More cat swaps...

This month's color theme for Feline Flipflop is black, white and pink - and aqua. I think it's pretty ok... I like the black crocheted cat :-) So does my husband... So I'm going to crochet cats in the future as well. The black-and-white can thingy is a vanilla candle and it smells divine... :-)

I was looking at some of my old pictures... I look better without makeup than with... Weird... but - really good, because I'm allergic to most of the makeup stuff... and couldn't do my own make-up even if you tortured me ;-)

Midsummer...

Midsummer in Scandinavia is about as big as 4th of July in USA. My husband and I, we were at my sister's and had a wonderful time :-) I love my sisters :-)

In Finland they burn Midsummer fires - yes, the picture is taken quite late at night... It is not for nothing it's called "the land of the midnight sun" ;-)

I was surfing again and found this interesting blog entry: http://myblog.de/lucamutzel/art/3718138
I think the lace pattern made of self-striping yarn looks very inspiring, but... what's with the heel? It looks like she makes the heel like a thumb on a mitten; knits the sock, and then picks the stitches of the heel and decreases... like toes... Very interesting. Looks like an easy way of knitting a sock heel. :-)

Some finished things

I finished the color blox sox for Six Sox Knit-a-long. My first toe-ups :-) And the end was probably my first multidirectional knitting LOL There's a nice spiral going on and it all ends up in garter stitch brim, which is knitted... er... I really don't know the words LOL well, in different direction :-)

The other pair of paws belong to our dog, Boris :-) Much prettier :-) But I'm almost as white LOL

The yarns used are machine knitting yarn, 1-ply, four folded; the bluish-greenish is Mountain Colors in "Evergreen" colorway, and the yellow and golden brown are the same Norwegian sock yarn I made the pink and white 6th sense socks for Six Sox. I dyed the white yellow with food coloring. It's variegated, but that doesn't show too well in the picture. Here's some cat toys I crocheted with the same yarn, where the yarn shows better.





I also made the Rabbit Tracks scarf. It's easy and pretty pattern and I knitted it of the 1-ply machine knitting yarn, but OH MY! HOW BOOOOORIIIIING!!!!! I have to say that I think it looks more like cat paw marks :-)

And here's something to my swap pals :-) If you can, PLEASE, get me the corset pattern LOL
I love almost all of Annie Modesitt patterns... The "Butter and Jam" cardigan is on my "want to do" list

Magic yarn ball

This is my magical yarn ball :-) I didn't find much information about the receiver, so I just guessed. I wanted to make a themed ball, and I chose Autumn, as she had a picture of herself on her blog and it looked like she might well appreciate this.

It all starts with a lovely handmade soap with strong lavender scent - I packaged the soap in clear, thick foil, so I hope the scent will be limited to the soap... it doesn't smell bad, but most people don't want their stuff to smell too strong.

Then there's a handmade maple-leaf measuring tape and a handmade needlebook - I painted the felt myself. I think it turned out really nicely :-)
Then there's 6 handmade autumn leaf knit markers, a sheep key ring and two bags of tea; English Breakfast - perfect color - and Oriental Green Tea. I hope she likes tea.
And to finish the ball off, there's a pretty orange butterfly, made of feathers. I do hope it survives the long trip to its destiny... it's very fragile.

I think my "ball" looks nice :-)

Socks, socks, and more socks...

Darn, darn, diggety-darn... Another little swap I missed :-(

"Knit Sock Kit Swap:

Included in the package to your pal should be:

• A little-project bag MADE BY YOU
• A sock pattern
• Enough yarn to make the pattern
• Accessories to help

You could also include

• Instructions for a new sock making technique (how to knit toe up socks, or using Magic Loop, for example)
• Treats (who can’t use a bit of candy to help with boring or challenging parts?)
• Whatever you think should go in the Sock Kit!"

I hope they will repeat this so that I can get along...

Another sock thingy I'm sorry I missed - the Summer of Socks... the last day to join was already in May :-( So I hope some kind soul will organize "The Fall and Rise of Socks" or something.

Then there's the Sock Nation. Of course I'm a proud citizen LOL


Of course real women knit socks... ;-)


There's the "Sensational Knitted Socks Knit-A-Long" - I don't have Sensational Knitted Socks... :-( I think my socks are pretty sensational, but... well... *sigh*

But here's "Sock It To Me KAL" - and that one seems to be for all sock knitters - they even provide links to free sock patterns on-line LOL

Right now I have knitted 3 pairs of socks this year.

