No-More-Humdrum Mittens Swap

Swap Status

2008-12-31T12:14:00.001-05:00

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

2008-05-20T19:01:00.006-04:00

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

Oh My

2008-03-19T19:41:00.001-04:00

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

Happy Happy Joy Joy

2008-03-19T19:20:00.002-04:00

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

2008-03-17T06:11:00.001-04:00

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

2008-03-13T10:23:00.002-04:00

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!

2008-03-06T23:01:00.003-05:00

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

2008-02-16T23:03:00.003-05:00

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....

2008-02-15T14:53:00.001-05:00

....................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....

2008-02-07T13:02:00.000-05:00

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!

2008-02-06T16:32:00.000-05:00

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)

2008-01-30T19:49:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-30T15:58:00.000-05:00

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?

2008-01-25T21:07:00.000-05:00

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!

2008-01-24T12:14:00.000-05:00

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!

2008-01-21T18:45:00.000-05:00

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!

2008-01-15T11:27:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-14T09:19:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-13T10:34:00.000-05:00

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

2007-12-24T09:58:00.000-05:00

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

2007-12-18T07:49:00.000-05:00

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

2007-12-15T20:20:00.000-05:00

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!!!

2007-12-14T16:57:00.000-05:00

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!!!

2007-12-12T17:54:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-12-09T15:55:00.000-05:00

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

2007-12-08T11:42:00.001-05:00

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

2007-12-07T02:31:00.000-05:00

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

2007-12-05T02:01:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-12-04T14:06:00.000-05:00

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

2007-12-04T12:39:00.000-05:00

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.

at last

2007-12-03T00:40:00.000-05:00

At long last, mitten number one is complete enough to show progress. Still need to add the thumb, graft the tip, hem and weave in ends, but....such as it is...

Boy am I humbled by the gorgeous mittens others are working on (and even finished!). This is by far the most ambitious project I've ever undertaken and I gotta say... I don't think Fair Isle mittens are going to rank high on my priority list from now on! Especially not when I've got a deadline and other Christmas knitting to do!

I just hope that my swap partner is the forgiving sort....

Forgot to mention.....

2007-12-01T22:43:00.000-05:00

I met our very own Jenn C this past Wednesday night. She lives nearby and came to knit with me at my brand spanking new Sit n Knit night. She's really funny! And she taught me a little bit about the law, which should come in handy.

We both sat and knitted our mittens for our partners. Hers are GORGEOUS!! (Jenn I bought the pattern, btw - can't say what it is though so I won't give her away)

Wouldn't it be cool if we could meet many of the other knitters we come in contact with online? This is such a wonderful community and I am so glad to be a part of it. I guess we have to settle for this type of interaction, though.

New Link for Pattern ideas.

2007-12-01T18:36:00.000-05:00

I added a new link to the Mitten Patterns and Ideas section on the sidebar. It's for a cool site that explains how to convert any sock pattern into Mittens. Just imagine what you can do with double knitting! A cool lacy pattern on the outside in one color, and a solid stockinette layer on the inside in a complementary or contrasting color. Or Monkey Mittens, or Pomatomas, or Geraldine, or....I could go on and on. The possibilities for cool mittens are unlimited now!

This has given me an idea......how about the next round be for this technique? You don't have to do the double knitting; you could pick a pattern that isn't lacy so that they are solid and warm without double knitting.

What do you think?

One Down!

2007-11-29T13:28:00.001-05:00

I finally finished my first mitten!

This is the Mittens from Lapland pattern from the Folk Mittens book. I'm using Cascade 220 and size 2 DPNs. I tried really hard with this one not to let my tension get too tight, but I can tell that this one will need some blocking before it's properly finished.

I've cast on for the second one already and can't wait til I have a pair! Now I'm just hoping that my partner likes them as much as I do, because it sure won't be easy parting with them.

More info, if you're interested, on my blog.

Mail Call

2007-11-28T15:11:00.000-05:00

Got my swap mittens off in today's mail. I sure hope my swap partner likes them and all the goodies I added. This was such a fun project and I do hope we will have another swap in the Spring. I changed the color so hopefully she won't recognize the set until it arrives.

Gail

Clarification and GOOD news

2007-11-26T21:07:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone who celebrates enjoyed their Thanksgiving. I got a lot of knitting down since I was home for 5 days. (GLORIOUS)

We only have a couple more people who need to get their progress pictures posted or emailed me to me. I just want to make sure that everyone understands that i won't be kicking anyone out of the swap for posting late. (Katie.....LOL) I wanted the progress pictures to make sure there was some accountability. I would hate for someone not to follow through. I take part in a bag swap that is not going to repeat because about 20% of the participants for the last round did not follow through. That's just mean, and I don't want that to happen here.

