A SWAP FILLED CHRISTMAS PART 1

Christmas this year I opened all my swaps that have been sitting and waiting for me to dig into. AND it was oh so much fun. You are being warned this is a long blog post and has lots and lots of photos. I am so thrilled with all my pressies I hope it comes through on my blog.

Knitting Goodness OH MY!!!

I will start with my Monkey Swap package from Caryn. She sent me a bag of Hershey's kisses, a lovely lunch box with monkeys on it which will make a great small project carrier (such as for socks), monkey magnetic bookmarks, the Thelonious Cookie A sock pattern and some lovely yarn to knit socks with.

The socks have no label indicating what type of yarn it is, whether it is super wash or not, with or without nylon, yardage or the name of the yarn. What do you think it is? If anyone knows please tell me. It is lovely yarn BUT I would like to know what it is. After posting on the Monkey Swap blog I opened my swap package and showing this photo of the yarn I received I have read that it could be Cherry Hill Tree or Koigu. It has even been suggest it is the colorway Cabin Fever in CHT. Are you in agreement?

Only there were NO MONKEY SOCKS included in the package. She did mention in an email she would send them when she finished them as soon as she could but since she is not answering my emails I don’t know if she is still working on them or not. I hope things have settled down for her from the last time she emailed me. I checked her blog and she still hasn't put an entry in since Sept. I am thankful I received something when I know others have had partners who totally flaked on them.

I had a lot of fun making the socks for my pal and purchasing goodies for my pal as a lot of the fun is in the giving as much as the receiving. Originally I was looking forward to the next Monkey swap. Now I am not so sure after reading that so many people have been left high and dry. I guess I am just leery but I really would like to join the next swap if there is one.

As of this morning I have a secret pal who is now knitting me a pair of my very own monkey socks. YES!!!

I opened my HAND DYED YARN SWAP 2 package from Tammy. What a lovely package it was. Here is a photo of all the goodies I received. I received coffee which is locally roasted in her city of Lethbridge and is a favorite of hers, a glow in the dark Starbucks Travel Halloween mug that that I will save for next year which I can't wait to use, four small packets of Smarties, two stitch markers and a nice card.
As you can see Tami sent me NOT one BUT two skeins of yarn she dyed for me. One is red and white called Vampire. AND the second one is called Penny's Colorway and it is pinks and blues. Loverly just loverly!!! Perfect colors for me. Actually both skeins of yarn were dyed perfect colors for me.
AND that is not all I received. I also got a couple of stitch markers that you may not be able to see clearly in the top photo so here is a closer view. I certainly hope there will be another dyed yarn swap as it was so much fun. I only wish my dyeing skills were as good as some you other gals in the swap. I guess with time they will get better, maybe. Thank-you Tammy for the wonderful swap package and for being so patient with me hanging on to it until Christmas day to open. BUT it sure helped make Christmas for me.

Next I opened my package from Allena in the KNITTERS COFFEE SWAP 3. How lucky can a coffee knitter get? AND Allena was so patient while I waited for Christmas to open my package. Thank-you so much for Allena for being so patience. Here it is when I opened the box lid. And you can also see some little notes on items. All the items had sticky notes on them.
One of the first items you can see is the Trekking XXL yarn which her note said, " I hope there's enough blue in this sock to appeal to you. Enjoy". Well she needn't worry as it is just lovely and there is plenty of blue in it for moi! Oh, excuse me for a moment while I go and make a cup of java to drink as I continue to write up my blog.

Again I must write I don't know what you are seeing color wise on your computer as the colors on my computer are wonky and I just can't get the computer to show the colors correctly. I know what it looks like in my camera but sometimes even the camera and the computer colors don't jive.

You can also see the following yarn on the top of the box. It was hand dyed by Allena for me and the colors are wonderful. The colors I see when I look at it are aquas, greens and rusts. There are two skeins of it which is 100% Peruvian Wool and the color/dye lot is called Jelly Bean/2. Each skein is 220 yds and 100 grams to be knit on a size 7 - 8 US needle with a gauge of 5 stitches /inch. It is hand wash and dry flat. The sticky note says, "Hand-dyed just for you! Enjoy." She suggest I add some vinegar to the first washing for safety.

AND AND AND there is more yarn. I also received two skeins of Jane Ellison's Marisol Misty which is 100% baby llama. It is the deep blue tweed color despite the photo looking like a light blue (which I see in my camera). It is so so so soft!! I have been eyeing it since I took the Jane Ellison Workshop at Ram Wools this past fall. Her sticky note says. "This is the softest yarn I could find. It makes me want to sleep on a load of this yarn! So soft". Me too. Of course, this being a coffee swap I also received coffee. HMMM HMMM The coffee she sent me was from a local roaster in her area and it is called Morning Buzz. It is beans which I can grind as needed. Her sticky note says, "I always need the extra kick in the morning so this coffee hits the spot. Roasted in the coffee shop right across from my LYS! Can't get any better except if they were in the same store".I also received a very tall large mug which will be my new coffee mug now for morning coffee. I will let company use my previous favorite coffee mug. The mug came with a tin of coffee mints (red and white stripped candies) and a small packet of coffee). The sticky note on this package said, "This fun gift set I picked up at another JAVA House across town. Gotta love the extra tall coffee cup." I just love it!!!To go with the coffee I received treats. YUMMY Treats. Allena sent me almond butter crunch bars which are now gone, milk chocolate covered cappuccino beans which have also been eaten, flavored Splenda which I have not only never seen but never heard of, and fudge covered graham cookies. There was sticky note attached to the treats of butter crunch and chocolate covered cappuccino beans which said, "These are from a local chocolate shoppe! YUM." AND I agree only they are all gone. BUT that is not all I received in my package. I found in the box Gloves in a Bottle shielding lotion. It says it is like an invisible pair of gloves and skin care that works. AND it does.