There's Count Your Socks KAL, Sock Club KAL for the members of the Blue Moon Rockin' Sock Club, Red Hot Sizzling Socks KAL, and KAL's for many different popular patterns, like Jaywalkers or Pomatomus socks...

Nancy Bush's socks are very popular... There's a web ring for "Nancy Bush Knitters" and a group for "Knitting on the Road", "Folk Socks" and "Knitting Vintage Socks".

There's Sock knitters SAM and "Socks, Socks, Socks" KAL. That's another book I would love to own... I like the socks in it. :-) There's also a KAL for "Knit Socks"...




It's the year 2006 - for any sock knitter, that reads "two thousand socks" ;-)



I think THIS 200socks thingy is different... it's very confusing...






or "Joy of Socks" is a great sock blog.

There was a picture she had taken of all the socks she had made... (except a few) and I was thinking about all the socks I have made. Right now I cannot remember anything else, but those three I have made this year, a pair I knit at school, with knitting machine, and one sock I knit with the yarn from our own sheep, dyed with "lady's mantle" (A plant, Alchemilla Vulgaris)... but I have a memory of something brown too... with three different colors... and I'm pretty sure I knit socks even before that... but... that's like when I was younger than 20. Uh, there's a Finnish saying "Joka vanhoja muistaa sitä tikulla silmään" (poke the eye out of the one who dwells in past things). So - never mind what I have made in last century... last millenium ;-)

There's Sock Yarn Addicts Club (SYAC) - and if you see some shiny big stars in some blogs, you know that the yarn addict have managed to keep sober from her addiction ;-) I actually deserve a gold star... I haven't bought any sock yarn for... er... a couple of months, I think... the last yarn I bought was in the middle of April, and it was some lace-weight yarn... but on the other hand, I used it four-folded to knit socks, so... Sock yarn addicts can use ANYTHING to knit socks LOL It was two months ago anyway ;-)

Then there's the famous Sock-a-pal-oo(add the amount of o's needed)-za. I'm going to join the 4-o :-D

There's also Socktober fest coming :-D I hope there will be one this year, because I have missed the both previous ones... so keep your eyes open...

I really like knitting socks... it's small enough to be ready quickly, there's enough action and techniques to keep me interested (never more a shawl!!!) and everyone loves socks. They are also not too expensive to get materials for, and one doesn't need much yarn to knit socks.
You can check out my Yahoo! album for "socks" to see which socks I'm planning on knitting ;-)

Edited: The links to the socks on my album are mostly on these blog entries at Yahoo! 360
Socks, socks and more socks... and More sock links

Just a short note...

Here's an absolutely wonderful, amazing cat-bat-type gargoyle :-)

Some free patterns LOL

Just to keep everything together ;-)

Ulla - sort of Finnish version of Knitty
Anticraft
Magknits

Snow Hearthwitch is giving us a lovely morning message every now and then, sharing some free patterns she has found on-line :-)
Like these: Knitting-and-com
these: Ram Wools and this: HappyGhan
This: Debbie Bliss' Lace and Bobble jacket
this: Magickal Yarn Doll
or this: Drops' crocheted cardigan

CraftBits

It's a nice idea to surf the yarn manufacturers' sites, as most of them offer free patterns
Here's
Caron
Cascade Yarns
Berroco
Lion Brand
Wool Needlework
Elann
Yarn Market
- they offer some free patterns "courtesy of some of your favorite yarn companies -- Artyarns, Cherry Tree Hill, Crystal Palace, Lana Grossa, Rio de la Plata, South West Trading Company, Tahki-Stacy Charles, Twisted Sisters and Windy Valley Muskox -- along with those from Yarnmarket designers too"
Unique One Sweaters and Yarn

And the free pattern collections aren't too bad either - of course, "free pattern" has a taste of "it's not good enough to be sold", but some of them aren't actually that bad. One makes finds every now and then :-) Even at Annie's Attic ;-)

So here's some from "knitting.about.com"
Free-knitting-patterns
Knitting Pattern Central
Free Knitting Patterns Webring
Afghans and more
Knit-o-matic
Knitting help

This is cute :-D "Ultimate "Stocking Stuffer" Crocheted Gift Basket"

Some knitting magazines have site too with some free patterns.
Like Rebecca
Kathy's Creations is an e-zine

Grand Blue Door has a knitblog called "Chile con yarne" :-D I like the patterns, and she has started selling them now :-)

Cat Bordhi's free patterns

The Knitlist

Poor Miss Finch

I'm still waiting for the money so that I can go and get myself some YARN!!!
I need some cotton, so that I can use my swap gifts, and make myself some tops :-)
Then I need some to make the White Lies Shapely top, which is the new Knit-A-Long project :-) I really like it :-)
Then I need to get my swap packages together and send them :-) Two feline flip-flops, one mystery craft, Secret Pal 8, One Skein, Magic Yarn Ball, Coloriffic and Cup of Java - and three private swaps :-) 11 packages...
And then my favorite sister has birthday - and her husband turns 40 :-) Oh, how old we are!!! It was just a couple of years ago, when we all were 20-something! Time flies...