The good news i have is that I am going to repeat this swap.

If you are interested in playing again (who can have too many pairs of mittens right?) please let me know if you would like it to start again right away or if you would rather have a couple weeks in between or another suggestion you may have.

My hope is to have sign ups last just a couple weeks this time (which will actually mean that tehre WILL BE a couple weeks in between rounds) and for us to get started asap so we can actually use our mittens before the winter is over. Maybe a shorter amount of time before the due date?

Let me know your thoughts.

UGH!

2007-11-26T14:18:00.000-05:00

Well, everything was going along quite nicely until I had to go away for the long weekend ... I left my knitting behind as I didn't want to chance losing it ... but things just as bad can happen ... like the needles being removed for 'play' and the yarn being ripped apart ... I am now back to square one & feel like crying.

Byebye

2007-11-25T17:57:00.000-05:00

They are done!! They were interesting and fun and very well written. The mitten that is on the left is palm side up, can you find the thumb? I will be sending these out tomorrow. They are now steamed and I have one item to pick up but then off they go. This has been a blast Deb....thanks so much for hosting this swap.

Making progress.....

2007-11-24T13:00:00.001-05:00

I'm still not sure I love the color combination yet....and the size is still off, but progress is being made.
Picture
(I couldn't get the picture thing to work right. Sorry!)

Mittens!

2007-11-23T19:23:00.000-05:00

I have a pair of mittens finished, only they're both left hand mittens...

I finished one and then decided that I wasn't sure if I *really* liked it so I knit a different pattern. Now I'm not sure which I want to make the mate for to send off. I have so much other Christmas knitting to do (I'm a horrible procrastinator) I can probably only knit one right mitten. Oh the decisions.

Flower Meadow

2007-11-23T07:02:00.000-05:00

As I intended I am knitting mittens based on a traditional Finnish pattern. We have this book called something like Hundred traditional knitting patterns by Eeva Haavisto which was published 1943. Of course there are only second-hand copies moving around which are really coveted in the knitting world as the book originally was a war-time publication and not made of first-class materials, so many copies have probably been used to pieces. Fortunately I'm a successor in a long line of craftswomen and my grandmother originally had this book. Now it's a cherished treasure in my mother's crafts book collection and I may use it as well. It is also in a bad shape but I've made some photocopies to own use so one doesn't need to flip the pages too often. Well, this was a long story but I find it just so fascinating to make something my grandmother and her grandmother used to knit for their families as well.

However, I have made some modifications so my mittens will not be a replica of the old mitten in the book. One didn't use this kinds of colours back then (Finnish folk knits mostly used white, black and red), I made thumb increases and will change the thumb pattern, changed the pattern from two-coloured into three-coloured, and so on. The patterns don't have names in the book so this is my very original unvention.

As Promised...

2007-11-20T23:49:00.000-05:00

I've manipulated the color in the photo to further throw my partner off. LOL ;0)

Almost Done

2007-11-20T10:37:00.000-05:00

I'm almost done the mittens for my swap partner. The knitting's all done. I just have to finish working in all those pesky ends. The light's been bad in the evenings (pesky winter) so I've been slacking and falling asleep halfway through CSI instead of finishing them like I should.

I brought my homework with me and shall continue the battle of the ends during my lunch break.

Oh and I bought me a copy of Latvian Mittens to whip these fabulous mittens up. Such a great book!

mitten progress

2007-11-20T09:58:00.001-05:00

~Edited to add photos~

I'm actually working on two pairs b/c I'm worried about the sizing on the first pattern:

1) EZ's Norwegian Mittens ("Winter Spruce" pattern) -- 1st mitten 50% done (picture is from a couple weeks ago -- I'm further along now)

2) Traditional Newfoundland Mitts -- 1st mitten 90% done
We'll see which one works out best! The other pair will go into my holiday gift knits pile.

Weekly blog posting requirement

2007-11-19T06:51:00.000-05:00

I have been looking around this morning with my morning cup of coffee and have come across some blogs that have not had any activity since mid-October. Please post on a regular basis so that your pal has every opportunity to get to know you while she is creating your beautiful mittens. This will help her tailor a package to what you really like in order to make you as happy as possible.

I have had 2 check-ins (including Cheryl). The one I have gotten so far was a "secret" email and boy are those mittens GORGEOUS! That will be a happy partner.

