Archive for Secret Pals
Hope Elizabeth · 07/17/07 at 10:46 pm · Filed under Secret Pals
Have you signed-up for the second Hogwart’s Sock Swap yet? If you haven’t, you’d better move quickly and get it done ASAP! Once enrollment reaches 150 participants, sign-ups will be over and you’ll miss your chance to participate. Only someone under the influence of the confundus charm would let that happen. C’mon! Get going! Go, go, go!
I’m all signed-up and rarin’ to go! The Harry Potter Name Generator has given me the name Lily Puddlemere and I’ve been sorted into the house of Ravenclaw. Since my Muggle mother and stepfather have been visiting for a few days now, I haven’t had the chance to post the answers to the swap questionnaire yet, but I will definitely get it done tomorrow. Afterall, I gotta help my house earn some House Points. Yay Ravenclaw!
Updated 11:31 PM - I fibbed. I couldn’t wait until tomorrow to post my answers to the questionnaire. I posted them this evening and you can find them here. There is also a link to both the Hogwart’s Sock Swap 2 blog and my swap answers in my sidebar. Told you I was rarin’ to get going!
Hope Elizabeth · 05/24/07 at 8:25 pm · Filed under Secret Pals
I received a couple of lovely gifts in the mail recently and I wanted to share them with you.
First, from my wonderful Sockret Pal (and now everyday pal) Holly - a lovely thank you gift for being her Sockret Pal partner. Isn’t it awesome? I wish this was a smell-o-puter because the soap inside the adorable soap sack she knitted smells absolutely incredible! And did you take a look at the gorgeous cloth? I love it - the pattern, the color, everything! She is such a talented knitter and, if that weren’t enough, she has a heart as big as all outdoors. You really need to take a few minutes to check out her blog. I know you’ll think she’s as a great a person as I do!
Psst… she has a soap sack pattern that you may enjoy. Go take a peek! Take it from someone who loves the soap sack she received - they make a fantabulous gift!
My sweet Secret Pal 10 pal also spoiled me. She sent me a copy of Wendy Knits: My Never-Ending Adventures in Yarn and, let me tell you, I’m really enjoying it a lot! She also sent me some very handy goodies for my knitting bag - knit klips and a yarn guide. I’d never seen either but believe me, I know they’re going to come in handy. My pal also sent me a beautiful skein of purple yarn that my darling daughter has already claimed. She doesn’t know what she wants me to knit for her, but she wants something in that gorgeous shade of purple! If that wasn’t enough, she also got her claws into another one of my goodies - one of four gorgeous (and so, so sweet-smelling) sachets that my fabulous Pal stitched for me. Again I wish you could smell things thru this monitor because they are delightful - such soft, delicate smells that are perfect for my dresser drawers. To top it all off she included a beautiful hand-written card that showed me what a sweet, caring person she must be. I’m such a lucky SP10′er. Thank you so much, my secret friend.
Hope Elizabeth · 04/28/07 at 7:59 pm · Filed under Secret Pals
Are you ready to see the socks I made? These are my very first pair of “sock yarn” socks. They weren’t exactly easy, I had a few mishaps along the way, but I really did enjoy making them. They were knit with two circulars using Trekking XXL #107.
These socks went to a very special person - Holly at HollYarns who was my Sockret Pal spoilee. Let me tell you, she is a wonderful person - kind, friendly, charming and talented. Her blog is a fabulous place to visit and reading about all of her adventures (knitting, running, charity work) is something that I truly enjoy. When they handed out spoilee’s, I lucked out. I had an awesome partner!
Would it sound silly if I said I was proud of myself and these socks? I hope not, because I’m pretty pleased with myself - not only for finishing the socks, but for not giving up the few times I found myself really struggling. There’s a lot to be said for perseverance!
Oh, and let me tell you, the book Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch is absolutely awesome! I’m so going to save my pennies and buy More Sensational Knitted Socks as soon as I can. Also, for anyone who needs a little help with their knitting (like me… who I still consider a semi-beginner), Stitch ‘N Bitch came in pretty gosh darn handy when I needed some help picking up stitches or fixing some of my other mistakes! Just consider this a little FYI for anyone who’s interested in giving socks a shot. Hope they help you out as much as they helped me!
Hope Elizabeth · 04/13/07 at 10:36 pm · Filed under Secret Pals
I received a wonderful (and unexpected) surprise from my Secret Pal yesterday. How exciting! I walked up on the porch and saw a package sitting beside the door. I didn’t think anything of it, since my son had recently ordered some goodies to update his skateboard, so I just brought it inside and set it in the chair. That’s when I noticed it was addressed to me! Whee! How fun is that? I got a present and I didn’t even know I was getting one!
This is what I took out of the box. Isn’t it pretty? I just love how it was wrapped. It’s so quaint and country-ish. I had to take a picture of it just to show you how nice it looked before I opened it up.
