Mail Call

Love My New Sweater
Originally uploaded by Sheepish.

The past few days have been like Christmas in June around our house. First, I received the last installment of secret pal angel gifts from Secret Pals 4 (good timing, since it runs us into Secret Pals 5 and makes me feel like I've got constant love coming in the form of mail). I'll get pictures up of the goodies I was sent a little later. I want to get some nice daylight for the photo shoot, so that you see the beauty of the gifts I was sent.

Then, as if one box of goodies wasn't enough to make my week, yesterday, we got another one. This one came from Australia. For Secret Pals 4, the person whose secret pal I was - the person I was meant to spoil - decided to spoil me in return. Gayle is a real sweetie. Not only did she send a few goodies for me, but she threw in wonderful things for the entire family.

In the picture here, you see a very proud Lambchop #1 with her new handknit sweater (she's never been so happy with anything I've made her). Gayle apologized for sending acrylic. Yeah, hmmm, let's think about this for a minute... easily machine-washed kids' clothes - I think I can handle that. I may be a bit of a yarn snob, but it's more for the fact that I can't stand the feel of acrylic sliding across my fingers as I knit. I can handle wearing it, and it certainly has its advantages (see machine washing mentioned above).

There was also a pair of hand-knitted
socks in the package for my husband. Now, let me just say, Gayle, that you've made one man very happy. He grew up with hand-knitted garments, so he knows how to appreciate them. They are so perfect that when he saw them, he assumed they were machine-made. Then, I pointed out the nicely turned heel and decreasing at the toes that are tell-tale signs of hand-knitting. He was thoroughly impressed (even to the point of mumbling something about his mother being able to take some lessons).

There were other little goodies, like hand-made jewelry and trinkets, so bath salts and massage oil (my hard-working farmer of a husband thanks you for that one - no, nothing nasty, just a nice back massage). Then, some cool books on Australia for the kids and a little Anne Geddes one for me. Lots of fun to open!

Thanks so much.