I know this is a holiday week. If you are not going t be able to get a picture to me because of that please drop a quick line to me letting me know and get it to me asap afterwards.

Deb

(who is really itching to get to know you all better)

Progress

2007-11-18T21:20:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post to show y'all the progress being made. Mitten number one is el finito, terminado, done. Mitten number two is done with the cuff and on to the stranded pattern for the hand. A little pause had to be made for a couple of knits (and to break the monotony). Here are some action shots of the mitten. I had to shorten the pattern on the back of the hand because it would have made the mitten super long to knit the entire chart. Still looks pretty good though to my inexperienced eye.

Just about Halfway though....

2007-11-17T12:29:00.000-05:00

I need everyone to post a picture of their progress by Friday 11/23. (Cheryl is exempt since hers is below)

If you are afraid that your partner will figure you out, please feel free to upload a black and white picture or email me the picture instead. I just need to see that everyone has made some progress and will be able to finish in plentyof time to meet the deadline on 12/15.

I'd like to see more chatter here on the swap blog, as well. I was hoping to get to know you all, but there isn't much conversation going on.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who celebrates!

I'll be posting mine too. :)

Mitten Update

2007-11-13T20:03:00.000-05:00

I have completed the first and am more than half done with the second. I wonder if there is such a thing as second mitten syndrome as there is with socks.....

My Secret Mitten Pal

2007-11-10T22:09:00.001-05:00

Just a line to let you know i have picked the pattern and yarn for your mitten. Started working on them this weekend. Happy Holidays

Just How Do You Really Like It?

2007-11-10T17:28:00.000-05:00

Just out of curiousity....how would any of you feel about receiving mitting that don't match exactly....lets say in color they are rather different because of the qualities of the yarn but the pattern matches or same colors, different pattern or two different mittens all together but quite lovely non the less?

Getting to Know You

2007-11-08T08:37:00.001-05:00

Two of my favorite things to do in tandem are watch television and knit. (For those of you that hate T.V., you clearly did not have my father, whose love of Monty Python’s Flying Circus was matched only by his love for his children.) Anyway, as I was watching Heroes the other night I suddenly realized that I had gotten so caught up in watching the show that I had knit the palm design into the top of the mitten, and had to go back and fix it! This seemingly harmless mistake got me wondering…are there more things on television that are not conducive to knitting?

My list goes something like this: Re-runs of Friends are always good to knit to, because I’ve seen them all before, ditto Sex and the City; Game Four of the Series, where the Sox could win it or lose it all the way up to the last inning? Not so good, far to exciting and nail-biting; Nascar (my BF’s thing) this I can totally zone out to, plus if there’s an accident or anything exciting they replay it about a thousand times, ditto football; Heroes, I used to think this was good, but I realize I’m far too caught up in the story line (and watching those gorgeous guys) that I don’t accomplish much and complicated patterns are a no-no; Movies are almost always good, unless it’s a suspense or horror flick, because I always end up missing something at the very point I’m doing some thing tricky on the needles that requires my attention (I missed some of the best parts of Poltergeist last weekend and was too lazy/involved in what I was doing to rewind it); CSI is too detailed a show for anything but the most mindless of knitting.

So what are your lists and favorite/least favorite things to knit to?

Roll Call

2007-10-31T19:49:00.000-04:00

Please post a comment in this topic to let me know that you are here and whether you have heard form both partners or not. If you haven't, please specify which partner (The one who is knitting for you or the one you are knitting for).

Sorry to beat a dead horse for those of you who have checked in multiple times, but I have a feeling I am going to have to drop a couple people from the swap and I don't want to drop anybody in error.

Thanks for your understanding!

****Everyone please make sure that you reply back to the emails that your partner is sending you. The biggest complaint right now is that people have made contact but are getting no response****

Progress Is Happening

2007-10-28T08:24:00.000-04:00

Dear Secret Mitten Sister,

Just to let you know that you mittens are progressing quite nicely. You are in danger of me keeping these mittens and you getting the walmart special....just kidding. (I wouldn't inflict that insult on another knitter....besides, the tags would give me away =-)

Using Noro makes me feel like a genius. I hope you have big hands because they are going to be a bit long. This project is just my second attempt at real stranded knittng and I am quite happy with the results. I hope you will too.

Sincerely,

Luanda

Update

2007-10-27T17:00:00.001-04:00

Oh how I love these mitts,

For the love of Yarn, don't delete me, Deb!!!

2007-10-24T22:36:00.000-04:00

Hi, I'm Katie. I've already been annoying my swap pal. I've sent her several random emails about nothing in particular. I now am about 1/2 way through her first mitten. It would be terribly sad if you deleted me.

