Helsinki Villa

Hello!!

I am so sorry for the lack of blogging, but I was pretty sick for a couple of days and then we were on a cruise so we didn't have Internet connection last night, but now we do so I wanted to post while I could. We are heading farther north tomorrow so I don't know where I will have internet and where I won't.

Today was the first day I have felt up to knitting, so I never got to start my shawl when I planned, but I did start this evening. I'm working away on it and am finding it very nice and relaxing. How are your shawls working up? I am so happy to hear that some of you are joining along with me!! I will try to take a photo and share my progress in the next post.

We are in Helsinki, Finland right now, and we are going to Kuopio tomorrow. I wanted to show you some photos but for some reason I cannot get them to load to blogger. I will try again next post though.

Today I bought some yarn finally! I got some, what I assume to be sock yarn, from Stockmann department store - it had a real haberdashery department!! And then I bought a skein of lovely grey wool from a man down in the market, I will share some pictures of them as well once I get this photo thing figured out.

Anyways, it is after 11pm right now, so I will end this for tonight. I hope you all have a lovely day!!

Much love, xx

P.s. Villa is Finnish for wool :)

Hello from Copenhagen!

Hello!

I finally have got a chance to get some wi-fi today so I wanted to check in and say hello. The trip is off to a great start, we are in Copenhagen right now and are going to Stockholm tomorrow. The weather is lovely today, nice and sunny and warm. Perfect summer weather if you ask me.

I haven't done any knitting since we got here, but I did start working on a crochet shawl in the Toronto airport while waiting for our flight. I think once we spend more time traveling on the bus I will have more time to knit. If I'm not too tired after showering and getting my suitcase ready for tomorrow's departure then I may even do some knitting tonight. It is currently 6:10pm here right now, while it is 12:10pm at home. I seem to be adjusting to the time zone quite good!

Well, that's my little update for today, I hope you have a wonderful week, and I will do my best to post again when I am able.

Much love,
Raili

P.S. Thak you everyone for your prayers for safe flights, they were all great!!

KAL Shawlette Pattern

Hello!!

Here is the pattern for the shawlette!!  This will make up the body, and then I will be back with the edging in a couple of days :-)  Have fun!!

KAL Shawlette Pattern

Abbreviations:
k - knit
kfb - knit into the front and the back of the stitch
pm - place marker
sm - slip marker
st(s) - stitch(es)

You can find the list of supplies here.

Cast on 3 sts

Row 1: kfb, k1, kfb = 5 sts.

Row 2: K across.

Row 3: (kfb) twice, k1, (kfb) twice = 9 sts.

Row 4: K across.

Row 5: (kfb) twice, k1, kfb, pm, k1, pm, kfb, k1, (kfb) twice = 15 sts.

Row 6: K across.

Row 7: (kfb) twice, knit to 1 st before marker, kfb, sm, k1, sm, kfb, k to last 2 sts, (kfb) twice.

Repeat Rows 6 and 7 until the shawl is your desired size.  Keep in mind that you will need a fair amount of yarn for the edging since it is crochet and crochet uses more yarn than knitting does, so make sure to leave enough yarn for it. 

Once your shawlette is the size you want, bind off loosely.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment on this post, or contact me on Ravelry.  I will be happy to help although depending on how easily I find Wi-Fi, it may take a little bit before I can get back to you, but I will do my best.  Have fun and enjoy the process!!

Much Love, xx

Getting Ready

Hello!!

Wow, I didn't know there was so much to do in order to get ready to leave the country!!  I've been wanting to blog all week but just couldn't find the time till now. 

We are leaving tomorrow at 2:30pm and have a full day of flying ahead of us.  We take three different planes before landing in Denmark - one from here to Toronto, from there to Iceland, then finally on to Denmark.  We will land at what I calculated (i.e. read could very well be wrong) to probably be around 7:00am Sunday morning here, but it will be about 1:00pm there.  I'm still unsure of what to bring as my plane project, but I'm going to need to decide very soon.

