Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit's... The Blog Hub Swap!

Today I came back from a mission to buy the Cheapest Gin Known To Man, because it is nothing but glamour and sophistication chez nous and also because I wanted to make sloe gin (and this was the first time in my life I had ever knowingly seen a sloe! Can you believe that? I actually thought they were a small furry animal. They are not. They are a berry, and I would advise you generally not to get the two confused, because, as in all things, we must remember Richard Whiteley).

I am actually so much like Nigella we are practically indistinguishable

And I found this waiting for me.

A parcel a parcel a parcel! Might it be for me? Gosh might it?

Cue excited squeaking and flapping of arms, because, readers, I have been taking part in the Ravelry Blog Hub Swap. And this was my swap parcel! I opened it up and found a lovely note and explanatory list from my swap partner, Xtiand. For those of you who are not taking part in the Ravelry Blog Hub Swap, we are swapping 7 knitting-and-treat related parcels and blogging about one a day (I’m perhaps not explaining that very well. I defrosted the freezer yesterday and it has finished me off. My intellectual capacity, it has gone, and possibly it was not much in evidence to start with. All will become clear as we go along).

So, you can imagine, I was instantly seized by a moral dilemma. Should I open one parcel per day, or should I open the lot straight away in a parcel-opening frenzy, possibly involving teeth and shredded paper? Head and heart battled briefly and we came to a compromise. As I will be out all day tomorrow and unable to blog, I decided it was morally acceptable for me to do the first two days in one. So I have opened parcels one and two. I accept that this possibly makes me morally bankrupt and certainly makes me no good at delayed gratification, but I will ask you not to judge me too harshly until you SEE THE NICE THINGS!

So, parcel number one.

Please ignore the unsophisticated penguin cake tin in the background. Cake is never far away in this house

Isn’t this lovely? It’s a mug with Herdy on it, who is based on a Herdwick sheep! It’s a local breed! (Local to my lovely swap partner!). Xtiand, I love it that you’ve been reading my blog ;-), and I really like this mug. I love the colour (we have an orange theme in our kitchen!). I love how it combines a minimalist aesthetic with a Sheep, as I think this is a combination we are all striving for. I took a photo of it on the shelf with my other mugs to show you how well it fits in:

That brown mug was handthrown by a Wiccan. True story

And then on to parcel number two. It was squashy. Teeth and shredded paper may have been involved. I had high hopes. They were not disappointed:

Why hello there, Manos. You lookin' for a good time? Possibly involving stocking stitch?

Manos del Uruguay! In the most beautiful saturated teal colour, it is perfect, and I can think of loads of things this wool will be great for, although I will wait to make any decision until I have opened the rest of my parcel. And can you believe that although this is my exact favourite colour, this is the only wool I have in teal? I hear it whispering to me. ‘Susie’, it is whispering. ‘Knit me up into a bold and striking accessory. Knit me now’. Yes, Manos, Yes Yes. I will. We must both be patient. Soon, though, Manos. Soon.

Now, Xtiand, you seem like a nice person. I think it’s unlikely that the rest of the packages are things like bits of twig or empty crisp packets wrapped up, or that any of them are empty but for the words ‘ha ha Sucker’. However, I would like you to know that, even if they are, I am so happy with my first two parcels that I feel you have already discharged your swaply duties, and indeed I am officially designating you a Top Swap Partner. The acronym isn’t glamorous but the intention is good. So I am thrilled in anticipation about opening the next parcels and I will be back on Wednesday with the parcel which contains something homemade. Hooray! You know I love homemade things!

(And in the meantime, if anyone can think of anywhere lovely & different in central London I can go with my mum and Aunty Kath tomorrow, which doesn’t involve too long a tube journey from St Pancras, do leave me a comment. We tend to like buns, tea, shopping and perhaps the occasional non-depressing museum).