Yarn Yumminess #1

So there's been a bit of a bonanza on the fibre front just recently - all totally necessary, je vous assure. First on the doorstep was the yarn for my swap partner in this year's Blog Hub Swap :

Nope, I haven't even unwrapped it myself: it is one of the fabulous colorways available from The Abstract Cat, my favorite indie dyer. You will not believe my restraint when I tell you that I did not order anything for myself. Something I have regretted since, that's for sure.

The next immediately necessary yarn is this:

Nothing like my usual color choice, but this also is not for me. My friend and ex-assistant manager Haylie's second baby Freddie was born at 26 weeks, seriously and life-threateningly early, and was not able to come home until 9 1/2 weeks later  .... His first birthday is in March, and  to celebrate, Haylie is raising money for the ADAPT charity. I have offered to make a shawl for her to auction or raffle, and I thought this colorway 0009 ''Butterfly'' was not only pretty, but appropriate, as the butterfly is a symbol of transformation.

Also in the package was this:

A Crazy Zauberball in the colorway 'Indian Red'. I've been wanting to try out Zauberball for some while, and this one looks perfect to make a shawl for my Auntie Hazel, my Mum's youngest sister. I was staying with her when this was in the charts; she was wandering around Tesco singing it, not having paid attention to the words at all. She also taught me a zillion card games, at which she excels - especially those involving either bluffing, cheating, or both.

Both these yarns I bought from the High Weald Fibre Factory, who have really reasonable prices; the delivery time was quick, and a lovely little touch was the mini-pack of Loveheart sweeties tucked into the centre of the Jawoll Magic yarn. All of this added together means: