Swap Status

Amy partner has received - received
Bridget partner has received- still waiting for hers but her partner is in contact with me
Cheryl C received angel package - mailed and received by partner
Deb Received - mailed and received by partner
Esmerelda Received and partner has received
Gail B mailed, not sure if received - received
Helen still waiting on hers - mailed and received by partner
Jenn received- mailed and received by partner
Jenni O. received - mailed and received by partner
Jess received package but not mittens yet-per email to partner I will not be following up on this match anylonger - mailed and received by partner
Joanna C received - mailed and partner received
Joanna Halvorsen- FLAKED
Jodi received, partner has received
Katie received - partner received
Krista received - should be mailing soon
Lara Lovelace-Macon angel mailed mittens on 4/1 - FLAKED
Luanda received - received by partner
Marcia received- mailed and received by partner
Marisol Cuevas received her mittens - FLAKED
Melissa received - mailed and received by partner,per email 2/17 I will not be following up on this match anylonger
Rae Blackledge FLAKED
Sarah A. received and partner has received
Sarah H. received and partner has received
Sherri - received and partner has received

BANNED SWAPPERS WHO DIDN'T FOLLOW THROUGH ON SWAP

Lara Lovelace-Macon
Marisol Cuevas - seasun on Ravelry
Joanna Halvorsen
Rae Blackledge

Oh My

I won!! I didn't even know...thanks so much Deb!! WOW!! Great mittens and I won!!! Lucky me...

Happy Happy Joy Joy

Yippee!!! I got the bestest mittens ever. Dear Krista was my angel in this round sice my original match didn't come through. Krista, who has her hands full with a little one, made these beautiful mittens. I was Ireland for three weeks total last year, found no yarn and drooled over the mittens. DH didn't understand knitters don't buy mittens...these are more beautiful than anything I saw. They fit perfectly and are so beautifully knit. AND look at the other wonderful things, Happy Feet yarn(never used it before and the colors are wonderful), Soak, wonderful notepads, a sock keeper, really interesting....isn't it a wonderful package? Thank you Krista....you were a wonderful angel.

Hoping

I am told there is a box at my old address for me. I am thinking they are my angel mittens since my "pal" here flaked out on me. Hopefully today I will go and rescue my package....

Mitten (kit) Received

Due to unforeseen circumstances, my partner wasn't able to send me a completed mitten. The post office ended up losing some stuff and now she's moving out of the country, so she was kind enough to send me a mitten kit instead. I'm unable to post pictures right now, but wanted to say thanks to sherri for sending this to me. I received stitch markers, needles, a pattern, and WOOL!!! I got some Galway in a pretty blue color along with some Patons Soy Wool Stripes. Should make for interesting mitts.

Thanks again!!

Mittens!

Mittens!!!! I have received my mittens from Claudia/Esmerelda!! They are beautiful a lovely pale blue with a nice plummy purple. and the package she sent me! The yarn is gorgeous! She sent me Welsh and Scottish yarn as well as my most favorite chocolate, Cadbury's! You are FABULOUS! Thank you so much!

FINAL deadline

I have sent an email to every person whose partner has not received mittens yet giving them a FINAL dealine of March 1st.

If March 1st passes and you have not received your mittens, please post here or email me to let me know. I will find an angel to knit for you and will also place your partner on a Banned List (and will tell every single hostess I come across that they should beware of these people so nobody else gets burned by them). I hate to do that but it's ridiculous that so much time has passed and some people have so little regard for other people's feelings that they think it's ok to sign up for and promise to do something for somebody and then decide that they don't want to do it anymore and just leave someone hanging after they have themselves followed through on their obligations.

I know that some of the people who are not done yet, truly just needed more time and this message is not aimed at those few (Lara I know you are following through, Sherri you mailed but I am not sure that your partner has received them yet, Esmerelda I've heard from you too and I thank each one of you!!)

Remember, I need to hear from you and those packages need to get in the mail immediately.

Thank you!!

Little Contest to finish everything up....

....................and the winner is


Cheryl!!!!

Cheryl - I will get your prize out to you as soon as I can secure the perfect yarn for you. I am going to order it online tonight and need for it to get to me before I can mail it out to you. I am someone you CAN trust to follow through! ;0)

I am going to do a little contest to round out the swap as we are finishing up. I'll have two requirements for you to be entered.

