with the book we were to make a bookmark and mark the knitting passage with it.  Penny was my pal.  I sent her Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse, and she sent me this lovely package.  There's a skein of lovely yarn from LavenderSheep, and not one but two books:  A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Little Women.  She also knit two bookmarks for the books and sent along some yummy popcorn!  Thank you Penny!

I also participated in the Fiberflix Vacation swap that I organized through the Ravelry group.  The idea here was to swap a vacation themed DVD, and a pattern and yarn that could be brought on vacation.  My upstream pal Beth did a fantastic job on my package.  She sent me two movies that I haven't seen but have wanted to very much: The Holiday and A Good Year.  She also included a lovely smelling candle, yummy gummy candy, chocolates, a journal, two patterns (a throat warmer and Christmas socks), and a gorgeous skein of yarn from Bluestocking Yarns.  Bluestocking yarn site is worth a visit.  The colorways are based on literature.  Very cool.  Beth did a great job!

In crafting news, I completed spinning up the 12 ounces of black/gray shetland wool roving that I got from Lambtown in Dixon last summer.  The color in the picture is quite a bit lighter than the actual color.  I spun it as a worsted weight three ply just like the Moorit shetland wool I worked on a couple of months ago.  I'm thinking of pairing them for a sweater project.  I ended up with about 700 yards of worsted weight.  I'm in love with it!  I'm thinking working with this handspun may be the first thing to knit this fall.

 

Wee Tiny Socks!

I forgot to show off the sweet wee tiny socks that arrived from Monica.  Aren't they the cutest?  I heard that my wee tiny sock pal received her sock too.  I really enjoyed being a part of this swap.  It was really low stress, and I've made two new friends.

And to prove that I'm trying to take the camera out a little more, here is a picture or two from the family Sunday hike on the trails of Mt. Diablo.  It was difficult to get up the energy to get out there on the trail, but we all enjoyed it so much, we are looking to do it again soon.  Perhaps next weekend?  We saw butterflies, lizards, two frogs, quail, hawks, and lots of evidence that coyotes live here too (if you know what I mean by evidence).  It was a perfect day for a hike too.  We enjoyed a nice breeze, although it started to look like rain so we had to hurry back to the trailhead.   

Do you have a favorite place to hike or take a nature walk?   

A spooky season

A package came in the mail today that is going to make this Halloween extra scary.  The Fiberflix group has had another swap, this one themed for Halloween.  I was partnered up with Kelly (Corwink on Ravelry), and she spoiled me quite well!  First I open the box and find a typewritten note reading "All work and no knitting makes Jennifer and dull girl."  Yep, she sent me The Shining DVD!  Love it!  She also sent me some popcorn, Junior Mints, Mike and Ike, a handmade knitting bag, a fun Halloween cup (commandeered by the kidlets), a screaming doll, and some gorgeous sock yarn from the Red Rock Fiberworks in Colorado.  I'm all set for Halloween.  Thanks Kelly!

I've also been working diligently on RM's Cobblestone sweater.  I'm about halfway through the second sleeve.  I'm keen on getting these sleeves done.  I'm thinking that once I've connected the sleeves to the body, the yoke should be interesting.  I'm intrigued with the short rows used to make the back of the neck higher than the front.  Whenever I do short rows I just have to follow the instructions.  I can't seem to visualize what the endproduct is going to look like. Oh, and notice the tote in the picture?  I got that from Walgreen's of all places.  It's a nice sized tote made of a plastic sided fabric. 

I also thought I'd update you on how big our kitten Ranger is getting.  He's already almost as big as our 7 year old cat, Hazel.  His tail is still super long, and he's quite leggy, so I think he's got a lot of growing left to do.  I think RM wouldn't mind if he got as big as the 20 pound cat he had growing up.  Handsome fellow, no?  Too bad he's such a naughty boy.  Lately he's been wanting to get outside in the worst way.  We only have indoor cats, so he's out of luck, but he is so intrigued with the great outdoors.  For those of you that have wondered about my CSI efforts, Wiji has gone back to using the litter box, and peace seems to have been restored.  I think I've cleaned everything well, so we're good until the next incident.