Look what was inside - some bright, colorful, delicious-looking yarns from Sugar Apple Creations! Aren’t they beautiful? The first yarn is called “Lagoon” and it is 100% merino wool. The second is called “Pink Tulip” and it’s 60% cashmere and 40% merino wool from Italy. It so, so soft! The last is “Deep Sunset” and it’s also 100% merino wool. They’re all so pretty, I can’t stop looking at them!
I just loved my gift so much, I thought I’d take one more picture to try to convince everyone to check out Sugar Apple Creations. What can I say? Her yarn is not only lovely, but I was impressed with the extra care she put into her packaging. That tells me she cares about her customers and that definitely deserves a visit.
Oh, my Secret Pal, thank you for the wonderful surprise. I can’t stop smiling. You are too awesome! I can’t wait to come up with just the right project for my gorgeous new yarns. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being so sweet.
Hope Elizabeth · 04/10/07 at 7:49 pm · Filed under Secret Pals
In case you didn’t already know, I have the greatest Sockret Pal in the world. I received a final package from her on Friday and, to be honest with you, it made me cry. I’ve been experiencing the blues off-and-on lately and her kindness really made my day. I felt like a little kid enjoying a special treat. It was such an awesome feeling and I don’t think I could ever thank her enough for all she’s done.
Can you believe this beautiful honeycomb candle? I’m not a very good photographer, but it’s an adorable little beehive with a precious little bee sitting on the side. Bumblebees are something I collect, so this couldn’t have been more perfect. You can be assured that everytime I look at it, I will be reminded of my very special secret pal.
Did you notice those pretty little candies beside the candle? They’re almost too cute to nibble on! You can bet that I’ll be treating myself to one of those sweet little treats soon. It’s been all I could do to hold myself back long enough to get a picture of them. I almost didn’t make it.
As if my pal hadn’t spoiled me enough, she had more goodies stashed inside the package. I found a gorgeous sock loom and not one, but two skeins of Cascade. I have wanted to purchase one of these fine gauge sock looms for awhile, but it just hasn’t been in the budget. To see it sitting in the box, well, I was so gosh darn excited you would have thought it was Christmas morning and I was 5 years old.
Do you see the little book sitting on the loom? It’s “My Little Knitting Book: A Quick Reference” and what an awesome little book it is! There’s charts inside where you can keep track of what knitting needles and crochet hooks you have. There’s charts for your shoe size and foot lengths. There’s yardage estimates and conversion tables. It’s just full of useful information and, if that weren’t enough, it’s teeny-tiny and can easily fit in your knitting bag or purse. I know this will come in handy - especially when I get shopping for needles. (Do you know how many size 6 needles I have? Way more than my fair share, that’s for sure!)
Last, but far from least, look at the beautiful socks my sweet secretive pal knit for me! Are they gorgeous or what? Not only do they look scrumptious, but they fit me perfectly and feel divine. The colors are so perfect and, let me tell you, the knitting is gorgeous. I tried to get a picture of the scalloped, lacy cuff on the socks, but I couldn’t get it to come out clearly. Trust me though, it’s lovely. The talent displayed on these socks is amazing. I will cherish them.
So have you clicked on any of the links above to find out who my Sockret Pal was? If you haven’t, I’ll tell you…
Isela of Purling Sprite was my spoiler and did she ever spoil me rotten! Even prior to Sockret Pal, Isela was someone that I admired. She’s a talented knitter and loomer. She’s a friendly face on the internet. She’s kind, patient and always willing to lend a fellow crafter a hand. She’s truly a wonderful woman and, if you’ve read through her blog, you know she’s also a fabulous mother, wife and friend. She’s one of the “cool kids” in our knitting community and I’m so honored to have had the opportunity to get to know her a wee bit better.
Thank you, Isela. Very much.
Hope Elizabeth · 02/06/07 at 2:21 pm · Filed under Secret Pals
Well, Secret Pal 9 has come to an end. It was fun and I enjoyed it alot. Best of all, I found a new knitter to admire - my spoilee Kathy. She is such a wonderful knitter and I really enjoyed shopping for her. I hope she enjoyed some of the goodies I sent her way.
You should really check out her blog. I think you’ll really enjoy seeing her knitting and beading projects. She’s not only super friendly, but super talented as well. Really! Go check her out! I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
Hope Elizabeth · 01/03/07 at 1:12 pm · Filed under Secret Pals
I have the sweetest Sockret Pal in the whole wide world. I really do! She sent me a wonderful box of goodies and, I swear, she knows my taste so well that I have to wonder if she knows me.
