It's been over a week...

and I haven't posted anything about the wonder that was Rhinebeck! It was amazing! Talk about being overwhelmed! Wow! Words cannot describe how wonderful it was. For a first timer like myself and my friend that accompanied me, we were not prepared for the scale of the show. I had thought that I was somewhat prepared with all of my research at Ravelry, making lists of must see vendors, planning my shopping list accordingly, even planning some of our food purchases in advance. But all of those things tended to go by the wayside once we stepped off the Yarn Safaris bus that we took to get to Rhinebeck.

We actually arrived a bit late, due to an issue that occurred before our stop. I guess there were detours involved on the journey there, but because we were knitting and chatting away and enjoying the beautiful weather and views, we didn't seem to notice or mind. Thankfully I had printed off a map of the fairgrounds and had it with me, because there were none available when we arrived. It was near noon, so my friend and I decided to attack lunch first so that we would be fully fueled for the fiber frenzy which was about to ensue. Even with all of the recommendations on Ravelry, I was not brave enough to try the lamb chili or the fried pickles or the artichokes french. They did look and smell wonderful, but I was not very adventurous in the food category. So I opted for a burger and my friend a sausage and peppers sub, both of which were good. The food lines were minimal at this time too, so it worked out well. I met my first Blogger Bingo person at this point too, Claire from NewYorkMinKnit. After that we ventured over to the Ravelry meet up near where we were eating. I stalked around and found a few more blogger bingo squares, but because my friend is not on Ravelry nor is she a Blogger Bingo person, I did not want to monopolize what little time we had there with all of my silly fun...after all, we were there for fiber!

We walked around with map in hand, checking off the buildings as we finished them so that we would be somewhat organized. Here is my friend fondling fiber:



We also visited the buildings that had lots of these:







I didn't have any of the celebrity sitings that other bloggers had, such as the Yarn Harlot...although I could have run right into her, literally, and due to being high on fiber fumes, I wouldn't have even realized it. We ate a huge fried dough for a snack, ran into several more blogger bingo squares( Boogie Knits, Wooly Headed, and Calling on Kahlo)and spent lots of money on stuff! Great fun was had by all! Before we knew it, it was almost time to board the bus for our return to reality...aka home. The ride was full of show and tells and oohing and aahing. Some folks chatted, some knitted and some slept. I was too high to come down until hours later, at home, where I fondled my purchases. Here is my haul:



There is some STR yarn in mediumweight in the "Brick" colorway from The Fold,hand carders from Carolina Homespun, a cute hedghog handpuppet kit from Orchard House, a Swiss Cheese scarf kit from Morehouse Farms, three patterns from Briar Rose, and a learn to spin Drop Spindle kit from Goldring. I pretty much kept to my list and budget, but could have easily gone really wild. Plans are already being made for next year, perhaps making an overnight event of it. Pennies are now being saved and projects planned...it was a wondrous day!

Off to Rhinebeck...

very early in the morning, so I am off to bed. I feel like it is Christmas Eve and I am 7 years old again...I won't be able to sleep because I am just too excited!

I hope to meet up with lots of Ravelers and Blogger Bingo Folks tomorrow. I think I will be wearing jeans and a white t-shirt and perhaps a denim shirt or shawl...depends on the temperature. I have my "I'm a square" tote bag and button, my maps and spreadsheets are ready, and my camera is charging. Whee!

The meetup for the daytime is supposed to be 12/1 pm outside the food building (E). I am sad that I won't be able to attend the big Ravelry Bash Saturday night, but the YarnSafaris Bus will be leaving for home at 5:30. I just hope I can fit it all in! See you at Rhinebeck!

oh...for all of my fellow Blogger Bingo friends...sorry that I haven't posted this photo before...I forgot all about doing it. Here you go, such as it is!

