Hogwarts sock swap 4

photos of my outgoing package ...





The Toe socks! they were supposed to be opposites on each foot, but when I redid the toes I didn't pay close enough attention so both feet have the same color pattern.

Confusion

I'm very confused right now -- according to the email I got from KnitPicks they shipped out my book order on July 21st, the website gave a tracking number but no list of service.

I had assumed that it was USPS since it was just books - makes sense, its cheaper -- so I tracked the package on their site.

But the USPS site said that they didn't get notice that a package was coming until yesterday.

I've run into this before with other companies though - so my guess is the problem (lagging reports) is coming from the USPS.

I was hoping I would have my books for vacation - so I can start finding patterns for my partner's socks .... I want a variety of patterns picked so when I learn my partner's house I can decide whichone would be best.

After all a pattern for Gryffindor red/gold would not look as nice in Ravenclaw blue/silver .... a pattern good from Slytherin emerald/silver would not be good for Hufflepuff yellow/black. (I've already had a Hufflepuff partner so I hope I get one of the other houses).
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Follow up: *11:37pm CDT

Okay checked the USPS site again tonight and now they say the package is already in the main distribution center and should be here probably tomorrow.

Had a feeling the issue was with the post office and not Knit Picks -- I've never had a problem with them.

NEW PROJECT

Okay---enough newscommentary, time for crafting.

On the All Craft Exchange group (http://groups.yahoo.com/AllCraftExchange) we are doing a themed exchange this time---well a loose theme that is. We will be exchanging ANYTHING that is home/handmade and deals with Divination.

So I came up with about 4-5 ideas of things to do based on what type of divination my partner might like to do, or is already doing.

I was so excited to hear she does Tarot cards--I have to admit it is probably the easiest one to make something for---and crystal balls.

I had the perfect idea for each of them. Then the gods thru a loop to me....she is blind. The tarot deck she uses has been adapted to her needs and I'm not quite sure how she uses the crystal ball but then being that you see things in it with the third eye--I could see how it might work for her.

But it took what was supposed to be a very easy project and made me have to rethink it.....I haven't thought about adapting items for the blind since college days, when we had to come up with a unique idea for a single room within a museum and I thought of one made especially for the blind.

One where art peices would be meant to be touched, rubbed, felt--where normal art peices are hands-off. Art work out have texture, density, sound, taste....things to stimulate the other 4 senses. I got an A+ on the paper thank you very much....but anyways. After college I stopped thinking of things in those terms...it became even farther from my mind after my eye operation and I didn't feel the need for such things in my own life---kind of ironic when you learn my son is nearly blind in one eye.

So now I have had the oppotunity to rethink this way again---and I am so grateful for it!!!

It has taken a lot of thought on my end but I think I have finally figured out what to do....the beauty of dimensional paint and online braille translators! So now I'm off to make her a couple of nice feeling objects for her tarot and her crystal.

This is sooooo fun.

If that owl got lost I'm gonna cook it

Still no word from my HSS partner as to whether she has gotten her socks. To me this means that either (a)she's out of town (b)they didn't show up (c)something has happened to her or (d) she really hates them and doesn't know how to tell me.

I'm hoping its (a) and not (c), hopefully not (b) or (d). If they are lost and I don't know about it I'm afraid it will be too late to get a tracer on the package now...they were delivered over 2 weeks ago. If she hates them....well I can live with that.

I know that I'm not the best sock maker...and I had a lot of problems with them...and I ended them unconventionally.

I just want to know that they arrived safely.

I guess I have to go back to my cushion of needles to sit on.

My Socks Have Arrived

Well, I guess I should say my partner's socks have arrived at her place...oh the beauty of racking numbers....I don't have my computer hooked up to my pictureHD right now, but when I do I will take out this sentence and put in a photo of the socks (but here is a sneak peek showing how the yarn worked up).

I hope she likes them.....despite the problems, I really had fun making the package up....I just wish I could have added more for her.

Yippee!! I finally got to open it up!

Okay so I finally got to open the package sent by my partner Cliodna Kettleburn....all I can say is...WOW.

Minimum req for the package was a pair of socks, a set of sock needles, and stitch markers--boy did she go above and beyond!

