Knitting, Blogging, Swap Sending!

To start, I'm extremely happy that my latest project is blocking and drying right now. I'm hoping to take it to the knitting group tonight and show it off before I have to mail it as the swap package. Sorry for the lack of pictures of it but I do want her to have some surprise!

I've been catching up on emails. Its hard to believe in 3 years I'd accumulate 6000 emails, even if they are all neatly labeled and sorted.

Amber Naslund is a great writer. Rarely do I find blogs that make me think as much as hers. Her insight is valuable to me and yet I am certainly not a "social media expert" of any kind. LOL - I have a micro-business but that's as close as it gets.

Crafting in Yoohooville is a great micro-company for me. I build it when I can, and it rewards me by keeping my brain active. It also feeds my need for control of at least a small part of my own destiny. What does the company do? Well, not much yet, but its slowly but surely building. I'd rather not release a product until I know its of a quality that I value, and I know my work isn't there yet. I've given myself a deadline to get this product out into the marketplace, and so far, my development schedule is being met.

Anyway, check out the post that I linked to of Amber's. Its awesome. I cracked up when I read #5, because so many of the knitting and designer blogs I see have that exact problem - if you read the same thing 6 times, and that pattern is repeated over and over, you're certainly not going to want to come back for more. My blog's not a moneymaker, it doesn't do much, but I'd like to think that I'm pointing out something different than the pack each time I write something.

So here's what I have.

#1 - if you want to write your own knitting or design blog, keep the ideas in your designer notebook. Start posting your mood boards. Start posting your inspirational photos. Do whatever it takes, but make it yours. Don't make your blog the same as the Yarn Harlot. I really don't think anyone cares about any interpretation of what she writes outside her blog. I'm sure I'll get some hate mail for that, but its what I think.

#2 - I would love it if I saw more sketches in a blog. Come on, if we're knitting and crochet designers (even amateurs), we should be able to show off some sort of design skill to the public. How many sketches do people have that will never see the light of day because the idea just won't work in real life? I know I have notebooks full.

#3 - Just because I said it, doesn't mean you have to do it. ::grins:: I know that sounds contradictory, but its true. Follow your own ideas for your blog and don't worry about whether its perfect, boring, or nonsensical to anyone but yourself. As long as you write with feeling and knowledge, people *will* keep coming back for more.

Its here! Its here!

I was SO excited to find the package notice in the mail - and then my camera decided it wanted to not turn on.

Grr. That is SO frustrating!

Two trips to the K-M repair center later, I have a camera back - and I have been DYING to post these photos!

This was the only one I got before the camera went cuckoo:



Everything was so pretty wrapped - but I wanted to show my knit club and ripped them right open :-)

First off, the fun stuff:



Yum! Regia and new needles!



Then the stitch markers, of which I ALWAYS need small ones. For lace, for socks, these things are the bestest!



Allitrya went above and beyond and found me a little Lucky the dalmatian from 101 Dalmatians, my favorite movie ever! She is one awesome swap partner :-)

She also got two bags of sugar-free candy for me, which, unfortunately, didn't make it to the camera shooting. Needless to say, they were very tasty chocolates and mints :-) (DH said thanks for the mints - those are his favorite)



And the grand finale......





That is the most GORGEOUS bag I have EVER seen. My entire knit club was superbly jealous and wanted to know how I had got it. I love it and am SO glad to have had Allitrya as a partner!

Quidditch Answers!

Quidditch rocks! Here's my answers:

Please post these questions to your blogs.
If you have a character blog do not post them to your muggle blog.
The Snitch is still looking for it's home. I'll notify you of the release time soon.


1. What was Harry dreaming about the first time he woke up with his scar on fire?

b. Voldemort and Wormtail plotting to kill him


2. What is the problem with leprechaun gold?

a. It vanishes after a few hours


3. Why did Mad-Eye Moody turn Malfoy into a ferret?

c. Malfoy attached Harry when Harry's back was turned


4. Sirius warns Harry to be careful around Karkaroff because he had been a Death Eater. Which one of the professors at Hogwarts, who also used to be a Death Eater, is frequently bothered by Karkaroff?
(Answer is One Word, Last Name Only)

Snape

5. Voldemort could have used the blood from any foe to make the potion that revived him work, but he held out for Harry's blood. Why?

c. The special protection Harry received from his mother would also pass to
Voldemort


6. How old would Frank have been on his next birthday?

d. 77

7. Amos Diggory works for?

b. The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures


8. Who shared a carriage with the three friends on the way from the train to Hogwarts?
Answer:

Neville!

9. What date in October did the delegates from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang arrive?

a. 30th


10. What color were Percy's dress robes at the Yule Ball?

a. Navy Blue

Picture Scavenger Hunt
Please either post the pictures to your blog or link to where the pictures can be found.

Mr. Ollivander
I don't think he's as crazy as he looks here!


Mad-Eye Moody


Cedric
Isn't he dreamy? LOL


World Cup Tournament
A scene from the Tournament:


The Tournament Stadium:


Dark Mark
EWWWW!!!!

HSKS4, Genealogy, and Google.

Wow that's a totally rambling title. Maybe I'll change it. Maybe I won't.

I was just reading on the Upstate NY Blog that Google cofounder Sergey Brin's wife is the head of a new genealogy DNA company. Google DNA

Won't that be awesome? The price should drop, I hope! Hopefully they will be cooperative and share information with the National Geographic Society. Can you imagine? A real and bonafide way to connect just about every human being in the world.

