A Final Check In

Hello all,

Thanks for making this such a fabulous swap! As far as I know we're down to 2 packageless swappers:

1. Fun Spirited Girl : Angelina : Angela - sending to Cass
2. maethebear : maethebear : maethebear - sending to coffeeandknitting

I've already had a volunteer for Cass's angel and told her to go ahead. Though I've also heard from Angelina saying she sent it, so she's looking in to what might have gone wrong.

I haven't heard from maethebear or coffeeandknitting, so I'm hesitant to call in an angel til I'm sure what's going on there. If you're still interested in being an angel, let me know and the first email I get will be it.

Thanks again everyone, and Happy Thanksgiving! I'll be out of touch for a few days gorging myself on my mom's holiday spread - including seasoned pan fried seitan!

xoxo
Ellie

My package has arrived!

We had a little trouble communicating at first and there was some confusion about where the package should be sent (I moved part way during the swap) but I finally got it! I received some beautiful cotton yarn, a great pattern book, some delectable recipes, and so much more. Thank-you so much!

Lovely package from Cainna

I got my package today from Cainna and it is gorgeous. I undid the magic ball straight away to see what was hidden in it and my cat Stripe starting sniffing the teabag frantically so he liked that bit.

Thanks Cainna!

A very belated public thank you to Jan-Knit!!

I must firstly apologise for being so late...Jan-Knit knows, of course, that something very bad happened at the end of September, and for her support she deserves all the best in life! I know from the postings going on here that there are many wonderful pals around, sending goodies, but Jan-Knit must be one of the best ever...see what she sent me:



the green bunny on its own was already a much loved surprise!! And then I started rewinding the magic ball...



I adore everything!!
I will do a proper post on my blog, which needs urgent updating, but in the meantime virtual hugs go to Jan-Knit for this beautiful present, and congratulations to her and all those who have given a try to the veggie/vegan life, way to go girls!

Pledge to be "Veg" for 30 days

Today is the end of my Pledge to be Veg for 30 days, and the news is... I am going to stick to it! :-)

Thanks for all of you for your support - and especially Jan and Cheryl for veggi-ing along with me! It was a fun journey and I feel like a brand new person! To make it short, I have resumed exercising and I have lost 10 lbs total during those thirty days! :-)


If you are curious about details, I have posted in my blog about my experience and discoveries.
http://tricotine.typepad.com/weblog/fitness/index.html


At the end of my transition, this badge is my reward - along with feeling great! :-)


You can get your own badge here.

* ~ Tricotine ~ *

Thank you!!

Sending out thanks to Carla for the lovely package I got a couple of days ago.


Thank you!! Love it! I've never touched Blue Sky Cotton before so this is a real treat. :D

Thank you Sharon!

I received my Vegan Package last night - go to my blog for a full write-up and thank you! http://kithandkin.wordpress.com

Perfect package; belated blogging

Many, many thanks to Chan of KniTea, who put together a perfect package for me that I am shamefully late in acknowledging.

It was above and beyond any of my expectations for the swap, although from getting to know my pal over email I anticipated something good. Our conversations were half the fun! More details over here.

Countdown to angel time

The people in danger of being banned from future swaps:

1. Fun Spirited Girl : Angelina : Angela - sending to Cass
2. maethebear : maethebear : maethebear - sending to coffeeandknitting
   
3. Becky (answers on Vegan Pal 2 blog) : Rebecca : twistytree_79 : Becky - sending to Mishka
4. Ennanella : Ennanella : Ennanella - sending to Carla
5. Just Knitting Around : Twin_number2 : Coffee&Knitting - sending to Robyn

Please let me know if you need an angel and aren't on this list or if your package is in the mail.

Thanks, vegan pal

I got my package and it was very, very nice.


Here it is opened.



Cute!


The bath frog tried to make friends, the potential friend disapproved for no good reason.

Outing the slackers - Apologies and updates - Volume 1

(because I'm sure there will be a volume 2)

I wanted to make some kind of joke about eating crow not being vegan, but I haven't had my coffee yet, and I'm not coming up with anything creative.

So I'll just say first off BIG apologies on messing up maethebear/ysolda. I read the to and froms backwards!

Ysolda received a fabulous package from Nicola!

maethebear : maethebear : maethebear was supposed to send to Just Knitting Around : Twin_number2 : Coffee&Knitting

Second HUGE apologies to Luscious Fibers : Suzanne : Suzanne who has been in contact with her pal all along and who has sent her package. Any negative thoughts I may have roused in anyone, please banish them! Also please send her lots of positive energy for all the craziness in her life (both good and bad) and congratulations on her upcoming wedding!

In the update field:

Michele aka Ekittie (new email address friskums AT gmail DOT com) has not heard from her pal with a light heart that clicks : Carla : Carla. You've got it marked as sent, so please email Michele and me to let us know when she should expect her package.

