Ooh this day ended very well with a great TREAT!! :o)

I participated in the fourth round of the Malabrigo Swap and my spoiler 1KnuttyKnitter made sure I got my maaaaaaaaal treats on the 31st!!! Yay! It was a very nice mail day to end this very long week!

First the goodies!
Since it has been getting nippy around here I've taken to drinking tea a lot lately, and peppermint being one of them which is caffeine free and zero calories!! :o) Perfect for the office to stay warm!

I also received my sugar free fav gum (that I am chewing on now! Haha), some great purple & red sticky notes (I can never get enough of these!), a coconut yankee candle car air freshener!!!! Yay!!! Did not know they made this at all (a new product!), and I cannot wait to pop this in my crimson mobile!! :o)

Did you check out my AWESOME elephant candle holder?!?!? That is so unique for me as I don't have one like that at all!!! I luv it!

Then inside the cutest pumpkin basket I received the newest Soak which is scent free! And my especially made for me purple and red stitch markers!! :o)Reminds me of bellydancing jewelry. Me likey!

And I haven't even talked about the yarn yet!!

Which I received 3 Purple Mystery in worsted weight, and 1 Torero in lace weight!!! Woot! Woot!! :oD 1KnuttyKnitter was very generous with the fiber!

Well I think that is enough exclamation points in one post LOL ;op

My spoiler stalked me very well and didn't miss a detail!!! THANK YOU so much Lori for a great Malabrigo Swap IV package!! :o)

I couldn't resist signing up again for Round #2 of the Ravelry Malabrigo Swap :o)

And had a package waiting on me since Saturday (I really need to check my mail more often!), as it would have been the perfect sunshine for me too this past weekend!

It came all decked out in the colors I love to see! Reds and Purples! Even with a red & white notecard (Ooo-oop!).

And it was an AWESOME package from Kara!

I am SET with my chocolate and gum fix! Lurves me some Dove Caramels! (I always read the special messages on the inside!) And can never get enough of Orbit's great flavors!

The first thing I opened was the cute elephant figurine that is now currently residing on my window sill :o)

And everything was wrapped in purple and red! Including my new pair of Addi Lace Turbos in US6!!! Yah!! Yah! Yah! :o)

Did y'all see that I got 1.2.3.4 hanks of Malabrigo!! Lets take a closer look at them shall we! ;oD

Mmmmmmmmm

The first one I opened was the Torero and so could have stopped right there!! It is THE PERFECT RED in Malabrigo!!! Finally!! My looooong lost search is OVA!!!!!! THIS is the true 'valentine red' in Malabrigo!! It is in the super bulky, my first time getting that weight in Mal! And have been wanting to try it. Can you say....."Neckwarmer!!" ;op

Then I received 3 skeins of lace weight and really wanted some light yarns for the warm weather! They came in shades of reds and purples. Believe it or not the one on the far left is also Torero in lace! Wow! What a big difference! The next one is in Cuarzo and the one above it is in Holly Hock. I like them all!!!

Kara really thought of everything for this package and "stalked" me very well! ;op

Thanks So Very Much for my Mmmmmal Crayola Box!!

This has been a sad & rough week for me emotionally. My aunt passed away and it was so unexpected. It shook our family. For those who don't know I was basically raised by all 6 of my aunts in some capacity. Having one of them leave here eternally was something I hadn't experienced yet, since the tragic death of my mother. And signaled for me a reality that I have been avoiding....the 'what happens when so & so.....' thoughts.

Going to the funeral this weekend provided good closure for me (it was a sad celebration...if that makes any sense?) and a mini family reunion you wish never had to happen under those circumstances.

Everyone be blessed and go tell the ones you love, just how much you really do love them - no matter how hard it could be or what may be going on. For our time here is only as long as a blink of an eye.

Now y'all know it is a new year so I will be in some new swaps! :oD

I really like the short-term swaps - 1 simple package and BOOM! You are done!

Well I signed up for 3 swaps already for the 1st quarter of the year. :o) A secret scarf swap with Ebony Elite (you know this is a big deal for me since I don't like knitting swaps), a Valentine swap I am organizing with Charlotte Purls called "My Purly Valentine" that I am really excited about, and the last swap I couldn't resist is a Malabrigo Swap on Ravelry.

How about the last swap that I signed up for and the one that is "due" last (February 28th) is the 1st package I get!!!!!

