I heard about the Reddit gift exchanges from friends who participated and had fun finding gifts and opening presents from strangers, so I thought that I would participate in the 2014 Secret Santa gift exchange, but unfortunately I received a gift from neither my original nor my regift Santa (though my regift Santa was in touch with me, so fingers are still crossed). I was feeling a disappointed in the Santa exchange, but I thought I'd give it one (well, three) more go and see what my friends were going on about, I figured some lucky person will get some yarn, snacks and a magnet, and if I'm lucky enough this time I might have up to three Santas that were willing to participate too.

A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from my Yarn Santa asking me what colour mittens my husband would like, and what my favourite colours were. I started to get excited, and mentioned to our mail carrier that I was maybe expecting up to three packages from strangers around the world, I didn't know what, or where from, but it might be squishy or it might be a box or an envelope. He must have thought I was nuts. Yesterday, as I was walking home, the postal carrier passed by, winked and mentioned that there was a package in my mailbox that I should check out. Huh, I thought, I wonder. I wonder if it could be. Maybe? Possibly? Have the reddit gods smiled on me? Is there really a Santa? I started to walk faster. Rounding the corner into the lobby of my building I began to jog. Passing the elevators, I broke out into a run straight to the mailroom, crashing straight into the back wall of mailboxes. Fighting to wrestle the keys out of the pocket, my bag finally surrendered the jagged metal keys. Opening the box, I found a squishy bag from Victoria, BC. I think to myself, do I know anyone in BC? Yes...but wait, he doesn't live in Victoria. I start squishing the bag - is it from my yarn santa? my snack santa (am I crushing a bag of chips right now)? maybe its a squishy magnet (you never know)... I walk back and get on the elevator and an older gentleman steps on the lift as well. I press the button for my floor, and can't contain the excitement any longer. I tear open the package, and I gasp! The softest, warmest, squishest blue yarn in the package. The gentleman looks over at me, and I say "sometimes you just can't wait, eh?", a smile as he nods in perceived agreement. The doors open, and I step off the elevator. I'm pulling the yarn out of the pack, and out falls a card and another small wrapped package. I double-back and gather the fallen pieces and jog home. Juggling my purse, my work-bag, the yarn, card, the small wrapped package, and the mailing envelope, and open the door and drop the entire caboodle on the counter. I recover the card and read that my Santa couldn't resist including lovely dark blue buttons with the exchange. I start playing with the yarn between my fingers and plans (no, patterns) start forming in my mind, what will I make with this soft, warm, squishy blue (The colour in the photo doesn't do it justice, it's blue with a hint of green and grey) wool yarn? What can I make that I will show and tell my friends that I got the yarn through a reddit gift exchange? A purse? A shawl? Something that uses buttons... I'm still planning...

Thank you Yarn Santa! You've restored my faith in the Reddit Santa Exchange!