Chocolate and Yarn

I love the 'Selfish Knitters and Crocheters' Group on Ravelry. They're a constant reminder that my first reason to knit should be because I enjoy it. 

So, their Holiday Swap is a genius idea -- it's a swap to yourself.  It's giving tacit permission to splurge on yourself in a season where stuff usually revolves around the expectations of others. 

Anyway, I just got the results of my swap.

They had three things.

The first was a 'Yarny Treat'.

Well, I think two skeins of Tanis Fiber Arts Red Label in "Dove" definitely qualifies.  This stuff is -so- soft and squish-able!  I'm not usually the type to pull out skeins of yarn to fondle, but this one is definitely tempting me!

It's lighter then this picture shows.  I love it.  It's going to become a 'Summer Queen Shawl', which is another pattern from the 'Knits for Nerds' book -- the same book my Dragon Rider Gloves came from.

I got it during Tanis' visit to the Purple Purl.  It was an awesome night, and we had a chance to win yarn for each Tanis Fiber Arts purchase.  Alas, I didn't win anything, but that's ok. This is awesome enough.

The second thing is a 'Yummy Treat.'

Well, I think a can of fair-trade and organic hot chocolate mix fills that role quite nicely!

And the third is a holiday treat.  My first idea wasn't available yet, so I went ahead and finally bought some kids play mats to use as blocking mats.

I don't care that they're colourful, I only want them as a surface that holds t-pins.

So that was my swap to myself. The really nice thing is that the yarn had a chance to win, the chocolate was on sale, and the blocking mats were free with a gift certificate to the hardware store! 

Win.