I finally took my Hogwarts Sock Swap (1) goodies outside for photographing today, so here’s a little show-and-tell. Behold the gorgeous Fawkes Socks Mel of Knit Frog Repeat made me. I think the colors and pattern represent Fawkes perfectly. I also received these cute Gryffindor stitch markers:

A Ravenclaw eagle, yarn and needles, an owl, and a Gryffindor lion. Cute, no? They’re hanging from my new lovely Crystal Palace bamboo needles. I hope the needles and I get along; they’re so pretty I’d hate to snap them with my… erm… enthusiastic knitting style.

Also in the package was this yummy yarn from Tempted Hand Painted Yarns in the ‘Sundance’ colorway. I’m thinking some colorwork against a black background is in store for this skein.

So, that’s the recap for Hogwarts Sock Swap 1. Thanks again, Mel, for the lovely package.

Oh! It’s Saturday. Today’s sky was leaden gray. Here’s a sky from about a week ago…

Happy Weekend, everyone.

Well, my Hogwarts package is wending its way to my swap partner. I actually cracked out the sewing machine and whipped up a sock bag to send along. I used this great tutorial from 2paw. I must have made some sort of error with the size of my top and bottom circles, because it really gathered. Other than that, I’m happy with the bag. It’s the perfect size for socks in progress. The top is embellished with the HP logo, and the handle has a little-known spell for summoning fleece: Accio velius!

Hi all! No Saturday Sky today, as I was frantically running about doing errands before our big camping trip to the mountains. Lovely clouds, though, and we actually got a smidgeon of rain. In what is becoming a bad habit, here’s a sky from earlier this month. It’s pretty much what we saw today.

I’m working my way through the River Valley socks – I’ve never done a toe-up gusset & heel flap before. I rather like it! I’m heading up the cuff of the first sock.

My Hogwarts socks have been languishing around, waiting for a good blocking. Since THAT isn’t happening anytime soon, I decided to take a quick picture of them. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the fact I needed proof of a June sock for SAM3. Here they are…

The color’s not true.

Started:	24 May 2007
Finished:	15 June 2007
Pattern:	Loosely followed Tiptoe Through the Tulips pattern with my own modifications. Fair isle charted from sock picture in this entry of the Yarn Harlot’s blog.
Yarn:	Knit Picks Essential in Black – about 20 grams. Knit Picks bare that I dyed in shades of golden yellow – about 58 grams.
Needles:	Addi Skakel dpns, size 0 for cuff, 1 for regular work, and 2 for fair isle.

Today’s sky is blue, with just a cloud here or there if you really search. More exciting is this cheater sky from this May in the Smokies.

I found out today that I won the Fantasy (Yarn) Island contest over at Crafting Morrighana’s. I’m really excited – I haven’t won anything in decades! Well, except for my hubby, but that wasn’t really a write-in sort of contest.

In knitting news, I’ve started on a pair of River Valley socks with a nice subtly shaded dark blue yarn from Cabin Cove. A pair of socks for me, me, ME! I love the pattern, but I’m thinking I need to drop down a needle size. So, I have some experimentation to do there.

I spent the morning designing a pair of sock blockers so I can block my Hogwarts socks in style. I haven’t cut out or prepared the blockers yet; if the next picture you see is the Hogwarts socks on purchased blockers, you’ll know how it went.

The sock continues. I’ve discovered that this yarn is really hard to photograph. Even in the natural light, the color isn’t true. In real life, the light patches aren’t quite so garish as in the photo. Edited to add: Thanks for the comments! This lovely design is not mine, but was shamelessly lifted from the Yarn Harlot’s post here. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, no?

Well, after countless hours of searching, wracking my brain, yarn buying and dyeing*, and charting, what have I to show for myself? It’s going to look nothing like I originally intended. But, hopefully, it will make my giftee happy.

This is my first real swap, and I’m having a ball!

* The color in this picture is horribly off.

Thanks, everyone, for submitting names and voting in the Name that Brew poll. The winner was Knitter’s Solace. Since my darling hubby picked that name, the prize of stitch markers will go to the runner up, Heide of Serendipitous Opportuknitty, for her entry of “Ewe Brew”.*

We took the ale for a test drive last night. I was pleasantly surprised at the taste – not bad at all. What really gave me pause me was the difference priming with honey and corn sugar made in the final product. See the foamy head on the left? Honey. I have my theories about why, but y’all come here to knit and not hear me babble on about brewing.

The Mini Jaywalker #2 progresses…

In entirely unrelated news, I’ve decided to try my hand at dying the yellow yarn for my Hufflepuff socks for the Hogwarts Sock Swap. I’m terribly excited about the whole affair, and about using up some of the food paste dye that is languishing in my cake decorating kit. Anyone who wants to join in my adventure, there’s a great article about dyeing with food paste over at Knitty.

*When I told my husband this, he pouted and claimed that he could pierce his nose and use them as jewelry. I’m almost tempted to call his bluff.

I am pleased to have squeaked into the Hogwarts Sock Swap at the last moment. This should be just the thing to keep me occupied until the new book comes out in July. I’ve never been in a knitting swap before, so I’m doubly excited. Yes, it doesn’t take much; I’m happier this way.

Hogwarts Sock Swap Questionnaire

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into?

Gryffindor

2. Shoe size?

US 6

3. Foot Length?

9 1/4 inches

4. Foot Circumference?

8 inches around the ball of my foot.

5. List your three favorite double-point needle brands, including size and length.

a. addi skakel metal 4″ dpns – sizes up to 3.

Can you believe that is it? The only other non-aluminum dpns I own are a set of Clover bamboos I bought for a hat last winter. They were all right, but nothing to write home about.

6. Would you like to try a new brand needle? If so, which brand? Size? Length?

Sure! I’m up for just about anything! I knit with a bunch of non-wool and wool blends, so a needle with a little bit of grab is better for me. I stick mostly with small yarn, so needle sizes in the sock range (up to size 3) are best for me, and I prefer shorter needles to longer ones.

7. If you are a RAVENCLAW, do you prefer the colors in the film or the book? Do you have a strong preference?

n/a

8. Are you willing to have an international Hogwarts Sock Pal?

Sure!

Note to my swap pal: I’m sensitive to wool, but superwash wool works just fine – whatever they do to make it machine washable also makes it so that I don’t turn red and puff up when I wear it. I’m downright allergic to most all animal fibers: mohair, angora, etc. The jury is still out on alpaca – I haven’t found any to roll around in just yet.