I've also added a secret project to my WIP's.  I'm still working out the quirks in the pattern, but I can say that I'm using these yarns.  Yep, it's Red Heart Soft in Black and Teal.  I'm not a fan of acrylic usually, but this yarn is quite soft, and is appropriate for the pattern I'm working out.  More details when I have them! 

I'll close this post with a treat that I was given by Kati, my HSKS upstream pal.  She tagged me with this Halloween treat.  Isn't it cute?  The treat giving orginated with Anni, who's been giving out Halloween treats this month on her blog.  The idea is if you are given this treat, that you post it on your blog, pass it along to others, but also provide a link back to the source, Anni!  So, I believe that I will pass on this treat to Felicia - creator of wonderful creatures including some Halloween ones, Rhelynn - another plushy creator with some wonderful creations, and Zonda - creator of wonderful needle cases.      

HSKS Quidditch round 3

Still more trivia for my Ravenclaw team.

What was the name of the book Dumbledore left for Hermione in his will?
a. The Tales of Beedle the Bard

2. Whose sign was on Xenophilius Lovegood's chest?
d. Grindewald

3. Was October 30, 1980 the night that Lilly and James Potter died?
b. No

4. What's another name for the Elder Wand?
a. Deathstick

5. Whose Potterwatch code name was 'Rodent'?
d. Fred

6. What was so special about the peacocks at the Malfoy Manor?
d. They were all white

7. Who does Harry say was "probably the bravest man I knew?"  Snape

8. What thing was Lockhart giving Hagrid advice about getting out of a well?
b. Kelpies

9. What was the occupation of Colin Creevey's father?
d. Milkman

10. Which Professor of Hogwarts was a dueling champion when he was young?
a. Flintwick

Picture Scavenger Hunt
Bertie Botts Beans
Jelly Slugs
Chocolate Frogs
Blood Pops
Jenean's first HSKS kit
(Bonus Point: Who made the kit?) Ansley

Next post, more gray knitting, a naughty gray kitten, and a Halloween treat.

Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap Trivia and Quidditch round 2

Don't mind me, just posting the trivia answers and picture links for team Ravenclaw!  Go Ravenclaw!

1. In Deathly Hallows what does Harry step on when exiting his room to wash his cut?
c. A teacup

2. Which two members of the Order of Phoenix came to escrot the Dursleys to a safe place?
b. Dedalus Diggle and Hestia Jones

3. In order to throw off the Death Eaters, several of Harry's friends take Polyjuice Potion to resemble him and each Harry goes with a different member of the Order of the Phoenix to a different location. Where do Ron (disguised as Harry) and Tonks go?
a. Aunt Muriel's house

4. At Bill and Fleur's wedding, Harry must disguise himself by taking Polyjuice Potion and takes on the appearnce of a redheaded Muggle boy from Ottery St. Catchpol. He was introduced to wedding guests as Cousin . . .
c. Barny

5. Kingsley sends a message via Patronus to warn the Weasleys and wedding guests of the coming Death Eaters. What form does his Patronus take?
b. A lynx

6. In the Half-Blood Prince what drink does Romilda Vane try to give Harry?
d. Gillywater

7. What is the name of the person that heads the Holyhead Harpies?
a. Gwenog Jones

8. What tatoo is Harry reported to have on his chest?
b. Hippogriff

9. What color robes do the staff at Weasley's shop wear?
b. Magenta

10. Where do Nicolas Flamel and his wife Perenelle live?
d. Devon

Picture Scavenger Hunt

You can either post these pictures on your blog or provide a link to where the pictures are located.

A Gryffindor Quidditch Uniform

A Hufflepuff Quidditch Uniform

A Ravenclaw Quidditch Uniform

A Slytherin Quidditch Uniform

A Picture of the Room of Requirement

Actual crafting to show!