I did a swatch of the shawlette for the KAL today (oh yes, amongst my packing and getting ready, which would probably be why I'm not done yet) and I think it's going to look quite nice!  I tried and tried to find a knitted edge that I liked, but in the end the one I came up with is actually crochet.  It's not anything complicated, it just uses chains, single crochet and double crochet.  It creates a nice scallop along the edge and gives the shawlette the look I was going for, so I'm quite excited about it!!  I pre-blogged the beginning of the shawlette pattern so it will go up on Monday as planned.  I did this just in case I'm not able to get wi-fi right away.  I wanted you all to be able to start and not have to wait for me to get online to post it.  I will follow up with the the edge pattern a few days later.

Well, that's my little update :-)  I should get back to my packing.  Talk to you all soon!!

Much Love, xx  

Shawlette KAL Supplies List

Hello!

I'm back with the supplies and information list for the KAL.  One thing I wanted to mention is that I want this pattern to be something that you can customize to make it "perfectly you," so that is why this is a very flexible list of supplies that you will need for your shawlette.  One of the things I enjoy the most about knitting is having the ability to make something that suits my tastes and personal style so I want to encourage you to take these suggestions as sort of guidelines to choosing what you like best!  

Yarn: Wisdom Yarns Poems (100% Wool; 50g/1.75oz; 100m/109yds per ball), 2 balls in your selected colourway (I'm using #589)  - This yarn is worsted weight and has long colour repeats similar to Noro, but you can substitute any type of yarn you would like.  I think this would look great in a solid colour as well.

Needles: US 11 (8mm) 40" circulars - or any size/length that works for you.  *Note: I'm a tight knitter, so I went up to the US 11 to make sure that I would get a nice drape to the fabric.  (The yarn I'm using calls for a US 8 (5mm) needle to get a guage of 18 sts x 23 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch.)  Choose any size of needle that will give you the fabric you want for your shawlette.  I suggest doing a little test swatch with a few different sizes of needles to see which you like best.  I also chose to use a 40" length because I didn't want my stitches all bunched up on the cable and I wanted to be able to see how the shape is progressing as I knit.  Feel free to use whatever length of cable you are comfortable working with.

Guage: There is none!!  This shawlette is completely for you to customize!!  You can knit it to be as tight and cozy, or as loose and drapey as you like. 

Tools: stitch markers, yarn needle, scissors, and tape measure     

I think that's about it!  I hope I haven't forgotten anything.  I will start posting the pattern on Monday June 27th, and I'm looking forward to knitting along with you!!

Much Love, xx

P.S. In my original post I said I was using Plymouth Poems yarn when indeed it is actually Wisdom Yarns Poems!!  So sorry for the mix-up!!

Off on An Adventure

Hello!!

First off, I want to thank you for all your kind comments both here and on Ravelry.  They've been so encouraging to me and such a bright spot in my day!  I look forward to reading each and every one!

As you can see above, I finished the socks I was working on.  They turned out so nice!!  They feel very luxurious on my feet!!  I did the vanilla socks pattern again, but this time I did a longer leg on them because I wanted to use up as much yarn as possible.  These are going to be some very much loved socks :-) 

I have some news to share today as well!  This Saturday my Mom and I are going on a trip to Scandinavia for almost a month.  I've mentioned before that my Mom is Finnish and my Dad is part Norwegian, so I've always wanted to see both countries, and my Mom has wanted to go back to Finland for years - the last time she was there was when she was 16.  We are taking a tour that takes us through Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Norway, and then we are going to stop in Iceland on the way home for a few days as well.  I'm so excited since I've never been across the ocean before!!  I keep imagining all the inspiration I will find along the way!!  I will be taking my ipad with me so I'm hoping to be able to blog about our travels. 