HSKS3 Trivia Time Again...

and Photo Scavenger Hunt. Here are the photos:




Bertie Botts Beans



Chocolate Frogs




Blood Pops




Jelly Slugs




Jenean's First HSKS Kit

(Bonus Point: Who made the kit?)
Ansley (Pink Porcupine)



TRIVIA


1. What was the name of the book Dumbledore left for Hermione in his will?
a. The Tales of Beedle the Bard
b. The Tales of Bard and Beedle
c. The Stories of Beedle and Bard
d. The Adventures of Beedle and Bard

2. Whose sign was on Xenophilius Lovegood's chest?
a. The Dark Mark
b. Gregovitch
c. Rowena Ravenclaw
d. Grindewald

3. Was October 30, 1980 the night that Lilly and James Potter died?
a. Yes
b. No

4. What's another name for the Elder Wand?
a. Deathstick
b. Stick of Destiny
c. Deathwand
c. Wand of Death

5. Whose Potterwatch code name was 'Rodent'?
a. George
b. Lee
c. Arthur
d. Fred

6. What was so special about the peacocks at the Malfoy Manor?
a. They were all black
b. They weren't peacocks at all
c. They were twice as big as normal peacocks
d. They were all white

7. Who does Harry say was "probably the bravest man I knew?"
a. Snape
b. Neville
c. Dumbledore
d. Lupin

8. What thing was Lockhart giving Hagrid advice about getting out of a well?
a. Hinkypunks
b. Kelpies
c. Grindylows
d. Flesh Eating Slugs

9. What was the occupation of Colin Creevey's father?
a. Mailman
b. Fireman
c. Bus Driver
d. Milkman

10. Which Professor of Hogwarts was a dueling champion when he was young?
a. Flintwick
b. Dumbledore
c. Snape
d. Lockhart

I'm a Square...

and a Player! I am very excited! What is a player and a square you may ask? It is an exciting game created by author and blogger StitchyMcYarnPants that will be played at this year's New York Sheep and Wool Festival, better known as Rhinebeck! And I am going! My friend Patty and I will be taking a Yarn Safaris bus from Massachusetts to upstate New York to attend this year's event. It is the first time for both of us, and I am giddy with anticipation. And thanks to a lot of discussion on Ravelry and encouragement from my HSKS3 Swap partner Julianne, I decided to jump in with both feet and participate in this year's Blogger Bingo. I hope to come up with some creative way to identify myself before the Festival, but in case I am without imagination over the next few days, I have ordered my pin and tote bag that will identify me as a square. It would be really cool if most of my card is filled with names of folks that I have already met...but then again, the purpose of the game is to meet with names one only knows in the "cyber" sense..not in the 3D sense. Either way, it is going to be tons of fun. I hope I will be able to focus on everything and still manage to fill my card! I hope I am not overwhelmed...it really doesn't take much to overwhelm me these days.

On the Finishing front...progress is not so good. Here is an updated photo of my "Jaywalkers".

I hope to have them finished by Rhinebeck to wear, but I have tons of stuff to finish ahead of them priority wise, so the prognosis for them being ready by the 20th is not good.

You see, when I finally decided to sign up for Rhinebeck, I thougt that I might need a new garment to wear, so I cast on for the Oversized Cardigan from the Fall Issue of Vogue Knitting 2006. Thankfully, it is knit on size 13 needles and is working up remarkably fast. I have the back, one side and more than half of the other front done. Hopefully, the weather will be cool enough to wear this item to Rhinebeck. If this past weekend's temperatures are any indication of the upcoming forecast, then a tank top and shorts may be in order. Yikes!

Well, I need to go and finish my Spanish homework so I can reward myself with some knitting time! I am almost done with your Sock Kit Julianne! I hope to mail it off either this weekend or early next week.

HSKS3 Quidditch Round 2...

Here are my answers to the Quidditch Trivia 2 for the HSKS3 Swap:

Trivia

1. In Deathly Hallows what does Harry step on when exiting his room to wash his cut?
a. A small figurine
b. A saucer
c. A teacup
d. A coffee cup

2. Which two members of the Order of Phoenix came to escrot the Dursleys to a safe place?
a. Arthur Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt
b. Dedalus Diggle and Hestia Jones
c. Dedalus Diggle and Kingsley Shacklebolt
d. Arthur Weasley ad Hestia Jones

