Dec 30, 2011

A New Year's Resolution

Every Christmas Eve for the past five years, Mark and I treat the kids (and ourselves) to a very special night. We dine at one of our favorite Italian restaurants in the city and then stroll over to City Center and watch a performance by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre company. It is truly a magical night.


After the entrees have been eaten and just before dessert comes, we share our new year's resolutions and write them down in a notebook reserved just for this ritual. While we try our best to come up with new New Year's resolutions, there is one that I repeat year after year and that is to make a new friend.


Cover art of our New Year's resolution notebook

2011 was a boon year for this resolution in that I've made so many wonderful friends via the blogosphere and while I only know you through our blogs and emails, I do honestly feel that our common love of yarn and knitting has made us true friends. Amidst this wealth of friendships, two have become especially close and dear to me. Erin of knitting in beantown is someone I got to know after we were partnered in a yarn swap and as she recently wrote to me:  "I think kind thoughts of you and feel such gratitude for your friendship. And to think it all started with an orange skein of wool." I feel the same, Erin.

And then there's Wei Siew of kiwi yarn knits who, as I've written before, I'm sure is a long-lost cousin.  We live half the world away from each other but through the magic of cyberspace, I feel as if she's my next-door neighbor.  As you know, she's my Autumnal Cardigan KAL partner (boy, is she patient as I'm still working on the second sleeve) and I can always count on her great advice when I'm stuck or confused with my projects.

Recently, we agreed to gift each other with yarn -- yarn that we can't get easily in our own countries.  I sent Wei Siew a hank of my beloved Berocco Ultra Alpaca and a hank of Green Mountain Spinnery.  Just before Christmas, my package arrived and I couldn't be happier to try out these beautiful wools.
  
Mythral is made by Stansborough in New Zealand and it's a warm and beautiful wool.  Kauri is a luxuriously soft merino wool possum mix.  Yup, you read that right:  possum!  And along with these treasures were gorgeous stitch markers that Wei Siew made which are now my "go to" markers. 



I'll be posting what I'm knitting with these yarns in the coming days but for today, just before New Year's Eve, I wanted to give a little love to these two very special friends and big hugs to all of you whose friendships I've come to cherish.


Wishing you all a bright and beautiful 2012! xo

7 comments:

  1. Those yarns are beautiful! I've never even heard of them. I was particularly surprised to learn that there is a yarn out there with possum fiber! I have to wonder how they harvest the fiber. I really, really cannot wait to see what you end up making out of this lovely yarn!

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  2. Happy New Year love. I can't wait to see what you knit out of that beautiful yarn! :)

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  3. What an awesome ritual! That possum yarn sounds so interesting! I love the muted colors.

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  4. Oh....oh...oh... I was visiting your blog because I put a link to your swap post for people who are contemplating joining the next Ravelry Blog Hub swap... and I see you have mentioned me and our fortuitous meeting! Thank you for your kind words, for your encouragement and patient ear on Rav Mail exchange!
    I covet that yarn you received.... please gush according to how much I need to budget some funds to get me some!!! Anxious to see what you make up with that stash enhancement!
    Again, thank you for your friendship and encouraging words, Happy and Healthy New Year!!!!

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  5. You are such a sweetie. :-) Your yarn arrived this morning, and it's now sitting beside me being stroked and enjoyed. Thanks for the very satisfactory swap! Stansborough Mythral and Zealana are two of my favourite yarns in the world. I'm happy you like them too!

    I'm so glad we are friends.

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  6. Blogland has really opened the world to new friendships.
    hugs
    Gerry

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