S is for Surprises

I enjoy fibery surprises. I think that's why I like to knit with multicolored yarns and like to dye yarn. You never know exactly how the colors are going to come out.

That's probably also what's behind my interest in swaps. It's fun to figure out what a complete stranger would like and to follow a theme and hope you've bought and/or made things they'll like. It's also big fun to get something in the mail that someone's done for you.This is a swap sent to me recently by someone named Kati. The theme was Favorite Season. I must've been a pain to shop for because my favorite season is autumn and my least favorite colors are brown, orange, and red. She did a great job anyway.

I've always liked the idea of grab bags. The odds are that you won't like everything you get, but you never know if there will be something really good in there, too. I indulged in a grab bag from Discontinued Brand Name Yarns not too long ago.I expected (and got) things in textures and colors that weren't exactly my favorites. I know I'll used at least some of them. The nicest surprise was the brown chunky weight yarn. It's merino/alpaca/silk and is called Uruguay, despite being made in Peru.

The best surprises are the ones you don't expect at all. I entered a pattern competition that Berroco had a couple of months ago. I'm used to competitions where you have to send a prepaid envelope if you want your entry back. Not only did Berroco send my socks back, they included a whole set of their Fall/Winter 09-10 pattern booklets. Nice surprise, Berroco, thank you.