I've also written back to my secret pal. (The one who is knitting for me.) I hope she got my email. Secret Pal, if you haven't received my reply, try resending. Sometimes my Spam Filter gets hungry. However, I will write you back lots of really random and almost interesting things. I promise. I've even been posting cute pictures of my kids on my shiny, new blog - just in case you don't have anything better to do.

See kids here: www.dyeingtoknit.wordpress.com

Made contact with partner

2007-10-23T21:37:00.000-04:00

thanks Deb, looking forward to getting to know you all, beautiful patterns for mitten, i am working on the colors for my partner
thank you
marisol

Hi Secret Mitten Pal

2007-10-23T19:08:00.000-04:00

You don't know who I am but I know who you are! I went to Rhinebeck this weekend and got you a little gift for you. I must say that I went through a lot of anguish and turmoil to get you this gift. (well, maybe not that much turmoil since I was having lots of fun in the process). So with my kids approval I got you a beautiful skein of sock yarn. I won't show you just because I might just give myself away. But I do have mitten progress to show you. I've been playing around with the colors and so far sooooooo goooood.

Another pattern

2007-10-23T14:41:00.000-04:00

I found this today:
http://lookingglassknits.blogspot.com/2007/01/latvian-mitten-pattern.html

New pattern

2007-10-22T15:28:00.000-04:00

cThanks to my pal, we have a new Mitten pattern link. I've posted it in the sidebar. It's call Daina Mittens.

Enjoy!!

Are these for you?

2007-10-21T13:07:00.000-04:00

I am nearing the end of the first cuff. I have turned the photo to black and white so my pal won't know that these are for her based on color choice. ;)

Check in NOW please

2007-10-18T19:19:00.000-04:00

Please email me immediately if you have not heard from either of your partners and let me know if it the one that is knitting for you or the one you are knitting for who has not responded to your attempt at contacting. (I have already heard from one concerned pal)

If you have not been contacted, I know it is hard, but please try to be patient. I just sent matches out on the weekend and some people may only come online on the weekends (hard to believe I know. LOL)

Please do not post anything here, because I may have re-match some people and I don't want to give away the "surprise" for anyone.

If you have not contacted me to tell me that you are still in this with us, I need a reply to that email too. I have a handful of you who have not checked in with us since we began.

Thanks guys! I want to handle all of this up front so everything can be fun and stress free. :)

Happy Birthday Marcia!!

2007-10-18T19:14:00.000-04:00

A little birdie named Ravelry just told me that it is your birthday! I hope you enjoyed it (since it is about midnight in Germany right now). LOL

Sometimes Things Just Work Out!!!

2007-10-18T09:57:00.000-04:00

I had picked two combinations of colorways as soon as I signed up for this swap. I knew I wanted to make the Tiffany mittens listed in the sidebar. I waited and waited and this is the colorway I am doing and I am still knitting Tiffany. Seems it will be perfect for my pal...how fortuitous!!

Maybe I should clarify that I waited to be assigned my Pal and then read her questionnaire and then decided before I started. I started last night and since I haven't printed out the pattern will only be knitting in the mornings as I watch TV with the laptop on. Yes I know I can print it out but this is more fun.

2007-10-16T22:27:00.000-04:00

I got my partners info. send email just waiting for reply, I am so excited

Marisol

Mittens Anyone?

2007-10-16T20:26:00.000-04:00

Two words No - Ro. well....it's more like two syllables. But for emphasis I will make it sound like two words instead.

Anyway, I

have been saving these skeins for something super duper special. Why not mittens? The colors are way richer than what they appear. I plan on using this with another solid yarn to compliment. I haven't settled on a pattern yet but it needs to be something that will allow the colors to showcase themselves.

Weeeee shhhhhaaalll ssseeeee.

New kid on the blog

2007-10-16T09:53:00.000-04:00

Hi there,

I also have started a blog. Only it's in German. The adress is: http://umgarnt.wordpress.com/ , perhaps someone want's to have a look at the pictures. So far there isn't very much, but I am trying to fill it up regularly.

See you,
The German Girl (Deb, I liked your post about your daughters!)

Katie is here and posting!

2007-10-16T09:44:00.000-04:00

Hey, I'm Katie. I've been so looking forward to this swap, and I'm excited that it's started! I set up a personal blog here: http://www.dyeingtoknit.wordpress.com/ for my pal, and I business blog here: http://www.bungalowmum.blogspot.com/.

I have so many ideas, i don't know where to begin. Can't wait to start finding out more about my Pal!

