I made it onto the team!!

Yes, my friends, you may think I am a clapped-out old housewitch from Ottery, whereas really I am a fledgling international quidditch star. Appleby Arrows have recognised my hitherto hidden talents and following tryouts have invited me to join the team!!!!!!!!! Go me!!! :0)

So, my first task for the team is to post a list of 'wishes' - things I would dearly love to receive from my top fan (aka 'spoiler'), and things I would like him/her to know about me, like that I really am so allergic to cats (I know - not very witchlike of me!) that I will start sneezing and itching and struggling to breathe just if I sit next to someone who owns one. The cat doesn't even have to be there! Same thing with horses, dogs, hamsters, mice... As far as I know I am pretty safe with goldfish however! Luckily I am also fine with sheep, which may be why they are my favourite animal, and why my patronus is a ram. So it will not surprise you to know that I love wool, preferably without too much plastic mixed into it. I also adore silk. So yarns that blend wool and silk are totally awesome in my opinion.

Other useful information for my top fan might be that I totally love green, any variety of it, and especially moss and leaf greens. I love floral scents, and fruit flavours.

And the rather obvious information, though I will state it nonetheless, is that I love to knit. I have a very strong creative bent, and love to express this through designing and knitting.

Now as I am an Arrow, I know my top fan will want to provide me with blue stuff, so I'm going to help by pointing out some blue yarns that I like. Sock yarn first:

In the US:

Knitpicks Stroll Tweed in 'Aegean'
Knitpicks Stroll in 'Tidepool Heather' or 'Mermaid'
Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Yarn in 'Powder Blue'

In the UK:

Fyberspates Scrumptious 4-ply in Aqua
The Knitting Goddess Cash Sock in 'Semi-solid slate'

Now, the bag! Hmmm... This will have to be a project bag (not main handbag) as really I would not usually use a blue handbag. If you want to make the bag yourself, then let your imagination and creativity go wild with those hints and the blue and silver Arrows theme - any blue for this will be fine. If you want to gift me with the yarn and pattern for me to make the bag can we make it that the pattern is any old throwaway (so definitely one that is free to you), so that actually I can use the yarn to knit a bag to my own design? I say this because as a designer I need to devote as much of my knitting time as possible to stuff that can go into my portfolio. BTW I'd prefer a throwaway sock pattern for the same reason if you decide to make the bag and send yarn for socks. In fact, I'd be happy if you don't send a pattern at all, it's just I think it is a requirement of the swap for you to do so. Perhaps the powers that be would allow an exemption in my spoiler's case?

I can design to whatever yarn you send, or pick from the following:

US choice:

Cascade 220 in Pale Blue

UK Choice:

Texere Yarns Troon Tweed in 'Sky tweed'
Texere Yarns Airedale Aran in 'Sky' or 'Duck egg' (the latter is my top fave!)

Other wishes:

I would love to have a shawl pin - anything pretty and dainty (clumpy things don't look good on me!) such as the ones made by this etsy seller. (Not a budget purchase - perhaps you can find something similar at a lower price?)

Another Etsy seller makes cute little rubber stamps - including an option to have this one done with knitting needles instead of a crochet hook.

This UK company sell beautiful and very reasonably priced rosewood straight knitting needles.

I'd love to try some square circular needles, also available in the UK from KCG Trading.

In general I'm sure to love whatever you send. As you can see I love handmade items, so please do include as much of your own crafting as you wish - I'm bound to like it!