I just keep finding new things :-D

Color week at "Little Birds". The blog is inspiring and the idea to post a picture of a certain color every day of the week is a great idea to get some action to the blog LOL

So here's my Wednesday:Black picture ;-)Yes, it's our dog Boris' nose :-)

How did I find it? I am participating in a "Surprise Mystery Craft Challenge" swap. Why? I don't really know... it's really not my cup of tea... So when the others make great, artistic and fabulous things like this mobile, or these artworks, I make boring stuff like this:
But I suppose I was having difficulties in waiting for the "real" swaps to start, and then I was having Whiplash abstinence LOL

Things are happening...

I forgot to post on Friday - my One Skein pal send me a package :-) It was very nicely packaged in a piece of Japanese fabric :-)

Two skeins of Noro's Shabon in the amazing teal color :-) It's 70% Cotton and 30% Rayon (Viscose) ribbon with picoted edge... It looks like Noro's Shabon has been discontinued, so I'm having a real rarity in my hands :-) So I feel very special and pleased right now :-) Thank you, my One Skein pal :-) Very generous of you :-) And I just love the color :-)
I'll post a swatch, when I have made it :-) Yeah, I can't stop smiling LOL

I'm planning on making a top of this, but I need to find a plain cotton of this color to fill in the middle. I doubt 100 g of this is enough for a top of size 48... (XXXXL) Or maybe a scarf... Let's see what it will become :-)

And the piece of Japanese fabric will become a Tarot bag *wide grin* It's absolutely perfect size for that :-)

What a lucky gal I am *_*

That I should have posted last Friday, I took the photo the same day (I opened the parcel and then I remembered that I should have taken a picture, and tried to package it the same way it was wrapped, but... if it looks a bit weird, it's my fault, not my pals. It looked great, when I got it *blush*)

Now I should have written that the Whiplash have started again! YAY!!!

"For the next couple of weeks, until the end of June, I would love you, the readers, to upload a link to your favourite handcrafted item, that you have made recently, by way of an introduction to your blog and your crafting specialty/personality."
What the heck is my favorite handcrafted item right now, and that shows my personality???

And then there's Work In Process Fridays going on... Funny :-) I should have taken a picture of my socks when they were still WIPs :-)
But here they are: my hubby's clog socks :-)

I just love the color :-) I think I might be borrowing them every now and then... *smug smile*

Art and a Cup of Java

My talented husband has been envious about my swaps, but he's not a fiber crafter, so my swaps aren't quite his cup of tea - besides, he drinks coffee ;-) So he started a new swap of his own; Art and a Cup of Java. The swap consists of a couple of pieces of original art, coffee (or tea - he's kind :-D - I don't drink coffee LOL), an edible treat and artist material.

I think he has a great idea, because I really like art, and like to have art on our walls - and I really like to promote other "starting", new, unknown artists, and would be proud of having their art on my walls too - so I'm really happy about him starting this swap :-)

Right now there's only the two of us, so PLEASE, join - and spread the word! LOL Not that I mind having his art on my walls, or that he would mind mine, but - we kind of already have our art on our walls LOL

And so it is...

I will be sending my May feline swap package about 19th-20th June - and my June feline swap package within a week after that... Not funny. :-(

But I have been knitting - I knitted socks for my husband - there will be a picture, when I have it :-) I'm good at socks :-) It was my own model, a slightly moderated classic sock pattern, of the amazingly beautiful peacock-colored yarn I got :-) It has a small pattern in heel, with yarn I dyed with food coloring and beetroots :-) And I designed them, draw the pattern and knitted them in two days :-)
I'm really proud of myself!

Then I made a scarf - and found out that I really don't like knitting scarfs... Now, THAT'S BORING! So I probably will never get Peacock Feathers shawl... I was thinking of knitting it and then painting it in peacock colors... But... *sigh* Perhaps I manage to take just do it and stop thinking LOL

I have run into problems...

