Spring Caffeine Addicts Swap 2013

Well, darlings. The time has come again! Swap time!!

I have made it a tradition to participate in the "Caffeine Addicts" spring and fall swaps (as you can tell from previous posts).

This year my swap buddy is from New Mexico...so I was anticipating some cool things - and boy did she deliver!

swap package all wrapped up

Starbucks tumbler, Dunkin' Donuts coffee (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), knit flower pin, hand-knit makeup bag (from my Ravelry favorite's list), terracotta candle, chili chocolate (which is lingering on my taste buds as I type), Desert Sun NM roasted coffee, and finally a dangerously small (but most likely powerful) tin of fire-roasted diced green chili peppers.

I am so excited to try it all - and so thankful! This was such a super swap package, I couldn't be more grateful.

For a little hint of what she got in return:

Chai tea, Knitter's Almanac by Elizabeth Zimmerman, City of Vaughan magazine, Lavazza coffee (my personal favorite), friendship blueberry tea, Mustard Scarf, Headband (knit in handspun and kettle-dyed wool), maple sugar cookies, and some green tea candies.

I had such a great time participating in this swap!

Until next time,

Little Miss Cowl Co.

Swap Shop Eat

So, I'm officially addicted to swaps.

I've participated in three so far, and have to tell you - they are so much fun!

The latest was with my local knitting group - we decided back in September to do a swap, and have been working away at it ever since. We are a group of about five ladies, and have gotten to know each other quite well over the past couple of years. We're all on Ravelry, and all share our favourite yarns, patterns, ideas etc at our bi-weekly knit nights. We decided to have our swap coincide with Chinese New Year so we would have hopefully jumped over the Christmas rush. We planned a downtown date - brunch at my favourite French bistro, Bonjour Brioche (812 Queen St E) and then off for some yarn shopping at the Purple Purl (1162 Queen St E). 

On my way to swap day!

My swap partner likes coral colours and natural fibres, and doesn't like knitting with chunky yarns herself - so I had a pretty good idea of what I was going to make her. This came with it's fair share of hiccups, though. I initially was going to knit her the Gaptastic Cowl (find the pattern on Ravelry). It is an extra chunky infinity scarf in a seed stitch pattern. I thought it would have been perfect for her - until she showed up at a knit night wearing it! Her daughter had made one in a lovely Raspberry chunky yarn, and it looked wonderful on her. I was about a month away from the swap deadline - and beginning to panic.

I decided to knit her the Clara cowl (also a free pattern on Ravelry) by designer Gretchen Ronnevic. It's a giant cable, and ends up looking like a braid. There is an option to double up and make it an infinity scarf, but I thought the beauty of the detail would have been lost, so I stuck to the original pattern dimensions. I used Diamond Brand Baby Alpaca Sport in a Chunky weight. Here's the finished project below:

Clara Cowl in Coral Alpaca

Clara Cowl in Coral Alpaca

I included the Ravelry anniversary project bag and Closely Knit by Hannah Fattig (who I found out, is my swap partners favourite designer!). I also gave her some extra yarn (about a full skein minus a few yards) so she could make a matching headband or fingerless mitts. Thank goodness she liked the gift (she wouldn't take the cowl off!) and I was in awe of what I received.

The first thing I opened was the book - The Knitter's Life List by Gwen Steege. This book is like a bucket list for knitters - yarns, patterns, ideas etc. It is a crucial step in any knitter's path to becoming a capital-K Knitter. Next was Americo Copito Medio yarn (think "Thick & Thin" but way more luxurious) in a gorgeous eggplant/plum colourway. It came with a hat pattern, which is perfect since I need a hat! I save the best for last...she knit me "Celebrating Azzu's Shawl" by Emma Fassio. The shawl was born out of two friends brought together by knitting - PERFECT! It was knit with Madeline Tosh Tosh Lace in Composition Book Grey. Everything about this shawl is perfect - the idea and thought behind it, colourway, superwash, detail, and love put into every knit, purl and YO.

Celebrating Azzu's Shawl

Swap day is here!

Perfection. I am in love with everything!

To close, I hope everyone reading this has an opportunity at one point in their knitting lives to participate in a swap. Giving something you made to someone else who appreciates all the work and love you put into it is priceless. Receiving something directly related to your knitting passion is wonderful, but most of all - sharing the experience with close friends is incomparable.

Happy swapping and of course, happy knitting!

With love,

Little Miss Cowl Co

Swap...chocolate edition!

Happy two-weeks till Christmas!

Recently I decided to participate in another swap, all through Ravelry.com (hands down my favourite website in the whole world). It was with the "Caffeine Addicts" group again - since  coffee is truly the most beautiful gift one can give and receive. It is the gift that keeps on giving. It is relief on an early morning, comfort in frustrating times...it's basically the drinkable equivalent to a hug.

I didn't have a lot of time to prepare for the swap - as we had about two weeks to make and ship our packages, and I was in the middle of preparing for a HUGE artisan show here in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). I made my tried and tested comfy squishy cowl in a lovely alpaca, wool and acrylic blend yarn from Italy. I had a bit of leftover, and decided to make a matching coffee traveller mug cozy in the same material and pattern (I thought it would be cute...like a mini-me cowl!).

