Swapping all round the world

Just to catch up on how my swaps are going:

My partner in 'Mark those Stitches' has received her parcel from me. She is Mira at Knittintherapy way over in Malaysia.

Also my SP8 partner Maria in Sweden has received her parcel, catch her at Myra's Knitting Basket.

On the receiving end I got a wonderful parcel from my Whose Lace is it Anyway partner Rox, The Fearless Knitter. Take a look.



That's 3 skeins of Knit Picks merino lace weight and a skein of Artizan merino lace weight from New Zealand. They are so soft, I don't want to knit them, just cuddle them. Also the Lucy Neatby pattern 'Falling Leaves' which I have read so much of. Some beautiful red stitchmarkers in a tin painted with a sheep (of course). And of course candy including White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups (and since you are discrete readers you will not notice that the packet is empty!).

Now in a bizarre twist Rox is also the partner I am sending to, and although I have not yet missed the deadline I am cutting it close. Amazon should be taking care of part of it but the rest of the parcel is sitting on my table awaiting posting. (The Post Office is 10Km away and open weird times but I promise it will go tomorrow). As a taster though I can let you know that I got the yarn from Posh Yarn where I also got these for myself (how could I resist? I had to make up the order to get free shipping - didn't I?)




The top skein is Cecilia cashmere/silk in colourway Passionate and the bottom is Arabella cashmere/merino in colourway Feather. They are even better in person, so incredibly smooth and soft. My only moan is that they don't have a Posh label with all the relevant details on, one day I might forget who they are!

I am also behind with my parcel for my One Skein Pal. i think I was lulled into a false sense of security knowing she is on holiday for another week. I must however finish her gift! I have got to the point with it were I am not frogging anymore but they do look a weird shape, so some serious blocking will be needed. Right better get knitting!

Thank you to all the kind wishes for my stung foot. It is still sore but not too bad, and I have to report that lavender oil definitely helps. Thanks for that tip Amber.

Ouch

On Sunday I was due to demonstrate spinning at a Countryside Show locally. So when I got stung by a hornet on Saturday it was sure to be in my right foot! I think it was dying at the time or I probably wouldn't be up and about now. I had bear feet and trod on it and did it hurt! It started swelling straight away and the pain was stunning. You hear alot of stories here about the danger of hornet stings and the accepted practice is to go to hospital if you have been stung in the past (which I have). I rang a friend for advice, I was in such panic she might have been forgiven for thinking I was in the throes of anaphylatic shock! She talked me down however and made me have something sweet to drink, lie down and watch a dvd to take my mind off it. When I spoke to her half an hour later I was much more in control and although in pain and with a swollen foot I was coping. It was lots better by bedtime but I woke in the middle of the night absolutely maddened by the itching! I took some antihistamines which relieved it but have had to keep taking them or the itching comes back. Two days later and it is swelling again and is painful to walk on, so I might end up going to the doctors yet. C'est la vie.

Socks that Rock

And my Secret Pal is dah dah Lorena at Snarkland. She gave me one too many clues not realising I was a long time SF fan. Having said that, it is sometime since I have read anything much in the SF genre. I think the last thing was Maureen McHugh's Nekropolis and that was over a year ago. Oh, except an Iain M. Banks that a friend lent me, 'Player of Games', but I wasn't very taken with that and had to struggle through it. Unlike my knitting, where I have anything up to thirty projects on the go (or rather in suspended animation) at once; I can only read one book at a time, and once started I have to finish a book no matter how awful. This does mean that I can spend months on one book if it is truly awful (as with Patricia Cornwell's 'Trace'). I feel very out of touch with all things SF (can't wait for season 3 of BSG though) so can you recommend any good reads, Lorena?

Talking of my wonderful SP8 though, do you remember the yummy Socks that Rock yarn she sent me? Well they actually tempted me to make my first pair of socks. I have made one sock before (well nearly) and knowing I would definitely suffer from SSS (second sock syndrome) I started both at the same time. Good practice for Sock Wars too!


I am using the pattern 'Timberline Toes' with a short row garter heel form Lucy Neatby's book 'Cool Socks Warm Feet'. It looked the simplest one to start with and is going fine so far.

Everything is on hold though until I finish the gift for my One Skein Pal which I have so far frogged more times than I care to think about. Pictures when it is done.

