Excitement and Surprises

Well what a lovely couple of days.  It started with a lovely sporran from Susanna my spoiler.  This was my fifth swap with the lovely ladies from Ravelry Outlander Group.  The swaps are based on the wonderful books written by Diana Gabaldon...
This was based on A breath of snow and Ashes

Book 5 in the series.. 

I was wonderfully surprised by my sporran arriving, it came on wednesday and as I was feeling so rotten with pain I left it till later in afternoon to open and was it worth having pain in control to enjoy opening such lovely goodies....

Here is a copy of what I posted on the sporran received forum and please dont be afraid to drool because I was truely spoiled...

so here goes, got in from visit to OAS my lys and look what I found waiting for me…

Then I opened it up and was blown away by the jam packed pile of goodies look

wow I hear you all cry out and yep that is really a wee drop spindle you can see…

but first was my wee note from the lovely susanna, its contents made me very happy and also cry and I am truely touched that she wanted to get so much in she made almost everything so she could keep to the budget and she was inspired by my positive attitude and had found it inspiring that she decided to emulate me …. wow how awesome and thanks for such an accolade… ok will get on to the goodies now…. lol oh but the note was on a lovely wee notlet with a pic of a shaker stool and yarn filled carrier …just saying…lol

So the amazingly light wee drop spindle, its hand made by susanna herself and its awesomely light and the colours are so gorgeous… 

and well its does what it says on the label its a great wee spindle look at the fineness of this very first wee spin ….. havent done any more coz well there was other presents to open….lol but here is a close up of the very very fine stuff I managed just like that while sitting on the floor surrounded with lovelies

its thinner than my finger nail, and yep they are acrylic a present for my birthday as hands had taken a real beating with ill health… but still that is fine yarn its a spinning…

Well the biggest bag shouted at me to look in me… and its a gorgeous hand made wee bag with the cutest lace top and inside was these…………

lovely snickers squares and reis cups …………. I have died and gone to …………… heaven (though not had one even sniffed one as gall bladder yuky again so they are waiting for my recovery)… how ever there was these in here too and I have already had a stick of it and its totally nom nom … teaberry gum..

for those who may remember Germoline it smells like that and tastes like I thought that would taste and I love it… oh and susanna also explained that the teaberry though not mentioned in the books by DG they did grow readily in the mountains so would be something Claire would use in her herbals…

So next pressie, I could smell something gorgeous and in a lovely wee hand knitted bag was a home made soap with instructions not to use before 21/3/and wow its the 21st today so thats so awesome… the soap is lemongrass, geranium and rosemary scented and well smells devine

Then there was the cutest orifice hook made again by susanna and it was a blue dyed agate with a silver hook and is so so lovely, she is worried it may not fit my orifice but it will hun I promise….

And well then I was blown away by the next item, as a beginner weaver myself she said she had made this beautiful laptowel for spinning, dark oneside and light on the other so I can see the fibre…. and to forgive any imperfections… well for starters with handmade things there are no imperfections only the beautiful handmadeness or what I call artistic variation, and there was none anyway amazing… i aspire to weave as well as you one day….

and here are a series of pictures of the cutest stitch markers, 3 sets, one which reminds susanna of the wee silver fishes that jamie catches the wee trout… one which the crystals sparkle like the dew on a spiders web and wee gemstones, and the last set I opened was a set which has wee flowers in the glass just like claires herbs… can I say that these stitch markers are totally adorable snag free and well darn cute….

now on to the lovely fibre…. Finn sheep roving got from the shepherdess that week and susannas favourite fibre to spin…. didnt know this sheep not native here and all I can say is its really lush… cant wait to spin it… thanks

And some absolutely fantastic yarn, lace weight merino purple gorgeousness, the photos not done most of the colours justice (really ought to learn how to take photo’s of colourful items) but it certainly hasnt this yarn.. its a make I also dont know so all the better to try woo hoo Ella Rae and italian….

now ladies I think you can all say that I have been the receiver of a truely amazing sporran. The wee bags that the items came in are all beautifully knitted and make awesome presents in themselves and wow what a neat idea, wish I had thought of that one… (stored away for next swap)

I am not sure yet what the yarn will be exactly I am thinking it might have to be something to wear around my shoulders because yesterday I also bought a lovely summer dress with that exact purple shade in it.... serendipity or what...

Another lovely thing to make me very happy this last two days was to hear that my gorgeous, clever and talented daughter Lindsay has been selected to carry the olympic torch somewhere in Inverness on June 9th.  Great excitment and what a brilliant opportunity for her...

She has worked hard with sport and is a wonderful ambassador for woman and sporting opportunities, in fact she inspired me to take up skiing again after being of the slopes for 40 years... 

And that is a nice wee lead into the last wonderful surprise and great excitement of the last couple of days... Skiing

I went for my 3rd lesson at xscape Braehead on Thursday, this was miss booked by them so it meant that I had an instructor to myself.  Stevie was lovely talented and well she was so enthusiastic, I managed to begin parallel turning and though not always as stylish and elegant smooth I would like to be... I can now sweep down the slopes with a wee bit of panache a wee bit of luck but a huge amount of pride.... I have taken myself to outside my comfort zone and beyond but now the zone is bigger and more fun.... so if anyone of you is wondering should I do this, dont let age/ health or your lack of confidence be what holds you back. 

I am no able to go skiing with out an instructor and get some practice on the slopes before I do the rest of level5 and 6... 

I have been wondering what else I would like to do this next year of my life... the last one has been eventful to say the least but this one is going to be such fun and have many more surprises and excitement