One of the places we will be going is to the most northern part of Europe, to the land of the "midnight sun."  Since it might be a bit chilly up there, I'm planning on designing a small knitted shawlette to wear around my neck if it is cold.  I'm going to use some Plymouth Poems I found that reminds me of what I would think of for "Summer Midnight Sun" colours.  Here's a picture of the yarn:

I'm going to start knitting it once we arrive in Denmark, and hope to have it done by the time we get to North Cap.  What I've planned so far is for it to be a heart-shaped shawlette, knit in garter stitch with kfb increases so there are no holes.  The Poems yarn is a worsted weight but I'm using US 11 needles to make the fabric have some drape to it.  It will be started at the top and worked downwards and I plan on making a nice little edge that's a bit more plain than you find on the average shawlette.  I want the whole thing to be a simple and easy knit.  I thought I'd post the pattern up on the blog in stages as I work along since I'm designing it as I go.  So would anyone like to knit along with me??  I'll post the supplies and general information a little later today so you have time to gather your supplies, and then I'll post the first part of the pattern on Monday July 27th.  I hope to have you knit along with me. 

Much Love, xx

Housekeeping Friday

Hello!

Guess what!?!?  I FINALLY figured out how to fix my pictures on the blog!!  I've been noticing for a very long time that all my pictures would upload looking quite bad compared to what they look like on my computer, so I did a little google search and found a nice little helpful note!!  If you've been having the same problem, I highly suggest you check out the link and see if it will help you too.  And by the way, right now instead of deleting the /s400, I've changed it to /s800.  I also changed my width pixels from 372px to 400px to make a square and undistorted photo.

Anyways, onto some housekeeping updates.  First off, I wanted to say that I finally took the time to go through my schedule and see if I had the time to do a pair of socks a week again for this month, and the conclusion is no.  Things are just too busy right now to guarantee that I would get them done, so I thought I'd not put the pressure on myself.  Instead, I joined the Summer of Socks 2011 Group on Ravelry to help keep me motivated to knit socks over the course of the summer but not put unreasonable (at the moment) expectations on myself.  The goal is to knit a pair of socks a month from specific patterns.  The starting date is June 21st and it goes to September 21st.  The first two months sock patterns have been chosen already: Month #1 - Summer Spirals and Month #2 - Medallion Lace Socks.  The pattern for Month #3 hasn't been chosen yet.  Both patterns are lovely and I'm very excited to knit them!!  I've already got my sock yarn for this first pair.  I'm using Plymouth Sockotta and am super excited since these will be my first pair of cotton socks!!  Perfect for summer if you ask me :-)  If you're into sock knitting and have the time, come on over and join in on the fun!!

I do have a pair of socks on the needles right now while I wait for SOS to begin.  That's them up in the top picture.  I'm using some lovely Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock Yarn that my cousin TL gave me.  It's amazing to knit with and the colour, which is called Fondant, is beautiful!!  I can hardly wait to wear them!!  Thanks TL!!  You're introducing me to such wonderful sock yarns!!  :-)

I also thought I'd mention that I am still working away on getting through all my WIPs.  I've taken a bit of a break at the moment, but I've made some good progress.  I will continue to work away on them as I can, but I'm allowing myself to do a little more "enjoyable" and "spur-of-the-moment" knitting over the summer.  I'm also still working on knitting from my stash.  I do have to say that I haven't stuck to the "no new yarn" policy as much as I should, but I'm trying to only buy yarn for things I need to knit that I don't have suitable yarn in the stash for.  Part of the sock knitting I've been doing recently is to use up my slightly large stash of sock yarns.  I also have been making some toys with leftovers from other projects.  So the stash is getting more and more manageable!!  It's actually quite thrilling to see the plans I made at the beginning of the year start to have visible results.  It makes it much more encouraging to continue on.

I thought it was about time for a little housekeeping updates seeing as how I have so many thoughts/plans that I share with you all but rarely do I keep up with them and let you all know how they are coming along.  I'm hoping to have the blog be more...hmm....what's the word I'm looking for??.....structured, or stable, maybe?  Instead of so very flighty as it has been.  I apologize for that, it's just that I'm quite flighty most of the time myself so I guess it translates over to the blog.  I'm trying to work on being more consistent within my own life lately and I hope that it will reflect here as well. 

