A mighty big thank you

I do not always look forward to getting the mail given that there are always more bills than checks. Besides, who writes letters these days - we all email each other. But on one particular day recently is was thrilled to see the mailman because he was carrying a special package just for me all the way from Finland. My wonderful secret pal, now revealed to be Hanna, had sent me some very soft lace yarn, some delicious candies, a darling book with babies and animals and this gorgeous shawl that matches not only my dog, but nearly everything else in my wardrobe. Before becoming a knitter, I thought of shawls as being sort of for the antique set, but now I appreciate how chic they can be. And this one is a lovely shade of blue in a stunning pattern. Plus, I feel so special when I wear it because someone made it just for me.

Speaking of feeling special - I am loved. My good friend Allison in California has nominated me for this oh so nifty award - Thank Allison! Go check out her story about cheerio chai - too funny.



Here's the deal - it's my turn to nominate four other other fab bloggers -



Here are the instructions:



1. Post the award on your blog

2. Post a link to the person who awarded it to you.

3. Nominate four other bloggers

4. Add links to the bloggers

5. Notify the recipients



So here are my nominees - be prepared to travel around the world!



1. Say bonjour to Anna. Her blog is in French, so you may not get all of what she's saying, but the pictures are gorgeous.



2. Check out my Secret Pal revealed. Hanna blogs from Finland.

3. For a fun take on parent, as well as knitting and living in Alaska, fly on over to Holly Jo's blog.

4. For the best socks ever - and some really cute bags and other things, skip on over to Monica's Works for Yarn.

And on a final knitting note - I've been meaning for many weeks to knit a hat for my husband for his birthday, which happens to be today. So why did I wait until the day before to start it? Well, mostly because I thought it was two days before -- I just didn't (apparently) have a solid grasp on the date. Other than that, I had been planning on buying yarn for the hat but never got around to it. When the deadline loomed, I dove into the stash and found a healthy supply of Cascade 220 from some former project and plenty of a gorgeous verigated yarn hand spun by another former secret pal at Saratoga Knits. The pattern is That Chocolate's Gone Straight to Your Ribs, which is worth knitting just for the title alone! The only adjustment I made was to knit 90 stitches instead of 100 on size 5s.

I realized halfway through the day just how close to the deadline I was and kicked the knitting into high gear. I managed to finish without too much effort in time for bed. Heck, maybe I should cast on a scarf - I have a few more hours before the birthday is over. Maybe not - I do have to make a cake after all!