Sweet Swap Success!

Before I get to the swag, there's some good news and bad news....the good news is the Gateway Dude showed up. The bad news is the motherboard is "DOA" and a new one is being sent, scheduled to be installed next week. I can't wait. The good news is I still have my much loved old laptop with the bouncing cursor. The bad news is it only takes me about four hours to type and retype and retype and retype yet again each post :)

So don't expect lots of posts but I'm trying - I know the P-Man fans need an occasional fix!

On to the knitting and the swag!!

My longtime readers know I haven't had much success with swaps and secret pals and such - either I got a box full of re-gifted dreck or I got nothing at all. And of course who can forget the world's most expensive skein of sock yarn? So I was a bit reluctant to join any more swaps as you might imagine.

About a year ago I met Kimberly - somehow I linked to her blog or she to mine but we had a lot in common, hit it off and became friends.

Kim's an ex-pat living in Berlin, teaching Spanish (the irony of that never fails to crack me up!) and so we got to chatting about her missing some American goodies and me wanting to be introduced to some German goodies, especially of the Wollmeise kind! Plus her experiences with swaps weren't so hot either.

So we decided a swap with someone we already knew (and liked a lot!) couldn't fail and boy were we right! That Kim sure does know her swag.....have a peek.....

(as always, click to embiggen)

The bag in the back is a typical Berlin "tourist" bag and has pics of the city's sights on it. Inside were an adorable green zippered bag Kim made for me (she's a sewing goddess!) a wooden shawl pin with a kitty carved on top, a lavender sachet, a sheep cookie cutter, a vintage German crochet mag (so cool!!) some adorable stitch markers she and her sweet daughter Alida made for me (there's a beer stein and a hamburger in there, hee!), a sheepy game, a postcard of a typical Berlin curry shop (what is it with Europeans and curry??) 2 beautiful skeins of Trekking that a special visitor snatched immediately and last but surely not least, a beautiful skein of Wollmeise!

You can see what I sent to Kim here

Thank you so much Kimberly, you have restored my faith in swaps, at least with you :)

Now if that wasn't enough, look what else came in the mail.....

I've never been to any type of yarn, sheep or wool festival but lucky for me, my knitting friends got my back!

My sweet buddy Agnes always thinks of me when she goes to Stitches West. Look what goodies just arrived....

Yep, those are Cookie A's brilliant new sock patterns!! They are all stunning but Stricken (right) is calling my name very loudly! (the new patterns aren't on her site yet but should be soon) Plus she sent that oh so soft and beautiful skein of Lisa Souza Merino in the Goldilocks colorway because she said it reminded her of Pumpkin! It's a huge skein so rather than socks, I'm thinking shawl...oh the possibilities - I am such a lucky woman! Thank you again Agnes, you're the best knitting "connection" a girl could have :)

For some actual knitting, I finished my *best sock yarn* socks (snark)

Specs:

pattern: Pretty Comfy Sock by Debbi Young

2 skeins Cascade Fixation, Burgundy

Magic Loop, 32" addi turbo size US #3 (3.25 mm)

Mods: I changed the wrapped short row heel as specified in the pattern to my usual yo short row heel but because of the stretch in the yarn, I omitted the mini flap and gusset.

Cascade is hardly the "it" yarn for socks as my cousin was led to believe but it does have it's place. The socks are very soft and stretchy and they knit up into a very cute sock that i'm sure my cousin will love.

Y'all know me, one sock finished, another one begun....the March SKA challenge is an Ann Budd sock or entrelac. Guess which I chose :)

This is the Annetrelac sock from IK in some delicious Bearfoot.

Also note the perfectly coordinated knails! The mani is done with OPI "Red-y to Help", a lacquer developed to help the American Red Cross with a percentage of the sales going to support this very worthy charity. Now that's my kinda mani - beautiful knails and doing a good deed too! :)

I didn't touch my Mom's vest since my last post - I was busy with a very special visitor last week but I'll tell you all about that next time.

Til then the P-Man will keep you smiling....

Doesn't he look like he just heard a really funny joke?

Keep on knitting lots and I'll be back when I can, Gateway willing!