Moving toward THAT time of year


So, I don't celebrate Christmas or put up all the doo-dads that come with it but I usually do get involved in the Secret Santa exchange on Canspin. I've belonged to Canspin - Canadian Spinners on line - for years & years. For those who don't know, it's an old internet group on Yahoo. I sometimes get involved in exchanges. I was involved in the Sock Exchange some years back & truly love the two socks I got! Both of them are handknit from fibre that was spun & dyed by fellow members. I have them as ART because that's what they really are. I've been involved in fibre exchanges too with varying success - I got some wonderful batts one time to spin from Nova Scotia that were lamb's wool, silk & dog hair!! They were to dye for . . . pun intended. So, this year, at the last minute, I decided to go for the Secret Santa exchange.

I know who my intended victim er Giftee is to be but she doesn't know who I am! I have a basic intro - "I love bright colors, don't want tea bags or towels & have an open mind !" I've sent a couple of emails asking for more details of hobbies, likes etc but received no answer. So, I guess I'm winging this one. I don't know if she knits. I only know she loves fibre & probably spins.

One of the problems with Secret Santa for me is knowing when to quit. I mean, how much to you put into the package??

My pal Karen makes the cutest stitch markers. I use her Teddy Bear markers almost daily in every pair of socks I knit. The ring on the Teddy is just the right size, Teddy is just big enough to see & weighs nothing on the needles. I love the Teddies. So I asked Karen to make me a set of Teddies for the gift box. She gave me THREE sets!!

I bought several packages of the Sock Stretcher key chains from a fellow Canspinner & tossed one of them in to the box. I was going to throw in a skein of Puma cotton & a pattern for a Sheep washcloth but decided instead to make a pair of shortie Frankensocks in Hot Pink, Black & a bunch of sock leftovers with pink or black in them. Hot Pink is one of my Giftee's favs & I don't want to take the chance that she's not a knitter!! The beginnings of the socks are in the picture above & I think they'll look great when I'm done. I'll stuff everything into the little yellow project bag I found in my stash & include a pocket two-year Memo Book to keep track of all her projects & events. I'm hoping she smiles a whole lot when her Secret Santa package arrives & enjoys wearing the wild socks I have so much fun creating!!