Buckets of Cheer...

Just when I was needing buckets of cheer (or beer) to come my way, this little beauty came in the mail. If you haven't seen what Ms. Greenfingers is doing with yarn, a goddess theme, and some silk pouches stuffed with sweet smelling herbs, go to her shop and check them out immediately! I am loving the game of giving and loving the gifts that I keep playing with this fellow Etsy shop owner. It began with a skein of handspun yarn in which I threw all manner of hand-dyed yarns and has resulted in me receiving this gorgeous mermaid with lavender and dried rose petals in it - and also a purdy, purdy hanging ornament. Hmmm, I think I got the better end of the deal which leaves me no choice but to up the stakes. Wouldn't it be great if the whole world gambled this way? The way of giving? Someone kick the pollyanna cuz even I'm too grumpy for her 'hey ya'll - let's all be nice' today. Ouch! Thanks.

How bizarre that Greenfingers knew I love mermaids - how do you think that came about? Perhaps my constant mentioning of them? My incessant dyeing of mermaid colorways? The needle felted dolls of them that I make and pose all over my house? The weirdest part is, that whilst opening this envelope, which made me have to leave the drum carder, I was working on the last of those sock batts. Guess what colorway was on the ole drum at that very moment?

I've been feeling a little under the weather which has not been helped by the 80 degree days we've had here in (where did you say you live, TExas?) MAINE. It would be okay if a killing frost had already cleared the ragweed and leaf mold out, but it hasn't. I wouldn't mind so much if I didn't know that it is really just a sarcastic smack and that wintry, cold, wet, possibly snowy weather is just days away so all this sweating because some bozo got organized and put the fan in storage already is just another way of making me grateful for the invention of Kleenex. Now, I will stop whining. Or not. So, I don't know if it is the heat or if I just started to worry that I'm too predictable or what - but I decided to jump out of my color comfort zone and I'm so glad I did. Well, kinda glad. Seems even my trusty new camera is set to give me fits today so this red blob of death doesn't look anywhere the elegant mix of reds, wines, yellows, and deep henna brown that it really is. You could trust me on it but that's entirely up to you. Her name (eventually, the colorways I adopt to work on and perfect develop a sort of personality which is convenient as I am too sour at the moment to inflict myself on my friends) is Sari. And I love her, which is why she jumped onto my bobbin and demanded to be spun.

Somewhere in the midst of my many delusional weekend naps to try to stop my head exploding, I managed to draw the name for the costume guess. Another treat in store for my sinister self - it's Danielle and, guess what? She's a newbie spinner (cackles roar through the land) I love to pile fiber on new spinners! You just know, then, you've turned another cog in the wheel of converting the masses! She'll be getting her batts this week. They, too, look much better than me and the camera can manage at this point. An earthy mix of browns, deep green and a lighter, more avocado green with just a spill of glitz in there - not the buckets of glitz I put in the other two batches because I needed the 'umph!'. They're called "river folk". Look for another giveaway of some sort next week and this may be a theme until the holidays. I'm a strange one and for some reason giving things away helps me get in the holiday spirit. Since I'm also inundated with holiday knitting, I kinda need an 'push' to keep me knitting on...

That's it, buckets of cheer were delivered and I am so thoroughly grateful. That said, if you already addressed and shipped a case of really good beer to me, I won't be sorry about that, either!