Speaking of which, it brings me to knitting - I've got to try the bag over tonight. The first real row of the pattern really has me f***ing it up - I can't seem to add to save my life today. I should only imagine that an awesome pattern like this is good, and oh, say, not needing errata. Grr. I also got in my stuff for HSKS4 in the mail - that certainly came fast! It looked even better than the photos I saw. Its too bad I can't post pics of it, but then I'd blow the surprise!

I spent all of my time so far today trying to help a woman with ancestors on Amherst Island. What a trip - it really sucks when you get back to nearly the 16th century and things just dead end, drop off, no forwarding address.

Ugh. I'm going to try and work on my two swaps this weekend.

HSKS4 - Hogwarts, here I come

So I'm bumbling through my first year at Hogwarts. I didn't even realize you weren't supposed to contact your swap partner! That's so weird - I've never done one where I felt like I was ... duh, duh, duh, out there.

But I'll get through! I've been doing some sketches on what my swap partner is going to get - I think I'll start this weekend!

1st Year at Hogwarts! (AKA Induction into the sock world), and progress on Ginny's Vest

Ooh! I am SO excited!!! I was accepted for my first year in the Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap Round 4!!!!

Gryffindor, here I come!

Not that I'm a regular sock knitter, persay (ref. my earlier blog post), but on occasion, they are a good thing to work with. It all started with the making of a cast sock for my brace, because barefeet in December is well, not a real good idea in the midwest! And it took me no longer than a day, so it was a super easy knit, too.

So then I searched out how to do them better, because, while the cast sock was comfy and warm, it wouldn't fit over anything but the brace it was so huge! I went to my friend YouTube and discovered a way of making them WITHOUT DPNS.

Earth shattering, I know, for you sock knitters. People have been doing it forever, blah, blah, blah. It was earth shattering to me!

So I tried it - and while I haven't actually done one I'm proud enough to photograph, I'm working on one now in baby yarn (thanks to the advice of the awesome people in the Ravelry forums), that will probably put in the KCGB Mothers Day sale, but is turning out well enough to be photographable and put-table into Ravelry.

So anyway, back to Hogwarts. I am SO excited to be accepted into the swap - it is one of the most prestigious Blogger swaps to take part of, IMO. 100 members, kits worth $30-40 each, classes, quidditch, and other games. I can't wait!



Onto the progress on Ginny's vest from OOTP, its, well, conflicted. I had the idea to do it all modular until I saw this LiveJournal. I think she's got the general shape right, however, the problem is that to me the cables don't look like they go down as far as she suggests. I really think the main portion is hexagon modules!


(just in case you don't know what I'm talking about)

Of course, not knowing what the bottom looks like since you barely see this in the movie, well, who knows.

Edit: I just got some high-rest screen shots but I can't seem to get them to post as nicely using photoservices. I'll post them when I can!

Continuing on - More Stuffie Clothes!

So I also added another stuffie to the swap package to replace her little lost frog. Okay, so the one I added is not little :-)

But he's SO cute! All he needed to make him perfect was a cute little bow tie. And I couldn't find one without all this ridiculous sewing. Okay, if you want a perfect bow tie, you really do have to sew it. But since I was looking for cute, not perfect, here's how it ended up:



And since I'm really nice, I even wrote out a pattern of what I did!

Starting with the right side of the bow, chain 8 and then make 6 treble crochets into chain #4. Slip stitch and secure into chain #1. Slip stitch up the outside of the shape to chain #4.

Then, chain 3 and single crochet into each chain on one side, and then stick your hook and loop through the other side and single crochet into each chain on the other side.

To make the left bow, its a bit different. Chain 4, and do 3 treble crochets into chain #1. Then, make 3 treble crochets into the last single crochet instead of the chain.

Next, you're going to create the strap and its security. Single crochet in a box shape around the "ball" in the middle of the tie. After completing the sc box (you should be on the bottom of it), chain 20 (or the appropriate neck size for the animal). Single crochet back to the bow tie. Make sure to single crochet into the bottom depending on where you started. Anchor a single crochet into the top of the box and slip stitch into each single crochet until the end of the strap.

Secure the strap to the bow by single crocheting into the top corner of the box, and then single crochet into the bottom corner. Fasten off and you've got a cute bow tie!

Garage Sale-ing for Swapping

So I was getting a little worried until I heard from my swap partner today that she was sending my package. I seem to have a higher than normal incidence of flaking.

We've been having a problem with people, not flaking, but with just not doing their jobs over at my yahoo group exchange. In fact, my exchange may be held off unless people can get their act together.

This isn't difficult. All they have to do is add the date the send and the date they receive to a table in the yahoo groups.

Yet for so many, it is so difficult. Sigh. So I'm going through the rules and switching things as I go. At least I've had very good organizers in the past, so I'm trying to be one.

People will do what they're supposed to do someday. Yeah. And I'm gonna be the Pope, too. If you're going to dream, you might as well dream big.

(that's my new beaver Chewy playing in a playpen I bought at a garage sale for the "Bargain Hunter" swap over at craftster)

Back to work...

So I'm back to work and getting going on what else? Photos of the construction site I was at this morning.

I was up too darn early to get anything real done today anyway. So I've been doing other things - cleaning the work fridge, editing photos, creating marketing pages.

I'm working on some neat legwarmers for my Disney angel package. They're turning out well, I should have them done in time. My other crafts...well, not so much. I was going to do a knit Mushu the dragon but couldn't find a pattern. I tried cross stitching again (something I haven't had patience for in ages) and threw it down after the first twenty four stitches because it just takes too darn long, and started to embroider it before I came up with a better idea.

The other craft I had planned to do, bottle cap clips, well, the Gallery Glass that I had bought for it still hasn't turned clear! Grr. I'm going to use it on the bottom as a cushion instead of clear on top. Oh well.

Anyway, here's Swink (my little visitor) at the construction site this morning.