They made it!

I just got a call from Madison and Main Gallery saying that my bags made it there just fine. I feel much better now. Plus she said that they were beautiful, professional looking, and she loved them!!! I hope the people who go to the show love them too, I think I would cry if I got them all back because they didn't sell.

I'm getting nothing done today. The only thing on my list that I've managed to do is buy bread. I have loads of knitting of course, need to go to the optometrist and order my new glasses (seeing is a good thing) I have to decide which glasses first and no one will help me out by saying so much as "you look like a total geek in those" so I'm on my own trying on the few pairs I got to take home and "test drive" while not being able to really see because I don't have my glasses on. OK, so I'm a little frustrated about that... Plus today is the day my sons stitches come out and he HATES the doctor more than anything else in the world. The appointment is late in the afternoon so it doesn't conflict with my daughter getting out of school, so they will be behind and I hope I don't get out too late to make it to work on time. Work- today is Friday and the ER is always so crazy on Friday night, full of people doing dumb things. At least the craziness will make the night go faster!

OK- rant over. Sorry about that!

HSKS 3 Questions

I got my first email from the person who has me for the swap, and have emailed back and forth with my person as well. The person who got me had a list of questions for me, and then these questions got posted on the blog. I'll just answer both!

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into?



Gryffindor


2. List your favorite double-point needle brands, including size and length. Or would you prefer circulars?



Brittany, Takumi bamboo, Comfort Zone- all dpns. I generally use the 6 or 7 inch ones and knit with size 1 or 2, although I have needed to go up to 3 before.


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



Sure, I'm sure there are lots I've never tried or heard of!


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



Just ignore that one since I'm Gryffindor!





5. Do you have any allergies?



Not to pets or fiber, but I break out from a lot of lotions, soaps, candles, and other things that smell.



6. If you are swapping scarves - what is your desired length for the pattern? This will help your partner find the pattern that is just right for you and buy yarn accordingly.



Socks for me!


I think everyone in on the swap is really excited about it judging by the blog posts, so this should be lots of fun. Gryffindor has won the House Cup the last two "years" so all of us first year Gryffindors have a lot to live up to! I hope I'm good at Quidditch...


Other than swaps what am I up to? I have the toe to finish on the first Burrow sock, I've done the cuff and a bit of the leg on the Hermione socks and I have the first Ginny sock nearly done too. Right now I have sock knitting ADD, so many new yarns and pattern ideas. I'm going to have to finish a few pairs because I'm using all my dpns now! I really should get to working on more bags for the show I have in October. I think I got a bit burned out on them trying to get all those gallery bags done. Which reminds me I need to be sure they made it there alright!

Here's your chance

Now is your last chance to join Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap 3. The sign ups will close today or tomorrow. It's going to be lots of fun, you get to make up a sock knitting kit for your partner. yarn, markers, needles, etc- plus you get one back in return. So get on over there Potter fans and sign up for the sock lovin'.

Bring on the FO's!

I am finally totally finished with all of the gallery bags! I took photos of all but two of them since I promised I would post them before I sent all of the bags off. The bags are getting priced, tagged, and shipped today! Here they are:

That black one has needle felted swirls on it and some fun handles, the gray one has lots of cables and bobbles, and the green one has all those flowers, leaves and vines attatched to it after felting- they go all the way around the bag. My fingers suffered greatly due to the needle felting, I may be too clumsy to realy be allowed to use them!

The brown bag up there has a wet and needle felted covered button attatched that I made. The red one has a black needle felted star on one side.

Some of these guys you have seen before, the purple one with the flowers and the navy one with the white embroidered stars. That big purple on with the fabric covered button was knit out of yarn that I spun myself! The flower on the stripey bag is held on with a pin back and can be removed and worn.

I spent the weekend finishing those guys up. Almost all of them have inside pockets, and the ones that needed it have magnetic snap closures. Now to get them ready to go... If anyone is interested they will be at:

Madison and Main Gallery

927 16th Street (right by UNC)

Greeley, CO

The Art to Wear show starts on September 4th and runs through October 26th.

Other knitting news- the Hufflepuff socks are finished! I can't show photos because that would ruin my pals surprise. I'm still waiting on some things for her package to get here- from Australia. I hope she likes everything.

I restarted knitting The Burrow socks now that the others are finished. I didn't get very far due to a trip to the ER with my son. The one who never gets hurt split his forehead open on his twin brothers head. It was quite the crash. Usually it's the other one who gets hurt- staples in his head three times. So the one who got hurt last night got three sutures after having to have anesthesia to calm him down enough to let anyone touch him. He HATES the doctor! I do so love going to work on my night off!

OMG- there I am!

So I've been keeping my eye out all week- well all three days of it so far anyway- and today is the day I made it on the Lime & Violet blog! Whoever the generous person is who wrote about me had some really great things to say about my etsy shop. I'm way excited- in case you had no idea. To the folks at Lime & Violet... Thank you, thank you!

If you are wondering what I'm so happy about go on over and check it out. Every day there is a new Etsy shop of the day not to mention shout outs and reviews for all things fibery and good. I've already seen lots of other peoples work that I now have a desperate need of. Like the Yarn Pirate yarn and the Wildhorse Designs sock patterns that I read about today.

I should really be getting something done- like knitting- but I had to tell everyone ( or perhaps no one) who reads this all about it. Yay!

Six Degrees of Draco Malfoy ans A Tough Decision

A challenge issued by a prefect for Hogwarts Sock Swap 2 - a character must be traced back to Draco Malfoy in six steps. The character must be picked from a list provided by the prefect. So here is mine:
1-Arabella Figg
2-neighbor of Harry Potter who is the
3-best friend of Ron Weasley
4-Rons father is Arthur Weasley
5-who despises Lucius Malfoy
6-who is Dracos father
Hopefully it will win some points for Ravenclaw!