I was supposed to get some more money today, but there's none... so I cannot finish my cat swap package - which was supposed to be done already 25th of May... and this time planning and extra time isn't going to be benefitial... *sigh* I am late already as it is because I was sick, and I did some other things first... I SHOULD have done the cat swap package first, because the Color*iffic package for June could have waited. (At least I know that it has arrived and it was ok :-) Pheeew!)
I was a bit overambitious with this package... I knitted a nice scarf with "rabbit tracks", because I think they look like cat paw marks as well - and it took more time than I had anticipated... simply because I find knitting the same old, same old over and over again EXTREMELY BORING!!! It's very pretty, but... YAWN!!!! So I used every possible opportunity to do something else ;-) I had also planned on dyeing it, but - not going to happen.

I had also planned a box covered with fabric, with 9 compartments - but there simply was no time, so I whipped up something else. It's very nice too... The thing is that I'm right now thinking that it doesn't matter if it is 9 items and if they are purple and yellow, the main thing is that my swap pal gets her package!

It is interesting how the "forced" changes in timetable effects me this much... I was sick for only two weeks, but the thing just keeps dragging and dragging and gets later and later all the time! It really starts to feel like my May swap gets where it's going at the same time as my June swap...

June's scavenger hunt

I actually managed to get one picture for the May scavenger hunt :-) (Yeah... one... from 20... Ain't I gooooood *sardonic*)

The list for June is this:
1. A blue light
2. Cork
3. Drip
4. Fireman
5. How bizarre
6. I am in awe!
7. Killer Smile
8. Ladylike
9. Morning hair
10. Odd one out
11. Oink
12. Once upon a time...
13. Pear shaped
14. Sideways
15. Tourist Trap
16. Waffle
17. Walk Like An Egyptian
18. What Light Through Yonder Window Breaks?
19. X Marks the Spot
20. Zigzag

I think it would actually be a nice list for some sort of Whiplash...

SP8 - first package :-)

First the package and the card :-) Greenman... with a nice poem :-) The package was a little crushed in post - you can see the card is curved in a corner - but nothing serious.

You can also see my Lomonosov teacup, waiting to be filled; a waterglass, handblown in Sweden, with bear heads - so it's my husband's - and our kiddush glass - the red glass on a red glass plate. It's Friday today :-) Shalom Shabbat!




In the package there was these lovely heart-shaped clay buttons :-) I am going to make a necklace of the red heart, it is amazingly beautiful! The other buttons are pretty too, and very inspiring :-)

There was also the most beautiful yarn in just the right color... my camera doesn't make justice to the color, it's soft greens and aquas with a little pink, and it's absolutely lovely :-D It's Colinette's Giotto in Monet - the webpage doesn't make justice to the colors LOL

I just had to make a swatch to see what it looks like knitted, so I winded one skein and knitted a small swatch... and it looks absolutely wonderful knitted! All the soft colors with the silky part of the yarn makes it look like water.

And the funny thing here is that this yarn goes perfectly with my handbag! Exact the same greens, blues and pinks! (It's the shine of the yarn that makes it look light blue. It's not. It IS the same colors as on the bag.) As they say, there are no coincidents ;-)

BTW, ignore what I said about variegated yarns, only natural fibres and so on... this yarn is 50% cotton, 40% rayon and 10% nylon, variegated, and "effect" yarn - all things I said I don't like :-D Now I'm really happy that my Secret Pal wasn't scared off to send me this yarn, it's absolutely lovely :-D As they say in Sweden "där fick jag" LOL (Translated somewhat similar to "figure that" - I was proved wrong :-) And am I not happy for it LOL)

There was also a cute blue and white striped paperbag (really cute. :-) I love blue and white stripes :-)) from Justin Chocolatier
- I opened the heavy bag and inside was this chocolate coffin...
I was really curious of what was inside - and it was strawberry fondant kind of mousse thing, light, fluffy and oh so GOOD!!! YUM!
Even my husband, who hates fruit fondants, loved this one :-)
If anyone ever goes to Whitby in Yorkshire, don't miss Justin!

Thank you very much, my British secret pal :-) I'm so happy I was assigned to you :-)

June is "Finish What You Have" month

Blame Turkey Feathers - and thank her after June is over and you have actually finished off some of the UFOs howering around you. I think I will use this June to finish off what I have started and in July I'm going to forget every UFO... at least every UFO I'm not on my way of finishing. At least every UFO older than this year... At least every UFO older than this century. And this time I mean it! :-D

In "Tie One On" the theme for June is "your favorite musical"... What is my favorite musical? My Fair Lady, perhaps... I don't know... *hmm* I have to think about that. ("Aristocats", cries my inner 5-years-old. Oh... Thomas O'Malley... Mmmm *_*)
In Color*iffic Swap*o*rama the colors for this month - or actually next month - are chocolate brown and baby blue (or aqua) and the colors for Feline Flipflop are pink, black, white and turquoise :-) Oh, yes, send me a lot of aqua and turquoise things, please! ;-)

In Pincushion Challenge the theme is flowers.

