Pressies!!!

Since I'm a Noblog, I'm REALLY late on this post. I'm ever so sorry. I despise ingratitude and I am not showing much of it by posting this so late. I DO feel very, very and thrice very grateful for these pressies!

The first is from Marit (who I love with all my heart). I am participating in a "Pay it Forward" thingy from her blog and she sent us the most amazing things. Seriously, her generosity was very much above and beyond and so so delightful!

She sent me a bag (which I use for knitting projects) made out of jeans. How clever is that?! I'll tell you; very clever. It's so adorbs. It features Shaun the Sheep (whom we adore) and a kite with a caterpillar and everything!

Here's a close up of Shaun. Isn't he cute?

And the bum of the bag ;). Terribly handy pockets!

And that lining! Isn't it adorable?!

She also sent the most sniffy soap from Selje, an island very near her home and where some of her sheep live. Real sheep, I don't mean kids ;).

ALSO she sent the kids these darling wee stockings with their names and the year embroidered on them. WHAT?! How amazing. AND these ornaments filled with delicious chocolate which the kids loved. They kept saying, "mom, can we have some of that chocolate from Marit?" Hilares. Will went on and on about how nice Marit is and how amazing he thought it was that she sent chocolate ALL THE WAY FROM NORWAY! (I showed it to them on a map).

And, if that weren't enough, she sent this gorgey red yarn. Yes she did. Because with all the other gifts, she wasn't generous enough ;). THANK YOU SO MUCH MARIT!!! It was like opening a treasure chest!

Here's a picture of all of it. It's not a great picture. I'm kind of a crap photographer, but you get the idea.

Now, I just need to get on with my pay it forward project. I have one I'm doing but I'm wondering if there are any others who want to participate? Just let me know.

The next package that arrived, (just in time for London!!!) were these fabby mittens from Bea (who I also love with all my heart). I fell in love with these when I saw them on her blog and wanted to make a pair but then she started selling them so I decided to buy some instead (clever, huh?). Bea and I decided to do a trade instead.

Mind you, Bea also sent delicious chocolates and balloons for the kids as well! Kindness and generosity!

Again, crap picture. These mittens are gorgey! The turquoise is much softer in real life and the mittens aren't usually posing on a lap.

I was SOOOO excited to have these for London. They're photographer mittens, you see. You can pop your index finger out of a tiny hole and click away. Hmmm. Clever? Yes. They were so warm and cute AND convenient. How often do you find that in a mitten? LOVE.

When these mittens arrived, I nearly had a heart attack. I knew the second I saw them that I could not knit her something. I would die of shame. They were completely perfect. I decided to send her yarn. Anything I knit would have seemed so quaint. And also like a Kindergartener had done it. I'm very glad she let me off the hook. Thank you SOOO much Bea! I love them!

Here the are at Old Sarum (these mittens are SO well traveled). You can't see it but my finger is sticking out so I can record... sheep.

Now you can see my finger. It's showing everyone that I, and the mittens, are #1.

Isn't Blogland marvy? I've "met" so many wonderful people with so many amazing talents. I can't wait to see and learn more from all of you.

Peace out,

Heidi

Knitting for the Offspring.

I like knitting for kids. The knits are small and fast and look adorable on little heads/hands/feet etc. Better stated, I like knitting for SOME kids. The number of truly grateful people is astonishingly small. Honestly, when I first started knitting, I gave away so many knitted items. No more. Many of the people I have given knits to have never worn the thing they were given. What cheek! At least do me the courtesy of wearing it around me. Once.

So, now that I am a very old woman (I'm not actually, I'm only 33), I find that my friends tend to produce offspring. I cannot seem to keep up. With the knitting, I mean. I have plenty of offspring. It's such a common occurrence now that I can't be bothered knitting for them all ;).

Many years ago Steve and I became friends with Nate. We had a large group of friends who had ridiculous amounts of fun together. I don't think any of us ever got home before 3 am. Nate was not satisfied with us so he moved to Holland and met Claudia (she is Italian, not Dutch). I visited them in Holland in 1997 (that is mental) and took this adorable picture...

Claudia and Nate. Notice the safe distance between them. Perhaps this was still in the awkward we're-dating-but-I-don't-want-to-let-on-how-much-I-like-you phase.

Nate and Claudia ended up getting over the "safe distance" fandango and got married. Below is a picture of them in Italy last year (I think). No more of the awkward distance issues. Phew!

Claudia and Nate. Grown up and touching each other.

Well, as so often happens, the two of them produced a cute little bug. She is completely adorable. From what I hear, she is a spitfire who would get along swimmingly with my Lizzy. We met her (her parents now live in the UK) over Christmas and she refused to say so much as two words to us. Will and Lizzy were fighting (a common occurrence 'round these parts) and probably scared her to death. She has been an only child and is not yet used to the insanity a sibling can bring. This situation will be changed, as will this darling child's life, in just a few short weeks when her brother "Giotto" is born (her choice of names, not her parent's).

Um, hello. Adorbs. As I said, this little one lives in the UK and needs something to cover her poor head and ears from the arctic conditions there ;). She is, at the moment of this picture, picking off a dragon fly adornment. Yes, she and Lizzy should be fast friends if they were able to spend more than 1 hour together.

There are the girls in their matching hats. Cute as two bugs. The horrifying thing about this picture is that Lizzy's face and clothes are a MESS and I didn't even notice until I saw the picture. What have I become?

I have also knit something for "Giotto" but will refrain from posting a picture as his parents might read this and, therefore, have their surprise ruined. Wouldn't that be a tragedy?

On we go. You might remember a post I did last year about my time spent in England with BYU study abroad? Yes, I'm certain you do. Well, our next subject is the offspring of Emily. You'll recall that Emily was part of my group of friends who got along swimmingly and were apparently very intimidating (no, we weren't, we were only awesome) therefore making more than one enemy amongst the study abroad girls. Oh well. We have stayed friends for 11 years, even though she moved to NYC for a very large span of time. I shall forgive. Below is the greatest picture ever taken. It's the nine of us at Lake Windermere (the most beautiful lake in the world).

Emily is the little thing right in the dead center of the forcefield, wearing a gray sweatshirt and jeans. Seriously, best. picture. ever.

Here is a picture of Emily just last year (I think). She's in Australia, if you can believe that.

Well, Emily got hitched to Will and, as so often happens, they produced... RUBY! Ruby is the most hilarious child on earth. She has this little angelic face and when she smiles at you, she's all teeth! It's so great. She is also a savage, which I find delightful in little girls.

Here are Lizzy and Ruby playing with Lizzy's dress up stuff. They were both in heaven.

Ruby in her headband. We kind of had to fight her to get it on.

And a side shot of the flower. And Ruby's tongue.

Also, and edelweiss button. Could you die?

So Nate, Claudia and Emily have passed the test of gratitude and class. I have two other knits lying around my house that belong to the offspring of other old friends. However, I am missing either an old or a new picture of them and therefore could not post about them. Obvi. How lame would that have been? It would have totally messed up the theme.

I promise not to wait so long between posts from here on. I swear. This blog has gotten so dumb because of my noblog status. I will change. I can.

Peace out,

Heidi