Gobsmacked.....

Allow me to introduce you to my friend's home made Swift. She made it herself out of pieces of softwood from the DIY store and some tools. It all comes to pieces so it can be stored flat. She lent it to me because I was dyeing and having to hand wind the skeins round the end of my kitchen table and it wobbles a bit but it works and I think it's great.

So when my husband saw it he said "I can make you one of those" and I said, "Thanks, that would be fantastic." So a few minutes later he came downstairs with this hilarious offering.......

Made out of the kids' Meccano. It isn't a square - more a trapezoid but it does actually work and the spindle in the middle rotates really smoothly and it doesn't wobble. Both boys thought it was hilarious and took it upstairs to play with it, winding some of my cheap and nasty acrylic round and round.

But then yesterday I received a package from my SP - she'd said it was going to be small and after her brilliant, way over the top 2nd package I wasn't surprised. After all everybody has a budget and sometimes bills just have to be paid and you can't spend money on your stash or on your SP. But the postman brought a bulky, heavy package and in it was this...

A truly generous, totally unnecessary, brought tears to my eyes gift - A handmade Swift from Sublime Spindles. Made from ethically sourced hardwood with a brass spindle, felt on the bottom so it doesn't slip across my table, the arms even fold up so I can store it neatly (although I don't belong in the same sentence as the word neat).

And there was chocolate - real plain dark organic chocolate and a handmade card she had made herself. Words fail me, I can't thank her enough for her generosity. I've emailed her on both her email addresses but she must be offline - so WanderLust Knits, if you are reading this a) check your email addresses, b) I nominated you for Best Pal and you so deserve to win and c) I've sent you something in the post as a thank you, it doesn't come anywhere near what you've just sent me but I'm hoping it will make you happy for a little while.

P.S. Can you see how dark and dingy these photos are? They were taken next to a floor to ceiling window in what passes for natural daylight in these parts - yes it's raining again!!!