Holy Crap Batman! I Need a Swap Re-do….STAT!

Oh Sheri, I feel you are about to get majorly screwed by my swapping inexperience!

I was approached by Sheri over at Confessions of a Refashionista: Life on the Zig Zag a few weeks ago with the idea of a swap. I was thrilled, especially since she wanted the Link-like hat that I had so worried over. Her boisterous spirit and enthusiasm for the swap was so infectious – not to mention the fact that I would be sending something I made to Germany! Everything about this sounded like an amazing idea!

The Link-Like Hat for Sheri!

Too bad I have never done a swap before. I was woefully unprepared.

I received my package today and was floored by the enormity of the gifts and goodies inside this unassuming package. I will lay it out for you:

My Lovely Signed Book.

My SIGNED Copy!

Family Eggy-Nestlace for Me and the Hubby, and Max!

Gorgeous Rosette Earrings

Tassen Teppich-Mug Rug2

Tassen Teppich – Mug Rug – Back of Mug Rug.

• My very own copy of Confessions of a Refashionista: Life on the Zig Zag
• Oh Yeah – My Copy is SIGNED!
• My family eggy-nestlace where each egg represents a member of my little family (Me, The Hubby and Maxwell)
• An incredible pair of rosette earrings
• A “tassen teppich” – or Mug Rug – for both me and the hubby to stylishly enjoy or coffee.

I was blown away by the kindness and thoughtfulness of this gift – I also feel SO GUILTY my head is about to explode. Do you know what I sent Sheri?

• A Hat.

Yup, ladies and gentleman I have epic-ly failed my first swap. I am ohhing and ahhing all over my goodies and poor Sheri is just getting a hat – I even forget to post the damn thank you card! So what is there to do? Do I send more things? I am definitely not at talented as Sheri – knitting is my main creative outlet besides painting and they are ridiculously hard to get through customs.

Here. Let’s look at bigger pictures of all this awesomesauce before I pose my question:

My Lovely Signed Book.

My SIGNED Copy!

Family Eggy-Nestlace for Me and the Hubby, and Max!

Gorgeous Rosette Earrings

Tassen Teppich-Mug Rug – Front

Tassen Teppich – Mug Rug – Back of Mug Rug.

I want to thank Sheri from the bottom of my heart, this package was amazing! I have learned an invaluable lesson from this swap – if you’re going to do it, do it up right!

I want to do this up right…so friends and neighbors…what the hell do I do?

Finally! So Much GOOD Stuff to Report!

My oh my dear friends and neighbors, my cup runneth over! A shopping spree on Etsy is starting to arrive, projects are getting finished and life is recovering its equilibrium. Where to begin, how to begin? Well, how about the beginning!

 ♥ Finished Projects ♥

I know it is Wednesday and I should be showing pictures of the copious amounts of WIPs currently taking over my living room, but I cannot resist sharing good news today. I finished two projects in the last two days; sitting outside and getting that much-needed vitamin D, I watched projects just keep growing and eventually flowing off my needles.

The first is the Graham Hat. I found it hunting down knitting projects for my dear Hannah Rose (hmm….hope I got that right) over at A World Created who was starting her first knitting project. I fell in love with its simplicity – and the fact that it isn’t copy written so I can try to sell it – and casted on. Wanna see how it went? Well, Hells Bells, I am giddy to show you!

A Profile Picture. I like it!

Humble Beginnings.

A Work in Progress

Full Frontal.

Face Right Please.

Face Left Please…no, the other left.

Back.

Crown.

I am very pleased with how it turned out, and the berry colored yarn is so ridiculously soft, I cannot get over it. I found it my stash (since T is out of work I am going on a stash-busting mission) and had forgotten it was there. Well, turns out that worked out just lovely.

The second project is one I have shared before, the Entrelac Knitted Cowl from the Craftsy Classroom. Once I got a handle on how it all works, it was the most mindless knitting I have done in a long time, which is fantastic! How could something that looks that complex be so easy to do? Practice, patience and lots of knitting love!

The Process of Entrelac.

