NETA SPA Weekend

NETA is the New England Textile Arts.  They don’t seem to have a website, but a blog…

Anyway this is what I came home with

A new project bag Worka B Designs

And some lovely, lovely yarn…I only bought 3 skeins from the vendors at SPA…

The purples are from the ever lovely Madcolor.  They are Dionysius and I’ve eye’d the color for awhile, wasn’t sure I had it already..so checked stash on Ravelry first….

Then the one in between the two purples is some really squooshy PurpleFleece.  It’s MCN and just soooo Squooshy….

On my way home, I stopped at Purl Diva in Brunswick, ME.  Fantastic, lovely store and definitely crochet-friendly! 

Yarn balls and twinkly lights on the way in! Fun, fun!

I went there for some of this…Quince and Co….hard to get…I got two

Chicadee in Peacock

Fiberphile in Boysenberry, also never seen…

In that alcove? Sale counter..look what I found there.

Some Lorna’s Laces Shepard Sock in Carol Green…love me some Lorna’s Laces

And another wall of yummy yarns…I did not photo all the yarn, there are four rooms….

If you are up that way, I’d make it a destination stop…How was your weekend?

Steampunk Swap

So I also participated in a Steampunk Swap.  Very cool..I like steampunky gadgets and clothing…

Look how cool these are!  She says we can change out the ribbons….

Four balls of yarn!  Wowza!

And some extra goodies…

This was a fun swap!

FO Friday

It’s been awhile since I joined in on Finished Objects Friday…I have a few things to share…

I had two swaps I participated in….one the Blog Swap, in which I made my partner these cuties…a free pattern here

And a Steampunk Swap…I will blog about those goodies later…I made these for my partner (I love and plan on making a pair for myself!)

It is also a free pattern.

Then I have been busy Nerd Warring….

Stargate earrings, I created them as I went, but am planning to write up a pattern…

Rodney’s whale, another pattern I created as I went….

Book mark for Daniel from this pattern

And my latest, Lya the Knox, another one I created as I made her…

This is Lya

I adore her!  She is probably one of my favorite things I have made in awhile..

I also made a cowl from this pattern.  I love it, it’s made with Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Superchunky and is divine…I feel like a turtle when I wear it!

Whew!  There are some hats too, but not done with them all yet…

She didn’t seem to link this week

and

Blog Swap–Day 7

Pattern day….The pattern I received was Kathy Merrick’s Woodland Shawl.

I love Kathy Merrick.  I love her designs and her sense of color.  I won her book.  I do have this pattern in the original magazine, but it is nice to have it separate, because I have always wanted to make it….I’ll have to look to see if the yarn I received will be enough, because I do think it would be a great yarn for this shawl….

So this brings me to the end of my bloggy swap.  I enjoyed it and loved all of my gifties….

I have just sent out my package for my swappee…I hope she likes what I was able to get for her…..

Blog Swap–Day 6

I wasn’t sure what to expect after the goodies I had already received…this one literally made me squeal!
You see I discovered the Doctor a couple years ago and was hooked….and it is difficult to find Dr. Who stuff here in the States….Well here is my
Eleven, Twelve: Into this you must delve…


And something else about me?  I love trivia!  I will be reading these cards over and over…lots of fun!!!!
Sorry for the flash, sucky pictures…by the time I get home, it is usually getting dark…

Blog Swap–Day 5

Nine, Ten: Bathtime aids zen…

Now when I realized who my secret swap partner was, I was very excited.  I knew she made soap…and we like handmade soap here….

The package smelled heavenly the minute I opened it….and still smells heavenly….

The top one is Vanilla and Cocoa…Vanilla is my absolutely favorite scent! And who wouldn’t want to bathe with cocoa….

The bottom one is Lemon and Mint….Another good smelling combination….I cannot wait to try these!

And today I was thinking about those Cadbury’s waiting at home for me….but I stopped at the store for something else and bought another favorite chocolate candy…still Cadbury…but I’m letting the anticipation of the long-awaited chocolate build…and build…and build….

Blog Swap–Day 4

I am back from my trip to Tennessee…I will post on that later…

Day 4’s package is the most exciting because it contains YARN!!!!!

The package read: Seven, Eight…Open this – can’t wait!

What is really funny about this, is she had posted about this yarn and I had commented that I wanted it!  And look it was for me!!!!

I hear about different yarns in different countries through blog reading and Ravelry…and one of the ones I have heard the most about is Abstract Cat. Now I have some of my very own!!!  And it is the PERFECT color or colors for me!

It is called “Crunchy Leaves”  I might have to make something for Rhinebeck with it.  It just screams FALL….make something for the fall…..

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS YARN!!!!  And am so thrilled to finally have some of my own!!!! 

I Bungled It…

I usually write my blog posts off the cuff….I don’t plan them…and I usually just write and post them…but I feel I need to address an issue….

I am participating in the Blog Hub Swap, as I said….and the person who sent me my package is hurt, angry and disappointed in me. Now I had already identified her as the person who sent me the swap package before I read her latest post, and she went public with her anger.