Dang! My spoiler was F-A-S-T!!!
She even F.edEx it to me!!
Bree sent a fabulous package! It was filled with WONDERFUL yarns!! Malabrigo of course! :oD
She sent me the lace weight that I have been wanting to try and in velvet grape that none of the LYS here carry! Yah!!!!

Also, in my package was a hand knitted scarf in Malabrigo!! That was not part of the swap!
Bree knew Velvet Grape is my favorite Malabrigo colorway, but she went a little further in spoiling me and did some extra research (my Ravelry que!) to discover that I wanted to knit up the Bainbridge Scarf one day in the future ;op and she did it for me!!!!! Oh My!!! So unexpected! She is GOOD!! :oD
I love it!! And did I already mention it is my favorite yarn & colorway?!? :oD

Then tucked in my package was another surprise of yarn not Malabrigo! Refreshing!
Of Blue Sky Alpacas 'Suri Merino' in a crimson color!! This is my first time having Blue Sky yarn (I know! Really!) and then in this delightful uber soft merino...very niiiiiicce! It is in colorway #419, 60% baby suri 40% merino.

Included in my package was also 4 patterns that Bree sent, and one of them I could use my Suri yarn with called the Matchgirl fingerless gloves! Which the yarn is the exact weight to make for them! I was just thinking not too long ago how I really wanted to do another pair of fingerless gloves!

In haste to get a good daylight photo shoot of my package I forgot to show in the main package pic my cute Lantern Moon project bag that was included too!!

That was because it was already in use!! ;op Shhhh! My Ebony Elite secret scarf is in there! :o)

I really love these cute project bags and have one in purple, so the CRIMSON one was just perfect!! I want a few more of these because you can never have enough mini project bags! ;o) Which again I have yet to see any of my LYS in the area carry these. So it was a great surprise!

Let me also not forget to mention that my sweet pal sent me a sweet Caramel Truffle candy bar by N.estle which just so happens to be in a purple wrapper. Yum! I sure know what will be for dessert today! :o)

Thank you Thank you Thank you Bree for my so very thoughtful reveal package!!!

I am thoroughly enjoying it! :oD

Today is also a day that I must take notice!

I must say Happy Founders' Day to over 200,000 of my sorors in Delta Sigma Theta!!

Yep I done did it!

EDIT 9/12/08 for Round IV swap: I would really love to try the Aquarella Malabrigo or Super Bulky for some great hearty knitting this fall!

Worsted Pure Merino:
~Torero!! (my absolute favorite and can never get enough of this one!)
~ Purple Magic
~Roanoke Gold
~Velvet Grapes
~Lettuce
~Brownberries
~Hongo
~Frank Ochre
~Burgundy
~Praline
~Sunset

Aquarella:
~Soriano
~Minas
~Palmar
~Coronilla
~Solis

Chunky Merino:
~Tuareg
~Olive
~Pearl Ten
~Burgundy
~Velvet Grapes
~Black

Super Bulky:
~See any of the colors above~

Merino Laceweight:
~Velvet Grapes
~Pearl Ten

She was so very thoughtful and knew I love to knit (how did she miss that clue? Haha) and got me some yarn I needed to finish up some charity hats I've been working on at a snails pace! :op

I also got some notecards, heart post-its, a mini photo album, a coin purse, a pair of cozy brown & red sock slippers (she is so on it with the color combo!), dishcloths, some awesome Burt's Bee variety chapsticks (which I can't wait to try all of them out!) and a very red journal!

Now what you can barely see are these very cute red ceramic bowls (that were hard to capture in pics b/c of the glare/exact color) they will be perfect for the fall/winter when I consume tons of my fav apple cinnamon oatmeal and soups to keep warm!

OOh and did I mention how I also love my little red box!! :oD I will try not to store more yarn in it! ;op Haha!

Thank you so much Erin for being a great Red Swaparooni Pal! You were so kind and it is really good to get to know another passionate crafter out here in the e-world!

That is exactly how I feel!! As I sit here listening to the evening rain outside and smelling the delightful scent of coconut as I type this post.

I love burning oils (b/c they are smokeless and give off a nice long lasting scent), and even more so I love The B.ody Shop!!

How about Marin must have known I had wanted another oil burner (that ironically matches my home decor! Look at the cute droplet!!), ran out of tea lights LOL! Haha! AND that my favorite oil burning scent is coconut!! Dang she really does pay attention!! I LOVE IT!!! And I dare not forget the stylish post-it notes! Check them out! :o)


As I look thru my eight page Cookie A German Stocking pattern Haha!! (Ooh this is so when I grow up in knitting! Haha!) I discovered I missed something else!! Yep!


