My Life in Knots

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Day 1

Day 1!
Well my partner had 2 items in her profile, one was a motif afghan odne in grays' reds and whites. The other was a scrap quilt and she had relayed to me her love of granny square afghans and she didn't care if they were made from scraps of yarns left over from other projects. Well I bought a new book that had this afghan on the cover and I fell in love and had to make it.
I ALWAYS over buy on yarn, buy clearances, if it strikes my fancy I'll buy at least a skein. So This was either random skeins I had, partial skeins left over from other projects, actual scraps because I'll ball up 12inches or more of yarn to save for later.
these, she stated, were her 2 favorite motifs. I thought it was funny because I loved these 2 but they worried me most as she disliked yellow and wans't a huge fan of purple. So I'm glad she adores it and I hope she has it for years to come (and the cat can even shed on it I won't mind lol)
I received and will post more pics later, a Beautiful felted handbag. I love purses, purses, shoes, coats and sweaters...I'm a typical female there. It's the perfect size for me. You can't tell to well from the picture but it's a chocolate brown bag with red stripe, then the needle felted circles are a brown/green/red colorway all bordered with the red accent color.
Inside was a small change purse the perfect size for credit cards and such in a pretty corduroy stripe with a red zipper. I loved it al so much I immediately started using it, thus the crappy pics, because, we were leaving for my in laws not long after this was taken so it's been in use since and I've been busy since. I will take better pics though because it's beautiful and I want everyone to see how much better it really can look.

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Day 2

Day 2:
My partners one big wish was a knit beret and fingerless mittens and thats exactly what she got for day 2!

I looked at so many beret patterns and had so many to decied from, however, I had no idea which style beret she really wanted. I took my chances and went with just the classic beret with the thingamabobbie on top. End's up she loved it and said she always wanted one with a thingamabobbie.

Here's a close up of the fingerless mitten's that she took. I chose green because it is her favorite color and I figured this color which had a slight variation to it, would hold up well no matter the use or circumstance. The pattern was neat as well as the twist on the cables is reversed for one glove so there is a right and a left hand.

Then I received my big wish SOCKS!!!! I love hand knit socks
She asked if I minded she counted each sock as 1 and a pair was day 2 and I said NO WAY! she knit these in this cool self striping yarn thats german on size 1 US needles...size1!!!! For those that don't knit, thats an itty bitty needle and I know these took forever to make. I put them on immediately and loooovvvveeeee them!

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Day 3

For Day 3 I sent my partner 3 hand made bags. The first here was a vintage print material and this bag is HUGE let me tell you. I have made one for myself as well because I loves all the pockets. There are 6 pockets on the outside all the way around. Then, there are 5 pockets sewn inside and an insert in the bag that can be removed that has one large pocket for a small note book computer, magazines, books. Then that insert has 6 smaller pockets all the way around it as well.

Then the BIG bag in a small size lol.
My daughter fell in love with this, actually everyone that came over while I was making it fell in love with it, wanted to take it with them and couldn't believe I was making it for a swap. My partner loves it though and I think her expression was "Holy s&%^ I can't believe someone would actually make me this" paraphrasing of course.

The strap can either be 2 smaller straps to put over the shoulder or cam be made into one long strap to be worn across the body. It's a light sage green color in a wonderful cotton fabric.

There are 2 internal compartments lined. Instead of trying to show that while all together here is an image of it in the construction phase to show the vintage paisley print I chose for the interior.
Then I made her a small green bag (its green ultra suede) that has I believe 4 pockets on the exterior and a draw string. It's perfect for that smaller project like socks, which I know she loves to make.

I received...

A hand knit hat

matching mittens

and a matching scarf

Here it is all together with the piece of material it was wrapped in (and that I can use later for a project) It's so soft and the colors a pretty pink. It looks wonderful with my grey wool coat.

