MORE GOOD MAIL DAYS MEANS MORE KNITTING GOODNESS

I know I am late in writting a post for my blog but I have been tired. I am not a morning person and have been getting up early to go to Hilltop each morning and then I have to go back there again at dinner time. I seem to want to sleep a lot during the day once I am home. I probably need my B12 injection for the month now.

I have just finished putting my Avon order in so you know it is after 10PM Sunday. I should let you know Avon is selling the nicest Pashmina style shawls in pink as their latest Breast Cancer Crusade product. They are oh so soft. They are 100% viscose rayon in pink, of course, and the pink ribbon emblem is on one of the corners. They are selling for $5.00 and all the profits go to Breast Cancer which stay here in Canada.

AND I also just finished watching the Oscars. I think Johnny Depp looked just great BUT, alas, he didn't win the Oscar for the best actor in Sweeny Todd Demon Barber of Fleet Street. What a shame.

So I have gotten more treats in the mail.

I have received three birthday gifts from my pen pal group birthday club.

From Bridgett this past Wednesday I received a small sign to hang up, some lovely cream, a bookmark and a birthday card. There is always something new to learn in the knitting and blog world.From Jenny on Thursday I received the cutest plaque. and some fiber optic pens. Here is a picture of the plaque. Then of Friday I received some stationary from Matt. I may even have another package coming and I do have a package for my birthday coming from Susan in the addictedtoknit dishcloth group. The first one never arrived and a second one was sent out. Funny I didn't receive the first whoduknit holiday swap package and a second one had to be sent out which I am also waiting for.

Knitting Goodness

BUT the neatest package I received, not that the previous weren't nice or appreciated, was my variegated cloth swap from Shirley in South Africa. It had lots of stamps from South Africa only there were none that weren't cancelled. Strange as it may be there also wasn't a customs form or sticker on the package, just all those stamps. Inside the box was a ton of neat items. Unfortunately, the treats except for the coffee beans and tea are all gone now. Shirley sent me two cloths, a round variegated cloth and a solid picture cloth of a house and tree in a lovely deep rose color which I will save for my dishclothghan. Try as I might I just couldn't get a good picture of it so you will just have to imagine what it looked like.

In the box was also many skeins of yarn which include three skeins of an orange very soft yarn like a Sidar snuggly type yarn (it is much softer or lighter in color than what is showing below), three skeins of a boa eyelash yarn in jewel tones, one skein of a green and white cotton and one skein of a #8 ecru color cotton. BUT that is not all that was in the box. I received some fruit sticks which are gone. I did share some of them with the gals at knitting and there were some chocolate coated expresso beans but they are also gone now. What remains in the treat department are the tea bags (roobios and lemongrass) and coffee beans. I also found in the a very cute key chain in my box of goodies. AND there was a notepad with a kitty on the cover, a magnetic note pad, some very small stickers (I love those), two post cards from where Shirley lives, and some rose fragrant rose bath petals. I even found a few chocolate covered heart candies in the box. They too are gone. It was a lovely package all the way from South Africa. Thank-you Shirley. I hope you like yours when it finally arrives after taking a long slow freight ship across the ocean. I hope to mail you a few small envelopes to help you with the long wait for the larger parcel to arrive.

Now I am ready to mail a couple of my swap packages including my Knitters Scavenger Hunt Swap package, my whoduknit mystery ball and my crochetaholic February swap. I am not joining in the crochetaholic March swap. As a teaser here is a picture of what I am sending for the category "round" in the Knitter Scavenger Hunt Swap. AND here are the contents of the inside which I hope help my partner get "around tuit". I included a small saying also that I found on the net.It is also time for me to get to work on my Hand Dyed Yarn Swap 3.

There is talk of another Knitters Scavenger Hunt Swap. This one was a lot of fun and I should thank my pal Shelagh for helping me with my "round" category.

For all of you interested in a coffee yarn swap you can find one here: http://coffeenyarnswap.blogspot.com/. It is a follow up of the Winter Wonderland Coffee Swap which was a really fun swap. There is a contest already for this swap "What contest? Why the usual 'get the word out' contest. Post on your blog with a link back to this post, and you'll be entered to win some yummy yarn and a bag of coffee from my favorite - Caribou!" AND If you can make a button you will get an extra entry into the contest. It doesn't say anything about an extra one for mentioning where you learned of the swap from but I think it is a good idea. I don't know how to make buttons. I need to lean how to make buttons. There is always something new to learn in the knitting and blog world.

