holiday difference

dang it! i just realised the post office is closed again today due to the 2/28 incident... where KMT massacred a bunch of taiwanese people.

so i have to wait til 3/1 to mail out the hogwarts package... but it will be ok because i'm a day ahead of US time...

am working on the crochet maryjanes for my pick my partner swap... got one sided done of the third pair... so now i just one one more side to go, and all the weaving of the ends...

i think i'm going to not swap for awhile... all this swapping is taking too much time... the all of a sudden too many swaps. on the other hand, after all my swaps is finished, i'll be running out of things to make for..

all done!

Papi oversees the finished product!!

He approves!!
i quickly knitted up Chi-Chi's scarf. Since it's on such large needles, I shouldn't have casted on so many stitches... too late now!! It's a bit shorter than my normal scarves... but i hope he likes it.

It's a garter stitch ridge inspired scarf! knitted on CLOVER TAKUMI US 11(8.0mm) needles. & Blue self stripping thick yarn (International Soft Feather- High class Hand knitting yarn, Big imported(49%new wool, 51% Acrylic): Col 70 Lot 206-1 Art No. S689 200g-200m).

Surprise!!

Look at what was waiting for me at the mailbox?! My first ATC ever!! the Wheel spins to count sheep!! super inventive huh?!


Selise Sheep atc card!!

I made an extra CNY ATC card to make up for the fact that i sent out late...
Went to Mcdis today and got the cheeseburger kids meal, and got a papilion THE DOG.

Papi has decided to steal a french fry from my lunch!! Papi is also thinking of joinging the little visitor swap, He's definitely little, and loves to visit... he even has his own basket!!

Boy Beanie frm SnB Nation

first crochet supposed guy's hat

Fill requested a beanie... so here's one crochet it up. I hope it doesn't look too girly...it wasn't hard either... since i used a thicker yarn than the pattern, I didn't do all the rows. I added only one CC color, but i don't think i did the CC very well, since the CC was a lighter green... I hope he likes it.

I would consider this a easy/small project. pretty much just DC around and around and around.

If i get to the post office tomorrow, i'll mail it off!!

** edit **

okay, have decided to send the green beanie to angela cuz it's a bit girly...it will be included with the rest of her taiwan sunshine package!!

stick a fork in me, I'm done.

I am considering myself finished! Here's what i'm sending off for the Hogwarts swap.


A gryffindor Scarf PoA style.



a Panta in Gryffindor colors.
two pairs of gryffindor colored house slippers


two gelly pens in gryffindor colors!!

I just hope rockmygyspysoul likes it all!

I think I'll have time tomorrow to mail it if I find a bag or box for it!!

Yay!

This is what i'm mailing out for the Heart Swap.

One snuttis scarf!!

I hope Vanessa in Yorba Linda likes it!!

****

I think I also have a cute idea for the vintage travel theme ATC... but i don't feel like working on it today, so maybe tomorrow... that's not due til march 20th anyway... no rush...sorta!!

Now I just have the pick your partner swap left, and to mail the hong kong brochure to jlovesg...

Post office OPEN!

today i made it just in time right before the post office closed... I managed to mail off, the PAT ATC card to Selise, PAT ATC card to Kaos, the CNY ATC to retro-redux, and the personal swap package to scotskipper.

the letters were sent by airmail, the package to scotskipper was mailed by ship mail. It was much cheaper for ship mail... like a lot cheaper...she said to mail it with that, it was ok by her...so I did.

I was also going to mail out the heart swap, but i had decided to put fringe on it... so i didn't finish it in time... so maybe tomorrow or something...

I am wondering if i should just include the extra small weasley hat? or if i should just not use it... sigh. I think i'm just going to block the scarf, and then mail it out. I think the scarf will be good...it's an extra large item to me cuz it took me forever!!

i'm going to go steam block in a bit.

Garter Stitch Ridge inspired Scarf

ok casted on for a stockingnett & garter knit scarf. It's a thick yarn, so I am using a large needle. US 11 (8.0 mm) It's going well, I'm just interchangablly switching from garter and stockingnett, no real pattern... It's inspired by the Garter stitch Ridge.

Garter Stitch Ridge:
any number of stitches
1 row (RS): Knit
2 row: Purl
rep the last 2 rows once more.
Purl 6 rows.
Rep these 10 rows.