My pal sent me a lovely knitting bag, perfectly-sized with so many fabulously handy little pockets inside. I don’t know where she got it, but I would recommend these beautiful bags to anyone and everyone! She also sent me some gorgeous yarn - and do I mean gorgeous! She sent me one skein of Taos yarn that is so yummy and soft I just want to snuggle up close to it. I also have a skein of beautiful pink ribbon yarn and a beautiful skein of Kroy sock yarn. Oh the colors! I love the colors! I keep looking at them and touching them. They’re so, so pretty! My pal also sent me a gorgeous wooden size-N crochet hook. I’ve never used a wooden crochet hook before, but I’m looking forward to trying it out - when I’m not touching it and feeling how smooth it is, I mean. She also sent me some double-pointed needles from Knitpicks and I can’t wait to give them a shot. I’ve heard wonderful things about Knitpicks needles and have been dying to try them out! Do you think my pal is psychic or something?
I don’t know who my Sockret Pal is, but I can’t wait to find out. When I do, I swear, I’m going to owe her a bazillion thank you’s! Until then, though, thank you Pal! Thank you so, so much!
Hope Elizabeth · 12/20/06 at 10:17 pm · Filed under Secret Pals
I have such an awesome Secret Pal. She sent me the greatest gift, although I didn’t know about it until yesterday. Believe it or not, it’s been sitting in my backroom for goodness knows how long, and I didn’t open it until yesterday. Why? It’s a side-effect of my doing all of my Christmas shopping online. When I received the package, I put it in a pile of other packages I have - thinking it was a holiday gift for one of my kiddos. Wasn’t I surprised when I got an e-mail from my Pal asking me if I’d received my package!
Huh? A package? For me?
You can bet your bottom I was digging through boxes and hoping I’d find that one special box from my secret buddy! Oh my goodness gracious was I ever happy to find that box! I was spoiled rotten by my pal - and I do mean spoiled rotten!
Can you believe the generosity of my pal? There’s some beautiful Noro Kochoran yarn there and some lovely Mountain Colors Bearfoot superwash wool. The colors are so deep and elegant! I don’t know what I’ll knit yet, but oh my gosh - it’ll have to be special to use such gorgeous yarn!
Look at the beautiful bag and fingerless gloves my pal knit. I know you can’t tell from my semi-blurry pictures, but my buddy is a very talented knitter. Her work is so beautiful. The gloves fit me perfectly and the color, well, c’mon - they’re pink and I just love pink!
My pal knows me well, doesn’t she? Pink gloves, a bumblebee tape measure (I collect bumblebees!), bumblebee socks (from her son, what a sweetiepie!), a mug in autumn orange with leaves on the side (autumn is my favorite!) and the mug was filled with chocolate!
Errr the chocolate. Yeah. Well, between the kids and I - ummm - the chocolate didn’t make it to the photo session. It was delicious though!
Oh pal, I don’t know what to say other than thank you. Your package really brightened my day and I love everything so, so much! You put so much thought into this lovely package - I feel so honored. You’re fantabulous! Thank you again!
Hope Elizabeth · 10/22/06 at 10:22 pm · Filed under Secret Pals
I got a present from my Sockret Pal yesterday and it’s beautiful. Check out this gorgeous yarn from Yarn Pirate. It’s called Paris and it’s absolutely decadent!
And here’s a close-up of the yumminess:
There was also some fabulous little stitch keepers in the package with my yarn and I know they’re going to come in handy. Trust me, anything that helps me to get organized or keep my goodies together is a good thing!
You know, I’d never heard of Yarn Pirate before, but I do believe the pirate has a new follower. She has some delicious colorways that I just may have to add to my “Things to Drool Over” list of goodies. While I’m at it, I’ll have to add it to my husband’s “Things to Buy Your Lovely Wife for Christmas” list too!
Thank you so much, Sockret Pal. It’s awesome! And so are you!
Hope Elizabeth · 10/17/06 at 10:25 pm · Filed under Secret Pals
My SP9 Pal sent me a goodie. Thank you Secret Pal. It’s awesome!
My Secret Pal sent me a pattern I’ve been wanting for a very long time. It’s the Jester Cap pattern from Morehouse Farm. I’m so excited to have this hat pattern. When I first learned how to knit, I wanted to find a pattern for a jester cap so, so bad. I think they’re so gosh darn cute and my daughter loves funky hats. What’s funkier than a jester cap? I looked all over, but the only pattern that I saw and liked was in a book about hats - something I didn’t want to invest in right then. Well, after some time had passed, and I’d finally given up on the idea of ever finding the perfect pattern, I ended up at the Morehouse Farm site. I believe I followed a link from another webpage. Anyhow, I looked at their patterns and, wouldn’t you know it, there was the jester hat pattern of my dreams. I know it sounds corny, but it’s true! I decided that as soon as I finished a UFO or two, I would get the directions for myself.
Well, I must have mentioned it somewhere, because my Secret Pal bought me the pattern and had it sent to me. I couldn’t be happier! Guess what a few of the kiddos in my life are getting for Christmas? I may even have to make one for myself.
Thank you again, Secret Pal. You’re the bestest!
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