I finally have a couple of things to show you!  I'm going to start with the fabulous Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap package I received from Kati!  Look at all the Ravenclaw goodness. First, Kati made me not one, not two, not three, but four small knitting bags.  She made a small project pouch, a small project pouch that clips onto a backpack or purse, a notions bag, and a circular needle holder.  My eyes kept getting bigger and bigger with each project bag I opened!  Plus a couple of them have a Hogwarts insignia ironed on.  Too cool.  She also sent me a Ravenclaw knit bookmark, Addi circs for sock knitting, some lovely stitch markers, a Harry Potter journal, Ravenclaw hand-dyed sock yarn from Shelby, and a copy of the Frog Toes socks.  I feel well and truly spoiled.  Thanks Kati!  Also my downstream pal, Alice, got the package I sent her.  I had a lot of fun spoiling a Hufflepuff!

In some crafting news, I finished up one of my Raiders Spiraling Socks.  I like how it turned out and will be casting on for the next one this Sunday.  It'll be fun to see the spiral emerge in the opposite direction.  The Lorna's Laces is pooling in a strange way on the foot.  You can't tell from this picture, but one side of the foot is black and white stripes, and the other side is gray.  It kind of reminds me of that Original Star Trek episode with the people who faces that are black on one side and white on the other.  It will be really neat if the other foot does the same thing but in mirror image.  You can also see the start of my first sock for Maggie.  I'm using some Megaboot Stretch in a lovely autumnal red, orange, and black marl.  I'm just doing a plain stockinette stitch socks which I things shows off the color change and will be very cozy for her feet.  These socks are zipping along quite nicely and are serving to give me my "color fix."

Which brings us to RM's Cobblestone...  I'm about 2 inches from the yoke section which means I'm close to embarking on a tour to Sleeve Island.  I expect the sleeves to go quickly as it's pretty straightforward knitting.  The goal is to finish this sweater for RM by the end of October so he can wear it this winter.

Speaking of the gray that I've been complaining about for the last week, I was also working on a gray spinning project.  I just finished the plying this week and set the twist.  This project started out as 8 ozs of Corriedale pencil roving from Crown Mountain Farms in the Silver Fox colorway.  It really is a lovely gray mixed with a soft honey brown.  It actually reminds me a lot of our kitten Ranger's color.  I spun up three bobbins full of singles and then decided to try making a three ply yarn.  It was a bit tricky at first figuring out how to control the tension and twist of the three ply, but I got the hang of it.  I ended up with about 630 yards of a dk weight yarn that I think will look lovely as a shawl.  I've got so much on my plate though that this skein is going to go in the basket with all the other handspun.

A couple of other quick notes before I sign off: 

• If you are a member of Fiberflix either the blog or the Ravelry group, remember that October we are watching 28 days later and 28 weeks later!  I'm looking forward to it. 
• My etsy store sale ends Sunday night.  If you have been eyeing some stitch marker jewelry, or any thing else from my shop, please stop on by.  And thank you to all who have stopped by!  I love sending my handiwork to loving, crafting homes.

I hope you all have a great weekend!  I'm off to the TKGA fiberarts market in Oakland tomorrow.  I don't need any more yarn, but I will probably come home with a pattern or two! 

Child Photographer Thursday

So out in blogland there's Saturday Sky, Wordless Wednesday, Yarn P*rn Friday, and other special days where special pictures are posted.  Here on this blog, I hope you will begin to enjoy Child Photographer Thursday.  My kids have been having a blast using the digital camera.  Most of what they take are blurry or of the floor, wall, fingers, but they do take some great shots too, so I thought I'd share more with you.   Last week, I featured the photography skills of three year old PQL, today I'm showcasing 5 year old RR.  I love this picture. 

Now pardon me while I geek out on Harry Potter for a moment.  I joined the third installment of the Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap.  I've been a bit lax participating in some of the Swap fun due to the beginning of school, but I thought I'd jump in on this contest.  We're supposed to post our answers to some Harry Potter trivia questions.  I could be totally wrong on some of these.  My memory of specific details in books can be very hazy.  Feel free to correct me if you know better.  For those here for the knits and beadwork feel free to stop reading now; my next post will extol the virtues of the Lorna's Laces and Rowan All Seasons Cotton.

