Junk Mail and a Really Cool Surprise

There's a Federal Election just around the corner... and day after day the letterbox is filled with voting paraphernalia. It's horrendous to think about just how much money must be wasted on this paperwork. I'm sure that ours is not the only household where those forms all find their way directly to the recycle bin...

But underneath today's glut of political nonsense, there were some fun surprises...

First of all were the samples I ordered for my new roller blinds. It always fascinates me how many different shades of WHITE there can be! And I'm so excited to finally be ready to order new blinds. When we first looked through this house EIGHT YEARS AGO... I declared that the window furnishings were hideous, and we agreed that they would be the first thing to change when we bought the place. Oh well. We'll get there eventually!

The other fun arrival was this Crochet Calendar for 2014. It's one of those pattern-a-day ones, where each time you turn over for the next date, you find a new pattern.

But here's the really cool part...

My "Callipo the Very Naughty Monkey" pattern is inside.

And he won FIRST PRIZE...

So I also have a cheque for US$500.

Yipee!

Maybe I can buy those new blinds sooner than I thought...

Spoiled again!

Remember my Little Birdie from a couple of months back?




I made him for the Designers Challenge Group over on Ravelry... and he won SECOND PRIZE!

There were lots of adorable entries in the competition - you can see all the others here - although you might have to be a Rav member to view them.

And my prize yarn arrived in the mail the other day.

Two scrummy skeins of Cascade Alpaca Lana D'Oro...

I Won a Prize for my Flippie!

Do you remember "The Flippie Headband"?

I made it for the May Challenge over in the Designers Challenge Group on Ravelry...

To qualify for the challenge, you had to make a head accessory... which incorporated chevrons and beads. There were some fascinating entries, and if you're a member over at Ravelry you will be able to view them all here. It was a fabulous surprise to have my entry voted as the winner!

My prize came in the mail today...

~ Yummy Scrummy Yarn ~

2 x Cascade Yarns - Alpaca Lana D'oro 100g

50% Alpaca, 50% Wool

2 x Louisa Harding Yarns - Ianthe 50g

50% Extra Fine Merino, 50% Cotton

Now to decide what to make with it... Any ideas?

(you'll have to excuse the In Progress jigsaw puzzle - SCHOOL HOLIDAYS!)

7 skeins yarn

"Detailed Description of Contents: 7 skeins yarn"

Yay!

This parcel arrived for me yesterday.

And what a surprise! There's that much other drama going on in my life at the moment, that I had genuinely forgotten that this parcel was even on its way... So it was both SURPRISING and DELIGHTFUL when I opened the letterbox to find a soft brown squishy parcel.

We've been doing a bit of online shopping this Christmas, so there's been an assortment of deliveries lately. Usually when each one arrives, I know what's inside. But this one was soft and squeezy - and I hadn't ordered anything soft and squeezy!

It... felt... like... YARN...

lots and lots of yarn... but I hadn't ordered any...

Then I remembered my PRIZE!

I'm embarrassed to say that I did a little 'happy dance' right there and then, so I hope that none of the neighbours were watching. But I was so excited...



Remember the Celestial Wall Art which I made for a challenge recently? Well I won First Prize! How lucky is this little ducky?

I'm especially loving this variegated yarn:



And I hope Cassidy doesn't mind me showing off her art work... but there was a little note inside, whcih included these two little guys:



I'm inspired to make one of them... maybe even both... and I can use my NEW YARN

(yarn with actual labels... with all the recycled yarn around here, I don't get to see labels very often - so this IS really exciting)