So what all did she send? 1 pair of fantastic socks! They are thick enough so they will keep my tootsies warm even in this brick refridgerator I live in....2 sets of Brittany sock needles, size 1, so I can do both socks at the same time--what a concept! Some heart shaped stitch markers that will be perfect for using on the smaller needles (they didn't photo well...they are on the needle that is stretched between the S & G pads)....oh, some post-it type notes shaped like a G (for Ginger) and an S (for Slytherin)....A bar of handmade soap in Ylang-ylang scent...a chinese bookmark....a chocolate frog--nope haven't eaten it yet.....and a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans (okay I looked at the flavors--these I will be sure to share with the kids, after everyone gets over the crud). Did I forget anything?

Despite the problems this was really really fun! Her stitching is wonderful--I can't believe she has only been knitting since Feb! WOW....I really hunkered down and started getting serius about this last summer and her stitches are so much better than mine--I'm almost embarrassed now.

Hope they have a third exchange....this time I will have to start with things ahead of time--use the toe up pattern where I can handle the cuffs better, especially now that I know how to bind them off!

Nerves acting up now

Okay so I got an email from the HSS (Hogwarts Sock Swap) yesterday.

Good news is my partner is still interested in doing the swap with me...yea!
Bad news is she asked for my snail mail address--I'm afraid this means that my partner is ready to send...but since I was waiting for the single measurement for my partner and couldn't go any farther without it I'm way way way behind.

I've only reached the heel flap...time to dig in and knit!!

I like the simple pattern I've chosen....its real simple. Its kind of tough to see with the varigated yarn BUT you can see that there is a change.

I'm thinking about doing the second sock in a larger or smaller needle....same yarn, same pattern just a different size so they can be mismatched but still matched.

Does that make sense? It will change how the color works up too so the pattern will be the real tie into each other.

Jimmy Beans Update 4

Yea!!! The last of the order came yesterday...didn't dare write anything about it for fear of hubby finding out.

Final delivery came in soft mailing envelope (the vinyl water resistant kind)...Inside it were my single ball of "Ducky" colored aMAIZing and my 2 hanks of Lorna's Laces in "Bee Stripe".

I was a little surprised when I took a really good look at the receipt...I DID pay for the signature service...but no one told the post office that! Both times the package was dropped off in the mail box without a sig being sought after. Looking at the package it does say "e/ USPS DELIVERY CONFIRM" so I don't know if that's just a tracking service or if that is the post office's way of saying "Get a damn signature" that got ignored! Either way, I'll save the $2 extra bucks next time and just go regular delivery...since I don't know which side goofed up on this, it hard to tell who to be disappointed with...but since I paid Jimmy Beans most people would blame them--not crying over $2...this time.

It was so funny, last time my daughter found they had included two pieces of "Whether's Originals" as a thank-you gift...perhaps as an apology for not getting it all off at the same time (?)....any ways, there was no free gift this time...LOL...why do I find this amusing? Because this was the part of the order that I was really waiting for and had let them know so...if anything this is the order where I would have expected a little something extra.

But that's okay....if you go thru life expecting things you will be (a)disappointed, (b)shunned by your fellow man and (c)less as a person, in my opinion--you get what you pay for...well, mostly.
Now about the yarn:

aMAIZing:

It is actually a flat ribbon yarn about 1/8 of an inch thick (don't have the accurate ruler handy) and is woven instead of spun by the looks of things. It doesn't seem to have much "spring" to the fibre so it would be useless as a sock yarn. The texture reminds me of crochet-cotton, it seems very soft at first feel until you start to really feel the fiber of it all...like crochet-cotton it has a firm, almost rough feel to it...I'm not sure I like this brand at all. I'm glad I only bought a single ball....it will likely go onto the "need a quick grab" shelf of my stash...to collect dust....maybe I will find a use for it.

aMAIZing by SWTC (South West Trading Company);

cost $9/ball;

size 50g/130m or approx. 1.75 oz/142 yds.;

gauge 6 sts & 8 rows= 1" (24sts/32 rows=4") US size 7 needles;

care machine washable/dry;

Content 100% Corn Fiber;

company website: SWTC, Inc-The Home of SoySilk Yarns

Lorna's Laces, Shepherd Socks:

Actually I'm glad the photo was inaccurate on this one. The yellow is actually a very nice dandelion gold...no wait, dandelions aren't deep enough...its almost a marigold color and the black appears to be a true black....as opposed to just a very deep green...I like the looks of it.