AND she didn't forget my Solara who also received treats. She is one spoiled kitty. This sticky indicates that these treats are from her furchild to mine. Now even our furchildren can get in the act of gift giving.AGAIN, thank-you Allena. I hope I didn't forget anything.

Will I join another Knitters Coffee Swap? You bet. I had so much fun shopping for my pal and receiving from my pal I will definitely join again if there is one.

AND now for my CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD Swap from Chris.

Chris knit me the most beautiful scarf in what other color than, of course, pink!!! Not only did she knit me a lovely scarf but she sent an extra skein of the yarn so I now can knit a hat with it to match. The yarn comes from Argentina and was chosen by Chris's youngest daughter as she liked the finished product on display in the LYS. Your daughter has wonderful taste. I wore it the last two times I went out and my knitting buddy Janice has already asked for the pattern. Are you able to share it? If so I would love to have it.
And here is a close up of the scarf showing the ruffle. I also received this lovely yarn as it reminded Chris of the sunshine and she thought I could use some up here where I live. It is just lovely and has some glittery yarn mixed in which makes it even nicer. Eye candy that is what it is. I have a thing for glitz! Don't you think it is just lovely? I do and I am not that fond of yellow but this is not your typical yellow and with the glittery thread. Nice very nice!!!! Yes it is eye candy.
I do have a question though. Do you have any information on this yarn as there wasn't a label attached?

I also received teas. I got a box of Ashbys Twelve Teas of Christmas with five of each of the twelve varieties. AND I got candies. AND also in the box was a "P" sticky note pad, Christmas note cards and a magnetic Christmas note pad. The container you see on the box of tea is a container of Ellie's Unscented Knitter's Cream. I have already been using it and it is nice. BUT that is not all I found in my swap box from Chris. I found the some very interesting yarn and oh so soft called Butterfly by SUSS
and a pattern to use with the yarn to make a FRU FRU bag has I call it which will be for me. There is only one sad thing to say about the swap. I also received a lovely Christmas ornament but it was broken. It was a tin glass snowman. I am so sorry to have to tell you this Chris.
Still I think I received a very lovely package as nice as one can receive filled with treats, sweets and all kinds of goodies. I am so glad I heard about this swap from Vigdis in a group we are in together. I hope there will be another one next Christmas or maybe a seasonal one or another holiday swap.
Thank-you Chris for helping to make a wonderful Christmas for me and thank your daughter for choosing such a lovely scarf. I would love to send you an email thank-you but I do need your email addy to do so and I can't find it anywhere. I am sure I had your secret email addy somewhere but now I can't even find that.

So that ends part one. My coffee sure tasted good. I put some eggnog in it. YUMMY!

While I have been blogging my Solara has been sleeping on the bathroom mat which is partly over the side of the tub and partly in the tub. BUT that doesn't mean you can't see a few photos of her in her sweater.
AND here is Solara in her sweater sitting with her auntie Janice.
Other knitting news...

... is I finally finished my Mixed Jelly Bean socks and here are a couple of photos for you.
I have been trying to work a jogless heel on these socks. The first sock doesn't look as good as the second sock. I am sorry the second photo is a bit blurry but I could seem to take it without it being blurry.
I guess practice makes perfect and if I do a few more I would hope I would get even better. On the first one I tried it a few different ways so that is one reason it isn't as nice as the second where I finally decided on the way I liked best.

The inside of the sock is another story. I found I was unable to carry the unused yarn up the sock as it would show on the outside. If there is a way to do it can someone please let me know. I know it is only being carried seven rows but it is not tied down for those seven rows. I did decide to try to tie down the carried up yarn when I was sewing in the ends but then it was a bit lumpy and the sewing was on the inside of the sole of the foot and I was afraid it would annoy me. The socks fit great.

The beads do make these socks a bit heavier than your usual socks but...I don't care as I really like them.

I have started my second sock from the Harvest Sock swap completing the one inch K1 P1 cuff.I will blog about my Harvest Sock swap in part 2 of this blog. Anyway, I used the needles that my pal sent which she used but I am a much looser knitter so I got less rows of K1P1 ribbing than she did to the inch so I am going to change to a pair of 2.5mm needles. Hers measured on the guide 2.75mm and she made hers. This should work out or I will just go back and use the beedles she used that she sent me.