I've decided to use the big ball of blue self stripping yarn i got at the craft store for Chi-Chi's scarf. I thought he would like the color... so i'm trying to finish the scarf so that when i see him next i can give it to him before he goes back to Zurich.

I hope the scarf isn't too wide...i didn't buy another ball of this yarn, so I'm hoping it's enough for the scarf.

Yarn snapshot

more yarn. I bought more yarn today. i was looking through my yarn stash, and had no suitable colors for the crochet maryjane swap I'm doing with my partner... so... i bought some and some more... plus the pack of knitting markers that i bought last time disappeared... so i bought some more, then another pair of circs...

did you want to yarn drool?

injured.

My right hand has started to ache from all the knitting... so i took a break, and worked on the ATC. I had a better idea for the mad science, but still non for vintage travel... well i'm going to taichung tomorrow, maybe i'll find some cool stuff at the department stores.

i guess since my hand is hurting from knitting, I can crochet since i hold the hook different from the knitting needle... i have 3 pairs of crochet maryjanes to finish for the pick your partner swap.

note to self... don't do this many swaps anymore. 5 is a lot!!!!!

go go gryffindor!

I have weaved in the ends of the super long Gryffindor scarf. I soaked it in water, and then set it out to dry... to block... I don't know how the blocking is going... but i shall go check it, and maybe even steam iron it.

I've already cut up the fringe, and... then it shall be done. If the scarf is dry, I shall have the BIG item done, and ready to mail as soon as the post office is open again.

on the small note, last night I tried the Ginny Weasley hat from Goldfishgirl on Craftster.org I misunderstood the directions, so i ended up with a hat that one can not wear, but only let it sit on the top of my head. Sigh...and it had started out so well too!!! ( pattern on page 2...it's actually really easy except the part i misunderstood, but other than that!! EASY)




I was going to remake today, as in right now, but i tried to use a different yarn, and it's not the same yarn... it's thinner...so maybe i need to use TWO strands?

this is what i've made so far for the swap, minus the huge scarf.


(L-R: Go Go Panta, Crochet Slipper #1, Crochet slipper #2 - I made the pom poms different so that she can differenciate the left from the right one.)

I think if i don't remake the ginny hat, i'm just going to end up giving the hair topper to my partner cuz I made it for the swap especially.

on the ATC front, since I have a dealyed mailing date, I found a vellum paper that i think would go well with the Chinese New Year ATC swap. so I might redo one of the cards.

Here are what else I have to do for swapping:
* 3 crochet maryjanes for the ongoing pick your partner swap
* the rest of the PAT ATC card
* mail out the brochure for jlovesg
* the chinese new year goodie package for scotskipper.

am i missing anyone else?

i'm almost done!!

hehe. I love my hogwarts scarf that i'm making for my gryffindor partner that I just order the yarn colors to make one for myself too. although yellow and black is easier to find...i just like to order things online just to test how fast shipping would be. and how much trouble it would be...I ordered from yarnware.com

I am almost finished with the Gryffindor PoA Scarf. Only 28 more rows & fringe & blocking to go!! It's so close I should be finishing the scarf and NOT here blogging. hehe.

*Doh! I should have ordered the Knit.1 magazine along with the yarn... maybe the next order or from a different company!!*

more more atc

I made two more ATC for my PAT ATC round 2. the halloween one and the mad science one.. although it's not really mad sciency... I might be interested in re-making the mad science one...

i'll post the pictures in the morning...

*edit to post Halloween ATC

Hearts all finished!!

I am done for my heart swap. All i need to do it wait for the post office to open again.


This is what it looked like, when i thought it was first done. Obviously the hearts don't line up that well... but it's hard to line them up... I'm not that organized as to line them up... it also looked like it was missing something. I didn't want to add fringe, so i thought!! more hearts! always more hearts!! so viola!!



tiny hearts to help clutter the empty scarf.

i hope my partner, uradelight, likes it!!

more ATC

My 3rd ATC Tada!!



I hand wrote the characters myself. I feel this is the weakest one out of the set... but i really liked the BIG character that i did not write. The red banner is a homage to the red banners that we stick on each year on our front doors to welcome everyone.

My 4th ATC Tada!!



this one i felt like i cheated a bit, cuz i just stuck on the NTD 1 coins and that's it... but it was a brilliant stunt. I needed something on the side to compliment the lion & the baby with the firecrackers, and i thought the coins was a good touch!!