It comes in a hank form, so there is some balling that needs to get done before stitching can begin. It is very soft and will make the most luscious socks! It would also be great for thin mittens or light scarf...a sweater would be wonderful too, but at $11/hank it would come out rather expensive!

The coloring I find unique--but then I've never used a hand dyed yarn before--one half of the skein is this lovely gold and the other is the luxurious black with a band of intermingle...okay that part is just muddy and ucky, almost an olive or grass stained color (so I guess this means the black really is a deep green, the standard in the industry) but I suppose it is the nature of the beast.

The hank itself is roped upon itself...not familiar with roping? That means they have put the yarn into a large circle and then pulled it out taught, twisting it tightly then letting it naturally coil upon itself--one end is then tucked into the other and the natural tendency of the yarn to both work with/fight against the twist keeps it all in place without over stretching the yarn fibers themselves.

I had heard praises of the yarn from others and being that it sounds like a rather rare issue...JBW says there are only 100 skeins produced a year in each color, 2 skeins needed per pair of socks...I had to give it a try.

I don't usually like working with wool as it seems to cut into my hands, but unlike Wool-ease, this has a very nice flow to it. As I have typed I have been running it over my fingers to get an idea as to how it will play on my fingers during stitching...it seems to slide well, but I can see I will have to take a few breaks at the beginning to get used to things. Still it is better than I expected for wool. As I get knitting I will keep everyone updated on how well it takes to small needles (which it is supposed to be made for)...frequent "frogging"....and how well the stretch/ease is.

Shepherd Socks by Lorna's Laces;

cost:$11/hank

weight: sock weight/standard 1 size: approx. 215 yds/2 oz or 196.5m/56.5 grams

gauge: 7 sts/1" (no listing of needle size): JBW gauge: 7sts/1" size 2 needles (28sts=4"); neither wrapper or JBW gave gauge of row.

care: machine washable;no drying instructions given

content: 80% Superwash wool 20% nylon company

website: Lorna's Laces:All Natural Hand-Dyed Yarns Well off to start some balling!

JBW RATING
Customer Service: started out stronger than most, but kind of lacked off with the second part of the order

Prices: A tad high for my tastes, but a lot lower than most of the places I've seen offering hand-dyed yarns. If the prices were a little lower I would probably shop here more often.

Delivery Service: orders arrived within 2 days of shipping notice, since my order was fairly small the envelopes worked okay but would have preferred getting the order with the wooden needles in a box of some sort to guard against breakage (the needles are fine, nothing got broke).

Shipping Fees: very reasonable! $4 up to $75, and then its free....I really like this. Most places I shop with have a sliding fee scale based on how much you spend, usually an order under $35 will add an additional $10 in shipping...I absolutely love this feature, I can make a small purchase and still pay less than the yarn for shipping. This means that I would probably buy from the company a LOT more than the others.
Over All Rating:Well, JBW shines in customer service and shipping costs; its just too bad that the prices are out of my normal comfort range. While the shipping costs would bring me back time and again for small orders, the high prices stop me dead in my tracks. Perhaps I've just been spoiled by the $3/skein deals that acrylic, nylon, and blended yarns give me but if the price gets higher than a cup of coffee I am much less likely to buy it.

There is no real invoice, just a detailed register slip...which is fine in many aspects, but I would like something a little less flimsy for my records.

One down, one to go

Well I finally found an envelope to mail my All-Craft Exchange buddies package off in...its not a padded envelope, which I do have...someplace...kid cleaned the den and moved my canvas sack of crochet books where I stored them.

I hope they will accept it...its a tad bulky with the makeshift packaging material...that's why I'm thinking they may have an issue.

I will have hubby mail it off tomorrow....if I'm lucky he will take pity on me and grab a properly padded envelope from work and transfer the info over for me :-)

Well one can hope, can't she.

I actually remembered to take photos of my creations this time before sending so I will put them up later---this gift inspired a gift for my HSS exchange partner so I can't put them up at this time.

Any one is allowed to join the exchange....I run it thru Yahoo, but I will warn you that we are a mostly pagan group so tolerance for those of differing faiths is needed.

We also have a JIC policy...new members who have never joined in the ACX exchanges before need to send a small package to be held in "escrow" so that if there should ever be a time when they can not finish their obligation then the JIC package will be sent to their partner...this way one member doesn't feel left out because their partner didn't send a gift.