#1 - once you receive your package, you must post on this blog about the contents of the package and either a picture of the mittens or a link to the post where your partner already posted the picture.

#2 - You must comment on this post telling me what you liked the most about this swap (even if it was just the challenge of tackling something new), or what you might not have liked so much (which hopefully isn't the flexibility I have allowed with the due date ;0) )

That's it. I will extend the contest until everyone has received their packages so that everyone has a chance to be entered.

What's the prize? How about a really cool mitten pattern and enough yarn to knit it up? I have the pattern in mind, but am not going to mention it here so there is an element of surprise similar to Christmas morning.

Get to posting....and for those of us still knitting, get knitting and get those packages in the mail!! :) Mine is just about finished. My goal is to have it in the mail on Saturday.

Better WAY late than never....

First, a confession...I'm still making my partner's second mitten! My work life has been sheer hell for the past 6-8 weeks and I haven't been able to do any knitting that requires more than garter stitch. But I can see the light at the end of the tunnel (we hired a new editor....YEAH!) and I can't wait to get back to mitten #2.
I did mail off the rest of my package at least, so my partner wouldn't feel too neglected. Hang on, Jess. They WILL come.

As for the package I received...well it was great. Unfortunately, I can't post a picture of the whole thing because...well a lot of it has been eaten! But in addition to the edibles, it included a cute mitten pattern, some great Cascade superwash wool (which is the perfect color for my niece's daughter) and a wonderful pair of Tiffany mittens. Remember those beautiful mittens Cheryl posted on the blog...black background with purple, melon and red? Well, I was the lucky dog who received them! Thank you so much, Cheryl.

Melissa

Thanks, Amy!

A wonderful No-More-Humdrum-Mittens Swap parcel from Amy arrived today. What gorgeous mittens! They fit perfectly, and they coordinate beautifully with my black down coat with pink lining. I'll don them tonight as I brave the snow for my knitting group.
Amy sent many other marvelous goodies, too. Chocolates, candy from Hong Kong, a special edition tea, a bunch of great mitten patterns, and some gorgeous yarn from Beaverslide Dry Goods, which I have been dying to try for a long time. The McTaggart Tweed has a soft and fluffy texture, and the colors are beautiful. Thanks so much, Amy!
Joanna C. received the mittens I made for her a while back. A marvelous swap all around, in my book.

-Jodi

Better late than never! (to post this, I mean)

Thank you so much to Sarah at http://www.knitonepearltwo.blogspot.com/ for this amazing package!

There are the awesome mittens from Lapland from Folk Mittens, a sugar cookie candle, rosemary scented soap, a pattern for houndstooth mittens, ceramic snowpeople holding a little snowbaby, and...a skein of Malabrigo laceweight. Does it get any better than that? I don't hink so. This is my first skein of Malabrigo evah and I love it! There was also a pottery style black and green coffee mug but that was used almost immediately and is always full of coffee or in the wash.
Thank you Sarah! You rock the house!

Mittens Arrived

I received a wonderful package in today'smail from Bridget. She did a fabulous job on the mittens and even designed her very own pattern. They are embroidered and beaded. Just splendid, I think. Bridget also sent a great pattern, some fat quarters, a cute mitten pin, candy, lotion and gloves made for putting on after the lotion. Thank you very much Bridget. I love everything.

Are you on Ravelry?

UPDATE - I just pulled into first place but only have a slight margin. If you haven't voted, please do. I'm pleading with you!!! LOL :)

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.


If so, can you help?

I was nominated for a Bobby Award for funniest Ravatar ("I knit so I do not kill people" - YES I am knitiot). I have 86 votes (first time I checked was tonight and I am so blown away!)

I am not in the lead, though. If you think it's funny can you please go on over and click on agree under my Ravatar? It's number 45 at http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/the-bobbys/63865/26-50

Thanks! (I would be so happy to win this title!!!)

Deb Spoiled Me Rotten!

Well, here I am posting, ahem, shall we say casually late? The main problem (Besides the fact that it takes me forever to do these things....) is that these mittens have not left my side since they arrived. They are the most wonderful mittens I have ever owned in all the 27 years of my existence! And, they match my obnoxiously fuchsia coat! Deb, you really outdid yourself on these. It's been bitterly cold here the past two and a half weeks, and these babies keep me warm!