I used the yellow chinese background to connect the three card series. I like it.

Now that i got that out of the way...

chinese...or not chinese

::sigh::

i was going to post something in regards to someone's reply that the new year isn't actually until the 18th.

"um, i didn't read the other posts yet but I did read the original uh idea of this swap and everyone was saying that Chinese New Year is on the 17th but really it is the 18th this year. I would know, I'm Chinese :) and I CAN'T WAIT FOR IT TO COME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

that was in regards to the Chinese ATC swap i'm in...

i keep thinking i want to reply on the board... but i thought i'd just mention it on my blog since it's mine, and i'm free to say whatever i want!!

OK... then if you are chinese you should then know that being the 17th, it's already the festivities... on the 17th, you're suppose to have that reunion dinner with your family... it's like how people get together on new years eve to party and count down. well being chinese, you have the reunion dinner, and then yes on the 18th it is the NEW YEAR, BUT really all the festivities start on the 17th.

There is more of an emphasis on the 17th as opposed to the 18th...

is she really chinese or a fake chinese??

ok fine. i don't need to be right. she is correct, the LUNAR NEW YEAR is on the 18th.

hogwarts! hogwarts!

I'm only on Number 7 repeat of the hogwarts scarf. 7 more to go!! It takes me about an hour to get thru each repeat... you don't need another work in progress pic right...cuz it just looks like the previous pics, except it's longer...

am going to work on another Chinese new year ATC later.

ATC

For my first ATC. Tada!!

It's for the PAT ATC selise's theme. ( pick a theme atc. Her theme is summer shoes.)

For my second ATC. Tada!!

It's for the Chinese New year ATC. I like how it turned out...sorta looks like a red envelope.

so incase you're wondering... i still have the following ATCs to make.

* Chinese new year ATC 3
*Halloween
*vintage travel
*mad science

for vintage travel & mad science... i don't know what to do for them... i guess it's okay, since i have awhile to think about it... but two more chinese new year atc.... so hard.

p.s. my atcs are plain, i know...but i like it that way!!

tea swap

i got my package from my partner. this is what she sent me. I really love it all... she sent me mystery loose tea,

i got tea coasters... i'm glad she sent me the pentagon shaped one, as I am not able to make that shape.

and that tiny what looks like a handmade book with leaves stuck on the outside. It's got tea background & tea receipts, and some empty pages so that i can add my own receipts later.

It's such a great swap. i really enjoyed it! I can't wait for the next one!!

explaination from Albarinos about what she sent me:
So, the black bagged tea, that's english breakfast blend. The yellowish one with flowers, that's camomille, and the bagged one is poleo/menta (as it says), and that's mint (it's reaaaally popular here, and we usually drink it: boil water, put bag in, put ice in, then drink, so it's not cold, nor hot, it's in between). The loose ones, each bag should be enough fo 2 strong cup, or 3 normal ones.

The book: the covers I bought but tweaked a little bit (I actually made covers, but then I saw those, and they looked just too perfect to pass up), then I added the paper and wrote a lot.

And then the potpurri sachet/tiny pillow, that was actually originally stuffed with pillow filling stuff and potpurri, but I had to take it out

when a frog turns into a prince!!

at the GB woolen store in HK, I purchased a stitches book called, the harmony guide to Knitting Stitches. In it contains all kinds of stitches.

I was looking thru it today thinking that my CC's moss seed stitch scarf was looking sorta plain, so I frogged it and spiced it up with the white one ply yarn and is using the 4 stitches rib. which is simply a stitch done in multiples of 8+4 and it goes *k4, p4* til the end. for every row. it's easy enough to memorize. i've done like 30 rows at least. I must say, i should have use a bigger needle cuz with the two strands held together, it's knitting a bit tight.