~katie

My kids are so much like me! LOL

2007-10-15T19:02:00.001-04:00

My 2 youngest girls live at home (my oldest lives with her Dad) and we are sitting here at the Dining Room table. I am doing swap admin stuff and reading emails, etc and they are doing their homework. My youngest daughter is very inquisitive. She saw some yarn and asked if that was for my "secret pal" and I said, "yes it's for one of them." This prompted more discussion and me telling them about this swap. I told them that I liked to do swaps because I meet people from all over the country. And my oldest daughter said, "like Africa?" and my little one said, "she said in THIS country, right mom? I said, "yes, that's what I said, but actually I meant the world because we have some ladies/girls in the swap who are from other countries....one girl is in Germany and another in Canada and one is Finnish. So the little one said, where is she from? And I said, well you know that we are Norwegian and Swedish, she is from Finland which is right near there. So she said, "mom are we finnish?" and at the same time, both me and my older daughter said, "no we just started." LOL!!!! She's 11 and smart as a whip! hehe Jennie - is it really said "Finnish" or did I say something wrong? It seems wrong now that I am replaying it in my head.

Better late than never

2007-10-15T17:15:00.000-04:00

Hi all: I'm new to all of this stuff...secret pal exchanges, blogging etc....so I'm hoping I don't screw something up! I'm also not a particularly experienced knitter...been knitting for a few years fairly seriously (often that is) before that just an annual Christmas stocking...usually badly messed up.

Determined to plunge in whole heeartedly, I have also started a blog to post my questionaire and maybe try to stay a little connected with my own day to day life. It's knit2tink1.blogspot.com.

I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you.

Melissa

Matches have been sent! :)

2007-10-14T21:01:00.000-04:00

Yeah! Here we go!!

I've sent the matches out tonight. Please let me know if you did not get an email. If i sent it to an incorrect email address, I will need the correct one.

I think we have a great group. I am looking forward to getting to know all of you better. Most of us are on Ravelry so I have included those ID's if I had one. I'd also like to get some chatter going on here, so feel free to start a conversation.

Remember that if you do not have a blog, the only way your partner will have to get to know you is through this blog and through emails. Please be diligent in that communication. It's what makes these swaps so much fun!

If there are any problems please let know (although I don't anticipate any).

To My Dear Secret Pal

2007-10-14T20:47:00.000-04:00

Yes that means you. No..you...over there...you know the one whose name I don't know but who knows mine.....
I have officially started a blog. I was feeling rather lonely....like the only kid on the block without a scooter, so I started one. http://skip2mylu.blogspot.com/
So you will have a chance to peek when you get a chance,
Go ahead, I give you permission
Love and Mittens,
Luanda

Questionnaire

2007-10-13T14:46:00.000-04:00

My name is Joanna, and I am excited about this swap. The answers to the mitten questionnaire are as follows.

1. I have been knitting for about 20 years, although only seriously the past 5 yrs. or so. I was taught the basics by my grandmother, and took a few classes.
2. I would consider myself and advanced knitter.
3. My favorite colors are blue and green, and I also tend to wear alot earth tones.
4. I like Latvian mittens but I really don't have a favorite pattern.
5. I would like mittens for myself.
6. I enjoy knitting almost everything, although lately I have mave been knitting alot of socks.
7. I don't have a needle preference, depends on the project.
8. I would like to knit the Venezia sweater, but I am afraid of steeks.
9. I like natural fibers, but allergic to mohair.
10. My hobbies include, reading, cooking, traveling
11. I don't collect anything.
12. Love all goodies, esp. salty or spicy.
13. I have no children, but 1 dog.
14. I love how beautiful it looks in the winter after new snow.
15. I hate driving in the winter, and since I don't have a garage, shoveling the car out to get to work on time.

Found you!

2007-10-13T09:15:00.000-04:00

Hello,

my name is Marcia and I am writing from Germany. I am so glad I found you, because it really sounds like a challenge to me.

Right now I am off to a concert I sing tonight, so let me just quickly post my questionnaire and get back to you later.

No-More-Humdrum Mittens Swap Questionnaire

How long have you been knitting & how did you learn?
I learned how to knit before I could read or write from my grandmother. I knitted all the time, but since a few years I am really hooked.

Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I would say advanced, but I never did Latvian patterns. So I guess it’s intermediate (or even beginner?)

What are your favorite colors? Any you dislike?
My favorite colors are reds, orange, purple. I like the whole palette of autum-colors. Not so much pastels. And I don’t like hard contrasts like black and white.

