I got yarn in the mail today. Two lovely packages arrived just after I got home this evening (and after I'd checked our empty-for-the-fourth-day-in-a-row mailbox). I've been eagerly waiting for both of these packages so it was especially fun to have them arrive together.

The first one is from Quince & Co.. An order of emergency and seaming-up yarn for Rob's sweater. I've had my fingers crossed for two weeks hoping that the new skeins would be the same dye lot as the ones I already had (it's very difficult type like that). I snatched them out of the bag as fast as I could and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw "Lot 2" on the labels. Perfect match.

Parcel number two is an assortment of Sock That Rock mini skeins from a swap. I participated in my first yarn swap last fall and have to admit that they are kind of addicting. If my budget would allow it I'd have packages of tiny skeins of yarn arriving all the time. It's a great way to get to play with lots of different colours and yarns without the commitment of funds and space that full size skeins take up. And there are some really fantastic patterns out there for mini skein. I'm planning on making this blanket but it might have to wait until I've spent some time making one of these scarves.

I need to post these guys before I forget entirely (or it's summer and too late for posting Christmas things). I finally got all the eyes sewn onto my owls and hung them up in the living room just after Christmas (I'm the type that leaves the tree up as long as possible - it's so cheery). There are all sorts of fabrics making up these owls - wools and blends, corduroys, even a velveteen that was in my stash. Picking the eyes was quite the job - I'd never noticed before how many single buttons I had - but eventually I found enough. I love to see them in their great swag in the living room. They're a friendly looking flock.


Speaking of Christmas decorations, my parcel from The Small Fox Ornament Swap arrived the other day. I was hoping for some sunshine this weekend so I could take some really nice pictures of them on the tree before it came down but the weatherman promises snow so I'll just have to make do with the picture I took on the table after unpacking them.  They are all so wonderfully different; each with its own special character. I'm looking forward to pulling them out every year and remembering where they came from:


1. Clothspin Santa from *
2. Crochet Tree from Chicken Betty
3. 'Cecil' by Sarah
4. Garland (with teeny yo-yos!) from Julia
5. Woven Heart from *
6. Pink Penguin from *
7. Bird from Dawn
8. Owl from deetlesbird
9. Holly Berries from Keri

Thank you to all of you.

*Somehow I am missing three names - I'm hoping to add them as I learn them.

I'm participating in an ornament swap this year. It's being organized by the Small Fox and I signed up a little over a month a go. I spent a little bit of each day last week getting my ornaments made and photographed before sending them off. Each person in the swap makes and sends ten ornaments and gets ten different ones back.

I decided to make Moonstitche's Zakka Style Owls as ornaments (I just thread a piece of embroidery floss through the top of the head and hide the knot behind the face). I love this tutorial and have been wanting to make more of these guys for our decorating this year. I cut out a whole bunch and picked ten particularly cute little guys to send away. I used a bunch of different fabrics for my owls - corduroy, wool, suiting fabrics (that may or may not be wool), and even some velveteen I found tucked away - and made sure that the ten I sent out did not include any duplicates.

There is a Flickr group for the swap where you can see what other people are making and get loads of ideas for making stuff yourself.