Yarn Swap Package No. 4/2022 Is on Its Way, Part 3.

Dear users, dear designers,
here is Part 3.
Have fun with it.

Here is Part 2
Yarn Swap Package No. 4/2022 Is on Its Way, Part 2. 
and Part 1
Yarn Swap Package No. 4/2022 Is on Its Way

I’m already looking forward to the photos and am curious to see what you’ll end up keeping. When a 5-kg package of yarn like that first arrived at my place, I was pretty amazed at how huge it was.... And all those different types of yarn—they’re all worth “marveling” at.... 

Oh how lovely, Johansi, that the package is now with you. Yes, it really is enormous, everything that's in there. That makes choosing very difficult. There is also sock yarn from me in it. I'm very curious to see what you will pick out for yourself.

On the first day, I also set quite a few things aside for myself and then swapped some of them out the next day. It's good to sleep on it and only decide then.

Have lots of fun with your wool bath!

Best regards from Monika

I think the shiny black yarn is so beautiful. But I can’t think what it could be used for.

@johansi
Depending on the amount, it could be a shawl or a stole—I love shawls in all their forms 😉
Do you prefer crocheting or knitting? 🤔
I’ve started knitting two shawls that look great even with “just a little” yarn and don’t end up too small—maybe something for you, too 😉

@johansi I thought the black one was really beautiful, too, when I bought it, and I actually wanted to use it as a contrasting yarn in a sweater, but with the endless list of things I still want to make, I kept putting it off… maybe it’ll speak to you!

Susanne, I enjoy doing both. It always depends on how much time I have for the project—crocheting is just faster. It’s not enough for a shawl, but it could work well incorporated into a sleeveless sweater.

......what does the yarn look like?????
Maybe you could really combine it with other yarns/colors and then knit a loop scarf? 🤔 Or a shawl in two or three colors, with different colors creating different patterns.... 

Like this, for example..... 

Well, dear johansi, now you’ve got us all curious about that shiny black yarn. Everyone has a picture in their mind of what it looks like and is already knitting or crocheting with it in their imagination. Please show us a picture. And what’s it made of? That’s always important to me, too.

Best regards, Ina

It’s a very thin thread—always a section of black without fringes, followed by a small section with fringes and blue glitter.

😍😍😍 I would definitely have kept this one for myself if it had already been in the package.
It’s a really great yarn for adding some pizzazz to a simple sweater. Or for adding little pops of color to a shawl. I’m totally in love with this yarn and the color right now....

I’ll leave it inside—maybe it’ll make its way to you in the next swap package.
Because winter will definitely be too short for everything I have in mind.

Hi everyone,

so, I’m back from vacation. It was really nice. I could only check in here every now and then—we were out and about a lot.

That fringed swap yarn looks interesting, and it even has glitter thread. I’m curious to see what it looks like once it’s worked up.

Have a lovely evening, everyone

After a sleepless night (not because of the yarn, but due to illness), I’ve finally made up my mind.
I absolutely want to keep the traditional-style yarn—I took it out three times and put it back in twice.
I’m going to use it to make the “Cosmos” headband for myself.
The green wool was my choice from the start, even though I usually love shades of blue.
It looks so fresh and is super soft.
The sock yarns are great colors—they have to stay here, too.
Now I just need to finish harvesting the garden and complete all the order forms, then I’ll start knitting. Soaking the wool was fun.
I’m going to finish packing the package now and send it off today.

Oops, forgot the picture.
My choice:

Great! It’s nice when you already have some yarn on hand and know what you plan to do with it. That gives us momentum for our current projects. Things just keep coming one after another in rows, and we never get bored.

I hope you’re feeling better and can tackle your tasks today with renewed energy. I’m also glad that the garden doesn’t require much of my attention anymore. Fall does have its nice sides, after all: namely, more time for our crafts.

I’m glad that you, of all people—as a “newcomer” to our swap group—enjoyed the swap package so much.

So I guess it’s MY turn now. I’m really curious to see what’s in store for me. And you can all look forward to finding out what’s hidden inside those little envelopes, too. Just wait and see—and let it happen!!! I get it ;-)

Warm regards and have a wonderful weekend—from Ina

Oh, you’ve adopted some beautiful yarn... Great, the sock yarns have lovely colors. Have fun working it up 
And get well soon! 

Oh johansi, everything really does look absolutely great. And I’m also excited to see what beautiful things will come of it. Now the dark Nepal yarn has found its purpose, too. It just didn’t speak to me. I prefer lighter colors.