Robyn (Sweet little domestic life : robyn : Robyn) has not gotten her package from Just Knitting Around : Twin_number2 : Coffee&Knitting. You've got it marked as sent, so please email Robyn and me to let us know when she should expect her package.

So the updated list reads:

1. Fun Spirited Girl : Angelina : Angela - sending to Cass
2. maethebear : maethebear : maethebear - sending to coffeeandknitting
   
3. Becky (answers on Vegan Pal 2 blog) : Rebecca : twistytree_79 : Becky - sending to Mishka
4. Ennanella : Ennanella : Ennanella - sending to Carla
5. Just Knitting Around : Twin_number2 : Coffee&Knitting - sending to Robyn
6. with a light heart that clicks : Carla : Carla - sending to Ekittie
   

Thanks to Cass, Nicole, Michelle, Sarah, Bridget, Robyn, and Cheryl for volunteering to be angels!

And thanks to everyone for making this such a fun swap!

xoxo
Ellie

Late post

I've had issues with my computer, so I haven't gotten a chance to post the pictures of my package until now.

Lucy sent me this great package with a really great cotton yarn, stamps, and tons of scrapbooking stuff. Thanks Lucy!!

Wrapping Up

I still see five people on swap-bot that haven't marked their items as sent.

People who haven't marked sent in swap-bot and whose pals haven't received a package and who haven't contacted me with a really good reason and so are getting outed:

1. Fun Spirited Girl : Angelina : Angela - sending to Cass
2. maethebear : maethebear : maethebear - sending to coffeeandknitting
3. Becky (answers on Vegan Pal 2 blog) : Rebecca : twistytree_79 : Becky - sending to Mishka
4. Ennanella : Ennanella : Ennanella - sending to Carla

Pals - If I made a mistake please let me know that you already got your package so I can apologize!

If you have a good excuse and/or a package in the mail, please write both me and your pal.

If there's anyone else who hasn't received a package yet, please let me know.

If there's anyone else who'd like to be an angel, please let me know. I only have two so far.

If Ennanella would just like to drop out since she has neither sent nor received we can do some shuffling there assuming Suzanne hasn't mailed anything yet. Let me know.

Thanks everyone!

xoxo
Ellie

Package Update ;D

Since someone asked, I thought I'd list the goodies I found in my package. Btw, to answer the first question ~ yes, the banana silk is soft and I need to find something to make just for me. ;D

My goodies: 2 Berroco Lullaby in red ~ 1 frabjous fibers Banana Silk in natural ~ Feng Shui Original Rice Crackers ~ College Farm Vienna Roast coffee candy ~ Harvest stickers ~ Newman's Own Organics ginger mints ~ Green & Black Maya Gold, bittersweet dark chocolate with orange & spices ~ Blue Moon Beads in topaz ~ fall colored cross charm ~ 5 Stash's chai spice black tea ~ harvest colors spool of ribbon ~ 2 unique designed charms ~ and 10 beads that looked like the inside of bananas when I unwound the yarn. :D

Thx again Bridget ~ I'm loving my goodies.

Dear pal,

To whoever is sending to me (and also to the hostesses) :

Just wanted to let you know that I don't have my kat AT ekittie DOT com email anymore. I lost it before I could let you know. Sorry!

My new email is friskums AT gmail DOT com.

Thanks.

I don't know what to say!

I'm the luckiest person ever! YowlYY send me so many wonderful things, I can't believe it's true!

Want to see some close-ups and find out more? You can can do so here!

Thank you Emily!

You can see Emily sent me all kinds of great goodies...bath salts, chocolate, a little tape measure, beautiful fall papers, ginger tea, gorgeous yarn that I can't wait to use (the colors are amazing), oh and a recipe for shepard's pie which I've been looking for a quite a while. There were so many wonderful treats. Emily was a great swap pal and I look forward to getting to know her better.

Making stuff with my swap yarn :)

~ I got my package too ~

Please forgive me for not posting this sooner. 1 ~ I didn't have a camera to show my lovely package, 2 ~ I was sick and it was my wedding anniversary weekend when I got it, and 3 ~ hubby got sick after me. I did leave a commit for my spoiler and post my rating on swap-bot. ;D

Here is the lovely before I unwound the ball of Banana Silk yarn:
Here is the after pic of all my goodies that were in the ball:

Thank you very much Bridget ~ I truly enjoyed my package and this swap.

I am so lucky!

I came home today to find my swap package patiently waiting for me. Lucky me, my partner was Jill from Bottle and Ball, and she really spoiled me with such special, lovely things.

I don't think I can list everything, but there was: pomegranate green tea, four skeins of gorgeous yarn, homemade plushies, cookies and a recipe booklet, fabric, trim, vintage handmade magnets, mushroom fluff, puffed millet balls, lip balm, candy, butternut soup, mulling spice, edible glitter, buttons, pompoms, cutie notepads, and it just went on and on...



Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness and generosity, Jill!
I love everything you sent.

xo
kittee

I got my package!

My pal was Cass! One of my own veganknitblogfriends and one of our lovely hostesses. You can read all the details at my blog, but here is the gist:


(click to embiggen)

I know I'm going to miss something but here is my best attempt to list everything inside:

• A variety of yummy looking teas
  
• Mulling spices (I am so making the Hot Spiced Wine recipe this weekend!)
  
• A chocolate chocolate chip cookie from the Alternative Baking Company that I totally ruined my appetite with but I don't care it was di-vine
  
• More chocolate! Rainforest Cacao Chocolate with Brazil nuts and coffee, I am intrigued and can't wait to try it
  
• A Larabar and a Clif Nectar bar that I will stash in my desk at work for when I get the munchies
  
• French vanilla incense matches (I actually got some of these in Old Sacramento when I was in high school and it brought back all kinds of memories)
  
• An awesome recycled notebook that Cass made herself
  
• A tall mug that probably holds 12 ounces, I looove oversized mugs and hoard them
  
• A charming postcard with Beelzebub himself on it
  
• A brand of lip balm I'd never come across before (Dr. Bronner's & Sun Dogs Magic organic lip balm) in the flavor Ginger Orange. Totally useful because I get dry skin/lips in the winter and always lose my chapstick.

OH AND YARN

• Olive green cotton/lycra sock yarn from Greenwood Fiberworks
  
• Sheep of a Different Color cotton yarn in the handdyed colorway Chocolate Caramel

I love everything! I had a blast with this swap. Thank you SO much to Cass for being my upstream pal AND for coordinating this whole thing, and Ellie, too!

To JanKnit from Janice!!

My package arrived today!!!! My wonderful box of vegan goodies came clear across the country from Janice in New York!

When I arrived home to find the package waiting, I plopped myself right down in the kitchen floor to start unwrapping and unwinding! (I'm such a kid when it comes to getting things in the mail!) Here's what the magic yarn balls looked like when I liberated them from their box....

Janice was very generous. She included Bernat Bamboo Blend in Wicker, Lion Brand Organic Cotton in Pecan, and Sugar and Cream in Hot Purple. The chocolate bars are my new favorites! There were also several kinds of buttons, beautiful glass beads, autumn stickers and ribbons, a bunch of fun party favors and a great recipe for Pumpkin Muffins! Yumm! Thank you, Janice!!!

Thank you, Cass and Ellie for setting up this swap. It was fun, and was a great way to learn more about Veganism. I know it's heightened my awareness of what I consume. Thanks!!

My package arrived! Thank you Ninni!

My package from Ninni in Finland arrived yesterday. She was so sweet and sent it express post so I didn't have to wait too long for it. What a doll!

Here is my package before I unraveled the ball. Looked pretty great already with a whole box of chocolates and two more bars of Panda dark chocolate peeping out of the ball!

Contained were two pillow cases with a rad print, a card (Emily, help me out with what that is. I know you have a framed picture in your house) with some artwork I recognise and like very much, a recipe for Alexander Pastries, two skeins of 100% cotton yarn, one red and one black (might be the perfect entry to my first sock. Am I jinxing myself? My first PAIR of socks) and a delicious box of Wiener *giggle* Nougat. They are so delicious and soft. They look like milk chocolate, but they are actually still 100% vegan!

Here's the ball at various stages of unraveling.

Once I got through the ball I found myself with gold butterfly hair clips (I LOVE hair clips!), some little ghosts (Ninni sent me a message a few weeks ago warning me that Halloween wasn't really anything in Finland and I told her I was use to that, being from Australia) some more candies called "Marianne" and finally in the middle was some gorgeous vintage buttons from her Grandmother's stash! I absolutely love them!

The ball was so fun to unwind and I love surprises so this was a great swap for me!

Thank you Debbie!

Such an awesome package! Orange hemp yarn with a pattern for a spa and bath trio, a super cool owl, warm beverage cozy (such perfect cables!), fair trade organic coffee (smells sooooo good!), recipe for risotto, fruit leathers, lip balm, the much needed chibi (which I used this weekend at Maker Faire), and of course the gorgeously colored hand painted Tahki mercerized cotton magic yarn ball which was full of the cutest fall themed buttons and some delicious candy. Thank you Debbie!

Thank You Robyn!!!

When my hubby got home from work today, he had my Vegan package in tow. Robyn was my spoiler and she did such a fabulous job! I had so much fun discovering all the goodies in my magic yarn ball (and laughing about the "Ellie Pooh Paper"). Seriously guys...you should have seen the look on the hubby's face when he realized what the paper had been made from. ROTFL!!!