Do you like Latvian type patterns? If so, what are your favorite patterns?
I love looking at them but never did one. For this swap I am definetely going to try one.

Do you desire mittens for yourself, your "special someone else" or your child?
Just for me and myself. And I don’t consider that selfish.

What other things do you enjoy knitting?
I like to knit everything, but mostly I do socks and pieces of accessories, simply because they are faster and I love “instant success”.

What sort of needles do you enjoy working with? (straights vs circs, bamboo vs aluminum)
I use bamboo dpn’s and bamboo circulars.

What’s one project you’ve not yet tried but are dying to make?
Latvian mittens? I don’t know, there are a thousand things I have to try.

What’s one yarn you’ve not yet tried but are dying to work with?
Nothing in particular. There is still so much out there that I don’t even know of...

What other hobbies do you have? Do you spin? Sew? Garden? Cook?
I quilt, sew, garden, love to cook. But my greatest hobby is singing. I am in a female choir, do some of the soloing and conduct a girls choir.

Besides yarn, do you collect anything?
No, not really.

What kind of goodies do you enjoy? Sweets? Salty? Anything you hate or are allergic to?
No allergies, thank god for that. I am more on the salty side. Tea is wonderful, I don’t drink coffee.

Do you have any kids? Pets?
I have three kids (son 8, daughter 7, son 4)

What is your favorite part of Winter?
I love the cold, the snow, the special light in winter.

What is your least favorite part of Winter?
Driving on snow and ice.

Off for now, see you later,
Marcia from Germany

REMINDER - deadline is Saturday night/Sunday morning - midnight

2007-10-12T21:44:00.001-04:00

Any lurkers out there that have been on the fence about joining need to get their email in by 12:00am Sunday morning (Saturday night) to be included in the swap.

Also, remember that questionnaires need to be posted to your blog by that time as well.

I have one invite pending right now, that I am going to be handling when I am done typing this.

If you have emailed me to be in the swap and have not gotten an invite to the blog yet, please let me know right away. Also, if you signed up but have not gotten me a secret email address or other requested info, please send that to me too, so I have everything I need when I do the matches this weekend.

Thanks all! I'm so excited!!!

Welcome! Registration is open

2007-10-11T11:54:00.000-04:00

Registration is open. It will close on October 14th 12:00 AM ET

To register, send an email to mittenexchange@gmail.com with the following information:

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!

Please add mittenexchange@gmail.com to your address book when sending your registration - this should help with SPAM issues and ensure you receive communications and your match.

You should post your Questionnaire on your own blog by October 14thth or on this blog if you do not have one of your own. (Questionnaire will be posted in another post) Putting it up as soon as you receive confirmation that you have been accepted into the swap is best, so that we can all begin to get to know each other better.

Knitty Gritty Details:
Registration Closes October 14th
The Questionnaire MUST be on your blog by the time registration closes, or you will be dropped from the swap.
Matches will go out by October 21st
Swap dates will be from the date you receive your match until December 15th

Package Requirements:
Enough yarn for a small project. Approximately 200m minimum recommended.
A mitten pattern. Either the one you created, or a different one. Keep copyrights in mind please.

Goodies. Tea, Coffee, Sweet treats, whatever you'd like. (Think Snow & Winter themes)
A pair of embellished or patterned mittens.

Any other treats or yarn related objects you think your pal will enjoy.
Total package value: $25 US Minimum

Participation Requirements:
You must post on your own blog or this one, if you do not have one of your own, once per week at the minimum. Posting regularly helps show that you're going to be around for the duration of the swap and helps your Secret pal to get to know you and your likes and dislikes better so they can spoil you appropriately. You must also contact your partner at least once per week either by sending an e-card, email or letter by snail mail. If you miss 2 weeks in a row, you'll be dropped and your pal re-assigned. You are only required to send one package, but if you feel led to send more, please feel free, taking into account that the final package must be valued at a minimum of $25. (This includes the price of any pattern or materials used for the mittens you have knitted for your pal)

If you are unable to make any of these requirements please email me at mittenexchange@gmail.com immediately, so that I can help or have your partner reassigned. When signing up, please let me know if you'd be willing to step in as an angel if any happen to be needed. We all know that Life happens and things come up that are not expected that could cause any one of us not to be able to fulfill our commitments. It is best to contact me right away so I can step in so as not to tarnish your swapping reputation.

I'm hoping that this will lead to some new friendships and Mitten knitting inspiration. I know I am tired of plain, boring mittens. If you know of any links to free patterns for any Estonian/Latvian patterns, or Embellishment ideas to add to a plain pair of mittens, please share them with me and I will post them here on the blog.

