Reducio Sock Swap

One of the groups I belong to on Ravelry is the Reducio Sock Swap. I only joined this group recently (I missed the last round, which was a fantastic creature/monster theme ::looks sad::). This swap is an Herbology theme. You have to make a mini-sock in your partner's House colors, plus something based on the swap's theme.

So .... I found this little patch of mini-corn, and some of them decided to come along and play the swap game with me ...........

You know, it's really interesting to see how differently a variegated and/or striped yarn knits up when you are doing something really small, like these corns or baby booties/socks instead of an adult sized sock.

A visitor ......

One of the groups I belong to is the HarryPotterCrafts group on Yahoo. They recently posted about a challenge to create a fantastic creature. This little one is my creation for that challenge. She will, eventually, be given to my SIL, whose favorite color is purple and collects unicorns.

The final Duel

This isn't a very good picture of the hat I made for the final duel this term. Unfortunately, it was raining that day, so I had to take the picture inside so I could mail the hat out on Monday.

I used a green shaded yarn for the top (Camouflage by Red Heart) and a shaded blue (Blueberry, again Red Heart) for the bottom section. So ... it's a Bluebell with an attitude! ::grins:: The hat is sitting on a table my husband made make in High School Workshop class. It's 8' long made of 3" thick pine. I love it. He's going to re-finish it, tho. It is showing its age. I want it stained in a nice mid-range cherry this time instead of the varnish he used last time, which has yellowed over the years.

In the back you can see part of the 50 gallon aquarium that my bearded dragons live in. You can also see a castle that I painted from 'green ware' (which means a ceramic that hasn't yet been turned into actual ceramic). I'm going to find a new home for them, tho, so they won't be here much longer. We are having problems affording the crickets they need each month, so since I don't think you should keep pets you can't afford to keep properly, I'll be looking for a new home for them. The castle is staying, tho, as it doesn't require food, just a safe place to keep the cats and kids from breaking it.

My HLBOE 1st term box arrived!!

My Hogwarts Little Bit of Everything Swap, 1st term, box arrived today!!

My spoiler, Msrib, sent me a witches hat!! It's so cool. I am donating most of the hats I've accumulated during the Dueling swaps to S.P.E.W., and had intended to include the hat from this part of the swap as well. Ain't gonna happen, folks! Even if S.P.E.W. could find a use for a witches hat (which I don't think they could ::grins::), this hat's a keeper! It's got a beautiful red & gold cord wrapped around the hat and knotted in back, with the ends hanging down. And it fits me just right!

There were 2 Ghiredelli candy bars as well, but I'm afraid those didn't make it to the photo shoot LOL DH got the intense dark chocolate and the milk chocolate just kept calling my name!

I got 2 tins of body butter (cranberry & vanilla), a dreamy raspberry candle, 3 50-gram skeins of fingering weight sock yarn from Knitpicks, a nifty little card to check my needle & hook sizes as well as my gauge, a box with 2 sample size bags of coffee (which my husband promptly confiscated - he's the coffee drinker, I drink tea), as well as a chocolate 'tarheel' (which I'm keeping - only fair as he got the coffee!) and a really cool bag of pasta .... it's blue & white and shaped like the symbol for the University of North Carolina! I can't wait to see the kids' faces when we fix that one for supper!

And I've got my very own time-turner!!! It's is *so* cool. The little hourglass in the center actually works! It's a replica of the one Hermione wore. And there was a little box of 8 neat stickers from the movies in the box as well. Now I'm hoping it actually works! ::giggles::

I want to thank my spoiler again for a really wonderful box of surprises.

Hogwarts Sock Swap 5

We went to Springfield yesterday for a medical appointment for DH. Decided to spend the day in the 'big city' (well, compared to where we live, it is! ::grins::)

One of our stops was Michael's Crafts. Gods, I miss being able to just drop into that place!!! Found this HUGE ceramic mug ... it had to hold a quart!! .... and was *so* tempted to get it and find a way to put the Hogwarts crest and the Gryffindor lion on it! But as DH pointed out, not only would we have to find a way to mail it safely, but it would cost nearly as much to mail as it would to purchase it to start with. ::sighs:: well, he was right (annoying isn't it?) so we wandered some more.

And I found the *perfect* item for this swap! No, not yarn (my socks are finished! glory be!!) .... altho Michael's is getting a new yarn dept (at least at the store we visited) and they even had some wool yarn in fingering weight. Not in the color I was actually looking for, but they did have some and hopefully will have a wider selection when they finish the new yarn dept.

And no ... .I'm not telling what I found. I'll post pictures after it's mailed out, but meanwhile, nope, not telling.