So now the package is going back to its origin, to Ina. I’m curious to see what treasures will arrive there.

I’ve also held the Nepal yarn in my hands 3–4 times, but unfortunately, nothing in my stash matched it. I didn’t want to buy anything extra—I need to work through my stash first.
Ina, I pinned the little note to my pincushion cactus so I wouldn’t lose it. I’m really excited! 
It’ll be exciting to see which yarn ends up coming back to you and what new treasures will be in the package for you!

You’ve put together a lovely selection—I would have liked quite a few of those sock yarns, too!
What, another round already? We’re moving along pretty fast!

So the “wool bath” was definitely worth it. You’ve picked out some beautiful fall colors.
Have fun using it all up.
Everyone’s excited to see what each person will create with which yarn.

Now it’s just our dear Ina’s turn. That really went by fast.
I’m already super excited to see what yarn treasures arrive at Ina’s, and then, of course, when the “mystery of the letter” is revealed.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

@johansi—I had bought this pink-beige sock yarn back when we were expecting our first grandchild. And then my daughter said I definitely shouldn’t knit anything in pink—she’d hate it. I’m glad the yarn has now found a new home

By the way, here are the wrist warmers made from the green yarn

Your wrist warmers/gloves look great. Nice and thick with a wonderful pattern. I’d like to try making thumb holes like that this winter, too. 

The design is based on Ina’s pattern—thanks again for that, Ina. I’m currently knitting another pair exactly according to your pattern using the matching, thinner yarn; I finished the first one last night 😘

I was still hard at work yesterday. I got to babysit for a host family last night.
So I took that great Nepal yarn with me to work on my headband. Since the parents didn’t get home until 2 a.m.,
I managed to get almost half of it done.
I’m also knitting with the pink yarn for this host family’s grandchild, because the little one loves those colors.

The wrist warmers look great—I’d like to make a pair for myself, too.
My own grandchildren and the kids I’m helping out with are cold at school. How are they supposed to learn like that?
They love these wrist warmers, but I make them without a pattern. Maybe I’ll try my hand at this pattern someday.

Ina’s pattern is really great—if you know how to knit, purl, and make cable stitches, it’s a breeze

I’m also thinking of people in offices—sure, you can put on a sweater or a thick jacket when it’s 19 degrees, but your hands still get cold (at least mine do)
But with proper gloves, you can’t type on a computer keyboard or use a phone, so fingerless gloves 😂

This is made exactly according to Ina’s pattern, using Wollbutt (from Buttinette) “Versailles” in color 4547, size 2.75 mm needles, 100% acrylic

Margitta, your wrist warmers look really great. I also wear wrist warmers at the computer in the winter because my hands get cold easily.

johansi, your headband is really almost finished. Great! What’s an assignment family? Do you babysit there often?  

I’ve been supporting this family for 6 years now, and to me they’re like my own children.
As a village helper, I support families who need help. Many children grow dear to me, and often a friendship grows from that. These children are then my “assignment grandchildren”; for most of them, I’m the Mimi grandma.

Oh, Johansi, that sounds so nice! As a village helper, you’ve surely had many wonderful—and also sad—experiences. I can very well imagine that friendships form there on a very special basis. How sweet... you’re the Mimioma. :))

Hi Margitta,
the wrist warmers look really nice! It’s great to see what you’ve already created with the swap yarn. The smoother the yarn, the more the cable pattern stands out.

Best regards, Ina

Hello everyone,

Our 4th swap package was sent out on August 11. Now, after 6 weeks, it has returned to its point of origin.

I was in the middle of gardening and immediately dropped everything—I was just too curious. I actually wanted to finish the project I’d started first, but since the mail carrier interrupted me anyway, I might as well have taken a full break.

So off to the big garden table I went, and I grabbed a knife. Oh, oh, that was so exciting. One ball of yarn after another leaped out at me, and every time I pulled one out, I’d see two other colors flashing below, calling out to me just as loudly.

In the end, I’d unpacked and sorted everything. You can see my favorites here:



I especially like the colorful mottled one in the middle—it’s all soft pastel colors with a textured look, and it has a lot of cotton in it. That could make a breezy top for the summer. The yellow yarn is 100% acrylic and nice and thin. I’m going to try that out for my doll clothes. The light green and gray sock yarn could also be used for doll clothes or socks.

I thought the thin crochet threads for filet crochet were pretty, but I still need to think about whether I can make something out of them. Maybe I can crochet delicate stars with them and stiffen them with sugar water. You could definitely dip the yarn (the finished star, that is) in (diluted) ink—maybe it’ll get a color gradient that way. Yeah, I like that idea, too.