Please feel free to email me if you have questions or concerns.

Also Nervous

2007-10-09T19:44:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone, after reading all the recent post, i have to confess that my anxiety level are very high. I tend to knit for non-knitter and the gift is accept with mistake and not notice them. Here i am knitting with other who would understand and see my mistakes, YES i always welcome feedback its what makes us good at what we are.

Good luck to all, and may all your mittens be as perfect as the determination and love you put in them

Marisol

Confession

2007-10-09T15:58:00.000-04:00

I am a little nervous, definitely excited and a little anxious about this exchange! I have only ever knit plain, very simple/basic mittens before ... I have made items containing more than one colour & Nordic style sweaters, but for some reason these mittens are making me nervous - lol

Pattern

2007-10-09T10:03:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! I just found this pattern for mittens. They look like honeycombs!

New Pattern found

2007-10-06T23:51:00.000-04:00

I found a new pattern while browsing Ravelry. I have linked it on the right hand side, but here it is too. Winter Garden Mittens

Time Seems To Drag

2007-10-06T08:10:00.000-04:00

I am sooooooo excited about this mitten swap that I keep checking in just in case something new happened. I've been scouring my present books to see what kind of mitten patterns I have to match the yarn I have. I purchased some vintage mitten books from ebay (cover price says fifty cents.....I way over paid...just kidding)

So far I love the Keefley mittens from Handknit Holidays

I also like the flip top mittens. I've made 3 pairs of them out of the Patons classic merino for my kids and they liked them. I had to make some modification to the pattern because it came out a little funky the first time around.

Elizabeth Zimmerman's mitered mittens....super cute and I also like the garter stitch ones she has in Knitting Around. The curled tip mittens are a little scary so I'll leave those alone.

I think that for these holidays every one on my list is getting a small knitted item. Like a pair of mittens or a hat. Scarves are a big commitment....unless I crochet it with bulky yarn...hmmmmmmm.

In my house we are all geared up for fall and winter knitting here are my daughter and my neice "preparing" for the knitting season.

Don't ask me how this happened but my daughter knits the exact opposite of me. I throw she picks. I love circs she loves long straights. Why is this weird you may ask?

I taught her how to knit. She figured out the whole left hand thing on her own.....maybe she's smarter than me?nnnaaaaah

Until next time my mitten friends.

Peace out.

Hello

2007-10-01T20:33:00.000-04:00

Thank you very much for the invite, its always special to be part of a group with same interest. There is so much to learn from one antoher. Just want to express all the excitement i feel in waiting for all to start. I have completed my questionaire on my blog, please check it out. I am still a novice when it comes to blogs, so please bare with me, some pictures more to come.

Marisol

Another Pattern!

2007-10-01T20:19:00.000-04:00

I just found this pattern and I thought I'd share! I can't wait for all the fun to begin!

Also, I have a quick little question. This is my first swap so I'm not sure about the etiquette, but are we allowed to post about the mittens we're working on in our blogs? I don't want to accidentally spill the beans!

Mitten Meme

2007-09-29T11:21:00.000-04:00

Here's a little about me. All the questions are in black and my answers are in blue. I am super thrilled to be a part of this mitten swap.
How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? I have been knitting for 2 years (August of 2005) I was self taught from a book (Melanie Faliks book, Kid's Knitting, ROCKS!)
Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I would consider myslef an intermediate advanced. There are few things that I still need to learn.....ok there's a lot I need to learn.
What are your favorite colors? Any you dislike? I love rich fall colors. Especially oranges, reds and yellows with some green in there too. I cannot stand pastels or overly bright primary colors.
Do you like Latvian type patterns? If so, what are your favorite patterns? I haven't studied much on the Lativian type patterns yet but the ones that I have seen I have liked.
Do you desire mittens for yourself, your "special someone else" or your child? I have four kids, a full time job, a demanding husband (not really), two dogs and a cat.......I want mittens for myself. (am I being greedy?)
What other things do you enjoy knitting? I love knitting sweaters, hats, scarves bags...etc.
What sort of needles do you enjoy working with? I love my Denise interchangeable needles....L O V E them. But I also like metal circs and dpn. Bamboo are my favorite kind of dpns. And straight needles........can't stand them.
What’s one project you’ve not yet tried but are dying to make? A queen size blanket
What’s one yarn you’ve not yet tried but are dying to work with? silk, angora
What other hobbies do you have? Do you spin? Sew? Garden? Cook? I like to sew although I am not very good at it
Besides yarn, do you collect anything? I collect knitting and crochet books. My daughter teases me that I have more knitting books than the library (which really isn't so hard if you saw my local library's selection)
What kind of goodies do you enjoy? Sweets? Salty? Anything you hate or are allergic to? I enjoy trying new things. I love sweet and salty....especially chocolate
Do you have any kids? Pets? I have 4 kids ages 13-3 , two dogs and a cat.
What is your favorite part of Winter? I love the first snow of winter. I also like going for walks with nice toasty warm winter accesories (hat, scarf and gloves...oh and a coat too....)
What is your least favorite part of Winter? I don't like slush or winter rains.