Here's a before pic of the yarn ball:



And here's a full view after the unwrapping:



Let's see, there's more "Ellie Pooh Paper" in the form of a notebook (check out the elephant butts...how funny!), a beautiful orrifice threader made by the lovely Robyn, the coolest DPN needle protecters ever, some Vanilla Sugar incense, body scrub, lip gloss, a pumice brush, a mesh scrubbie, recipe cards, tons of knitting buttons, an AntiCraft sticker, a vegan Pumpkin Spice cookie, a vegan recipe mini-mag, a tin of organic breakfast tea, and two balls of Patagonia Nature Cotton. Wow...I'm in awe! Thanks so much for putting together such a lovely and entertaining box, Robyn!

Note to hostesses: I promise to try to remember to update SwapBot first thing tomorrow! LOL Sic Cass on me if I forget. ;-)

Mine has arrived!

Thanks to Christel, my secret vegan pal, my parcel arrived today. Don't you just love receiving fun stuff in the mail?!

Here are the goodies as they came out of the box. A crocheted scarf (which I think is made from Lion Brand Homespun - nice and soft), a magic ball made from brown cotton yarn, a recipe for fruit salad with ginger-lime sauce, a jar of pumpkin butter, a packet of dried shiitake mushrooms, a sachet of Indonesian spices, Hawaiian coconut pudding.



Here is the treasure from inside the yarn ball which was actually three balls of yarn. Two teabags, two Bug Bites chocolates (quickly consumed), a magnet which I believe was made by Christel herself, two buttons (one says I love animals, and the other says Kiss me, I'm Vegan!), hemp lip balm (very useful for dry Okanagan winters), a pen, a wooden leaf pendant and an acorn cookie cutter (which is almost invisible on my carpet).

Thanks Christel, you made my day!

Yay, my package came today!

Thank you to Cheryl, the Knitting Knut!!! See my blog for details about my wonderful package!

Package Recieved!

I got a great package from Amber yesterday! Thank you! There is so much beautiful yarn. You can click on the picture to go read the notes.



She sent some mixed nuts, carob (sadly, real chocolate makes me pretty sick, but I have always liked carob too! I know, i'm weird.) and dates in the tin and I packed some of the almonds and carob chips in my bento for lunch today.

my package came, thanks Dawn!

Before unwinding:


After unwinding:


I got my Vegan Pal package from the wonderful Dawn yesterday. She's spoiled me with this wonderful assortment of gifts! Click on the picture for the descriptions of what everything is. Too bad there's no scratch and sniff internet, though, because those candles smell amazing!

Thanks, Dawn.

P.S. Not pictured is the recipe for a great-sounding potato soup.

Vegan Pal package arrived!

• 2 skeins of pumpkin hemp
• organic peppermint tea
• Lavendar soap
• pretty red glass buttons
• Peppermint lip balm
• T blocking pins
• chili seeds in art paper
• a nice handmade card
• recipe for a Thai sweet potato soup
• And some really tasty lemon cookies from Smart Treats that are all gone already

Caryn lives in Philadelphia and has just had a blog for a little while. She has some very nice knitting photos on her Flickr account, and a sweet cat. She tried to get me as many items that were made locally in Philadelphia as possible like the spa, buttons, seeds, and card. I am very happy with my package, and I hope Caryn enjoyed learning about vegan yarns.

Thanks Michele!

I got my amazing swap package yesterday from Michele, aka ekittie. More on my blog. I am so happy and can't wait to try out the recipes, the tape measurer, the yarn...the chocolate has been tried already! I really appreciate your hard work!

Ode to an Orange Buttercat.

My Vegan Pal 2 Swap package arrived! Thanks to one terribly generous and thoughtful Orange Buttercat. Check it out!

There's some beautiful soft Cotton from Blue Sky Alpacas (I've been dying to try this for so long!) - two skein's worth!

One of which was wound into a magic yarn ball. I couldn't resist unravelling it to see what goodies it held - a row counter, cute pin cushion (both green - this girl really pays attention!), a cat magnet (that just so happens to look a lot like our Roger), some 'soak' liquid detergent and a sewing kit, all tied up with a cute autmnal ribbon. As if that wasn't enough there's also a book (Margaret Atwood, who I've just started reading!):

And some absolutely divine pumpkin hand cream and a gorgeously scented soap. Love it!

And snacks! Fruit crisps - pineapple, strawberry and banana flavoured. As you can see from the first picture above these didn't last very long! Also included was a recipe for vegetable soup (which is perfect for me as despite the hot and humid temperatures I can't seem to get enough of soups at the moment - pumpkin, mushroom, lentil, you name it - whatever we have on hand soon finds its way into a soup of some description). And, to top it all off a very cute wee card with a note from the Buttercat herself.

Thanks so much Buttercat! You've made my week!