Based on some quick questions to my swap partner, I chose a lovely hand-dyed New Zealand wool in jewel/autumn tones, some Italian chocolate (I'm biased to my own, if I'm gonna be honest here), and some tasty coffee. Here is the link to the picture of what I sent..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/55305309@N06/8189090867/

Now, let's get serious. What I got in return was INSANE. Just ridiculously luxurious and thoughtful and downright spectacular. Let's start with the top left and work our way clockwise. Sit down, if you're not already. This is gonna get good.

YARN. Kettle dyed, sustainably produced chunky yarn. I'm not sharing, nor am I knitting something for someone else with this. Next, Amish Pumpkin butter. It's almost gone. I made scones. Beside that is probably the second best coffee that has ever touched my lips. Second of course to some coffee truck on Wall Street a few years ago, but that's besides the point. Next (you're looking at the centre-right now), is lots of chocolate, pretty little tissue pack, and a card describing everything. Bottom right, you're looking at my very own pair of Raccoon fingerless mitts, tails and everything. I am currently obsessed, and wearing them now since it's pretty cold in this office of mine. Bottom centre, Chocolate cook book. My boyfriend will be happy, since I have made it my life's mission to prepare every single thing in that book. Last but definitely not least, a local magazine from St. Louis, Missouri. 

If you, dear reader, are a knitter or crocheter, and not currently on Ravelry.com, I highly recommend it. Not only do you get to interact with fellow crafters', but you get the opportunity to participate in so many different things, help with patterns, yarns, stores, and well, it's just paradise.

I'm off for now, I will check back after Christmas and keep you all updated on my Knitting Group Swap and other knitting adventures I find myself in!

Signing off,

Little Miss Cowl Co.

Yarn Swap

Hello my darling knitters. I write to you from my comfy couch and an interesting episode of Young and the Restless blasting in the background. What a guilty pleasure I get to indulge in as I surf Ravelry and some awesome blogs. My 18 month old nephew just got picked up from a day with nonna (grandmother), dinner is simmering, and me and my mom are catching a quick breath after a busy day.

I came home earlier this afternoon and just as I walked in the door, the door bell rang behind me. It was my much anticipated swap package! You may recall a few posts ago that I mentioned swap groups on Ravelry. Well, I joined a "Caffeine Addicts" group and got matched up with a super cool swap partner. We chatted a bit before the swap, trying to understand what the other would like and then off to the stores! 

I threw some cool things together: a charcoal grey cowl, gorgeous forest green Van Dyck by Filati chunky yarn, grey wool yarn from knitca.com, a hand-embroidered pencil case from India, a lovely MAC eyeliner in plum, some organic fair trade coffee and loose tea, Starbucks Blonde Roast coffee, and a little note on my favorite Florentine stationary.

Well, lemmy tell you what I got! The first things I pulled out of the package were the hat and mitts. Beautiful beautiful mitts and the most feminine pretty hat, in a lovely shade of turquoise tweed. She also included two-and-a-half skeins in the same yarn, AND the most lovely shade of purple baby Alpaca (my favorite yarn of all time). 

To go with the coffee and tea theme, she included some lovely "Turtles" flavoured coffee, hazelnut flavoured coffee, fair trade organic coffee from my swap-partners hometown, chamomile tea (my favorite as well), green tea candies, cupcake mix, cupcake notepad, and some very cool bath fizzies. I'm actually quite happy no one else in the house drinks coffee (other than espresso) because I'm planning to hoard it.

I thought it would be fun to share what I got, and hope my swap partner enjoys her package as well. I am so excited to wear my new hat and mitts tomorrow, and am still searching for a cowl pattern that would be worthy of my new yarn.

As my new yarn package labels says:

Knit, Smile, Repeat!

Jordana

Ravelry = Heaven

I noticed that I tend to start my blog posts with "so...". I just realized where it came from. Ever watch "Clueless"?! Cher tends to start all her debate speeches with , "so, ok, like...". I think I may have watched that movie a few too many time. Not like I know the dialogue like the back of my hand. Anyhoo, I digress from my intended blog topic...RAVELRY!

Ravelry is like facebook for knitters. It is splendid in every way, shape, and formI joined Ravelry a few months ago on the advice of my boss. It has since changed my life. I find fellow knitters from my community, check out sales, knitters in other countries, knitters with my interests (um, chunky yarn anyone?). If anyone reading this blog has not tapped the infinite resource that is ravelry.com, please do so. Now.

Let me give you a few examples.

Example 1. When I was in Italy this past summer, I hit the lovely little town of Bergamo (I was on my way to Milan to check out a very high profile concert at San Siro stadium), and came across a lovely little store that sold Tarn (t-shirt yarn). As I was sitting and having my super expensive cappuccino and brioche, I noticed many young women carrying purses crocheted with this gorgeous material. I go on ravelry, find a group based out of Bergamo, and BOOM, I have begum my journey of finding out more about this tarn, how I can knit this purse, and be happy.

Example 2. Yarn swaps. There are hundreds of groups designated to yarn swaps. What is a yarn swap, you may ask? The moderator of the group partners you up with someone with similar interest, then you swap yarn and other goodies. How cool is that?! SUPER cool, if you ask me!

Even if you are not a knitter, but want the perfect knit item, check out ravelry for pics, patterns and ideas. Then send it to your favorite knitter (Nonna, mother, aunt, sister, friend, or commission someone to do it, someone like, maybe, The Little Cowl Company).

Happy Ravelling!