My first ever sock club shipment!

I think it's pretty clear by now that I have a unhealthy addiction to sock yarn, so the next logical step for me was to join a sock club.

I searched quite a few different ones, but found that they where either too expensive, or I didn't like the themes of the club, but thanks to good old Ravelry I managed to find one I like the look of in a enabling thread, and it even had 15% off for valentines day!

The club I decided to join is Knit and Fiber Creation Harry Potter 5 month sock club, which was a very reasonable price even before the discount.

I recently received my first package and it was so fantastic I had to share!

So not only did I get my club yarn, I also got a really cool Harry Potter theme project bag, a lovely bag of American sweets (which as a English person who can't get them over here is really appreciated) and a print out explaining this months theme, which if you can't tell is Draco Malfoy!

The colour way itself is very Draco, although unfortunately it is not my favourite colours, one of the risks you face when joining a club.

My boyfriend has told me he loves the colours though, so he will be getting a pair of socks!

The base is her Deuces Wild base, which is 80% Merino and 20% Nylon, and it is a absolutely gorgeous base. Very soft and squishy, one of my favourite bases I have come across, although I think I say that about all the new bases I try!

I know she is also doing a Lord of the Rings Club, Doctor Who, The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones club, all themes I can get on board with!

Check out her Etsy Shop or her Ravelry Group to see what other people got!

Sock Yarn Haul

I have a bad addiction to sock yarn, I promise though, this will be the last batch! 

Well until I go to Florida. And not including the sock club I signed up to, whoops! Anyway...

First up we have the gorgeous self striping yarn, Mind the Gap from the dyer Trailing Clouds, who is a British dyer.

Mind the Gap is a self striping yarn with the stripes being the colours of all the different underground lines, so it has 12 colours in total! Pretty impressive.

As someone who has to catch the tube every day for work, I felt like I was very deserving of this yarn, despite the fact that I hate the tube.

The yarn is 75% British Bluefaced Leicester and 25% Nylon.

This is my first experience with a BFL, and it is definitely different to Merino. It is not as soft, but it feels like it is going to be very strong and durable, perfect for socks.

This yarn will be turned into a pair of vanilla socks to best show off the striping pattern.

Next up we have the very gorgeous Not Drinking Merlot by the lovely Knitty and Color.

I don't think the picture is doing the yarn justice. There is just so many gorgeous shades of deep purple.

The yarn is incredibly soft, its 80% super wash merino and 20% nylon.

This is some very special yarn, its so gorgeous and buttery soft. 

The colours are a lot more sophisticated then what I normally go for, there is no way this yarn can be wasted on a pair of socks that no one is going see, this is going to be turned into a shawl!

The order also came with a sample skein in the colour Crush Crush, which is a sparkle colour way, and the first sparkle yarn I have tried.

Another gorgeous colour and it definitely makes me want to pick up a full skein of sparkle yarn, it's just so pretty and girly, I'm surprised I don't own any yet because I feel like sparkle yarn is very me.

I got the Not Drinking Merlot to take part in the Two Tangled Skeins knit along, which will be my first.

It starts in March and as I have said I will be making a shawl. I am actually going to a wedding at the end of March so I would love to have it done before then, fingers crossed!

So there are my purchases, which will hopefully be my last for a while!

Having said that, my Knitty and Color order came with a discount code which makes another order so tempting...

Yarn Haul - Gnome Acres

I have been lusting after Gnome Acres yarns for quite a while, but have never managed to catch one of her shop updates, but when she moved from Etsy to her own shop in the new year she had a massive restock, so what better time to order from her! Here are the ones I limited myself to:

This one is Ninja Cupcake. It is a fingering weight in her House Gnome base which is 75% super wash merino and 25% nylon. It is super soft and squishy.

I think this is probably my favourite colour out of the ones I got, I absolutely love it. I have no idea what to make with this, but I think this will make a awesome pair of socks.

House Gnome is $21 for 100g.

Next up is Unicorn Freckles, which was her new colour way that she introduced with the shop update.

Another colour that I love! Well I love everything I got, but you know what I mean.

This yarn is a tweedy one, so it felt slightly softer then the House Gnome ones, which is hard to believe because the House Gnome is so soft as well. It's a fingering weight again, and I have no idea what to knit with this one too!

This is her Scruffy Gnome base which is 85% super wash merino and 15% donegal tweed.

The Scruffy Gnome base is a bit more expensive at $23 for 100g.

Being a Potter fan I couldn't pass up on some of her Harry Potter themed yarns.

This one is Bertie Bott's which I think is a perfect name for this colour.

Another fingering weight in the House Gnome base.

This one I actually have an idea for, I want to knit the Hermione's Everyday Socks. The yarn goes with the pattern which I love, and I think it will make some gorgeous looking socks. 

Gah I love looking at this yarn, there is so many gorgeous different colours in one skein.

The last colour I got is another Harry Potter inspired one, it is Polyjuice Potion.

The blue in this is so pretty and vibrant, and I love purple too so this seems like the perfect coupling of colours to me.

This once again is the House Gnome base, so yes another fingering weight!

For this yarn I'm thinking of making the Hogwarts Express Shawl. I love the look of that shawl and what would be more perfect then knitting it in Harry Potter yarn!

I am very happy with all the yarn I got from Gnome Acres, and despite it being shipped from America just after Christmas, it didn't take too long and the shipping wasn't too expensive, however I did have to pay custom fees which are around £17, which is quite pricey, so if you are making a order make it cheap enough that you avoid the custom charges or order a massive quantity, maybe a group order, to make the shipping and customs charge more worthwhile.