3. In order to throw off the Death Eaters, several of Harry's friends take Polyjuice Potion to resemble him and each Harry goes with a different member of the Order of the Phoenix to a different location. Where do Ron (disguised as Harry) and Tonks go?
a. Aunti Muriel's house
b. Tonks' parent's house
c. Kingsley's house
d. Mad-Eye Moody's house

4. At Bill and Fleur's wedding, Harry must disguise himself by taking Polyjuice Potion and takes on the appearnce of a redheaded Muggle boy from Ottery St. Catchpol. He was introduced to wedding guests as Cousin . . .
a. Jimmy
b. Davy
c. Barny
d. Willy

5. Kingsley sends a message via Patronus to warn the Weasleys and wedding guests of the coming Death Eaters. What form does his Patronus take?
a. A German shepherd
b. A lynx
c. A bobcat
d. A coyote

6. In the Half-Blood Prince what drink does Romilda Vane try to give Harry?
a. Pumpkin Juice
b. Elf-Made Wine
c. Butterbeer
d. Gillywater

7. What is the name of the person that heads the Holyhead Harpies?
a. Gwenog Jones
b. Glen Jones
c. Gwenog Smith
d. Glen Smith

8. What tatoo is Harry reported to have on his chest?
a. Blast Ended Skrewt
b. Hippogriff
c. Unicorn
d. Mermaid

9. What color robes do the staff at Weasley's shop wear?
a. Buttercup
b. Magenta
c. Royal Blue
d. Aqua

10. Where do Nicolas Flamel and his wife Perenelle live?
a. Kent
b. Surrey
c. Manchester
d. Devon

Photo Scavenger Hunt



Room of Requirement




Gryffindor Quidditch Robes




Slytherin Quidditch Robes



Hufflepuff Quidditch Uniforms



Ravenclaw Quidditch Uniforms

It's the First of What???....

and I am mentally still in July somwhere! Yikes! Okay...I suppose I can blame some of my shock on the crazily warm weather that we have been having here in Southern New England. It has been unseasonably mild and I have been wearing t-shirts and sandals for weeks. That alone has definitely extended September (or even August) in my mind. Today was the first time that I actually broke out a sweater when returning from my Spanish class. By the way; la clase de espanol esta bien, gracias!

Let's see...what has been going on besides my seasonal time warp. I have been diligently working on all of my Ravelry swaps...making my bag for my HSKS3 swap partner (its in it's final stages, yarn and needles and pattern have arrived and I am just finishing up the final touches to the stitch markers and other goodies). I have also chosen my scarf yarn and pattern for my Ravelry Scarf Swap partner. I love the yarn and hopefully it will work well with the chosen pattern..otherwise I will have to find something new. I am also enjoying finding goodies to go along with this little swap. So much fun!

Hmmm...what else..I have even managed to make some progress on my personal knitting. I have been plugging along on my Jaywalker socks...I should have some pictures up soon; I just have to unload my cards from my camera. I also started and already have done about half of it, a cardigan from Vogue Knitting Fall 2006. It is called "Oversized Cardigan", a not very creative but pretty apt description of this sweater. I found some Paton's "Pebbles" yarn at the local dollar store last year and bought 20 skeins of it with no idea what I was going to do with it. When I saw this pattern last year, I bookmarked it. Now that it is almost sweater weather, I decided to cast on for it last week. It is done on size 13 needles with bulky yarn, so it is working up really fast. I will have pics up soon for it too.

On the quilting front, I pieced a lap size throw for one of my quilting guild's summer challenge. We had to make something out of apx. 20 different black and white 10" squares that we swapped amongst ourselves. A recognizable piece of everyone's fabrics had to appear in our finished piece. We could only add one additional color/fabric to the B&W's. I used the traditional red, piecing the top from the Atkinson Design Book "Happy Hour". It came out cute, although I did not manage to get it quilted in time for our big reveal a few weeks ago. So, in order to combat my notorious un-finished-itis, I also managed to piece and finish a little hand bag using a wonky log cabin block and the red/black/white fabrics. I literally started it 4 hours before our projects were to be presented at the quilt guild and managed to get it done. See what I can do under pressure? It came out pretty cute...pictures to follow.

Guess that's it for now. I need to finish up some of my spanish tarea. Hasta luego amigos!