Good bye Blogger

This is driving me nuts. After an hour of trying to edit my post, both via html and their 'compose' feature, it is still constantly messing up the settings and cutting off lines of text. I don't think I'll be posting anymore. I'm sorry.
Happy crafting everyone. If you want to see what I'm up to, I'll be on Ravelry.
*huggles*

As Promised...

I said I would share the pictures of what I was working on for my swap partner once she received it. It was my very first swap and I had a lot of fun picking things out for her and making things I hoped she would like.
Here is a group shot of what I sent:

The swap had an 'earth friendly' theme.

The requirements were:
*at least 1 skein of LYS quality yarn
*at least 1 handmade-by-you item
*something relating to one of their “other” hobbies.
*something reused, recycled, repurposed or otherwise “earth friendly”
*may include other fun goodies, knitting notions, treats or treasures
*Packages value should be approx. $25-40 NO

Reusable Grocery shopping lists that I had laminated.
Whiteboard markers to use on those lists.

2x 100g skeins of Canadian made 60% mohair/40% wool 

burgundy fingering weight yarn 

My partner likes to knit socks so I wanted to be sure there was enough yardage. 

She listed burgundy as one of her favourite colours. 

I bought this for her at the fleece festival in Woodstock. 

A glass jar repurposed to be a storage container and pincushion.

I added quilt batting on top of the lid and then 

sewed 2 layers of fabric over it. 

 

  The contents of the bottle. Things for her various hobbies.

Buttons, cross stitch thread, stitch markers and safety pins.

Various other items.

A Go Green frog magnet

A Canadian notepad

Smarties (chocolate) that isn't available in the USA

A Reusable sandwich wrap

GOLD embroidery needles for her embroidery/cross stitch 

A Reusable shopping bag 

I made up this pattern.

A knit nutcracker.

She collects them.

I made up this pattern as well. 

A DPN holder upcycled out of a placemat.

It has a front pocket with velcro tabs 

to hold other supplies or socks in progress

I also sent a bar of dark chocolate that wasn't in the first pic. 

There was also a painting I did that had a tree on it with the words Reduce Reuse Recycle around it in latin. 

Unfortunately I didn't get a close up picture of it and my partner didn't post any pics. 

However you can see it in the background of the first picture. 

It's beginning to feel a lot like the holidays!

I do apologize for not posting lately. I've been crafting as much as ever, but the majority of what I've been making are items I can't post about. I've started work on Christmas gifts. I decided that this year, since money is quite tight, I will make as many gifts as I can. Hopefully the recipients will appreciate the handmade love that has gone into each and every one.

I've also been working on items for my first swap! It is a 'green' themed swap, meaning at least one item should be somehow related to  recycling, repurposing, or reusing something. I'm so excited. It was such a blast to 'stalk' my secret swap partner, and then try and come up with ideas and items she would like. The box was sent just over a week ago and was at her post office yesterday. Once she's had a chance to post I can share it with all of you. :)

In the meantime...I have done 2 test knits since my last post. The first was for a Harry Potter Garden Gnome, by Phoeny. Don't you just love his wee belly button?!

The second was the Fall Down Shawlette by Lnand on Ravelry. I loved this pattern. It calls for bulky yarn, but as I didn't have any bulky I used 2 strands of worsted yarn. It knit up extremely quickly (I finished it in under 2 days) which I found very satisfying.

I also completed another Phoeny pattern as a quick gift for my mother for Thanksgiving. This one was a free pattern and just super adorable. Meet Russet the Pumpkin. Here he is posing with the finished turkey.

I shall post the swap related goodies that I crafted hopefully by the week's end. Until then, happy crafting!

*huggles*