Embers and Envelopes

This post actually has nothing to do with embers, just a song I like. I am feeling uncreative.

But this post has to do with an envelope. Specifically a 6x9 envelopes I receive in the mail.

Over at the My Other Hobby Swap group on Ravelry we are doing envelope swaps in rounds. First round I received a delightful package from Susan that I love and have been putting the pins to good use. And the pez are very nearly gone. And look at how cute my new pin cushion is!

This round I swapped with Kay who you may remember as the nice former owner of my new sewing machine.

And I LOVE it!

I got:

• A crab Beanie baby (I used to collect these!)
• A recipe for chocolate crack that sounds delicious
• Mints in a cute tin
• Clover tapestry needles (I am always loosing mine)
• A squished penny from stitch and pitch that we both attended
• Some yarny spiny buttons
• a row counter I've never had one like this before!
• a Pillsbury dough-boy key chain because I like to bake
• And the cutest ruffly fun wrist warmers. They are so soft and squish-y it makes me glad that I live in a cold weather state

My mom saw me wearing them the other day, even though it is around 75 degrees out at night. She called me silly and then in the same breath said that I should make four for Esme.

But she can't have mine. They're too big on her.

Besides. I like wearing them too much.

Two awesome envelopes. I can't wait for the third one!

Results!

So sorry everyone I know I missed last Sunday's Year of projects update. And that I haven't posted all week. But I've been having some camera problems. I need a new memory card this one has basically been limping along and has finally decided to give up. So until that is fixed I will not be taking too many pictures.

But in better news! Remember my new friend Alica? Well, after having her survey open for the summer she has gotten 483 results. WOW. I took political science stats last summer. And I had a hard enough time with that. I can't imagine trying to use primary data and coming up with everything. Of course I'm terrible at research, probably why I will never become a grad student.

But how did these break down?

Look! There is me in the Minnesota group along with 10 others! (note there were also international bloggers so these numbers don't add up to 483)

For a better look at this break down. Along with really great information about the project. Make sure you go hop on over to look at the full official results. And don't forget to drop Alica a comment!

More about my own crafting when I get my camera up and running again. Also, cross your fingers for me their might be a new computer in my future!

Friendship is Magic

I am in a rainbow battle. No not really. Maybe it is more like the rainbow express? It all started when I asked my wonderful and talented friend Tanya, who was drawing custom my little ponies at the time, to draw a birthday party picture for myself and my roommate (we have the same birthdate but she is a year younger!) With the custom pony she had drawn of me and one of my rommie.

Here is the picture it is sooo cute! I offered to knit her something for her troubles and she requested rainbow fingerless gloves. I forgot to take a picture of them before I sent them out. But they are full of rainbow-y delight you'll have to trust me on this one.

Then on Monday I got more rainbow goodness from her in the form of two keychains! They're super cute and they're like the friendship necklaces from when I was little. One to keep and one to give away (although I want to be selfish and keep that one too!) I was expecting a key chain in the mail but not two and definitely not so darn cute! Mine is already on my keys and I think I know what to do with the other one.

She sent my sister a catbus from totoro as a keychain. Look at the detail on that! If I didn't love my key chains so much I'd be jealous! She is a very talented person!

The newest thing in her etsy shop that I am coveting though is the set of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic key chains she just made and that I got to see in person! Super super cute!

The next rainbow thing that is going to be sent one the "rainbow express" is going to be a joint effort project between us. I have started on my portion but I want to keep it under wraps for a bit. But I will show you the yarn and colors for it.

Intrigued? Like the rainbow? You should!

I so espoiled!

(That is what my mom says to my dog all the time she is so espoiled)

(puppy photo ganked from my sister's photoblog)

A few weeks ago I sent out a queen package to friend Contessa it included sock blockers, kit-kats, and some handspun (handcarded!) yarn that was fun to spin up even though I was allergic to it. And she so happy and in a good mood that she decided to return the favor as a little bit of a surprise. And what an awesome AWESOME package it was.

On my MOHS Wishlist (rav link) I put that I wanted to learn how to crochet. Every time I see things on Ravelry and go "Why don't I crochet again?" Well, it is because it was actually one of the first yarny crafts I tried to learn I was ten, I tried to learn from my mother and it ended up with a lot of yelling and tears.

But she provided me with a Klutz book (which I love) which teaches all the crocheting basics.

She made me RAINBOW stitch markers! (rainbow! that are super SUPER cute along with an entire gauntlet of other stitch markers at well. I absolutely love them and just love how talented she is!
Seriously do you all see how many pretty stitch markers are on there? Soo PRETTY! You all should be jealous of me. If you don't want to be jealous of me checkout Contessa's stuff.

A wonderful note

And some of the cutest rainbowy heart shaped buttons in the world. I wish I could have taken better pictures of them but I failed. I have to find the perfect PERFECT project for them. I'm thinking some sort of fingerless gloves or something else that I can show off.

Sorry I haven't made my Year of Projects update yet. I went camping on Sat/Sun with some friends (this is Oliver). Followed by Stitch n Pitch with some friends I met on Ravelry. Both were extremely hot but extremely fun!

And told Contessa I would make this post today. I'll try to get it done tomorrow. Better late than never right (although it very well might be never if I don't get on it).

The Weekend Update

Okay. I was too busy on Wednesday to do a WIP: Wednesday, had a needle malfunction on Thursday (I lost my spare DPN on the bus!) to have a FO Friday, I was really really close. But so far. So for the silence of this week am I just going to give you a rundown of the projects (except my YOP sock that will be for tomorrow).

1. On the wheel is a BFL silk blend from wool gatherings that i have an idea for that I am excited for.

2. Yesterday felt like a spindle day so I pulled out an old project it is a Merino/Angora blend and I sort of forgot how deliciously yummy it is. Going to work on it more today I think I'm going to make it my goal to finish it for the TdF.

3. I have been teaching one of my roommates how to knit whilst we watch Merlin. Isn't she doing fantastic? I also lent her my copy of stitch and bitch she seems to like it. I'm so excited to live with another knitter again.

4. In honor of the Tour de Fleece I was going to teach my friend Paul how to spin. Because we are both broke and wanted to do something that was free. He liked treadling but lasted about 10 min before he gave up on drafting. Oh well.

5. The only WIP currently besides a few pair of socks I"m trying to finish up is this big and awesome shawl.

The needles are comically big. Size 36's my normal standard size I use most often is a size 3. Think about that for a second. Here it is in comparison to a size 10 needle and my thumb.

A little while after I took that picture I realized that I screwed up the pattern a bit, ripped it out and started it all over.
That is all I have for now. I'll try showing off some more of my work. And maybe blog about my new job later! Tomorrow I'll put up a post about my Year of Projects update. But that is all I have for now.