First and foremost, a great big thank you and so very sorry to my gifter. I've had this gift for a week, but due to a play I am working on opening recently my life schedule has been way off. But I'm here now to say one thing...HOLY CRAFT!

But seriously! You see, I learned how to crochet from my grandmother when I was 7 or 10 or something. My grandma was the dowager queen of pot holders. That woman could whip up a set of pot holders from one skein of Red Heart faster than you can blink. Ok...maybe not that fast, but you get the idea. (And don't worry, she's still here. But she's 93 now, so her pot holder days are behind her.) I used to drive her crazy because, while I'm rather good at crochet, I do it as if I'm going to run out of yarn in the next two stitches. In a word...tight. (Yep, I said it!) I think it was because of this that I would pick up and put down pot holders for a long time during my life. I mean, I can do it, but I get about two and three quarters pot holders from a skein. Not as cool.

Fast forward more years than I'm willing to confess. I'm in the booth (where the lighting and sound ops in a live theater sit) on New Years eve with my friends watching a show while they both crochet scarves next to me. I kept thinking to myself all night, I miss crochet, and i really need to quit smoking cigarettes. Three days later I had a hook, yarn, and instructions on how to make a granny square. I still smoke, but I also afghan.

Now I know what you're thinking...HOLY TEXT WALL! But I wanted my gifter to know. You see, I'm not sure where I pointed it out, but he found out about my new found addiction, and in his infinite wisdom he fed into it in the most awesome way possible. Contained in the box I received last week Monday were three items and a card. In the card he says that it's always interesting to gift to a person with a cool hobby. I agree. I personally also find it interesting to hear the story behind the hobby, if there is one.

The second item was a gift certificate to Lion's Brand yarn, to be used for a project for myself I think.

The third item is a pendant cutter. I currently have it attached to my hook case. Put the yarn into one of the slots and pull against the cutting wheel inside. It's brilliant, and I had just been thinking over the weekend about how I needed to go get a smaller scissors since the ones I was using were in fact a pair of kitchen sheers.

Finally, at the bottom of the card my gifter writes "As someone with Russian/Ukrainian origins I just couldn't resist. Please enjoy your authentic Russian spindle as part of the package." A SPINDLE! Seriously! How fucking cool is that! It's beautiful. I believe it is hand turned hardwood, finished in a wonderful red purple stain. Now I confess I'm not spinner. That takes a level of patients I just don't have in me. However, the spindle is the perfect length to fit between my chair and the book case next to it. Set into the space with yarn wrapped on it (as seen in the picture) it unwinds perfectly. So I don't care if that's not how it's supposed to be used, that's it's new job.

And so, to conclude this epic poem of glee let me just say, I have everyone beat; My gifter is the BEST!

Thanks Alex