I got my Big Bag swap today!!

Oooo, and it's so Pretty!! My bag was knit by Elizabeth! The colors are PERfect, and there were such wonderful goodies! There was a beautiful piece of batik fabric, Elizabeth says it was dyed by a local artist, AND Elizabeth herself dyed the lovely yarn hanks!! Very impressive! There was divine tea, and thankfully some row counters (I definately need those!) as well as a book that looks good and spooky. A bar of Dagoba chocolate with Lavender in it (I absolutely adore that brand!) and some Eucolan wash topped it off! What a great swap, I have to say this one was easily my very favorite! Thank you thank you Thank you Elizabeth! To check out all the cool bags that are being swapped, go to the Big Bag Kal Swap!

Knitted Kitty part Deux!

Here is my second Knitted Kitty to swap on Ravelry. I named her Snapple because she looks so much like my own kitty! And I discovered that I can't wrap my mind around intarsia in garter stitch, how embarrassing! I can do it in stockinette, so her little back patch is stockinette and the rest in garter stitch. I can't tell you who it's for, but it's getting posted today, so hopefully she'll get it soon!

Knitter's Scavenger Hunt swap from Debbie: Thank you!

...for my WON-derful package!! These aren't the most fabulous pics, but I am quite enamoured of my Scavenger Hunt gifts!!





First, I got Something Green: a HUGE hank of Cascade Eco-yarn in a yummy fuschia



Somthing Round: one of those clever Clover thread cutters that can go thru customs

Something Local: Scrumptious looking chocolates, including "Icewine" filled Dark Chocolate candy bar....I'm saving that for Sunday, with coffee!

Something "T": A devilishly cute Hello Kitty tote bag!! Perfect for carrying a knitting project around!



Spoiler's Choice: A Wild & Crazy ornament of Animal, from the Muppets, playing drums!! He looks a LOT like me, when I played combo drums in high school!!



and my absolute FAV?? See the little cotton knit fabric bags in black, white & red?? They are eco-ganic cotton, with LITTLE PANTIES printed on them!! OMG!! Love, love, love these!! I know, I know, what a twisted woman, but I can't help it!

Thank you Debbie, SO much, and thank you Carly for organizing everything!

Big Bag KAL progress!

So I have started my Big Bag for the KAL and Swap!! My swappee likes red and blue, and I didn't have any wool in the house suitable, poor me! So I just HAD to go to the LYS Monday, and spent aLOT of money (well, they were having a sale, so I got some stuff for me, and I had to get the Norah Gaughan books 1 & 2, and...)

Anyway, I changed up the stripes pattern a bit, of course that's making counting the rows a challenge [I apparently need a row counter, hint, hint! Any old cheapie one would do!]




That is a 6" aluminum ruler lying on the bag, by the way...it is HUGE!! Using Cascade 220, a 10.5 needle produced a gauge that was just too tight. It felts better if there is a bit of play in the knitting, so I went up to the next size I had on hand, which was a 15 needle. Anyway, it should felt just fine!

I didn't want this to end up too "red, white and blue" patriotic, though, so I remembered these cute little felt flowers. I've got red and light blue, and I'm going to sew them onto the dots after the felting is done, probably with little buttons, or possibly beads.

I think it will be lovely, and I'm about 20 rows from the end, yea!!

Knitted Kitty!

I signed up for the Ravelry Knitted Kitty swap; of course, I didn't completely understand the instructions. Apparently you sign up indefinately to knit and swap a kitty each and every month!! Luckily, they are small and easy to whip up, otherwise I would be doomed to disappoint someone at some time.

So, here is my first little kitty that I shall mail out tomorrow morning:



Her name is Lucy the Jellicle Cat. I had a lovely rescued jellicle, Tipper, from 9/11/01 (yep, THAT 9/11) until 9/11/05, when she passed away. She was truly a jellicle, for they are rather small, black and white, and like to caterwaul at the moon in the middle of the night! So this little knitted kitty reminds me of Tipper, but of course she is a bit smaller, and not nearly as vocal! I won't tell you who I'm sending it to, but I hope she likes it!

Part of the swap is to include a Birth Certificate with a name and date of birth for your kitty, which I printed up on some nice document paper I had. That was as much fun as knitting the kitty!

Big Bag KAL Questionnaire!

Oh my goodness, I'm so excited! I just mailed out my Scavenger Hunt swap box, and felt all sad because I needed a new swap, and look what I found! The Big Bag KAL swap!! Yippee!

Here is my questionnaire, and my answers to each question:

1. Do you knit, crochet, or do both? For how long?
I really only Knit, I crochet quite badly! I do remember knitting a Barbie scarf when I was 6


2. What other crafts do you do, if any?
I sew everything, quilt, bead, paint, screenprint. I make sterling silver jewelry (with a torch!)

3. What are your favorite colors? Colors you loathe?
I love purple with acid green or yellow or gold; I love fuschia and black; I love the colors of pansies; I adore apple green...I loathe only beige, and even that can be beautiful in combination with other colors! Or if it's linen-beige, I lvoe linen!


4. Favorite yarn brands? Fiber types? Yarn you can't stand?
Right now I am loving Jo Sharpe DK wool, and also anything alpaca. I love Cascade 220, and varigated yarns. Just not sock yarns, unless I'm knitting lacey stuff with it.

5. What is your favorite type of item to knit/crochet?
I like to knit in the round, and knit little toys, food, objects

6. What kind of needles do you like? (i.e. circular, straight, metal, bamboo, etc.)
I love bamboo, circular or straight...where is that #8 circular??

7. Any knitting tools you lack but crave?
My #8 circular!! 16 inches long, 24 inches long, whatever, can't find it! Can't find the double-pointed 8's, either!

8. Patterns you've been dying to get but haven't yet? Ooo, no, I pretty much get the patterns I must have when I see them, I am unfortunately very impulsive in that way....I need to be more productive!

9. Do you drink coffee, tea, cocoa? Flavors you love/hate?
Love coffee, love cocoa, love mint, lavendar, green teas. CANNOT drink chamomille (allergic)

10. Favorite sweets & snacks?
Chocolate, Chex Mix, Doritos, peanut-butter filled pretzels!

11. Any pets, kids, spouses? Spouses that act like pets or kids? (j/k)
I feel like I have a house full of 3 year-olds, when really its a husband, a 17 yo daughter and a 4 yo cat!

12. Favorite things to knit/crochet for the above, if applicable?
Lots of skull-covered hats, mittens, scarves!

13. What kinds of books do you like to read? Favorite authors or genres?
I like vampire/sci-fi...I love Laurell K Hamilton, MaryJanice Davidson, Katie MacAllister, Orson Scott Card, Ursula K. LeGuin, Kim Harrison, Sherrilyn Kenyon...you get the idea!

14. Do you collect anything? (besides yarn! LOL!)
Fabric, books of all sorts, 1940's kitchen stuff, Hello Kitty, Chococat stuff

15. What, if any, are your non-craft related hobbies? I'm an artist, so I try working on my stuff; I like to grow herbs;

16. Scents you adore? Scents that make you gag?
I love lavendar, rosemary, thyme, mint, patchouli, vanilla but am really allergic to roses

17. What is your idea of a relaxing time?
I like to curl up on the couch with a cat and read. Or I like to have the husband build a fire and watch Dr. Who, or the movie Fifth Element, or Underworld!

18. Oh yeah, are you on Ravelry and if so, care to share your Ravelry ID?
In Ravelry I'm redpanties, of course!