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Day 4

Well originally there was a mix up and my partner opened her day 4 items on day 6 and then replaced day 4 with her day 6 items. So here is here day 4? day 6? LOL who knows but she loved it.


This is a double point needle organizer that has holes on the top to hang from cup hooks on the wall. There are three tiers so enough to put like 20 sets of dpns in there and the tan strip was left blank as she can customize it and write, stamp or embroider the number corresponding to the size needle she is keeping in that pocket. I loved this idea and need to make one of my own.
Then I made 3 needle cases. Then can each hold about 10 size 7 dpns or so, so great and roomy for double pointed needles on the go but not yet in use.

Here was everything together. The little green and tan things to the left are double pointed needle covers for the tips. So when the needles are in use you can put a felt end over each side and there is elastic in between to keep them taught and on the needles so your stitches won't slip off while in transit. Then the manilla envelope held lots of scrap paper i had collected all over, a bag full of buttons and such because my partner does a lot of paper crafts and ATC's so always is looking for supplies. Then the greenish/gray yarn is Italian mohair (about 350 yrds) that my grandmother brought home from Genoa. It's a small farm in the country side there that produces this yarn but onlt sells it locally and not retail. My grandmother has gotten me a lot in the past and was in Italy when I started this so I asked her to grab me some in a green colorway. It comes in a paper bag just off their spinning machines all dropped into the bag and not in a hank at all. I rewashed it all and smoothed it out so it was easier for my partner to ball up.

And, this row counter bracelet I almost forgot to take a picture of and almost forgot to put in the bag. It has 9 smaller beads and 10 larger beads. The idea is you wear it and once you complete a row you slip a smaller bead through the loop on the bracelet. Then after 9 small beads have been slipped through (meaning you have completed 9 rows) once you finish the tenth row you slip the 9 smaller beads back and 1 large bead through the loop, then, you continue on with the smaller beads. You can work and count 100 rows with this one little bracelet.
I received this wonderful spinning kit! Included was a card stating I cannot hold my partner responsible when I want to invest in a spinning wheel soon after learning.
There was a wooden drop spindle with a book on how to use this (and other types of spindles)
4 braids of hand dyed wools to get me startedAnd one braid had a sample of what the yarn should look like once spun up. It's beautiful and gives me an idea of what the difference is in look from dyed fleece to spun yarn

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Day 5

These are backwards this day I usually show what I sent first but blogger takes so long to upload pics then sticks them where ever and I don't feel like rearranging so much right now.
So without further ado here is what I received for day 5.
5 hand bound recycled paper journals. They are each unique and so cute. The covers are all different and I can't pick a favorite.

The inside is a mixture of paper from magazines and such and then yellow or white lined paper or just plain paper, some is hand stamped with to do lists, or a place to put todays date.

I think I may use them for projects I am working on designing and each project will get it's own book.

For day 5 I sent my partner a cute little set for having company or just a relaxing day home. It's a set of 4 ceramic mugs each with a ceramic spoon and then I made a cup cozie for each embroidered with a little Christmas tree. I then made 4 coasters in the same yarn, which was basic white but I used a strand of sewing thread with it to give a green fleck to the yarn. Then each coaster had a tree embroidered on them as well. I then made a gingerbread mix in a vintage mason jar and a tree hot pad for possibly a coffee cake or the ginger bread to be placed on.

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Friday, December 21, 2007

Day 6

OMG we're already opening day 6 items!
I sent to my partner:
Ok well I am not sure what happened because I sent her a gift for day six but somewhere in transit cards must have fallen off and instead the day 4 tag ended up on the day 6 gift and she opened her day 4 gift on day 6.

So what was meant for my partner for day 4:

I found this wonderful linen place mat and cloth napkin set. Somewhere in my snooping I found out my partner would like to start using cloth napkins daily to cut down on waste but her husband wasn't as thrilled about the idea. Now she has a set to use all year round.

I couldn't just leave them alone either. I had some vintage (about 1960's) findings for dress trims etc and some seed beads which I used to embellish each napkin.