I was going to try to finish all the yellow/gold yarn that i frogged in one sitting so that it doesn't get tangled in transition...but too late now. guess i'll just have a fun detangle party later.

p.s. the white one ply yarn...sorta makes everything look snowy... like added cotton! It's just how i feel. shall post pic later.

stagnet & actions!

i feel that i am way in over my head in regards to the swaps... one at a time lady.

currently i am working on the heart swap 3...although i should try to finish the hogwarts one since i signed up that one first...or... the new years atc since that one is due sooner. hm... but the heart swap item is a quick one...so i'm wanting to finish it.

i am freaking out about the atcs... hm. i shall see what to use as a background. i think i got some good chinese new year atcs. sigh.

ok... 5 swaps is definitely too much...maybe next time i limit myself to 2 or 3 at the most. sigh...i need to stop giving into peer pressure...from myself.

cynthia sent me some yarn...and surprisingly i just bought similar yarn from HK. well at least it looks similar... not the same color, but it seems the same brand. i thought it was cool! thanks cyn. Oh BTW, i already had one skein of that sparkle yarn...so now i have three... totally enough to make an afghan... if i'm shooting to aim high.

i love getting yarn!!

went to a yarn warehouse/factory... purchased 3 leg warmers, one large scarf with pocket, one large poncho thing with pocket, and a bunch of white yarn & a couple of tiny skeins of novelty yarn. it was cheap... i could always use more white yarn no?

sigh...it looks like i'm taking a whole bunch of crap with me to china...need to get a bigger suitcase.

WIP pic...

Here's 3 sections at of the gryffindor house scarf for my hogwarts house partner. (it's about 100 cm so far.) so far the only thing that i'm worried about is the curling... I've been sometimes carrying the yarn up & sometimes not carrying the yarn up... hehe, cuz sometimes i forget to twist it... guess this just means i have more ends to weave in later.

hello, i'm a swapaholic.

i fear i may be in over my head with the swapping. i keep wanting to sign up for more and more and more swaps. It's a good thing there's a five swap limit, and 2 of them are smaller swaps. the ATC which should be simple, and the Heart swap which is only ONE large item. and well the pick your partner...the partner hasn't gotten back to me yet...so that's just on hold.

i wasn't going to do the heart swap,but i caved in that last spot was just sitting there haunting me and haunting me... i suppose i would have been fine having never signed up...but well it was haunting me!! you know how it is right?!

Oh! wouldn't a Save the Boobies shirt be a cute avon breast cancer walk shirt? i'm sure it's been done before, but i just thought it'd be cute. someone make a save the boobies shirt! It would be a pink shirt with white writing... perhaps i'll get epdesigns to come up with a design. she's good at that sorta stuff.

So just for my own sanity, I will put up a sidebar of the swaps i'm involved in...so i don't lose track.

made another sectional progress on the house scarf...but i must say all the curling on the scarf is making me not want to finish it, and just purchase new yarn...more wool in content as opposed to more acrylic. ::sigh:: will i ever learn??

well no matter...forging ahead.

i laid the ground work with my dad...about going into HK again the day before i'm suppose to head back to taiwan...hehe...want to pick up more same color yarn that's why. i don't want to risk not being able to find the same color and same yarn in taiwan...

op. it's 1am. should sleep...eyelids getting heavier.

maybe pics of the curling scarf later.

A duck's feet!!

OK. i've finished one small item... i hope my swap partner likes it. It's just a small item. Should I give her the wonky one with personality of the second small item? Hmmm. I guess the unofficial swapping rules are that you should give those who you would only want to receive.

* it just hit me, the shoes looks like donald duck's feet being all of the color of yellow. I might have to remake it now...i will not be able to stop looking at it without thinking donald duck.

and apparently the mc for gryffindor is the scarlett/maroon color, not the gold color... hm... i see. boy am i wrong.

BTW the flower is suppose to be on top of the feet not at the bottom, the picture is upside down.

i've lost count on how many times I've failed.

I am seriously gauge deficient... I really just never learn. But... I guess what i thought was going so well with this Panta... sigh. it didn't go over so well. I manage to forge ahead & finish the project...well i didn't weave in the ends yet, but i'm going to... i might have to just keep it for myself, cuz i like how it's lopsided.

I guess here goes me casting on another one for my partner instead.

ok... crochet up one of my favs. a crochet pair of slippers/maryjanes. But after finishing the piece...it turns out it's a bit small for a size 8 feet. But it fit my feet perfectly. Hm... Perhaps I will make another one with two strands held together, cuz with it being a solid gold color...it kinda looks familiar for something... but i can't really place it. I might have to stripe it with the burgundy color.

sigh... i think i might be a bit hard on myself on this swap. I just want my partner to like it...

will try again tomorrow.

not so funny when it happens to you.

ok...third failed attempt.

i simply didn't pay enough attention to it. dang it brain...work!