WOW! Lots of traffic last night!!!

2007-09-29T10:11:00.001-04:00

We gained 4 new swappers last night. Amazing! Something must be working. LOL

Welcome to all of you. Please jump right in. I have sent you all invites to post here on the blog (which means that besides commenting, you can post your messages too).

If you are on Ravelry and haven't found the group over there, search in the Swaps area of the groups section. f you aren't on Ravelry yet, which I know there are quite a lot of people, please don't feel left out. We'll post everything here on the blog and I hope to get some nice "getting to know you" posts over here where we are centralized.

Please take some time to visit the blogs of other swappers. You might be lucky and make more than one new friend during this! If a swapper doesn't have a blog, you will see that their name will link you back here. This is where the questionnaires for those folks should be posted.

If you haven't posted your questionnaire, please take some time soon to do that.

Hi All

2007-09-24T21:09:00.000-04:00

Thanks for letting me participate. This is such a cool idea! I found you on Ravelry and while waiting for the invite selected my pattern and yarn!!! Great idea! Can you tell I am excited? Actually I am still onvacation in Disney and checked to see what was going on at ravelry...so glad I did.

Ravelry and Deadline extension

2007-09-23T10:16:00.000-04:00

The major part of communication for this swap will be on this blog, however I wanted to let you know that I have listed the swap on Ravelry in order to drum up participation.

Because the deadline was looming near, I have extended it a bit to give Ravelers time to find us. If we get a good response, or no response at all by the first week in October, I may change it back so that we can get going with the fun. We have a good group now and I think we will be fine and have tons of fun even if it ends up just being those of us who are signed up already.

If you are a member of Ravelry and want to join the group over there, go here .

free pattern for Sea Mineral Mittens

2007-09-17T08:22:00.000-04:00

Spilly Jane just posted a free pattern for Latvian-style Sea Mineral Mittens. They're beautiful! The direct link is here.

Happy knitting!

Question for everyone

2007-09-14T18:07:00.000-04:00

Would you like this blog to be opened up for all of you to post to or would you like to keep it closed with just me posting and everyone else commenting? I really want to encourage frequent visits to each others blogs and don't want this blog to get in the way of that, but sometimes it's nice to still be able to create a community in one place too.

What do you think?

We need to drum up some particpation

2007-09-09T18:24:00.001-04:00

Please share the info about this swap on any of the groups you belong to that you think might allow the post. I might need to extend the deadlines again. I won't cancel the swap but it won't be as fun if it's just a couple of us. LOL :) We're also listed on Swapdex, so hopefully that will help!

Another type of embellished mittens

2007-08-22T19:53:00.000-04:00

This swap is not just for Latvian type mittens. Here is a picture of another type of Embellished mitten you could knit for a pal. The picture was sent to me to show me a fake-a-gamo purse that someone had made and I really liked the mittens so I saved the picture for inspiration. If this is your picture, please contact me, I have lost your contact info. :) Thanks!

And below is a picture of the Mission Falls "Smittens" booklet. You can see a bit of each mitten on the cover.

No-More-Humdrum Mittens Swap Questionnaire

2007-08-19T13:11:00.000-04:00

Please post this questionnaire with your answers on your blog no later than October 14th!

How long have you been knitting & how did you learn?
Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
What are your favorite colors? Any you dislike?
Do you like Latvian type patterns? If so, what are your favorite patterns?
Do you desire mittens for yourself, your "special someone else" or your child?
What other things do you enjoy knitting?
What sort of needles do you enjoy working with? (straights vs circs, bamboo vs aluminum)
What’s one project you’ve not yet tried but are dying to make?
What’s one yarn you’ve not yet tried but are dying to work with?
What other hobbies do you have? Do you spin? Sew? Garden? Cook?
Besides yarn, do you collect anything?
What kind of goodies do you enjoy? Sweets? Salty? Anything you hate or are allergic to?
Do you have any kids? Pets?
What is your favorite part of Winter?
What is your least favorite part of Winter?