A second sock pattern called Waterfall. Ooh yeah this pattern is more my speed right now :op
And I also know what I will be knitting up with this beautiful Mountain Colors yarn now.

Everything was just perfect! What a wonderful way to kick off my weekend!

You have certified me as one spoiled knitter! :o) Thank you!

Yep my faith has indeed been restored in swaps! LOL This was my 4th one! YAH!

The Back2School swap was a timely short and sweet one! Which is why I signed up! :o)

It revolved around what supplies are in your space (at least 3 items) that inspire you! And this swap was open to anyone (not just knitters/crocheters).

My swapper, Janet a.k.a. TwistedKnitter, was a perfect match because we are both knitters and love to stamp! It was such a pleasure getting to know Janet and making a new e-friend!

Well my package came and this is what I got!

I received a clipboard that will help me keep my patterns from falling off my lap! Note cards to write out those tricky patterns, lots of color pens to mark up those patterns and some more awesome highlighter tape (again get some already)! The funny thing is I sent her some too for her package! :op We were so in sync with that! LOL

I also received post-its, scissors, a pen protector bag, and some Soak samples that I have been wanting to try out! Not to mention the notable coil-less pins that EZ recommends as stitch makers. Great! :o)

But what I absolutely LOVED the most was my Knit-it Greeting Cards book!! I was beaming from ear to ear when I saw it! It has pictures and instructions of knits that you could place on handmade greeting cards!! YAH!!

I had been trying to figure out how I could incorporate the two hobbies together!! I had checked around and looked everywhere for stamps related to knitting and there are NONE! So this was perfect!! Now I can make good use of my scrap yarns for wonderful greeting cards to send to other e-knitter pals!!!! I just LOVE IT!!

Thank you so much Janet for making such a thoughtful Back2School package you were a great swap pal!

That literally was the occasion today when I picked up my mail after work today!

I did another Color Swap this month with Wendy. We decided to do this swap on our own since we didn't care for the colors in the month of August (pinks & peaches) for the group swap.
Instead, I picked the color purple of course! :op Since I missed out on that month.

Wendy declared my swap the "Passionate Purple Package" and boy was it ever!! That is what I was going to originally entitle this post but was overwhelmed by my package that I actually felt like I was having Christmas with all the unwrapping of the presents and excitement!
OMG!! Is that a felted bag peeking out of my box! I started to "squeal" with delight!!! :oD
(Let me just say I could barely stand it taking my time to pause for pics of each and every item in this process! LOL)

So I had to start somewhere!! And of course everything is wrapped in purple tissue paper!
I noticed this treat first! "Magic Balls" the note reads "Fun Surprises and treats will reveal themselves as you knit up something special for yourself!"
I had heard about these items before in swaps but never actually had it gifted. One thing about me is anticipation can eat away at me! LOL I want to knit something up now so I can see what is inside! ;op

Well to quench my curiosity I could see the darning needles (which I don't have this kind yet - now I do!) and of course the stitch holders. But I can "feel" something on the insides of each ball and can't wait!
The color of the yarn is actually more of a deep lavender. It is Knit Picks Palette in 100% Peruvian Wool called Lilac.

The next item I noticed was TOFUtsies from SWTC. Now I have been seeing this yarn everywhere but have yet to own a ball! YAH! This is the yarn that has the 2.5% "Chitin" fiber which is shrimp and crab shells! Ha! It is considered "naturally antibacterial". The colorway I have is "Get Your Feet Wet" :o) it has shades of dark purple and hints of red. Wendy remembered that I like both of these colors together. I think I will try my 2nd pair of toe-up socks with this yarn! And this time...pure stockinette! :op Haha!

I have a Fairy Godmother too!! She "angeled" (yeah so not a word) me a package from SP10 secret swap and I am almost practically a 'yarn princess' with all these 'yarny' goodness gifts coming my way!!

And yarn certainly is what you make it! Isn't it neat to know you can make your hanks of yarn into "something" "anything" your heart desires!! I think that is just awesome!

Pennie even has her own Etsy site so check her yarn out here!

Alright I can do better than that!!! Here is a good yarn p0rn pic for ya!! :oD

Of course this extreme yarn will turn into some yummy socks one day!

There has been a little secret that I have been keeping from all of you.

Yep, it is time to fess up.