::sigh::

shall try again

ok...first attempt at the double knitting scarf...went awry...

am starting over again with the casting on & all... will be taking a break to eat a snack.

***

ok. second failed attempt. failed miserably... sigh. maybe no more knitting together...and shall regroup & think again.

perhaps better planning on my part.

think!!

Hong Kong LYS review

I'm back from Hong Kong...i got some yarn, visited some LYS...and i must say what an adventure i've had. I'm not all that familiar with Hong Kong, I've only been the couple of times, plus my map was in Mandarin, but my yarn information was all in english thus making it extra hard to match up the information with the map. In the end, I sorta used common sense & asking people for directions and just a basic wondering around to get thru the 3 LYS. I literally don't know how to get back to the ones i visited at the end, cuz i was just sorta setting out walking this a way and that a way...and just kinda bumped into it.



1. The elegant Co., it is as it's name implies. Elegant...ie snotty.okay, so snotty is just my own word, but i'm not sure they even acknowledged that I came into the store. sigh... i spent a good while looking too, at all the yarn & the buttons...finally i just gave up, and took a card and walked out. p.s. the place has moved, and it took me half as long to find the new place.

2. the new style Yarn Co., one located on the 2nd floor as us americans like to call it, but 1st floor as them british people like to say. It's tiny, but filled with people who show up and knit together. & this is what I purchased from there.



3. the paris cotton... the biggest store i've seen out of the three. I actually found what seems like matchable color for the hogwarts swap for the scarf... & i must say I have to get it straight now and realise that everywhere else uses mm not US numbers for needles. I accidently bought 6mm needles which is US 8, and I already have one. Well I guess since it's longer it's ok...at least it's not the exact same size. this is what i got from there.



At a knitting not related place, Muji, I picked up this simple ruler...just what i needed!!


I have more LYS to visit. some large some small. Oh! I found a amigurimi store right next to the hostel i was staying at. I always seems to run into those few taht don't speak English all that well there in Hong Kong. It's hilarious because Hong Kong used to be British ruled, so you think they'd all learn how to speak english at an earlier age, but nope. I always seem to run into those who don't understand. The tiny store had a lot of different cute amigurimis displayed...i know for sure that they give lessons...as for patterns to purchase...i don't know if they would just sell it to you without the teaching you. anyway...i wish i could have taken a picture, but i think they would have been offended. & yes, they also sell yarn there. www.sumyeeplace.com

I also found that near Causeway Bay & time square center on the one street that goes up the hill, that inbetween the streets there was this little one street farmers market type set up that also sold yarn. the yarn selection wasn't that great, and it was all scrunched up in little spaces, but i'm pretty sure those stalls would have cheaper yarn then the stores due to the fact that it's sold on the streets not in stores. I might be able to better gauge where it's at next time...if i stumble upon it again. at the end of the farmes market, it led to a raw meat market.

that is the end of my Hong Kong Yarn report. I have more smaller yarn stores to visit. shall report again next time!!

Hogwarts Unity...

I finally got my partner for the Hogwarts Swap, after literally clicking refresh like a bajillion times in the morning and only about half a bajillion when i got back from lunch.

I present rockmygypsysoul from Gryffindor. Things i am considering knitting, cuz that all i know how to do, and have access to... a house scarf (been wanting to try one out for THE longest time), socks (also been wanting to make socks...), A Weasley Sweater ( BUT the sweater is a bit out of my knitting technique...as in..it scares the crap out of me to make something so huge...what if it goes wrong? Scarves i can deal with, i'm just knitting ONE large LONG block of fabric, but sweaters...eeeek!) I have also looked up little interesting things that i'm thinking would go.... there are so many possibilities!

OK, so i know for sure I'm going to make the scarf...now onto the 1-2 medium items.

i should try to pick up the books at the bookstore when i go into HK for a refresher course on the story line & various little things. Maybe even the movies... yeah. i should do that too.

hehe, i guess i'm just going to the yarn store, and grabbing all & any Gryffindor colors that i can...and maybe a few other non-Gryffindor colors too. hehe.

i'm so excited... 7:40am is our "call time" tomorrow morning for the train to HK. Yay!