Swap!

I got a really super awesome package today in the mail from the best swap partner ever! Who also just so happens to be the best best friend ever. (Hey, what can I say? We were matched based on interests.)

I was absolutely floored by the magnificence that was my package. I mean, seriously, check this out:

AND -- get this -- that's not even all of the package. It's most of it. But the cookies (up at the top) are kind of obscured, and the dishcloths aren't in at all, and did I mention that we agreed to include each other's Christmas gifts in this package as well since neither of us had managed to get those in the mail yet? None of the Christmas stuff is included in the photo.
So, let's take a closer look. First, we have some nail files, cute notepads (the polka dot one is a magnetic pad, the others are sticky notes), a white gel pen (which I've actually been looking for and have been unable to find), some other cute little pens in a nice little plastic container and the cutest tiny highlighter, the perfect size for sticking in a knitting bag with your current charted project, also in the plastic container.

Then we have the knitting-related stuff: two hanks of Cascade alpaca laceweight which is just begging to be petted, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's "Things I Learned from Knitting" book and a "knit picker," which is basically a teensy latch hook useful in picking up snags and stuff and is pretty much the coolest thing I've ever seen. (Except maybe my Christmas gift yarn ... more on that later.)

And then there's the kitchen-related stuff: an awesome floral coffee mug with a cute little butterfly sitting on top of the handle, 3 handknitted dishcloths/scrubbers and cookies! Cookies that my husband foolishly thinks I'm going to share with him. Psh.

I failed to get photos of my Christmas gifts earlier, so those will come some other time. But she sent me some bath and body stuff (great smelling!) and awesome handspun alpaca that I love, love, love. Seriously. Love it so much.

Jess, you're awesome. I'm so lucky!

Jess's April post

I seriously don't know where this month went. One moment I'm complaining that the year is moving by so slowly... next thing I know the month of April is almost over. Whew. It has been a busy couple weeks. Not that I have much knitting to show for it tho.

I did finish Ryan's sweater.

Pattern: Cardigan for Merry
Yarn: Knitpicks andean treasure
needles: 3.0mm
Started: Jan 29
Finished: April 3

Love love love this sweater. The cable was a pita at first. But the more I worked the more it started being intuitive, I guess. Perhaps I just finally memorized the repeat. The finished results are definitely worth it tho. Ryan's only complaint is that I left off the buttons. So I might have to go back and add those in. He keeps trying to find the zipper hehe. Its cute.



I also finished a pair of socks. The ska mystery KAL



Pattern: SKA March Mystery sock 2011
Yarn: Fleece Artist Kidazzle in silver
Needles: 2.25mm
Started: March 25
Finished: April 13
This is a great sock pattern. I'd consider knitting it again at some point. It goes super fast and fits great. I also really enjoy this yarn. Like I said before I am a Fleece Artist fan, and this one was no disappointment.

As far as the last project I was knitting on in the last post... well I'm still knitting on it. I'm on the foot of the second sock. Hopefully I'll finish today or tomorrow, so that they can count for the march challenge (you have 2 months to complete the socks for the challenge). But not really sure. We'll see.

I also finally got a chance to sit down at my wheel a little this month. I had about half of some fiber spun up. And forced myself to finish it. It was some alpaca fiber that was gifted to me. It wasn't the cleanest fiber to work with. Lots of VM. But I think the end yarn turned out pretty nice.



I'm going to try my best to finish up the current socks I have. I am also waiting on yarn from Lorna's Laces so that I can knit up some samples for them for TNNA. Since I am waiting on that I'm trying not to dive into anything big right now. I have some lingering UFO's that I might pull out until the yarn arrives (ahem bearclaw blanket that is very close to being finished). I have been talking with Amie about starting a new sweater. We are both REALLY excited about that KAL. But with our schedules not sure when we will be able to actually start it.

YAY!

I did it, I really did it! My Harry Potter Knit/Crochet House Cup History of Magic OWL was accepted! I got a total of 150 points for Hufflepuff for doing those four hats (to reiterate: Viking Hat, Hermione Hearts Ron, Gamer Hat and Button-Tab Hat) in three months. Normal homework projects were worth 15 points each, plus optional bonus points, so 150 points for four hats is pretty good!

I'm so proud of myself for setting this goal and meeting it!

I got this badge to post on my Rav profile for completing my OWL:

ETA: Assuming I don't get any bonus points this month -- and I don't really expect to since the Reading Mitts and the carnation were the only homework projects I turned in -- I earned 336 points this term.