You May Have Already Seen These ...

but I'm gonna show them to you again.  These are the two items I finished during the Olympics but didn't want to show and tell you about until I knew my swap partner had received them.  Well, she did receive them, and posted on her blog today about it, so I can provide details here (whether or not you asked!).

Araignee was my dishcloth swap partner.  I knew she lived in Maryland, so my first dishcloth was inspired by that.

Once I finished it, I realized it might have been easier to see the raised parts if I'd used a slightly different color.  but, I did get a picture so that it showed up, so I'm happy about that.

Project:  Maryland Dishcloth
Pattern:  Knitted Maryland Cloth
Yarn:  Sugar 'n Cream, colorway Cream
Needles:  Size 7US
Notes:  This is definitely something that looked like what it was supposed to be once it was blocked.  Before that, no one would be likely to have a clue.  ;-)

The second one had such a lovely stitch pattern, I decided I would like to incorporate it into a scarf or something sometime.

Project:  Blackberry Bramble Dishcloth
Pattern:  Blackberries Dishcloth
Yarn:  Cotton-Eases, colorway Violet
Needles: Size 7US
Notes:  This is a pattern where when starting, you have to pay close attention, but after the first or second pattern repeat, it's easy to remember.  And as I said above, I love the way the stitch pattern looks.

It's funny because for two small projects, I got a ton of satisfaction with how they turned out - and it was nice to work on something that was finished quickly.  There's a lot to be said for immediate gratification!

***

And now, let me show you what I received in my swap package!  Araignee outdid herself with this:

From top to bottom, right to left:  Farmer's Market Soap, Lemongrass Verbena Soap, Blackberry Sage Soap, 

Peppermint Tingle Soap

I opened up the box, and there were four little packages, plus a card she made herself!  There were four handmade soaps, and each one seemed to correspond to a season of the year.  Cool, huh?

However, she didn't stop there.  When you opened the little tie ribbons on the package, each one had a corresponding dishcloth:

Aren't they lovely?  I was sooooo excited to open each one and see what it looked like.  I think this was such a lovely idea for a swap package, and I feel like I hit the jackpot.    Thanks, Araignee!

I have been in a few swaps, but the last one was years ago.  I liked the idea of this one, because it seemed manageable, and there was no feeling of it being a "contest" to see who could send the most, or spend the most.  I'm so glad I signed up, and am grateful to Kathy for getting it all set up and organized.

***

I [finally] mailed the Slutty Pumpkin socks to my niece, on the same day I mailed my swap package.  She posted a picture and a very enthusiastic "thank you" on Facebook.  I guess when she would see the in-progress pictures on Facebook and Instagram, she kept wishing they were for her, as she said, "especially since they were called  Slutty Pumpkin."

So it sounds like it was a good week for packages all the way around.  :-)

Post Office Fail and Giveaway Winner!

Hello there - here's hoping your weekend was enjoyable.  Ours was fine, if unexciting.  Since the weather decided that once again, hot and humid was the way to go, I stayed put most of the time.

Yesterday, I grabbed my swap partner's package and another one I'm sending to one of my nieces, and walked up nice and early to the Post Office to mail things.  I figured if I got there early, there wouldn't be a long line.  Guess what?  There was NO line at all ... not so fast - it was closed, because apparently they had no electricity!  Grrrrrrr.  So I may not get the package in the mail until Tuesday, the very last day and what seems to me to be the very  last-minute.  The P.O. I pass on my way to and from work isn't open when I leave in the morning, and I won't have a chance to stop on the way home  tomorrow because I need to get home quickly, change, and head to Stitch 'n Pitch tomorrow night.  Perhaps The Tim will think to mail both things for me tomorrow, but there's no guarantee.  Sigh.  I can think of one other time I know the P.O. was closed unexpectedly when I needed it.  Maybe they are just messing with me, I don't know ...

I did open my package from my swap partner, Araignee, and it is AH-MAZ-ING.  She really spoiled me.  Once I get the pictures I took out of my camera, I'll show off here.  :-)  (If you follow me on Instagram, I posted some quick shots there already today.)

Anyhoo, it's Giveaway Winner Time!   It was so nice to hear from so many of you, thanks for your congratulations and for entering the giveaway.  Originally, I was going to use a random number generator, but instead decided that I would have The Tim choose the winner.  So, he swished all of the names around in a little bowl for way longer that was necessary, and chose:

Lynn!!

Congratulations, Lynn!  I don't have your mailing info, so please send it to me, either via e-mail at baclancyATverizonDOTnet, or via a Ravelry message (my Rav name is thekittyknitter).  I'll let you know when your package is sent out, so you can be watching for it.

Thanks to everyone for playing along - on the one hand it's so much fun for me to read everyone's comments and see whose name will get picked; but then of course, I wish I had more things to send to every single person ... so I promise if I ever win the lottery, I'll send something to all of you.  In the meantime, I hope you stick around, because you never know when there might be another "event" or what it might be ... :-)

I'll be back soon with swap stuff, a Stitch 'n Pitch report, and my Olympics knitting.  In the meantime, I hope a good week is in store for all of us, whether or not the weather forecast feels like cooperating.

Quick Post

Hello there!  I have a regular blog post to write for you soon, but I wanted to let you know about something going on that promises to be fun, and you need to act fast to join!

Kim is hosting a lovely, non-stressful, inexpensive swap on her blog.  I always enjoy swaps, though I don't sign up for as many as I used to.  This is partly due to finances, and also because a lot of times, there is a handmade element that seems daunting to me, being that I am a relatively slow knitter with not a lot of knitting time, particularly during the holidays.  But this swap sounds like my cup of tea!

Sign ups go through noon tomorrow, Monday, October 13, so go there NOW.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!