Knit Mitt Kitt Swap

I totally neglected to post about this swap from Swap-bot. Here's the deal, you made a kit for knitted mittens (or gloves) that had to include yarn, needles, instructions and a hand made bag with which to tote it all in. Of course, many of us include other fun stuff. My swap buddy, Betty Parkes, was so generous with her goodies. I got some wonderfully soft alpaca yarn from Knit Picks and two nice and challenging glove instructions. In addition to all of that, Betty included some other fine crafty stuff - some stitch markers, a metal and beaded book marker, the coolest post-it cover made like a matchbook (I really liked that) and some chocolates and soap.

Thank you Betty!

Vintage Swap

I learned about a fun swap called Vintage Swaps. I did it as a whim really because I love visiting vintage stores and I have some nice vintage sewing and knitting notions. I also have some pictures, postcards, linens, jewelry... well you get the idea, lotso stuff. I thought if I did the swap I'd find a nice home for some really nice things.

Unfortunately, I didn't include much of my own things. My vintage books and other stuff, I found too hard to part with. This meant that I had to go look for new/old stuff! I have some terrific pictures of what I found that I'll share after my swap buddy gets her package!

Here's what I received from Meegan. She has been patiently awaiting my package which is regrettably late. So sorry Meegan :(







This book is my favorite thing that Meegan sent me. It is Wuthering Heights! Isn't it beautiful. I love the art deco binder. The linen napkin was also in my box, so sweet.

Hey Mom, what's that smell???

Friday afternoon my former crip tonight son yells up to me, "hey mom, a package just came for you!" Oh, goodie, I was expecting my Knitters' Coffee Swap package to come and I got so excited about what LaVerna had sent me. Then he yells, "Hey Mom, what's that smell? It's coming from the basement!"

I'm thinking, ok, what's in my basement - laundry room, bathroom, furnace room, media room... Could be a sewer pipe? OMG, could it be gas?? I creep down the stairs and, regrettably, passed by my package from LaVerna. Then it hits me - THE MOST GOD AWFUL SMELL OOZED INTO MY NOSTRILS. I took a side glance at my birds to see if they were still alive, thinking that if it was gas or carbon monoxide, they'd be dead right? Then I remembered that carbon monoxide is odorless and none of the alarms in the house had gone off - that left gas or a sewer pipe. I didn't hear water, I didn't see water, then it couldn't be the sewer pipe (besides I've used up all of my plumbing debacles for the year already).

I decided not to take any more chances and I evacuated the house out into the 20 something degree temperature. I pull the car out of the garage and told my son to get in. I call the gas company and the furnace company. Inside 15 minutes (the way all first world countries ought to work, notwithstanding the dozen or so blackouts we've had so far this year), the gas company shows up. The guy is fisted with two meters and he creeps into the house. After 5 seconds he says, "Lady, you got a problem worse than gas." I'm thinking what #^%$$ could be worse than the possibility of my house blowing up?"






they are not cute in a cartoon

or in real life

The gas guy had a real laugh at my expense, meanwhile the smell is getting worse and I'm thinking that if I can get my yarn, my birds, my pictures, my books out of the house, I just might blow it up myself move out...

The furnace guy came and announced that something definitely tried to get in through the duct work that leads from the chimney to the furnace because part of the duct work was clawed out! I tell you people, I wanted to run right then and there but it was my house and all my stuff was in my house so I had to be brave and find the 'IT' myself.

Four or Five hours later I gave up the search. Wherever or whatever IT is, it's gonna have to wait till morning.

LaVerna's package was my only consolation to an otherwise crappy Friday night.

And what did she send me?














In addition to all of that great stuff, there were 3 bars of chocolate (better than prozac) and there was this other thing that was totally uncanny -


I put the soap in my pocket just in case the IT showed up...