It's finally FriDaY so have a great start to the weekend everyone!! 

Much Love, xx

Fat Robin

Hello!!

Today's post is going to be a bit short with just some pictures of my Fat Robin as I'm super busy today.  I hope that you are all having a lovely week and I will be back again as soon as I can find some time to write a proper post. 



This is a shell from a real robin egg that must have hatched somewhere in the trees above.  I thought it so neat that I found it at the same time I was taking photos of my own knitted robin and eggs!

Much Love, xx

Colourful Granny Stripe

Hello!!

I have been trying to post about this for quite a while now, but it seemed like every time I began to write about it I would have something else to talk about that day, so now I am determined to write this post!  After I made the Granny Stripe Blanket back in the spring for the wedding gift, I knew I wanted to make one for myself.  The pattern is so soothing and fun to crochet and I really liked the bright colours that Lucy used in hers.  I wanted to use the same or similar yarn that she did, but couldn't find any.  Around the beginning part of May, I came across a company in the UK called Deramores that had free shipping to the US and they carried the Stylecraft Special DK!!!!!!  I was so excited that I placed an order practically in the middle of the night because that was when they re-stocked their colours with all the ones I needed!!  They arrived quite quickly, in about a week or two's time if I remember correctly.  I didn't start right away because I was trying to finish up some other projects, but I think I began the blanket the week before I went to Florida.  I keep it for my nighttime crochet right now because it's so easy to work on.  It's not too far along, I've got 17 rows done so far, but wow is it fun!!  I used the exact same 17 colours that Lucy did for hers, and you can find more information here on her blog.  As with the Hexie Blanket, I'm not pressuring myself to get this one done in a certain amount of time but am just savouring the process of working on it.  I think that's what I like most about making blankets - they're not something you rush through, but rather you enjoy the soothing process of making them.   

Have a great Tuesday everyone!!

Much Love, xx

Petite Purls Summer 2011 Issue

Hello!!

I know this is a little late, but the Summer 2011 Issue of Petite Purls is out!!  I just found out yesterday, and I have to say I am completely THRILLED with this issue!!!!!!!!!  This is their 2nd year anniversary and to celebrate, they decided to dedicate the whole issue to toys.  I'm a big fan of knitting and crocheting toys, so this news has been so exciting to me :-)  I have to admit that as soon as I seen the new issue and Susan B. Anderson's newest pattern Fat Robin, I had to cast right on!  This leads me into my list of favourites.  I can honestly say that every pattern in the whole issue is a favourite, but these are my top 5 picks.

Top 5 Favourite Patterns

1. Fat Robin - Susan B. Anderson - This little momma is so adorable!!  Like I said, I've already knit her and just have to make her nest.  She is an interactive toy who sits on her eggs like a good momma robin does, and she can even hide them under her tail!!  She would entertain children for a very, very long time.

2. To Market - Kate Oates - When I was little I loved to play "kitchen" whether it was with plastic toy food, play dough or just make-believe.  These knitted veggies, eggs and milk bottle, along with the basket to carry them home from the market would have provided me with hours of fun.  They're knit from Berroco Vintage, which I just used recently on the Cupcake Hat and I have to say it is fast becoming a favourite yarn of mine!!  I really find it fun how Kate incorporated some unexpected veggies like the red pepper and red onion.  This would be a fun knit that would thrill any child.

3. Duuuude the Sea Turtle - Kahra Grae - I've always liked turtles (I'm knitting a turtle of a different design right now!) and this one is super cute!   I'm also a big fan of Finding Nemo, so this little guy is a favourite for me.  The eyeballs are beyond cute and the simple construction make him a very fun and fast knit.  This would be a great toy for the young and the young at heart.

4. Margarita - Mia Zamora-Johnson - I've liked fairies since I first seen Peter Pan as a very young girl, so this pattern for an adorable flower fairy really jumped out at me as a must-make!  She is crocheted, so she'd work up very fast.  I've seen Mia's dolls before, and I'm so excited to actually make one now.  She is a fantastic and very, very talented designer! 