1. Who is the Hogwarts teacher that Voldermort performed the Avada Kedavra curse on in Deathly Hallows? Charity Burbage

2. Who replaces the Muggles studies teacher in Deathly Hallows? Alecto Carrow

3. When Harry meets Mr. Olivander for the first time, which wand law is introduced?
The wand chooses the wizard.

4. According to Mr. Ollivander, what is not necessary to take true possession of another wizard's wand?
to kill the wizard

5. If you know anything about Harry Potter, you will know that Harry's Patronus is a stag. But what is his best friend Ron Weasley's Patronus?
Jack Russell Terrier

6. Now for the third member of the trio. What form does Hermione Granger's Patronus take?
Otter

7. What did Mrs. Wealey make to eat the first night that Harry arrived at Grimmauld Place?
Stew
8. In book 5, at the start of term feast, what is Ron eating when trying to talk to Nearly Headless Nick?
Roast Potato

9. A half-giant called Rubeus Hagrid takes you to Diagon Alley for the first time. To get there, you go into the courtyard of a pub called the Leaky Cauldron. There, Hagrid taps a certain brick on the courtyard wall three times with his pink umbrella, revealing the entrance to Diagon Alley. As he decides which brick to tap, he mutters instructions to himself. What instructions does he mutter?

‘Three up... two across

10)  The last question is a long one and I couldn't copy it all here, but it basically asked for the 3rd line of the poem posted at Gringott's. 

"For Those who take but do not earn."

There's also a picture scavenger hunt portion so here's that:

Rolanda Hooch

Firenze

Argus Filch

Moaning Myrtle

Colin Creevey

So there you are!  I feel better now...

Sock goodness and a meme

I've been so busy, it's been hard to blog.  I know all of you can relate.  I do have some things to share with you though.  First up, last week I received my lovely Sockapalooza socks!  My sockpal, Pam (sadly blogless), knit for me a gorgeous pair of Diagonal Cross Rib Socks designed by Ann Budd.  Pam used Colinette Jitterbug in the Peacock colorway.  I just love them!  They fit perfect, and are so pretty and squooshy.  She also sent me a lovely gold, silk small project bag from Lantern Moon, chocolate local to her area, Washington State, and a set of Bryspun DPN's.  I'm quite intrigued with the Bryspuns.  They have a nice point and are much more substantial than the Brittany bamboo circs that I have a tendency to snap.  Much thanks go out to you, Pam!  I love everything.

I also thought I'd do the little crafting meme that's been going around.  Lately, through discussions with my mother, I've been thinking about what a strong crafting heritage that I come from.  My best friend also comes from a strong crafting heritage.  It's kind of fun to see what I've been involved in throughout the years.

4. Love it! This is my thing.
Knitting, beading, cross-stitch, spinning, writing, jewelry making (wirework).

3. I do or have dabbled in it.
Designing, pattern-writing (I'd like to branch out beyond accessories), calligraphy (I'd like to learn more), music, graphic design (blogging, web design), cooking, crochet, felting, origami, sewing (I wish I could spend more time on this), macrame, dyeing, embroidery, gardening (specifically roses), lucet, rug hooking.

2. I'll give it a try.
Appliqué, paper making, book binding, flower arranging, millinery, mosaics, shibori, soap making, baking, basket-weaving, painting and drawing, pattern editing, photography, card-making, glass bead making, etching, glass blowing, lacemaking, quilting, stuffed toy making, weaving.

1. I've got absolutely no interest.
Basket weaving, candle making, cartooning, collage, balloon animal making (????), doll house making, paper-mâché, pottery, scrapbooking (I'm not good at this.), stamping, story telling/acting/stage work, straw marquetry, string art, tatting, wood carving, decorating, entertaining (I hate entertaining. Hate it.).

Speaking about my love of Spinning, I thought I'd share with you the fruits of the Tour de Fleece.  The bottom four skeins in the picture are what I actually finished during the tour.  The green is about 300 yds of light worsted wool, the blue/brown mix is another wool blend (280 yards or light worsted), the red/green/pink corriedale is 400 yards of sockweight, and the pink/gray merino is about 400 yards of sockweight as well.  All yarns are two ply.  The two green skeins on top were my warm up for the tour and represent about 600 yards of light worsted.  My spinning has slowed since the tour ended, but I'm still spinning about 3 times a week for 30 to 45 minutes at a time.  I've been doing most of it in the morning before my kids get up.  It's a good way to start the day. 

