Post number 100!!!!!!

I can't believe that I've posted 100 times on my blog! In some ways it seems like I've always blogged, but I still remember with vivid clarity, my bungling about trying to figure out how to start a blog on blogger LOL!!!! I think its a good job I have a computer whizz in the form of DH, not sure I would ever have been up and running without him:-)
So to celebrate my 100th post, I have about 300g of gorgoeus red hipknits aranweight silk.Its not a pinky red like it looks in the picture, but a deep "true" red, I think thats a good way to describe it?? There would be enough to make a clapotis, or if you don't fancy that, then I'm sure you could find something to do with 540m of aran silk???!!!!!
SO, anyone who comments on my blog between now and sunday 5th August, will be entered into a draw for the silk, just to say thanks for joining me on my blogging experience:-)

HPSS

I collected my swap parcel from the post office this morning! My pal was Dee! The socks fit perfectly, and I wore them in bed last night whilst I read the last few chapters of the book (which was fabulous!), dee also sent me the american release of the book, so I'll have something that not many others in the UK will:-)Thanks Dee!!!!!

Party!!!!!!!!!

I've spent part of today at my Niece, Keira's, birthday party! She's 4 years old next week, where does the time go????? The party was at soft play in the local sports centre. I didn't manage too many piccies as I was having so much fun playing with the kids:-)

Keira, the birthday girl!!!

Kiki, with aunty S !!!!

Monkeying about!!!

Soft play


Sisters!!!


Blowing out the candles!!!!!

Ever expanding stash!!!

The rest of my woolly orders turned up yesterday, so as promised, an update with piccies! Firstly, some Rowanspun aran. I bought this to make Juno from Rowan 40 after seeing Kendra's that she had made, so much nicer than the book too, don't you think??

Also some of the new yarn being stocked by skd, Iceland its called and I'm going to make this lacy hoodie with it!

I did buy some Rowan Plaid aswell, but have a few ideas of what I might make with that, maybe a nice wintery cardi???
I also caved and bought some Fabel sock yarn for this!!! I think jasmine and keira will look so cute in them:-)
I have so many knitting plans and PIW's, really I need to retire so I can do it full time LOL!!!!!!
I have been knitting aswell as spending! Almost finished the twilleys wrap!

I have the ties otn, but they're so boring that they're taking me ages to do! although I'm sure the other knitting in between isn't helping me finish them any quicker!!! I cast on in the black Muskat for this pullover, and have almost done the back. The Muskat looks nice knitted up, its quite soft too, although I have to admit that I'm more of a snuggly woolly girl than a cotton one (not literally but you know what I mean), hopefully I'll get plenty of summer wear out of it once summer eventually decides to arrive !!!!!!
Lastly, I ended up ordering some Kauni yarn from germany to join in with the likes of The yarn harlot in making the Kauni cardigan. The yarn arrived this week too, and its lovely! Not my typical colour choice, but as the weather is a little autumnal, I thought it was perfect:-)

Now, I'm just sat waiting patiently for the postie to bring my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.....................

Stashalong?? What stashalong!!!!!!!!!!

After managing to stasalong really well since the beginning of the year, I've gone a bit mad this month! OOOpppss!!!!!!!!! I've only a couple of piccies to show though, as Royal mail are taking there time getting everything to me! I hope they're not this slow on saturday with the new HP book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Firstly, some Lornas laces shepherd worsted to make The twisted float shrug from vogue fall 2005. I've wanted to make this since I first saw it in the magazine, and as Get knitted had the blackberry boucle in their sale, I thought now was as good a time as any to buy the yarn:-)

I also got some Cotton from SKD to make this, this and this.

What amazes me most about our postal service, is how they manage to be so rubbish! The gk order was posted first class recorded on friday of last week, and just arrived this morning! The order fome skd was dispatched yesterday, and one of three of the parcles arrived today! So how do they manage that? Three parcels sent at exactly th same time, from the same place, but only one turns up????? When I sent my sock swap parcel for the HP swap to the states, I used DHL, and the parcel took less than 24 hours between my house in the UK, and my pals house in the USA. I think we get a bit of a bum deal from Royal mail tbh:-(
So I still have a few squishy parcels to look forward to, maybe by the end of the week if I'm lucky, and will update with piccies then!

