Red Letter Day at the Mailbox!

What's this? A package with a customs label on it? I have a hunch I know who the sender is. I recently participated in a swap at the homeschooling site I frequent. This was a particularly fun swap. We were to send a bookmark and a surprise to the person who's name we drew.

I love surprises!

Since most everyone had already received their packages, including the person who's name I drew, I was beginning to suspect my gift was traveling across the pond, hence a lengthier journey for it than most.

Sure enough, I was right. The bag of goodies is from Liz, my longtime online aquaintance from the Swap. Liz once called and left a message on my answering machine. She has the most delightful sing-song veddy British accent. She's bubbly and her voice made me think of sunshine. She's a sweetheart through and through, and I'm not just saying that because she sent me a package full of neat surprises!

Liz, if you're reading this, I can't wait to shower and try out the microfiber mitt & cloth! I've hidden away the colorful stick-it notes so Hubby doesn't use them all. I LOVE the scripture bookmark and pen!!! I'll carry it with me to take sermon notes on Sundays, and will think of you each time I pull it out of my purse.

The soft and squishy computer screen cleaning doll is just adorable. I've never seen those before. Trust me, he's going to earn his keep around here. Last, but not least, your poem disguised as a packing slip did indeed bring tears to my eyes (hence the inclusion of tissues) from laughter! Thanks, Liz, you are a doll!

Wee! Tiny Socks!

This is the Wee Tiny Sock I got from Sandykins at My Life...and no one else's. It's positively adorable; and it came to me all the way from Sweden. I love the little sheep notecard she sent with it. Thanks, Sandy! :-)

Below is the Wee Tiny Sock I knit for Barbara at Knitting Knotes. I think she's probably had time to receive it by now, so hopefully I'm not spoiling her surprise by posting a picture.

For Barbara's Wee Tiny Sock I used a 100% Superwash Merino fingering yarn from Yarn Pirate. The colorway is Earth & Ocean. The miniature sock pattern I used was a free pattern from Heart Strings.

And just because it's been awhile since I posted a pic of Leyna, I figured you could stand a cute puppy fix. She's my widdle baby. Yes, I am one of those annoying people who talks babytalk to her dog, and about her dog, but shhhh....Leyna doesn't know she is a dog. Let's keep that under our hat, shall we?

I'm just too cute for my britches!

Wee Tiny Sock Swap

My Wee Tiny Sock from 2007

Emily, over at Yarn Miracle, is hosting Wee Tiny Sock Swap 2008. I participated in her Wee Tiny Sock Swap 2007, and it was alot of fun. Talk about your instant gratification! I signed up to swap three socks last year. The above sock was one of the wee tiny socks I knit, using Bernat Sox self-striping sock yarn. It doesn't take long at all to knit a wee tiny sock; not much longer than it takes to say wee tiny sock.

Sign ups for Wee Tiny Sock Swap 2008 open at noon on Friday, March 21, and will remain open until noon on Thursday, March 27th. Grab some leftover sock yarn (you won't need much!) and some toothpicks tiny knitting needles and head on over to Yarn Miracle this Friday!

Since I was out of commission for two solid weeks with the icky crud, knitting was nil around here. For the past few days, between trying to catch up on housework and produce food besides fast food (I really need to teach Hubby to cook), I've been knitting as fast as I can to complete my share of the Second Oddball Charity Blanket at Knitting Help. I finished it tonight, all but weaving in my ends. I will pack it up, along with a few goodies for the next knitter, and ship it out Friday morning.

Meanwhile, since it's been so long since I posted knitting pictures, here's a couple of things I knit last year. I had fun knitting this super simple Booga Bag pattern. I was disappointed in how small the finished product was, though. I've seen pics of others' Booga Bags, and none seem so small as mine. It's too small to carry as a purse- a cosmetic bag, maybe! I'm going to knit a larger one, since I did like the simplicity of the pattern. I'll make adjustments to the number of cast on stitches, as well as the number of rows I knit.

Booga Bag pattern by Black Sheep Bags

This next item is a shawl I knit for my sis-in-law for her birthday last year. I didn't use a pattern. It's made up of a variety of yarns, some novelty furry type, some bulky fuzzy wool, some fine chenilles. You name it, it's in there. I purposely picked out all the earthy colors I could find in my stash, since Sharon (sis-in-law) is an earthy sort, and tends to wear alot of earth tone colors.

The shawl is super soft and squishy. I've seen Sharon wrap herself in it in church quite a few times, which was the idea I had in mind when I knit it. She's cold natured and usually freezes when the a/c is blowing.

Sharon's hodge podge shawl

Don't you just love knitting for others? I find it so gratifying to see someone enjoy something I knit for them. For that matter, just doing for others, be it taking them a cooked meal, surprising them with a small gift, or whatever your heart feels led to do, brings such a blessing to the giver as well as the recipient.

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

~Luke 6:38