Another new swap starting up is here http://bigbagkalswap.blogspot.com/. It is going to be a KAL first and then you will swap bags with goodies in it with your partner. I haven't decided yet if I will join this. I would love another large knitted and felted bag. One day I will get around to knitting a constant companion bag of which I have the pattern but not all the yarn needed.Solara has been playing and hiding in the shower curtain again and making more holes and tears in it. Here she is checking out her tail.

A GOOD MAIL DAY

Today is starting out just fine despite it still being colder than hades is hot.

Knitting Goodness

In the mail today I received my sockamanaic package from Pam. Pam's package will be going out next week. Alas, there were no patterns as she forgot to put them in the box. In my dumb logic of the postal system I thought they would arrive before the package did since an envelope in my mind wouldn't take as long to arrive as a box but no the patterns haven't arrived yet. So I am waiting in anticipation to see what patterns Pam has chosen for me. BUT she did send me a lovely package. See for yourself. Here is the box my goodies came in. AND here are the goodies minus the patterns. It was a lavender theme package. There is Lavender bath and/or foot soak she made me using Epsom salts and essential oils and could you smell it when you opened the box. Such a lovely scent. It came in a reusable container. There is also some White Tea Relaxing Lavender Bath Tea which are tea bags you put in your bath, a lavender colored pumice sponge to remove the rough skin on the soles of my feet and believe me they are in bad shape and a White Tea Lavender Relaxing Body Bar. Funny for someone who sells Avon I have the worst feet in the world I think. Guess it is all the barefootin' I like to do and the total lack of care I give them. Shame shame on me!! BUT that is not all I received. I also received two small packages of coffee, some Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate and of course YARN. AND here is a close up of the yarn I received. It is really a periwinkle blue/purple color. It is from Pagewood Farms and is 100% superwash merino sock yarn. Solara also says Thank-You Pam as you gave her something to play with. This bag is even smaller than the previous bag she tried to get into. I not only received my Sockamaniac Pedicure Swap Package but I also received some money for my birthday which is in less than two weeks now. What should I do with it? Put it away toward my co-op, use it to pay some bills or get myself a treat. There isn't enough to do all of it.

I wonder what tomorrow will bring.

I have my partner now for the Scavenger Hunt. I now can have some fun deciding what to get for her. My mind is running around in circles trying to decide what items to put into each of the categories. I know I still have plenty of time to change my mind several times over and that is a woman's prerogative to change her mind. Right?

Today Elann put out some new yarns and, of course, I had to get some. I also got myself the Silky Tweed in Provence Blue to make the summer top called Twilight from the Rowan magazine. I am finally going to knit myself something to wear besides socks, scarves, hats and the like. Whether I end up wearing it will be an entire other story. AND I did get something else from Elann which I will show in the photo when it comes if I like it and it was a good purchase. What am I going to do with myself. I really need to join a 12 step program for textile addicts. I use the term textiles b/c if I was able to get at my sewing machine I would also be purchasing fabrics and not only wanting a spinning wheel but a new sewing machine and serger. I just love textiles both yarns, fabrics and all the trappings that go with them. Now do I really want the help, is the question?????

Now here is something I would like to register for but I can't afford it unless I received it as a gift and I doubt that is going to happen. Are you going to sign up Andrea? Of course, still without a wheel I really haven't had time to practice spinning plain roving and I just can't get the hang of the drop spindle.

Being held at Mona's Woseley Wardrobe
Exotics Spinning 2 with Francine – Sundays February 17 & 24th from 9:30am – 4:30pm
Class covers how to prepare and spin Bombyx Mori and Tussah silk , Cashmere, Cashmere and Silk, Camel down, Camel and Silk, Alpaca, and Kid Mohair. Learn how to blend all these fibres with each other and with wool. Information on what makes a good blend and reasons for blending fibres. Discuss the properties of all the above fibres and learn to spin them as a single fibre. Individual fibre package includes:
100 gms Silk - Bombyx and Tussah
28 gms Cashmere - 50/50 Cashmere and Silk
28 gms: Camel Down - 50/50 Camel Down and Silk
100 gms Alpaca - Baby Alpaca and Very fine adult.
100 gms multi dyed Kid Mohair locks
200 gms of Polwarth wool
Cards to make spun yarn samples.

Coffee, tea and cookies provided for break time.
Cost: $130 plus GST includes 2 days of instruction and fibre package.
Bring: Your lunch (fridge and microwave available) and spinning wheel. Francine will provide wheels and tools for those who need them – please let me know at time of registration.

Shelagh came over to visit to day and she did get to hold her fur niece Solara for just a brief moment.
AND I say a brief moment as this is the next photo not even a minute later. She is just pushing herself away from Shelagh. Can't you hear her saying that is enough Auntie Shelagh let me go now.