Lots of news in the whirling dervish of life

Things haven't gotten any more coherent around here, but I do have several bits of news to share with you!

First, I've been making stitch marker necklaces this week.  I've gotten some very positive response about them, and even sold a couple of the original offerings.  This week I've had a couple of custom orders, and I've been working on some more for my shop.  I hope to update the shop on Sunday with 4 to 5 more stitch markers necklaces.  I've been playing around a bit with natural stone beads, and I really like the results.  There's one stitch maker necklace in particular that features jade and carnelian that I may have to make for myself as well.  Let me know if you are interested in one!  I'm always happy to do custom work.  And look for the update on Sunday!

I also got a lovely package from Zoe the other day.  Zoe hosted the Yarn in a Tea Cup swap, and I had a lot of fun.  I really enjoyed planning and sending a package to Gigi, and just look at all the loveliness that Zoe sent me!  I got a beautiful red and white mug, tea that I've already begun drinking, some cookies and chocolate, a Simply Knitting magazine with a cute sheep shaped row counter.  The best though is the yarn!  Zoe hunted high and low for a yarn that I couldn't get here in the US, and she did wonderfully.  She sent me two skeins of gorgeous deep teal 100% Romney wool made by Aragon Yarns.  This yarn is just stunning.  She told me that there's enough for a pair of Fetching Mitts which sounds like it will be the perfect Fall project.  Thank you Zoe for the generous package and the fantastic moderating of the swap.

I've been really busy on the family front as well.  Along with a very busy kitten, the kids and I have been running around a lot.  They finished up summer school last week, so this week has been full of errands and parks.  They are also both learning how to ride bikes.  It's been very fun.  PQL's preschool is keeping me very busy as well.  For the past two years that RR has been at the school, I've served as Secretary on the Board and helped with trying to get the school nationally accredited.  Well, we found out this week that we did get accredited!  I'm so happy and relieved.  All the work paid off, and the children will benefit. 

I also was given the Shmooze Award by Melanie! According to the Award's guidelines:  As it goes, schmoozing is the natural ability “to converse casually, especially in order to gain an advantage or make a social connection.” Good schmoozers effortlessly weave their way in and out of the blogosphere, leaving friendly trails and smiles, happily making new friends along the way. They don’t limit their visits to only the rich and successful, but spend some time to say hello to new blogs as well. They are the ones who engage others in meaningful conversations, refusing to let it end at a mere hello - all the while fostering a sense of closeness and friendship."

I'd like to pass along this award to some blog friends who have become very important to me.  It amazes me that I would never have known these people if it wasn't for the wonder of the internet.  I am thankful for their friendship and inspiration.

Birdsong, Christie, Trek, Carrie K, Olga.  Check their blogs out! 
 

An Owl Post and a shawl

An owl came yesterday and dropped of a fantastic Hogwarts sock swap package from Audrey aka Minerva Sockhag.  Just look at all the goodies she sent me!  She made me a set of cute stitchmarkers, a row counter bracelet, a tin of green tea, chocolate, some lovely handcream, a handknit little sock bookmark, a new sock pattern, a short animated movie, and of course Ravenclaw socks!!!  The socks fit perfectly, and Audrey designed the sock for this swap!  How cool is that?  She has the pattern up on her blog.  Thank you so much Audrey! 

I also was able to cast on for and knit some on my Swallowtail shawl.  I think it's looking quite nice, once you spread it out a little to see the lace pattern.  The lace pattern is interesting enough to keep me engaged, but not so hard that I'm having trouble.  Perfect!  Oh, and see my new sock bag?  I've made a bunch of them for my shop, but I decided to keep this one.  I love the sushi.  I plan to take pictures of the bags I've completed and put them up in my shop next week.  Speaking of bags and totes, what do you think are most useful?  The drawstring sack or a tote bag?  I'm trying to decide where to focus my sewing work.  I'm also trying to decide where to focus my attention on my jewelry for the shop.  Would you like to see earrings?  Strung bracelets and necklaces?  Sets?  More stitch markers?  Let me know.  I haven't been able to devote much time to the shop, but I'd like to do a little more with it this summer.