***************

The black glitter yarn that everyone here loved so much is going into the next swap package—I promise.

All the other yarns from your closets and boxes will be staying with me for a while. For the next swap package, I’ll sort out the prettiest treasures, and I’ll donate the rest to the preschool for crafts. Unfortunately, I can’t let you have a say in this, because otherwise the contents of the package wouldn’t be a surprise anymore.

But for now, let’s just enjoy this round’s new treasures.

I know you’re waiting for the reveal about the little notes. I’ll write a separate post about that right away.

Warm regards from Ina

@all participants in swap package no. 4

Pay attention and join in! Ta-da ta-da ta-da ... now the time has come! We’re revealing the secret.

Everyone who properly took 1 small envelope from the package may now open it. One of the envelopes contains something special: a prize.

The winner will receive a pair of felt moccasins as a gift from me. They can order them from me for themselves or a person of their choice, in their desired color and size, perhaps also as a Christmas gift. I will make them exclusively and just for them. Special requests will gladly be taken into account. The sole will also be made non-slip so that you don’t slip in them.

The winner is welcome to take inspiration from my previous creations to make their choice.

As proof of the win, I kindly ask for a picture of the contents of the little envelope.

Everyone else who didn’t win, please be happy for the winner. If the winner doesn’t like felt shoes at all and doesn’t know anyone they could give them to, they may also give their prize to another participant in the swap circle.

Best wishes and see you later — I’m very excited to see who drew the lucky ticket ....
Yours, Ina

Ina, this is so lovely—who couldn’t use some felted slippers? I’ll just take a quick peek at my little note….

Yay! I can’t believe it—I won!

I’m so excited right now!
Thank you, Ina, for this awesome event! It was so much fun to participate, swap yarns with you all, and see what was made from them!

Too bad you were so fast. Now, of course, the suspense is gone for the others :-(

But still: Congratulations, dear Mel!

Best regards, Ina

I’m sorry 🫣
I was just so excited, I got a little carried away…
Please don’t be mad at me 🥺

It’s so nice, Mel, that you’re so happy about your prize.
Congratulations on your new felted socks.
That’s a really lovely gift.
I really enjoyed the swap package.

I spent a long time admiring the pink and green yarns, too.
My headband is finished, and my next project is already on the needles.

Oh, great, Mel! I’m so happy for you and hope you enjoy your new felt moccasins from Ina. They’re really awesome—we have a pair, too.

Dear Ina, thanks again for this great initiative. I’m already looking forward to the next round.

Congratulations, Mel!
And yes, it was another great swap round—I really enjoyed it too! Thank you so much for the idea and for organizing it!

Dear Mel, I hope you enjoy your felted socks, and congratulations!

Dear Ina, the pastel-mottled yarn was from me—I actually wanted to knit a summer sweater out of it, but I found it difficult to work with and a bit stiff because of the glitter thread, so it just ended up sitting around at my place. I’m really curious to see what you’ll make with it.
Could I order a pair of felted socks like that from you, too? My husband has difficulty walking—he has polyneuropathy, circulatory problems, and fluid retention in his feet—and his feet are extremely sensitive, especially the soles, but he doesn’t really like slippers. I’ve already knitted him several pairs of cozy socks, but they’re no longer thick (i.e., “padded”) enough for him. I haven’t dared to try felting yet—I’d also need to give you the exact measurements, since his feet are very wide (thick, swollen)—but that might be an idea. Could you please send me a photo of what they look like?

Thanks and best regards
Margitta

Margitta, I’d be more than happy to donate my prize to your husband!

Dear Mel,

Congratulations on winning! Have fun with your new Filzies. I highly recommend them—they keep you nice and warm.

Thank you, dear Ina, for organizing the swap and the giveaway. It’s always so much fun. But first, I need to work through all my swap yarn. That’ll take some time.

You’ve picked out some wonderful wool treasures. That beige filet yarn would have been perfect for me, too—for my amigurumis. Now it’s made its way to you.
We’re all eagerly waiting to see what beautiful things you’ll create with it. Have fun with it.

Warmest regards

Dear Mel,
that’s so sweet of you, but I don’t want that. You won them and were so happy; you truly deserve them.
If Ina were willing to do that, I’d be happy to buy a pair from her.