Oh- and to my swap partner: never fear I have stared the second sock. You shall not have one cold foot after all!

The tough decision? Which sock yarn club to join. A Harry Potter book cover art inspired club 7 skeins, one a month plus a book inspired pattern. Or another awesome club done by one of my favorite etsy sellers- five skeins of yarn, one skein plus a pattern and a few goodies every other month. I can't do both and I'm in love with both peoples yarns! If I wait too long to decide I'll miss out in them entirely. What to do... Suggestions welcome;)

Socks and socks

After talking about Lime & Violet yesterday, I thought I would post a photo of a completed Jaywalker done in Lime & Violet yarn. So here you go:


I won't show much so I don't spoil the surprise entirely, but here is a small peek at the finished sock for my Hogwarts Sock Swap 2 partner:

To top it all off- I have finished knitting the gallery bags!!! Some still need to be felted/fulled, some just need finishing touches, and five are totally ready to go. Pictures to come when they are all complete.

OMG- Lime and Violet!!!

OK, I checked my email this morning and had an Etsy conversation from someone who writes on Lime & Violets blog. For those of you who have not experienced Lime & Violets awesome fibery goodness- otherwise known as sock yarn- you must check it out. It can be a bit hard to get your hands on, but it's well worth it. Anyway! They have chosen my etsy shop to be featured as an Etsy site of the day on their blog- Lime & Violets Daily Chum!!! Sometime this week I'll be there with lots of other Etsy sellers, some rather good company I must say as Etsy people rock! I don't know why they picked me, but I'm really happy about it- thanks!!!

I have a photo of a Jaywalker work in progress on here a few posts back that is knit with Lime & Violet yarn should you care to see it.

Otherwise...I have finished the first sock for my Hufflepuff sock swap partner. All of the first one- third time's the charm I guess. Hopefully my Hufflepuff pal will like them when I'm done! Besides that I have made lots of progress in the bags for the gallery department. Only two left to knit (one is half done) a handfull to felt, several need finishing touches. That may not sound like progress, but trust me it is. However, my needles are calling my name and I really must knit- which I can do while watching football today, yay!

Another Hogwarts Sock Swap

I can't seem to help myself, I've joined another Hogwarts swap! This one is the Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap 3. It should be a really fun swap. We get to put together sock knitting kits for our partners in their house colors- bag, yarn, needles, markers, pattern, etc. It's always great to see what other people come up with. The sign ups close when 100 people have joined or on August 29th, whichever comes first. Get yourself over there and sign up now- it's easy! I got sorted into Gryffindor for this swap- the house I belong in must depend on the day!

I'm supposed to earn five points for Gryffindor if I put the button for the swap on my blog. I have yet to figure out how in the world to do that but I'll see what I can do. If nothing else here's the picture of what the button looks like:

What I'm up to

No pictures or anything so probably a boring post. Been knitting bags like mad for a gallery show, I have four completely finished, five in various stages of progress, so three more still to start and finish up. I need to have tweleve shipped and to the gallery by September first. My hands are hurting and I should probably take a break but if I do I'll never finish in time.

My Hufflepuff socks for the Hogwarts Sock Swap Two ran into a minor snag- at the hands of a four year old- but I do have the leg totally finished on the first one now. If no one decides to help me unknit them again they should be done in plenty of time.

Hmmm... I have another show in the middle of October that my bags tend to do well at, so I have more to knit when I finish the gallery ones. Then a show at the begining of December, and I'm hoping my etsy shop will pick up again in the fall. Christmas shoppers should be about soon. Which reminds me of all the knitting I should do for Christmas- aack!

It's not my fault!

I swear it's not my fault I have such a sock yarn addiction. I could blame it on loads of things, my love of knitting socks for example. Right now I am going to place the blame squarely on one persons shoulders- Liz! She keeps making all this great yarn and selling it. She's a yarn dealer! I can call her that because she threatened to send me to Knitters Anonymous.
Isn't the yarn awesome? The colors are Ginny (as in Weasley) and Half Blood Prince (Harry Potter). I love them. I currently have so much sock yarn I could keep my fingers busy for a year. I'm going to have to try and control myself or I will have spent all my pennies on sock yarn. I don't think we can live in the sock yarn... So help me out and buy her yarn up before I do!

Awesome new bag

I had a box waiting for me on my front steps today, and check out what was inside:

Yep, that's one awesome bag alright. I traded some alpaca lace weight yarn for this great little piece of work made by Cam. She is just as great as her work- and this girl has some mad fiber skills. You can get your hands on some of her work at her Etsy shop.
Better be quick about it though. She only has a few left and you wouldn't want to let someone else carry their stuff around in a bag like this when you can't, would you?

Oh, and what have I been knitting today? I have two bags on needles and in progress, and I fulled/felted another two this afternoon. Might make that September 1st deadline after all!
We just won't talk about all the socks hanging around on needles waiting to be finished, it would just make them feel bad.

Random Knitting Stuff

I've been trying to do loads of things at once. I have at least five projects on needles at the moment. He's a bit of what I'm doing and a bit of what I've done.

The sock you see up there is for my Hogwarts sock swap 2 partner. Since you can't really tell what's happening with the pattern I decided it was safe to post pics without totally ruining the surprise! I'm making up my own pattern for these so I really hope they end up great.

That starry bag is one I'm doing for the gallery show. It's Brown Sheep Lambs Pride Bulky with some embroidery done in alpaca lace weight yarn. I think I'm done with it now. What do you all think, does it need something?

Must go be mom now and then get to work on more bags...