The Haul

My friends and family have done me proud this year and I could smoosh all their little faces if it wasn’t for the fact that I’m not good with touching people. Instead I will awkwardly pat them on the arm and say thank you.

I now have in my life a whole load of books – I have fiction, I have non-fiction, I have books about stitching and books about baking. I am booked out.

My love for the Royal Wedding has resulted in some unbelievably amazing presents – a whole load of Union Jack themed goodness for decorating the house for the big day and a mug and plate to commemorate the big day. (Man this tea party’s going to be good. Even if I am the only one there.)

And I finally, finally, have some decent trainers to go running in, instead of the 3 year old pair I was tramping about in. These, along with some busting tunes means that I will be back pounding the streets before you know it. Sorry Hull.

I will be able to ice like the best of them thanks to Dorothy who got me the most beautiful icing kit – expect pictures of beautiful (and more realistically not so beautiful) cupcakes and cakes as I get to grips with this bad boy.

My family and friends have heard my desperate pleas to buy clothes that fit me and I am now ready to shop – really looking forward to this – goodbye baggy work trousers! Hello....just....things that fit!

The people at work massively surprised me and got me a present, I wasn’t expecting anything at all. This is far far more than the usual bottle of wine or gift set from Lush (both of which I’d be bloody thrilled with mind you) they’d got me something really beautiful – a box which is more than just a box, it’s a box for secret things and you have to pull bits and slide things out to reveal two secret compartments. It’s so beautiful I felt quite overwhelmed to tell you the truth.

But that wasn’t all you know.

I was visited by the yarn fairy.

On Saturday morning there was a knock at the door. (It wasn’t the Yarn Fairy herself, but the Postman acting as a proxy.) I looked at the package and knew that I probably shouldn’t open it – it had my name on it but I haven’t bought anything for myself recently, why would the postman be bringing me things? Perhaps I should wait for 2 days and open it on the Monday on the actual day of my birth. But then I gave myself permission to open it because I had been off work ill and needed cheering up and also I figured that as I was going out that night it was technically sort of my birthday on Saturday as well (there’s always a means to justify something you know you shouldn’t do I find). As I opened the package my heart stopped a little bit. The Yarn Fairy had come.

Just look at what she brought me. Look at it all! Just look. Feast your eyes on the colours until you swoon with delight. I debated reaching for my hook to immediately begin rippling but decided to hold back. Just for now.

Now you may not know this but the Yarn Fairy does not reveal her true identity but instead manifests as all kinds of people. She appears as a different person to different people, it’s all very magical. My Yarn Fairy took the form of Heather from Little Tin Bird and I think we should all take a moment to sit back and marvel at the wonder that is her.

But that Yarn Fairy wasn’t done there you know. She visited me again on Monday – this time appearing to me as an old friend of my Mum’s and my Culture Friend (who I haven’t been cultured with lately, we should rectify that). And because the Yarn Fairy is so clever and wise, she arranged it so that the wool that my Mum’s friend gave me was not only pretty much the same yarn as Heather’s but also came in colours that could work pretty well with them.

And then, just for a bit of something different, she made sure that Culture Friend got me the softest, most amazingest wool ever. I might not even crochet with it, I might just keep it in my pocket and rub it on my face whenever I get stressed out. I’m only half joking here, it is like softer than all those similes about things being soft.

So not only can I now officially begin work on my ripple blanket and achieve one of my Not Really Resolutions, but I can start looking around for something else to crochet up, preferably something I can rub on my face frequently.

In short. Best haul of presents in a very long time. God I love birthdays. And nice people.