Mea Culpa

I am sooo behind with everything! Where does the time go to? Have I become a Swapaholic? Why everytime I decide to catch up on my blog do we get ta thunderstorm so I have to turn off everything?

First things first.

THE FUNKY SCARF SWAP QUESTIONNAIRE

Let’s get the allergy part out of the way. Are you allergic to any fibers?
Not that I know of.
Do you prefer any fibers over others?
I like natural fibres.
Thinking back to Scout’s post about what funky means to you, post an image of something that you think is funky!
Anything by Prudence Mapstone.
Would you prefer funky yarn or a funky pattern?
Either or both
What are your favorite colors?
Purples, greens, red, pink
What is your favorite piece of art?
Anything by Franz Marc (also Kandinski)
What colors would you never have up close to your pretty face?
Brown, yellow
Would you prefer an actual scarf or a cowl?
Either
When you wear a scarf do you prefer a wider/shorter scarf or a thin/long scarf?
Either
What is the climate like where you live?
Warm in summer, cold in winter
Would you prefer a functional scarf (to keep you warm) or one just to funk-up your wardrobe?
Either
What else would you like your partner to know about you?

I can cope with way, way out.

Next Sp8 it is the last few days of Secret Pal 8 and I have yet to send of my last parcel but there is one on its way from my wonderful Pal, who is hinting for me to out her before the parcel arrives!

Then there is my One Skein Pal (who already knows who I am) I have seen the wonderful thing she has made for her pal but I am still knitting (and frogging) the present for her! This has to be sent this week too!

Then there is Project Spectrum Dyed Sock Yarn Swap , I'm late again here but ready to post now, here is a picture of the yarn I dyed - self striping in browns, greys and black - and the other goodies I am sending her.

I have also joined the Whose Lace is it Anyway Swap. I have ordered some yummy yarn for my spoilee from Posh Yarns.

Then there is the Mark those Stitches Swap. Luckily I have already posted my parcel off to my partner. So at least I don't have to worry about that one.

I also joined the Magic Yarn Ball Swap, just because it looks so much fun, it looks like a fun sort of thing to send to a Secret Pal too.

And to top it all, proving that I am totally, but totally out of my tiny little mind I joined Sock Wars!

Other Pals

I also received my Project Spectrum July Purple dyed sock yarn from pal Karen along with a pressed flower bookmark, a really useful little notebook and some Kool Aid all suitably colour themed.



The colour theme for August is black white and neutrals - that could be a bit challenging for me!

And all the way from Japan another unusual skein from my One Skein Swap partner.



I did manage to send off all my parcels before going to the UK and everything arrived in time, here is a pic of everything before I parcelled it to various people.


I have to do some thinking now about a last super special parcel for my Secret Pal and I need to make something out of one skein for my One Skein Swap Pal, I had better get on with that as it needs to be sent soon. Decisions, decisions.

I have also joined a Lace Swap and am seriously thinking about Sock Wars. I know I am a very novice sock knitter but all those experts need people to knock out pretty quickly.

Catch up Time

It feels like I have been away for ages what with trips to the UK, frying my broadband router, PMT, MT (the PMt without the P!) and then a bug, followed by general apathy. Time to say some heartfelt thanks.

Firstly to my wonderful, anonymous SP8 pal who must have sent the best parcel ever. Take a look.



Such wonderful goodies. See those patterns at the back they are the Rogue and Eris patterns I have been covetting from The Girl from Auntie. I might even already have some yarn in the stash for these (but I must finish some UFO's first, I must, I must). And the Yarn Harlot book? (yes I know you shouldn't start sentences with And...) I am already halfway through. I got 'At Knits End' for my birthday and have been enjoying dipping into it but I like this much more. At the front left there you see some Socks that Rock superwash merino in Sherbert colourway - I just love this yarn. It has spurred me on to make my first pair of socks (yes I know I need to finish some UFO's first but well.. you know how it is) of which more later. The bamboo needles are so lovely too, I knitted a guage swatch with them but unfortunately needed a smaller size for the socks (I am a loose knitter). And the cute little sheep thingy? It's a tape measure - yes really! Take a look at some close ups.




And more yarn - 4 balls of a pinky brown cotton mix, and kool aid and of course chocolate!



Some really unusual fairtrade chocolate and my all time favorite - Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Hmm. Needless to say these have long gone.

this Secret Pal certainly knows the way to my heart.