But thank you so, so much for the offer 😘
Margitta 

I’m so happy that everyone here is celebrating with you, dear Mel. That’s exactly how it should be. Everyone had the same chance, and luck just smiled on you. Now you can take your time deciding on the color and size of your Filzies—and then send me a personal message with your preferences.

And of course, I’m glad that everyone enjoyed the swap ring again. Everyone found a few new wool treasures, was on the edge of their seats wondering where the package was traveling and what the others had discovered. People also kept track of their own yarns—wondering who would like them and what the others would make with them. Some ideas would never have occurred to us, because everyone has a different imagination. And even the men got involved by calculating how many kilometers our package had traveled. And of course, when they’re being especially nice, they’ve even taken the packages to the post office for us.

I’ll continue chatting with you, dear Margitta, via private message. I’m sure not everyone is that interested in the details of your husband’s feet ;-) But I’m sure we can work something out.

Enjoy your evening, everyone—perhaps with a nice craft project.

Warm regards, Ina

Hi Ina,
I think your gift is great—congratulations to Mel.
I’d love to participate again next time—but I also really enjoyed following along here.
I hope everyone has fun with the treasures they’ve chosen; I’m already excited to see what they’ll “conjure up” with them.
Maybe I should go through my treasures again; among other things, I still have some sock yarn (I haven’t dared to knit socks yet) from the swap package—well, the next winter is sure to come 😉

Dear yarn swappers 😊 I’ve just landed in Frankfurt and am waiting for the train to Leipzig together with my husband, so I just had to quickly pop in here. 

First of all, congratulations Mel, Ina’s felted shoes are certainly very, very beautiful.

In Ina’s selection I even spotted some yarn from me, and I’m very happy that it’s going to be used for doll clothes. 

Ina is already making us a little curious about another swap package.
So now it’s time to put the phone away and head toward home. 
Everyone at home will look on enviously at how crispy brown we are.

Wishing you all a lovely Sunday. 

Have a safe flight home, dear Ines. But by the time you read this, you’re surely already home and looking forward to your own bed. Going on vacation is wonderful, but home is home. Everything’s yours, all to yourself: your own bed, your own bathroom, your own fridge, your own decor… now you can enjoy the fall here, feeling refreshed and relaxed. It’s also lovely: long walks with your dog, collecting chestnuts, decorating for fall, campfires with bread on a stick—whatever you like. And your grandson Wim is surely happy that you’re back, too :-))

Best regards, Ina

Congratulations from me too, Mel. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to check in here again until today. Thank you, Ina, for making all of this possible. It was a lot of fun, and I’ve already used my green and white yarn to make a sweater—it’s almost finished. I’ll be using the blue yarn for my son.
Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone, and enjoy the holiday tomorrow.
Best wishes, Ines 

To everyone who has read this swap package thread from start to finish... You’re probably still waiting for the happy ending—namely, the picture of Mel’s prize. She asked for a pair of felt moccasins in bright pink. She wants to give them to an elderly lady in a nursing home who always has cold feet. She chose the bright color because the elderly lady is almost blind. I hope the elderly lady likes the shoes—and above all, that they keep her feet warm.

Best regards, Ina

They look absolutely wonderful, and I think it’s a great idea from Mel to give them to a lady in a nursing home.
I know what I’m talking about—I have a 97-year-old, nearly blind mother and a 99-year-old aunt in nursing homes, whom I regularly provide with warm, cozy socks because they’re always cold.

Wow, what beautiful, warm slippers. I’m really touched that Mel wants to give them to an elderly lady. That’s such a sweet idea. She’ll definitely get a lot of joy out of them. And I’m sure the residents there can’t get enough of them.

The pink slippers look really cute. What a great idea from Mel to give them to a resident. That elderly lady is going to be so happy.
I work in a nursing home myself, so I know how grateful older people are—you really empathize with them and feel happy to have done something good, because they simply deserve it.

So this swap event also served a good cause. Great!

Thank you so much, everyone, for your congratulations.
Ina, the felties arrived today and they’re really great—thank you! I’ll give them to the lady tomorrow; I’m sure she’ll be very happy (I’ll let you know how it goes).
I wish you all a wonderful weekend! 

We all do a lot of charity work with our creations. Maybe we should write about that in a separate thread. So many individuals are doing good for those in need—we should simply give them more praise and make their efforts public. Then everyone could read about how good we humans are and see that not everyone is just thinking of themselves. That gives us hope, too.

Best regards, Ina

Ina, that’s definitely a nice idea. I do a lot of charity work, but I don’t want any praise for it, because it comes from the heart, and the joy of the people who receive it is praise enough for me.