Monday 9 June 2008

The Kindness of Strangers

It has been said before, and it will be said again, but knitbloggers are wonderful people. Kind,
generous to a fault, and really just the best.


I got home late on Friday night from another crappy week's work trapped in London. I have been working away week days for the last 4 months, and even though this is nothing to write home about in the big scheme of things I am fed up with working away, missing my home and working silly hours. So Friday evening I walked through the front door, feeling sorry for myself, dinner frozen in a bag from the convenience store (again. I miss real food) to find a parcel on the door mat. A parcel I wasn't expecting. A parcel from an address I didn't recognise. My interest was piqued!

I dropped everything - literally - my handbag, the groceries, the laundry basket with a week's worth of washing and detritus and opened the parcel up to this (apologies for crappiness of pictures - remember late Friday night...);



I wasn't quite sure why I had perv-worthy handspun and gifts, but I had a sneaking suspicion.


A couple of months ago Jeni over at Magnusmog invited people to sign up to the Pay it Forward pledge. In return for a small handmade something from Jeni I was required to pay it forward in a crafty way to 3 other people, who in turn pay it forward themselves. I thought it was a brilliant idea and signed up at once. Jeni and I traded details, likes, dislikes, the usual, and I got on with life knowing that one day a parcel would land on my door mat with a little hand made loveliness from someone who I only know through the magic of the blogsphere, all the while feeling a little guilty that no-one had signed the pledge with me (Jeni, with her evidently characteristic generosity said not to worry, find other ways to pay it forward - I have, and will continue to do so - but if any one would like to sign up...).

That day came on Friday.


There was chocolate for me to consume (Charbonnel and Walker no less). So far I have resisted, in part because the colour of the packaging is too charming (daft I know), and partly because I want to savour it, which means not inhaling a whole bar over the course of a weekend. There were 3 (yes THREE) skeins of hand spun, hand dyed Wensleydale yarn in beautifully complementing colours in my favourite colour palate of strong browns and reds and orange-y pinks (better pic over here). There was the piece of resistance too. A hand sew, hand felted stunning brooch. The photo only hints at how lovely a thing it is, and I have already installed it on my favourite jacket, and will be wearing it with pride, showing it off to everyone.

I have spent the entire weekend stroking and marvelling at the brooch and smushing the yarn to my face, figuring out exactly how to do it most justice. The surprise package from north of the border was a real tonic and lifted my spirits no end.

Jeni, I really don't know you could bare to part with such wonderful things. Please take it that I am totally thrilled with gifts, and blown away with your generosity. Thank you.