Besides the sheer pampering that a pair of stranded black, white, and fuchsia mittens provides, she tucked two balls of Baby Ull, a set of stitch markers and the Anemoi pattern into the cutest little latched tote! I had a friend over when I opened the package and she nearly stole everything inside. It's a good thing I consider her a very great friend, or she probably would never have set foot in my house again after so much as thinking about taking my mittens. (That would actually be a lie, because I'm very soft hearted, but my mitten love really is of the fierce kind!)

I enjoyed myself so much that I'm in the second mitten swap, and have every resolution of emailing my partner weekly.....instead of bi-weekly-ish. Thanks Deb for all your hard work both for the swap and on my mittens! Love ya!

~katie

Avast Me Hardy! I Be Showing You Me Plunder!

I think I should have been a pirate. But I digress, here are the promised pics of my wonderful secret mitten pal, Jess's, package to me.

The mittens were divine and I wore them and the bracelet to work just because they were sooooo pretty and of course I had to show them off!

This is all that came in that tiny package. Jess, how did you fit so much into such a little box? It was like getting a package from Mary Poppins I thought I wouldn't find the bottom. It was Christmas all over again!

It's here!

My parcel from Canada is here! I am soooo excited! Thank you, Sarah, this is the most beautiful gift I ever saw. First there are the mittens: gorgeous. A very nice star-pattern with a special border. I must get that book you used. And of course the colors are just for me. I love how you gradually changed the different reds. They must have been so much work.

Then there is a pattern for mittens “Bird in Hand” which in the past weeks I several times almost bought! And the wool for them, brown and a warm yellow. The brown is my very first skein of Cascade 220. Not a big deal for all of you over there in North America, but for me it’s something special to have the yarn in my hands which everybody talks about in those podcasts. Just like Wollmeise or something European for you.

And finally all the other goodies in there. Sarah knew I lived in Canada for some time so she made up a kind of anti-homesickness-survival-until-the-next-holiday-kit for me: maple sirup, maple spread (this of course is my favourite!), candy in the cutest little beaded box and three adorable keyholders: two mounties, a bear and a moose, and a woodworker-moose.

I love, love, love everything. Thank you!

Not such a deadbeat Swap partner

I have been feeling like a complete deadbeat. Due to a horrible cold, really gross winter weather and pre-traveling holiday stress, I didn't get a chance to mail my package until I was on holiday. The parcel was all packaged up in my luggage and I'm sure it's the reason my luggage was delayed 2 days (and why the brown paper's all ripped on the front). The TSA dude even left his gloves in my bag when he was repacking, it was kind of gross to find them. But hopefully my swap spoilee shall get them soon.


Upon my arrival back home, I found a fabulous little parcel waiting for me which I immediately tore open. Here's the fabulous mitteny goodness that I got from Katie of YarnLove. A fabulous custom-pattern, hand-dyed pair of stranded AND thrummed mittens that will be just perfect for the sometimes extremely bitter Montreal winters. Fortunately I haven't had to wear them yet, but I'm prepare for when winter decides to get nasty!

They have appropriately impressed the Sunday Montreal Knits group who never thought of combing a stranded cuff with thrums.

Thanks again Katie!

Delayed but Done

Just a quick post to let all know that I received my package. Pictures will be following soon. My little wasabi camera is MIA with pictures of my awesome package! The package for my secret mitten pal has also been sent I am just awaiting a response before I spill the beans of who I had. I have to say that is was alot of fun knitting those mittens. I have several requests now for those same mittens from family and friends. I enclosed a vintage book of mitten and glove patterns( thanks ebay!)

Mittens are done - and Reminder about New Round

My mittens are done! Yaaaaaaaaaaaay

I finished them last night while we watched the dumbest Christmas movie ever on HBO on Demand. I don't want to post a picture until my partner has received them so I won't spoil any surprise there may still be. I haven't posted them on own blog or even on Ravelry yet. LOL

Just a reminder, I am taking sign ups for the next round to begin in a couple of weeks (see post below with link and information). A few of you have signed up so far. I am hoping that the next one will be even more fun with more posting on the new Swap blog by everyone.

Don't forget the contest that I am having for this round.

How is everyone else doing? I haven't seen any posting. Is everyone close to being finished? Has anyone else received their mittens?

Fingers Crossed

My mittens went off to their rightful recipient last week so I am waiting to hear they were received. Beautiful mittens that have been shared thus far. I am anxiously awaiting an email from my pal as other than the first few weeks I have not been contacted at all.