Finished Entrelac Cowl!

Oh, so much good stuff…and there’s more to come!

♥ Etsy Love ♥

In a rare show of support from my Mom, I was recently given a prepaid credit card to do some shopping on Etsy. The idea behind it was to be able to see how the shops worked, how things were packaged and how well the shops operated. It would have been perfect if she hadn’t said “Oh, you know. In case you ever actually sell anything” but today I just don’t care that it was said. I got online, searched my shops and my blogs and made some purchases.

I didn’t realize Hannah Rose was going to get two shout-outs today but here it goes. Hers was the first shop I went to, I had remembered a post showcasing earrings that made me drool and I thought this was the best place for me to start. A World Created is her store on Etsy and I am just head over heels for it, so many diverse things and such incredible prices. I bought the pair of earrings that I’d fallen in love with and to my surprise, there was a free ring in with my purchase! It felt like Christmas getting the mail this morning!

My New Earrings!

My new – and unexpected – Ring!!

 

MY. NEW. EARRINGS!

Even as I am writing this post I have the earrings and the ring on, I feel a bit like the girl in the picture. Just so soft, so feminine and oh so happy. The best part about the ring is that it is adjustable, so when my silly hand swells I can keep wearing it!

My second (of three) purchases was not from a blogger but from one of the best sellers on Etsy. I received a skein of Shimmer Silk Yarn (200 yards/.5oz) of lace weight yarn from WCMercantile. I am going to start working on my Beekeeper’s Quilt here shortly, and I thought this would be great for either embroidery or knitting. The packaging was sparse and to the point, but the yarn is really quite lovely!

Shimmer Silk Lace Yarn.

My last package should arrive tomorrow from another blogger with talent to spare. Oh, this post has just been so much fun to write. The nagging Panic Monster cannot be bothered to pester me when I am in such a good mood. I have put off – at least for today – the fears and trepidations of facing life with an unemployed husband, an offending appendage, and facing the loss of health insurance. I am all about sitting in my garden, smelling the sweet herbs just waiting to be made into something mouth-watering. I am going to knit with abandon, love like there’s no tomorrow and cannot wait to post again.

Thank you again friends and neighbors! Your support, kind words and talent push me a little further each day to being the person I know that I can be. Have a freaking awesome day!

Best. Day. Ever!

Oh the giddiness! Just when the panic monster had all but beaten me down, I came home to a surprise that knocked my knitted socks off! My husband. Oh my beautiful, caring, loving, adorable husband had a few surprises in store for me.

Max, Addi-Clicks Lace and The Knitter’s Life List!

That’s right! My husband bought me the Addi-Click Short Lace Needles I have been lusting after…. forever! They’re incredible, there are not enough good things I can say about these needles. They make an arthritic hand feel like a fully functional one. The short needles don’t cramp my hands or remind me that my last three fingers (that usually unsuccessfully grasp the bottom of circular needles) don’t work because they don’t have too! I will fully admit that I gasped, screamed, squeaked, jumped, clapped (which is really funny to watch with my hand) and eventually cried when I saw these amazing needles in my home.

Hello Lovely!

What a Pretty Carrier You Have.

I have Dreamt of You.

Mine!! ALL MINE!

 

Me: They’re MINE? I get to keep them? Are you SURE? Where did you get them? How did you know? Why NOW? Why ME? Oh God… I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!

Husband: Honey, you’ve earned them. Oh…and there’s more.

If I was the swooning type, I would have hit the floor at this point in the conversation. It took a minute for my vision to clear so I could see the book on the table. The Knitter’s Life List was sitting right next to the needles and I had totally missed it! Thanks to iknead2knit for this wonderful book suggestion, it may be the only thing in the house that can pull me away from my fancy schmancy new needles! The book is full of all sorts of tips, ideas and my all time favorite thing, lists! You check off as you go and the whole thing just….well….takes me to my happy place.

With two baby showers this week, a full-time job, a niece I adore more than words and a husband that will support me right till the end I gotta tell ya, this has been an amazing day!