Great Things in Small Packages
This week so far has been a boon one for checking the mail... yesterday, I received my new pair of Dansko clogs, ordered from REI as my small part of buying Danish (see yesterday's post for details. I also received an envelope containing this:
There is a bigger story here, that of my dear friend, Lynn, who encouraged me to join Mountain Star Quilters (our Downieville guild) several years ago, and has the same passion about quilting as I do about knitting. Our current guild president came into office in October full of exciting ideas, and promised a great quilt square pattern to encourage everyone to make a square for a raffle at the January meeting. I only followed this process with mild interest, as I have given up getting my work to match anyone else's, even though I can produce fine, even squares of my own on occasion.
However, Lynn not only took this challenge to heart, but decided to make a second one as well as the first. On the meeting date, I was too sick to remember that it was guild meeting night, and was attending a meeting in the opposite direction to try to salvage something of the negotiations for our child care center. I learned the next morning, from fellow guild member Bette Jo, a nurse at our clinic, that Lynn had entered that second square and my name into the drawing and I had won! The square above is the most recent one received in the mail... I started with 11 from the meeting, then have received 4 more from members who made a square but didn't attend... all good-hearted, for as Bette Jo said when handing them over to me "Now you know I'm honest; I could have kept these for myself" (ha, ha). This one was made by Betsy, last year's president and a past featured quilter, with a fabulous eye for color. We have a Mystery Quilt weekend every year in early spring, and this year I will be assembling these fifteen squares into a finished top rather than making the designated mystery, so watch for details.
The third package last night was from my beading friend, Leslie, down in Dallas, who used to belong to our crafts co-op. She got excited when reading my post last week about starting a beaded knit piece (Mrs. Beeton fingerless mitts), and sent a dental floss threader, something that the bead shop I visited had never heard of, to help me get those beads onto my yarn, along with a few candies and the book and handmade bookmark... what a dear!
Have you read this book? What do you think?
Tonight was even better! My Better Pal had sent an email last week saying she had been late in getting free to go to the post office and mail my package, then was worried this week that it might have gotten lost along the way (I won't say what the postmark was, as I am still pretty much in the dark as to who my pal is, and don't want someone else telling me who figures it out). I am entirely delighted, as this package shows that my BP has been doing her homework... first off the colors were right in keeping with my favorites... two skeins of Noro Blossom, that look so much like the sari silk/wool blend I have been searching for, but I am sure are much, much softer.
The bottom yarn is the Noro, and you can see the pretty glints of colored silks within the worsted wool, but this photo absolutely does NOT do the yarn justice... maybe a $1,000 camera would.
a beautiful hand dyed mohair laceweight from a little farm in New York, not only in my favorite shade of purple (lavender, in case you can't tell from this shot), but also in line with my heart's desire to support small farmers and wool producers, and a nice chocolatey homespun... these will go very well with the new clogs, which are antique brown. I have been back and forth over the years in wearing "fashionable black" but have a deep fondness for browns of all shades, and probably look far better in them. The heavier yarns will probably do into a felted project, possibly the Entrelac tote, which would make a great decorative yarn basket. The lavender fingering yarn looks destined for a lace project!
My BP also sent me this delightful felt applique piece, which I originally thought was a scented mug mat, as it smelled of lavender, from the heart-shaped sachet underneath it in the package. My DH was feeling a little left out of the fun, until I promised to share the chocolates in the heart-shaped box with him.
What vibrant colors! My Better Pal called this a hot plate, but I don't want to put any goopy, messy pots on it! Maybe a mug of tea next to my desk at work...
What a lovely package!
Dou you think this good fortune can continue? Would I be more pragmatic to expect nothing but bills and junk mail tomorrow?
There is a bigger story here, that of my dear friend, Lynn, who encouraged me to join Mountain Star Quilters (our Downieville guild) several years ago, and has the same passion about quilting as I do about knitting. Our current guild president came into office in October full of exciting ideas, and promised a great quilt square pattern to encourage everyone to make a square for a raffle at the January meeting. I only followed this process with mild interest, as I have given up getting my work to match anyone else's, even though I can produce fine, even squares of my own on occasion.
However, Lynn not only took this challenge to heart, but decided to make a second one as well as the first. On the meeting date, I was too sick to remember that it was guild meeting night, and was attending a meeting in the opposite direction to try to salvage something of the negotiations for our child care center. I learned the next morning, from fellow guild member Bette Jo, a nurse at our clinic, that Lynn had entered that second square and my name into the drawing and I had won! The square above is the most recent one received in the mail... I started with 11 from the meeting, then have received 4 more from members who made a square but didn't attend... all good-hearted, for as Bette Jo said when handing them over to me "Now you know I'm honest; I could have kept these for myself" (ha, ha). This one was made by Betsy, last year's president and a past featured quilter, with a fabulous eye for color. We have a Mystery Quilt weekend every year in early spring, and this year I will be assembling these fifteen squares into a finished top rather than making the designated mystery, so watch for details.
The third package last night was from my beading friend, Leslie, down in Dallas, who used to belong to our crafts co-op. She got excited when reading my post last week about starting a beaded knit piece (Mrs. Beeton fingerless mitts), and sent a dental floss threader, something that the bead shop I visited had never heard of, to help me get those beads onto my yarn, along with a few candies and the book and handmade bookmark... what a dear!
Have you read this book? What do you think?
Tonight was even better! My Better Pal had sent an email last week saying she had been late in getting free to go to the post office and mail my package, then was worried this week that it might have gotten lost along the way (I won't say what the postmark was, as I am still pretty much in the dark as to who my pal is, and don't want someone else telling me who figures it out). I am entirely delighted, as this package shows that my BP has been doing her homework... first off the colors were right in keeping with my favorites... two skeins of Noro Blossom, that look so much like the sari silk/wool blend I have been searching for, but I am sure are much, much softer.
The bottom yarn is the Noro, and you can see the pretty glints of colored silks within the worsted wool, but this photo absolutely does NOT do the yarn justice... maybe a $1,000 camera would.
a beautiful hand dyed mohair laceweight from a little farm in New York, not only in my favorite shade of purple (lavender, in case you can't tell from this shot), but also in line with my heart's desire to support small farmers and wool producers, and a nice chocolatey homespun... these will go very well with the new clogs, which are antique brown. I have been back and forth over the years in wearing "fashionable black" but have a deep fondness for browns of all shades, and probably look far better in them. The heavier yarns will probably do into a felted project, possibly the Entrelac tote, which would make a great decorative yarn basket. The lavender fingering yarn looks destined for a lace project!
My BP also sent me this delightful felt applique piece, which I originally thought was a scented mug mat, as it smelled of lavender, from the heart-shaped sachet underneath it in the package. My DH was feeling a little left out of the fun, until I promised to share the chocolates in the heart-shaped box with him.
What vibrant colors! My Better Pal called this a hot plate, but I don't want to put any goopy, messy pots on it! Maybe a mug of tea next to my desk at work...
What a lovely package!
Dou you think this good fortune can continue? Would I be more pragmatic to expect nothing but bills and junk mail tomorrow?
posted by Birdsong | 6:28 PM
4 Comments:
Yay for great packages! I am glad it finally made it! Phew right?
Your better Pal
Yum, that lavender yarn is delish!
Maybe not bills...I never expect bills...right now I'm nervously awaiting my W2s so I can get my taxes filed before I move to WA...That's all I'm "expecting."
Your BP is awesome.
I agree the lavendar is gorgeous!
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