In Six Sox we are making "Elisabeth's Color Blox Sox" and in Knit-A-Long we are making White Lies' Shapely T or Tank.

The thing is that I really don't like purple...

There's a "roses, violets and periwinkle blue" swap going on, and I would have liked to join - except that I don't like lavender and periwinkle... And that makes it a little uncomfortable, as I got so many lovely things from my swap partners... and... some of them were purple... Like the very beautiful handmade little cup my teaswap pal send me... It truly is beautiful, and I appreciate very much the thought behind the gift, and I love that friends use the small opportunities like this to promote their friends - I would never have known of Kate and her work had not Louise send me the things she did... and I truly think Kate is worth noticing. But... it's purple... and LIGHT purple.
Or my dear, lovely coloriffic swap pal, who chose purple as the third color, because it is a rich color, and I love rich colors... It's not that I hate purple, it just isn't my color... and she is right in that I love rich, spicy colors. The very dark, rich, spicy reddish purple IS one of my favorite colors.
My sweet Feline swap pal chose the light purple as purple part of the purple-and-yellow swap. *sigh* Luckily, this is not too bad, because I have a sister who loves purple, and just the shade of purple I don't like - so I can forward all the purple things to her. But - it's not the same thing anyway.
It is true, that I appreciate everything I have received, because it's the thought that matters most, but I would have appreciated it more had it not been quite that purple. I feel awful saying this, because people have been doing their best to make a package to make me happy, and knowing that I don't like purple gives the giving a bit sad taste - I know I want the RECEIVER to like what I send, and I just assume that everyone else does the same - and I really don't want to cause any sadness to any of these lovely people who have been putting their time, money and energy - their thoughts - on me... but I also know that to avoid getting more purple things and to avoid people "wasting" their kindness I better say it right out. It hurts less that way. But it's sad anyway :-(

The lavender fairy here is very beautiful picture, but will never get to the walls of my home.
And this is my picture of the ugliest color on earth:

Next two swaps arrived the very same day!

First there's the Coloriffic Swaporama package :-)
Jixichick was so generous and she had read my blog :-D First the foxy bag... I fell in love with it the first time I saw it - it's so pretty and VELVET! My favorite material :-D And the bandana - under all the other things - is bold and PAISLEY!!! I love paisley :-) She had made some pins of old scarfs, and chosen - yes, MORE PAISLEY just for me :-) And cookie cutters and liquorice chewing gum and knitting needles and those cute little sweaters to keep my sock needles together :-) It was a really considerate and lovely gift :-) Thank you very much, Jixichick :-)

Then the teaswap and more considerate and lovely things. :-) Thank you, Louise :-)
The picture isn't very good, the dark blob in the right upper corner is PEACOCK colored wool :-) (Mountain Colors' "Evergreen") Hand-dyed and really lovely :-) The other skein is very soft merinowool :-) (Cherry Tree Hills' "Cabin Fever")
And the tea! I love the little tea forté pyramids :-) And the ruby red herbal tea, Flora, was a wonderful treat! It's so red and the smell was lovely and the taste... oh, so heaven! (Yes, I have already tasted it LOL) Then I got a whole bag filled with tea samples from "Mrs. Kelly's" :-) Irish Breakfast (my husband tried that one, and it's his tea - lightly smoked and creamy), Mrs. K's Breakfast tea, Choco Mint, Market Mint herbal tea, Apricot black tea, Organic Earl Grey, Lung Ching green tea and tree berry teas, Herbal Raspberry, Frambois Fleur and Berry Sage.
Then she send me a package of note cards and the most beautiful little cup made by her friend Kate Daly and a lavender soap by Dunlaoghaire (The Soap People) :-)
And the nut rolls :-) Salty nuts around something soft and white, inbedded in caramel. Really yummy :-)
As said, I brew two cups of tea, one Flora for me and one Irish Breakfast for my husband, and we shared one nut roll and enjoyed the tea and the treat by kitchen table :-) *deep sigh of content*

I'm so happy I'm bursting :-)

One more thing - the merino yarn goes perfectly with my new foxy bag LOL