So much to cover!

Over the past months I've been so active knitting, crafting, and taking on new adventures. I haven't shared much, not because I didn't want to, but because of lack of time. I have to block out time for all the things that I do each day, and I've failed to make my blogging a priority. I am working on fixing this though, so I'll load up this post with alot of fun stuff to share, including FO's!

A recent FO, made for a spoilee I had in the Vampire Swap, is the "Fresh Bite" scarf. This is super easy to knit and definitely fast to knit.



The buttons were very special for me to choose, they are my 2nd choice, first choice of buttons didn't fit through the buttonholes, so these were my 2nd and I think they are perfect, and should of been my 1st choice! Thankfully the 1st choice of buttons didn't fit.



Pattern: Fresh Bite Scarflet
Yarn: OPUS 1 by Zitron
Needles: US 8
Started/Finished: Not noted, sorry, but I did make it in the latter part of October over the course of 2-3 days. Probably spent a few hours on it.
Mods: None.
Make again?:Yes, I will make again!! One for me definitely, and one for my Mother, who liked it very much.
Supplies:Yarn and buttons purchased from GPY.

Do you know why I choose these buttons? What do they look like? What would help is the theme of the swap, which was a "Vampire" themed swap, so now do you know? Well they look like bloody vampire teeth to me, at least that's my take on it. The green colored yarn, a choice I made based off of my spoilee's taste. The fit of this scarf is very nice, and the yarn, OPUS, an aloe based yarn is just divine. Extremely soft and the slow gradient color change is very pretty.

In the middle of all my craziness, I also got my package from my super secret spoiler from the Vampire swap. My good friend and co-worker was referred to the Vampire swap by me 8-) and she was given the task of spoiling me, but did I know? Nope! During the whole swap, she wasn't allowed to let on that she was secretly stalking me. Then, one Saturday, she calls me to ask what I'm doing.

I was like "I'm knitting, why?"
To which Christy says "Well I was going to stop by the LYS and see if you wanted to meet up"
I said "No sorry, I'm knitting right now, maybe tomorrow?"
Christy said "Ok, well just checking, talk to you later, bye."

After getting off the phone I look at the clock, it's about 5:30 p.m., but it didn't mean anything to me, so I continued knitting. About 30 minutes later my home doorbell rings, I assume it's my brother, who I was expecting to stop by. Nope! It's Christy, with a big smile "Surprise!" holding a large black bag with red tissue paper. I still didn't put it together!

I was like "Hi?"
Christy said "I'm your spoiler! For the Vampire swap! Here to deliver your package personally."

I was utterly flabbergasted! I've always heard of people in swaps getting packages delivered directly to their doors, but this was a first for me. Here's how everything was packaged up.





Christy seriously spoiled me rotten! Everything a perfect match. I love the yarn by Hazel knits.



And the Porom beret, a pattern from one of my favorite designers, Brooklyn Tweed.



It also came with this amazing scarf! Which I've worn many times since I was given it.



Christy, if you read this post, "THANK YOU!!!!!".

Now onto the Reducio Swap, theme "Hogwart's Teachers". I made these wee items for my spoilee.



This is a miniature version of Professor McGonaGall's witch hat. I looked all over to find a good mini-witch hat pattern but couldn't find any. So I devised up this one, trying as best I could to make it look like the real thing. You'll notice the crooked tip of the hat, which McGonaGall is known for in her hats, as well as the feathers. I actually want to make another one for me, just to have on my shelf. The hat turned out better than I had anticipated.

I then made a Gryffindor mini-sock, based off of my spoilee's house.



I made a boo-boo when knitting this, knitting the "G" for Gryffindor in the wrong area (intarsia method), so what ended up with was "G" in the front of the leg vs. the side. I realized I had to fill the void of the back of the leg now, so I stitched this.



What does that look like? I'm hoping you say the Golden Snitch, which is what I was aiming for. In the end, I was happy with the sock turn out. Knitting the miniature items is always fun and creative.

I still have more to share, but I'll end for now. Tomorrow's a holiday for me, yay! No work = knitting, sewing, crafting, = FUN!

Happy Wednesday!
~Rocky

Getting Ready for the Ravelympics 2008!

As you probably know, on Ravelry, there is a group for “Ravelympics2008�, where knitters, crocheters, like myself will compete in different events. Events range from WIPwrestling, which is completing as many WIPs as you can, or AmigurimiToss, making animals, Hand-Dyed Hurdles, dyeing yarn, and so on.

The competition will run parallel to the Official Summer Olympics in Beijing, CHINA, which starts this Friday, 8-8-8. Once ceremonies open, knitters have the green light to start knitting, dyeing, spinning, you name it, all until the ceremonies end.

I’ve joined a number of teams...

TEAM ROLL:

Team Knitting Bloggers EVENTS Hand-dyed hurdles & Handspun Heptathalon
Team Blue Moon EVENTS AmigurumiToss & Sockput & Cowljump
Team Hopelessly Overcommitted EVENT ShawlRelay
Team Junkie EVENTS MittenMedley & Hatdash
Team Bob EVENT FeltedFreestyle
Team Hogwarts EVENT HolidayHandball
Team Stashdown EVENT AmigurumiToss & Hatdash
Team Sundara EVENT Freeforallstyle
Team Loopy EVENT Sockput


Isn’t he a cutey!


So, I’m crazy, no?? But it is fun 8-) There’s no penalty for not completing your projects, but at least you apart of a team with the same purpose to complete your projects before end of ceremonies. Wish me luck 8-)

In other news, guess you could call it a “Online Yarn Crawl�….

I’ve gotten some goodies in, I was reading a blog, or got an email from the Yarn Pirate, can’t remember which happened first? Anyways I was able to score 2 skeins of Yarn Pirates Booty (boy doesn’t that sound weird..hee hee).

Feast your eyes on “Blueberry� , just luscious! Now I wish I had bought 2 of these.


And “Sweet Magnolia�, I just love the soft colors



Now to Knitterly Things, I usually check the shop update, and see if I can score some more Vesper yarn, usually I miss out, but this time I was at least able to get my hands on one of the cute “Wee Skein Kit’s� #37, which has colors: Mamacita, Algae, Neopolitan, and Strange Little Mama.




Onto Eat.Sleep.Knit, where I purchased some soft yarn “Pima Petite� in the “Gems of Turquoise� colorway.




And “BREAKING NEWS… JUST A ‘BIT AGO�
I got an email from Eat.Sleep.Knit. that they are now offering the newly coveted “Malabrigo Book One� book. I quickly clicked over and bought this puppy…. Ooh can’t wait…

Is that cover not to die for?? I want that pattern and yarn color!


Last, but not least, I finally received my pre-ordered “BIG Stitch� book, that I ordered from the Bagsmith, way back a million years ago, from then to now, I’ve moved, and this books been on a mission to get to me, finally. I completely forgot that I bought this until I got a phone call from the Bagsmith trying to track my new address down. What’s even nicer, I had no idea it would be signed by the author? So sweet, and there are some pretty cool patterns in this baby. These are to be used with EXTREME knitting needles, I bought size 50 at Stitches West 2008, there monsters, but totally cool! Can you believe the gauge requirements are 1 stitch per inch!!! OMG!