Then I received:

A coffee and chocolate set up. 2 coffee mugs with 2 hand knit coffee mug cozies. 2 boxes of chocolates, 2 bags of coffee, 2 bottles of coffee flavoring syrup and 6 hand quilted coasters.

This was my partners first attempt at quilting which she is very proud of and I am thrilled I was the recipient of! The colors are wonderful burgundy, rust and browns. I already have all this stuff in use (ok ate one of the chocolates and drank some of the coffee lol)

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Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Day 7

On the 7th day of Christmas swapping:
I sent to my partner:

A handmade pamper yourself (and spouse) bathroom set.
I used Tunisian to create to wash clothes, then made my favorite body poof pattern and a soap saver with handmade soap in cherry swirl. Everything is 100% cotton and very soft but durable. A set for her (in greens) and a set for him (in blues...which he'll get when he finishes his bathroom)

My partner sent to me:

a pamper yourself bath set full of LUSH products

She hand crocheted 2 wash clothes out of cotton, then felted a soap scrubber embellished with a crocheted flower and then hand crocheted a cotton soap scrubber with a wonderful vanilla soap inside.

Then I received 2 bath bombs and a hunk of tangerine soap from LUSH (wonderful store we don't have anywhere around here so I'm sooo thrilled with these alone) and a close up of the crocheted embellishment on the bath towel.

And, with all this bath stuff you have to remember NONE of this was planned. My partner and I exchanged addresses, likes, dislikes, if we wanted Holiday or every day items, maybe colors we liked or hobbies we had and then told each other to craft what ever we felt like for us on that day. So to each end up with a bath set on the same day was coincidental but a nice gift all around.

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Day 8

On the 8th day of Christmas Swapping my partner received from me:
8 arumagami figurines hehehe
Actually what had happened was her home was flooded and her gaming nerd husband lost his beloved atari system. I didn't have access to an atari so I saw this set and thought PERFECT! and he apparently thought so too. Then for my partner as well I sent her cat and chihuahua recreated in miniature form.


Now years ago I did tons of crafts from basket decorating, sewing, crochet, embroidery, paper folding. I mean if I could glue gun something to something I did it. I had tons of crafting supplies but slowly had less and less time as years went by. So When we moved I went through all my stuff that hadn't been used for years and realistically looked at it saying "I really crochet and sometimes I will embroider something and sew something but thats it" and I got rid of all my craft supplies.
But, now I want to get back into some different crafts because I see so many wonderful artists doing things, I want to learn new things. So I had asked for possibly a jewelry making kit or beads...and thats what I got!

This adorable miniature chest of drawers all hand painted with 2 sets of pliers.

and all these glass beads and findings to go along with it (as well as a book on things to make)
The funny thing was that on day 11 the person I partnered with for only 2 days sent me beads as well and they amazingly match the colors of the beeds my regular partner sent me. So now I have tons of beads and findings to play with and come up with something special.

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Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Day 9

My partner and I have both opened our day 9 gifts YAY (jealous yet?)
Ok so I saw this pattern for crocheted glass ornament covers and my first thought was "pretty but if the glass ball breaks your ornaments ruined" DUH it's a jacket you crochet and then slip over the ornament. Once I finally read the pattern and realized this I deided to make them.
So I sent my partner 9 hand crocheted glass ball ornament covers, of course, on 9 glass balls.




And I received 9 (ok 10 she tied 2 together and called it 1) skeins of yarn, 3 skeins of caron simply soft, 3 skeins of caron bliss, 1 skein of hand spun hand dyed merino wool, 1 skein of hand spun hand dyed bfl wool, and 2 skeins of hand painted merino wool. I am in heaven, they are all so lush and wonderful

here's the before,a nice sack made to wrap them all

the pictures don't even do the colors justice!


And, here are some more pictures of what I sent for day 10. My partner took better pics of them then I did.





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