Now we share several readers, so readers are going to put the two together, even though she did not identify me.

I had privately apologized to her for bungling this up before the post. Unfortunately it’s a case of life sometimes gets in the way.

I had several things going on this week, it was a stressful week and the fact is I am leaving on a planned trip for four days. So while I am planning on blogging, and did plan on blogging, it just did not happen as soon as I got the gifts.

However I did express to her privately how thrilled I was with them…

Secondly, through a mistake on my part I did open all the gifts. I had opened the first gift and messaged her about it….when she made a comment about the yarn…I thought oh I can open all the gifts and I did….and I loved them….but it was a mistake on my part…

So I have apologized to her privately and explained that it is just one of those weeks…and now I have done it publicly. I am not going to get into a blog war about this and this will be the last time I address it. If this ruins our online blog friendship, well so be it…I have enjoyed having her as a blog friend and will continue to read and enjoy her blog….

And just as a last…this is the kind of week it is…I have also been on antibiotics for a week battling an ear infection….and now I have an hour to finish packing and go to the airport…I just got home from work…

Blog Swap–Day 3

This package was a complete surprise to me…..but something I had plenty about and was oh so curious!!!!!

Chocolate!  Cadbury chocolate and Kinder chocolate and a KInder Surprise Egg!  We do not have those in the US…..I have not tried any of them yet….I’m saving them for just the right moment…but my mouth is salvitating just thinking about the….now the Hubs, he is going to get the Haribo mix…I’ll try it, but I’m not a huge fan of our candy..but I’ll try it…the Hubs..he loves sour candy..I’m sweet, he’s sour…

I’ll be back in a few days with the last four of my surprises, as I’ll not be around for a couple of days…busy weekend…

Blog Swap–Day 2

I am a fool for journals….I buy lots and lots of journals….I randomly use them for different things….I like to write and I am trying to get myself into the idea of writing more frequently…

I’ve always been bad at keeping journals/diaries….this blog is the most successful one I’ve ever kept…..so how thrilled was I to get a journal…and not just any journal, but a journal from across the Pond…

And look on the left side…a nice little surprise pen….another loves…I love fun pens…and you know what?  This pen has the British flag (Union Jack?) on it….and you know what?  I can use that in Social Studies RIGHT NOW…cuz you know what?  We are studying the American Revolution….and you know what?  They are creating a project book and it had a British flag in one of the pictures for them to color….and you know what?  I had to use the Hawaii flag that is in our Social Studies book…it looks like this…

I did not know that the flag from Hawaii had the Union Jack as part of it….look we all learn something new in Social Studies….I love Social Studies!

My new pen…

Blog Swap - Day 1

This year I participated in the Blog Swap on Ravelry.  On Friday I returned home to a slip from Fedex…I wanted to go and grab my package from them, but they were still in transit…
So Monday I received a very heavy package from Kismet’s Companion.  I was thrilled she was my surprise partner, as we have been visiting each other’s blogs for quite some time….And I knew she made soap….we here at Chez Gracey like the handmade soap…
I opened the package and MMMMMM…it smelled GOOD! And I took all the packages out and lined them up…..

There were little notes, so I opened “One, Two, this box is from who?” first and received some fantastic postcards!  I collect postcards and love them…they were of local places of interest in Suffolk, England with a local guide of Ipswich….it’s very beautiful there!  Ever since I was a teenager, I have wanted to visit Great Britain…I haven’t gotten there yet…..but one day….
Now there was another wrapped package that said it went with number one…and it was local made Strawberry Jam…YUM!!!!!



Now I have to tell you…one of the things I liked the most…was the wrapping paper…I LOVE flags!  and although I am not a huge pink fan (well the singer I love)…I absolutely ADORED this wrapping paper….I tried to rip it as little as possible and am trying to figure out what I can do with it….
So I have seven things to open and blog about….there will be another tomorrow…however then I’ll be away for a few days…so I will resume next week…
I love swaps….and this one has been awesome already!

Hi Folks…..

So much to say…today I was observed for an hour and a half by my supervisor….it gave me a headache…..

I went shopping again…yeah I know…that whole waiting to April thing…well I’m in two swaps and well I had to go get them something and I came away with..

It was 1/2 price…and I’ve been wanting a black cowl…

The door said they had Zealana yarn…been hearing about it…It was $$$, but hard to find, so I’m going to give it a try…

I was OMG! Look at those colors!  Yeah it jumped into my basket too… Tosh Sock in Foxglove…thinking a summer shawl/scarf thingy…

and oh yeah..there is yarn you can buy online….did you know that?

Nerd Girl Yarns…she finally released Stargate!

And while I was there I also picked up DoctorDonna, my favorite Dr. Who companion combination..

And then, Random Fandom shipped and it was “You Call This Archeology?” inspired by Indiana Jones.  I’m thinking socks inspired by Daniel Jackson, the archeologist of Stargate…

Yes, because NERD WARS has begun again!!!!!!!  I have yet to make anything, but I’m thinking….

And :( I lost a follower….must have bored them… or something…