Swapping

   I finally got my Yarn Pals swap package into the mail on Thursday.  I had to order 
most of what I wanted to include because there isn't a yarn shop near by and I wasn't going anywhere to find one.  (Walmart has been good enough for getting Red Heart and Lion Brand yarns but they don't care anything else.) Finally my yarn orders came in and the package was complete.  I had a plastic zipper bag that sheets came in and everything fit perfectly!  I had printed out my Pal's info (address, family, likes, etc) but I never included my contact person at Yarn Pals...a mistake!  I've had some trouble with my PC this winter and Jeff had to step in and correct it and when he does that it means I lose what's not saved properly.  From now on when I print out my swap partner's info if there is a contact person included I'm going to be sure to include that name, too!  On top of that, the print on the receipt from the Post Office was so light that when I took a photo of it to send to the contact person (to prove that I had mailed the package on time) nothing showed! 

I finally got in touch with someone at Yarn Pals and PM-ed the information (date mailed, tracking #, expected date of arrival).  My Pal should receive the package tomorrow.

   I really enjoyed the 3 swaps I did this year.  Two were with Ravelry.com and one with Yarn Pals.  One of the Ravelry swaps was for  Christmas and I got some beautiful yarns, the other was for Advent and I got 24 small gifts and 1 large one.  That was so much fun!  My partner showed so much imagination!!  I got the usual knitting notions but I also got some really unusually things...like a small bottle of Sloe Gin!   I really want to do the Advent swap again next year and I hope I can find some unusual things to include!  

This is the assortment of yarn I received in the 3 swaps. Isn't it great?  Some is even hand-dyed!  That Fair Isle heart is an ornament that came with the directions and enough yarn to make another one!

   This was one that stumped me for awhile.  It's actually a mini-pair of

scissors!  I never saw anything like this

before!  (And the scissors are sharp enough to cut yarn!!)

  The Christmas Swap included the greatest shawlette and Christmas mugs but, unfortunately, one of the mugs didn't quite make the trip.  (I glued it together and will use it as a pen holder.) In the meantime, Jeff and I are fighting over the surviving mug.  It holds almost 2 cups of coffee and he thinks it's HIS.    We'll see about that!!

   

   These swaps have helped to make an otherwise drab Christmas more interesting.  Hopefully, next Christmas things will be back to normal...or at least, more normal but I'm still going to do swaps!