I've almost finished the knitting part of the twilleys freedom wrap cardi, so should have some pictures of that to show you soon aswell:-)

Bookmark bonanza!!!!!

These are the two bookmarks I received from Franney for the crafty threads and yarns monthly swap! They're both great, I love them, and a bookmark always comes in handy:-)
I've been working on the twilleys wrap cardi that I started about a year ago, onto the second front at the moment, but keep getting distracted by other things *roll*.
I'm going ok with the mystery stole, although I'm not up to clue number three yet, and I'm desperate to make Hanami aswell! where I hope to find the time to do this, I'm not really sure, but I have a week off work now, so will hopefully make a big dent in my current pile of wips:-)

And just in case anyone is wondering why my posts are now signed agatha quafflepuncher, this is my HP sock swap name, and I was too stupid to realise that really I needed a totally separate google account *roll*, so for now, AQ is me!!!!!

Harry Potter, round 2!!!!!!!

I have signed up for harry potter sock swap round 2, as I had so much fun preparing my socks and goodies for round 1!!!!!
So here is the obligatory questionnaire:-)

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into?
Hufflepuff, of course!!!!!

2. Shoe size? Foot length? Foot circumference?
I am a uk size 3, my foot is 8.5" long, and 8" circumference

3. List your three favorite sock yarns.
a.Lucy Neatby celestial merino
b.Lornas laces shepherd sock
c.Opal (cos I love to be able to throw in the machine without worrying!)

4. Would you like to try a new brand of sock yarn? If so, which brand?
I have so many skeins of sock yarn, that I can't think of one I haven't tried ......... Would be happy to try anything though really as I love all my sock yarn:-) I haven't tried any of the bamboo sock yarns yet!

5. Do you prefer variegated or solid sock yarn?
I like both! Solid or semi solid for patterned socks, and variagated for plain!!!

6. What colors would you like to add to your sock yarn stash?
I like blues, but don't have a lot in my sock stash.

7. What kind of sock patterns do you gravitate toward? Lace? Ribbed? Fair Isle?
I love making socks with cables on! I like a little bit of lace, bt have yet to try fairisle!

8. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, animals, etc.)
No

9. Will your socks be exposed to cigarette smoke or animals as you knit them?
I have two dogs, so I'm sure that counts as exposure even though they don't come in my knitting room with me??!!

10. Are you willing to have an international Hogwarts Sock Pal?
Yes, absolutely!!!!

The swap opens for new members on the 14th July, and you can join Here, its great fun, so come on, you know you want to;-)

Lightning flight!!!!!!

Harry Potter swap socks
Pattern: Lightning flight by terri
Yarn: Bright dyes gryffindor yarn
needles: 2.5mm addi circs

How does your garden grow????

well, mine not particuarly well tbh, but dads allotment, pretty darn well I think! Yesterday was the first of his veg ready, so I've had fresh cabbage, new potatoes, lettuce, cucumber and radishes, all delicious!!!!!! Why does shop bought never taste quite so good??? Lots of beetroot too, and as I didn't have the right jars or copious amounts of vinegar needed for pickling, I decided to try my hand at making bettroot chutney!
and soon, this......................

Became this.................

I haven't tasted it yet as its far too hot, but hoping to have cheese and chutney sarnies to take to work tomorrow!
In knitting news, I've almost finished the second Harry potter swap! Yippee!!!!! I'm desperate to get these in the post asap, not only because I want them to arrive in the states by the 21st, but also because I want to sign up for round two of the swap:-) sign ups open officially on the 14th of July for new members, but current members can join up for round two as soon as their parcel is winging its way to the recipient!!!!!!! And move onto year two, slightly differant swap, and soooooooo exciting LOL
Second clue for mystery stole released tomorrow too and I still have 20 rows of clue one to do:-( Nevermind, I'm not too far behind.................yet!!!!!

Jazzy!!!!!

I've just finished sewing up the cardi I started last week for jasmine. I'm pleased with how its turned out, I just need to sew the zip in:-)and give it a wash and block!
As its for jasmine, I've called it "Jazzy"!!!!

Pattern: My own
Yarn: fantasia by filati
Needles: 4mm Addi bamboo straights