2007 Knitters Tea Swap - Was I spoiled or what!
Generally Knitting swaps work like this.
Someone comes up with the idea like this - I like Tea, I like knitting, I know a lot of other people like tea and knitting, I like swaps, lots of knitters like swaps - maybe this would be a great swap. And the Knitters Tea Swap is born in 2006. I was lucky to get in by the skin of my teeth last year and was one of the first to sign up this year. (And I’m waiting to sign up for next year).
Once the sign ups are closed (generally capped at 100) names are given out (it can be secret or not) and you start talking to your pal. You find out what they like, what they hate. If you are lucky, friendships are made and you keep them for years to come. You start shopping and set things aside for them and then when the deadline looms, you pack it all up and ship it out and wait breathlessly. Will they like it? Will they be disappointed? Did you read them right or get it all wrong? Then the e-mail from your swap pal comes and if you are lucky, they LOVE it. After that, you can blog about it on your blog and they will do the same for you. But wait, its not over. You are still waiting breathlessly for your swap package. And you are thinking the same things. Will I like it, will I be disappointed, did they get me or will I get something all wrong. And you come home one day to find a box at your front door. You take it inside and its like Christmas (in June) and …
Well let me tell you - I got so lucky with the tea swap. It was very unique in the world of swaps. We actually got to swap IN PERSON. My swap partner is Hy and she is from Hong Kong and has lived now in the US for some time. She has a wonderful husband and a CUTE 3 year old daughter who loves ballet.
As it turned out - Hy found out she was going to be in Atlanta this week. Once she said that, the light bulbs went off in our heads and we decided to exchange in person. Hy also does Yoga and sounded like she had a lot in common with my friend KT, so KT came along to the swap and dinner.
So on Monday, we picked Hy up at the hotel and drove over to Enoteca Carbonari (one of the BEST restaurants in Atlanta). We had a great meal, a great waitress and a wonderful time. Enoteca is always wonderful. And of course we swapped our packages. (The most important thing)
The rest of this post will be about what Hy gave me, so if you are interested, check behind the LJ cut.
So here is the wonderful stuff I got from Hy.
Knitting Stuff
Blue Sky Alpaca 5” size 3 (US) double pointed needles - Hy asked me why I wanted these (I was willing to give up all knitting stuff to get only this in my package) and I told her that I love the tins this comes in. (You’ve just gotta follow the link) Also its made from Surina wood is from the Lal Kohla (Elegant Tree) in India. Highly trained and skilled artisans craft this strong, lightweight, flexible wood into exceptional knitting needles. A lustrous polish is given to the smooth wood, enhancing the superb grain without the use of any harmful chemicals. I’ve wanted these since they came out, but their price (Usually around $28) makes my wallet cringe.
But Hy got them for me and even though I was virtuous and asked only for those, she also got me …
Tofutsies Sock Yarn - as you can probably guess from the name, this yarn is made with soy product. It also has a chemical called Chitin made from crab and shrimp shells in it. This is a naturally occurring chemical that is antibacterial and for feet, that can be good. It also is blended with superwash wool and cotton. It the hottest new sock yarn out there and I can’t wait to give it a try.
She also got me a small crochet hook (perfect for picking up stitches), small stitch markers, a silk project bag, a Tofutsies sock pattern, and a Poncho Pattern. Wow!
Tea Stuff
Cha Ma Gu Dao Tea House - has a line of tea The South Silk Road Tea Company and from this she got me the Sahana Chai. I love Chai and when you open this up and smell it, you can tell it’s the “real thing”. I can’t wait to try it.
The Highland Tea Company (http://www.highlandteacompany.com/) - Earl Grey. I LOVE EARL GREY TEA. Its my comfort tea, my standby when I don’t know what to get and I could drink it every day. Maybe even in place of coffee. (don’t hold me to that) I so can’t wait to try this! And when looking up the info on this company - it looks like it is a wonderful company that actually treats their farmers well.
Since you usually have something with your tea, check this out.
Sweet Stuff
Lindt Excellence Intense Pear - I’ve never had this one, but I can’t wait to try it out! Hey, its dark chocolate - how bad can it be?
Sharffen Berger Nibby Dark Chocolate. Bam! 62% Cacao. Perfect.
Taipei Egg Crisps - These are WONDERFUL. Crispy and flakey and they have this sweet yet sesame nuttiness about them.
Delice Puff Pastry Pretzel’s - Mmmmmm
Midor Vanilla Almond Biscuits with Vanilla Cream Filling - Mmmmmmm
Wow - do I feel spoiled. But the best thing about this whole swap is that I actually got to meet Hy. She is very smart and very nice and was so nice to talk to. She greeted me in the best southern fashion. “You don’t look at all like your pictures - I pictured you heavier” Bless her! And, she wants me to come visit her and will take me to NYC. Sounds like I need to start checking air fares for a great ticket and a long weekend. I can’t wait. NYC - I’ll be there!
Thanks so much. And if you want to see what I got Hy, well, you’ll have to go to her blog. She’s still in ATL, so it may be a bit before she gets it up there. After all, she’s left husband and child home this last week and will have to catch up with that as well as work.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!