I have another silent hobby that I don’t really expose to others anymore.
I actually used to be head over heels in creating handmade greeting cards! :o) I was a “Stampin Up” girl! Yes, I was a crafty somebody before the knitting took over me! :op

It really has been a long time since I have been actively involved in this hobby. Over 8 years ago one of my girlfriends hooked me into it and we would have all night stamping sessions and go to various Stampin Up parties together. That feels like eons ago! I really enjoyed it!!

Sadly, my girlfriend moved out of state and things had not been right since then! LOL I still kept up with my stamping for a little while but without the camaraderie of my girlfriend I slowly let the hobby go.
Folks who knew me when I used to do the cards still ask me from time to time if I am still making them! Especially, once they hear about me knitting now.

I recently took pics of some of the cards I saved from years ago that I wanted to keep as samples. Honestly I really was just a novice at all of the stampin’. I have seen people make mini masterpieces with these cards!
Here is some of my work:

Like knitting you only wanted to give out those “especially-made-for-you-one-of-a-kind-cards” out to someone who would appreciate it!! :o)

Well stamping and scrapping have come a long way since I started out 8 years ago! There are so many new gadgets and now you can do it digitally!! Wow!! There are scrapping and stamping blogs everywhere and a new lingo I don’t even understand!! :oD With all of that….I am still not really interested in getting back into the hobby! HA!

However, I did dust off the cobwebs of my stampin’ supplies and sent out a couple of cards recently. You know every now and then it will just “hit me” :op

I really was inspired pull everything down (literally) after I discovered my Red Color Swap Pal - Channon stamps/scraps herself! So I thought to myself she would be someone that would be pleased about my little creation and understand what it took to make it! After all she is a crafter herself! For all of those who wanted to see her reveal red package you can click here. She got it and loved it!

I even went out to my local box chain store, H.obby L.obby – the HL to some of y’all :o) and purchased some layout paper and facing along with a new stamp!! I did discover I needed new rubber stamp markers since they all dried up on me! But I am not worrying about investing in that again at this time :op I was surprised to discover my stamping ink pads still had color left in them! Ha! I was motivated enough to check in with the nearest Stampin’ Up consultant and may sign up for a party soon…..we will see!

It was so weird!! I forgot all the little tidbits on how to orient my paper on the cutting board and all the magic measurements! Also, with my old stampin’ buddy we would share our resources and I remembered she had a lot of the embellishments I would use like the embossing items! Shish!
I am NOT going out to buy this stuff for an ‘every blue moon when the wolf howls’ moment when I decided to stamp! LOL :oD

Well when I got started in the process I got excited again and was so proud of my little creations (I made a twin of course)!! Here is the card I made for Channon with my new stamp and papers



It felt good to go thru the process again of making the cards. I missed doing it and I really missed my stampin’ buddy. I will need to give her and ring and even slip a card to her in the mail ;o) Sadly she doesn’t stamp anymore either….sigh

Let me just make this announcement now! Loud & clear that I will NOT be picking this back up as a full-time hobby. :oD I just like playing with all of those things from time to time!

Knitting is my main hobby and I will say I actually like it better for a few reasons. In knitting your projects for the most part are very portable. One of the things I hated about stampin/scrappin is lugging all of your stuff from place to place/house to house with others. A minor irritation, but you definitely can’t wait in line to stamp/scrap or how about while you drive! :op Haha! Just kidding! Y’all know what I mean! You can’t take it on the plane with you or short car trips to a quick vacation spot. It just ain’t happening! All that organizing, cutting, and cleaning up makes this craft not the easiest “take-along”. I love that you can do that with knitting!!

The other big difference between stamping cards (not scrap booking) and knitting is that it can be much more disposable. With stamping cards you make them and they will more than likely go in a box somewhere or to my horror ultimately end up in the trash. With knitting it typically is a useful and wearable item that someone would feel more compelled to use or at least keep! And that makes me sleep a little better! Hahaha! :o)
Besides I enjoy the thrill of fondly yarn and picking out patterns for my next creation and watching it slowly grow on my needles (yeah I take my sweet ole time! LOL). And there is no way this crafter over here can maintain two hobbies! Knitting takes up enough of my budget!!! :op Sorry, the paper and ink can’t be cutting in on my yarn and book splurges! :oD

Okay this post turned out to be much longer than I anticipated!

If you have read every word of my ramblings up to this point and can read this fine print I am so proud of you and know that you are a truly my blogger friend! :oD

Until next blog time!