Extension - and new Round announcement

It seems that there are a couple people needing an extension (maybe even including me YIKES!!)

If you are struggling to finish in time please contact me and your partner to let us know.

I hope that this is ok with everyone. Being on time is important, but the people who have contacted me already truly want to send their partner the best mittens and package that they can, so they do not want to rush through their knitting.

A lot of us are new to stranding (definitely including me). I applaud everyone who has jumped in and tried something new. That was the main purpose for me starting this swap. I ADORE mittens and I knew there had to be other people out there that felt the same about them and were also eager to try something new.

How does everyone feel about this? Would you rather wait a little longer and get the best you can get or would you rather have it on time and have them be less than great?

------------------------------------------------------

Secondly, I am going to start sign-ups for the next round. I am going to have it start January 12th or 19th depending on how quickly sign ups happen. If you want to sign up, please do it quickly so we can get going ASAP. We can negotiate the end date. We had 2 months this round and it wasn't long enough for some of us, but we don't want to go too long or we won't get any use out of the new pair until next winter (which isn't that bad since we'll be knitting them during the colder weather. LOL)

This next round we can make it just for the sock pattern conversion idea or we could incorporate it in as a possibility along with the stranding or embroidery ideas so everyone has more options and can do what they feel comfortable doing.

You can email me with your request to join. I am going to set another blog for it so it doesn't get too confusing since this one isn't done yet. Please send the following info when signing up:

Name
Blog Address if you have one
Mailing Address
Your anonymous email address (this means an address that does not include your name information in the address or the "From" line - if you need help, let me know)
Any major allergies (pets, peanuts, chocolate, animal yarns, etc)
Preference for Mitten Size - Women's or Men's
International Preferences: If you do NOT want to have an international pal, please say so here - I'll make every attempt to accommodate that request!

Knit Stamps!!!

Hey everyone, just a quick post to let you all know that the post office now has stamps that feature knitting on them! They are super cute, you can check them out at www.usps.com

See ya!

I got my mittens!!!

Just a quick post because I am running out to knit with my knitting group.

I wanted to let Jenni know that i received my package. I love the mittens!! I wore them today. :)

I'll post more about the package when I find some time to sit. :)

Yeehaw!

Ok, so I should be studying for finals right now, but I couldn't resist sharing my finished mittens with you! I worked these and reworked these and then neglected everyone else's knitted gifts to finish in time, just as well, now I can focus on finals, and put everyone else off until after Christmas! This was my first time doing color work, and I really enjoyed the whole process. Thanks, Deb!

New Swap Blog

I've spent a bit of time this morning updating the new Blog. It's located here . The only things there so far are the Swap Details and the new and improved Questionnaire.

I have also updated the participant list with the two registrations I have received so far.

_____________________________________

I've finished my other mitten. Now all I need to do is go back to the first one and frog is back to just before the decreases and then add in the pattern repeat that I missed and decrease again.

How is everyone else doing? I know some of you needed to start over. Are you busy knitting as fast as your little fingers can? LOL

More gorgeous mittens and patterns

Just when you thought it was safe..... :o)

Amazing Finnish mittens in kits with naturally dyed yarn. Wow!


Simply gorgeous Kate Gilbert mittens

Starting over....again

What a comedy of errors! Now it's 10 days 'til deadline and I'm starting over. "Bad word, bad word, bad word, bad word!"

I was so hoping I could get this done and write the new pattern at the same time...... Please send some nice thoughts out into the universe for me.

Done!

Mittens ready and the whole package is ready to be posted overseas the first thing in the morning. I've shared some photos with you earlier but here's a nice steamed and trimmed photo. And now to my Christmas knitting and to Claudia's stole which has been sadly neglected lately.

Happy Christmas time everyone!

Last Week

So, as Deb already told you, we met last week. She is such fun, I hadn't intended on staying so long at the Sit'n'Knit and before I knew it we were being kicked out by the coffee shop staff. Time really does fly when you're having fun! I saw the mittens she was making and they are stunning! She's done such a great job with them that I'm a little jealous of her partner! Anyway, it was great fun meeting her, she's such a funny person.

Anyway, Deb, I'm glad you bought the pattern, I think you'll really enjoy making it. By the way what's the name of that book? I MUST buy it, if only to make the mittens you're making.