5. Texture Bite - Nancy Anderson - Ok, as soon as I seen the cover photo for this issue featuring this beautiful bear, I knew I would have to make him!!  He is knit with a variety of different stitch patterns to give him texture, and I think it lends a lovely character to him as well.  He's sure to become a much loved favourite of any child!!  The yarn used is Spud & Chloe Sweater in the colour Toast, which is my favourite brown!!  I'm going to have to order some of this yarn and knit him up!!

There are so many great patterns that my top five doesn't even begin to scratch the surface!!  A few others that I just have to mention are: Noopy's Lovey by Leah Olender, Bubo by Corinne Fourcade, Scottie by Debbie Bliss, Mao by Angela Tong, and Tadpole by Katie Boyette. 

They also included some cute sewing projects like Sewn Egg Chick and Flora & Fauna Baby Rattles as well as a awesome tutorial on stuffing your toys by Carey Huffman. 

There's also some great interviews (which I always enjoy reading), with Susan B. Anderson about her newest book Spud and Chloe at the Farm and Joanna Johnson about her book Freddie's Blanket.  And their Renaissance Mom is Christina Platt of the gorgeous Bamboletta dolls!! 

You've got to check this issue out for yourself!!  I know you will find tons of patterns you'll want to make right away too :-)  And the fun thing about toys is that they make great summer knitting projects because they're relatively small and quick to make - perfect for outdoor picnics with the family, long car rides on the way to your vacation destination, or even poolside while the kids swim.  They're very portable and incredibly rewarding to knit.  There's nothing quite like the smiles and joys that a handmade toy can bring to a child you love!! 

And I'd just like to say a big CONGRATULATIONS!! to Allegra and Brandie on Petite Purls 2nd year anniversary!!  Thank you so much ladies for such wonderful issues.  I look forward to each and every one!!

Much Love, xx

Summer Mystery Shawlette

HaPPy WeeKend!!

I hope you are all having a wonderful start to your weekend!  If you don't already know, today marks the beginning of "Knit in Public Week."  Tonight we're going out to our local bakery for coffee with some friends, so I am going to take along my current sock project.  Do you have any plans for "Knit in Public Week"??  I haven't really made any plans other than that one! lol  I bring my knitting along with me pretty much everywhere to begin with, so I guess I will just continue to do that over the course of the week.  That's definitely not as exciting as what some people have planned, but it suits me just fine :-)

Now, for some more project updates.  Back at the very beginning of the month, I stumbled upon the Summer Mystery Shawlette KAL over on Wendy's blog.  I was a little late since they had started the KAL in the middle of May, but I really liked the idea of knitting a mystery shawl, so I just started right then and there.  I didn't participate in the KAL Group on Ravelry, but just silently knit along on my own.  I set aside the whole of last weekend for only working on the shawlette and managed to have it finished by Monday night.  I couldn't wait till morning to block it, so I did it right before going to bed.  I've been having a very difficult time photographing it, so this is the best I could do:

I used a skein of Knit Picks Stroll Tonal in the Deep Waters colourway.  The shawlette is relatively small, so I still have quite a bit of the yarn left over.  It's such a gorgeous colour that now I need to find the perfect pattern to use up the leftovers!!  I'm very, very happy with how it turned out.  I don't think I would have attempted a completely patterned shawl because I didn't think I had the ability to do all that lace, but since this was a mystery pattern, I didn't really know what I was getting myself into.....and I have to say, that it really wasn't that hard at all!!  It was much easier than I thought it would be and relatively quick.  It makes me want to make more of them that's for sure!  Wendy has a new lace book coming out in August, and I can hardly wait, her patterns are wonderful!!  

Well, have a wonderful weekend everyone!!  I'm off to do a bit of knitting :-)

Much Love, xx

Another Pair of Socks

Hello!!

So many things have been going on around here lately and I have a lot of projects to share with you so I guess the best way to start is to just dive in!  Today I thought I start with the most recent pair of socks that I finished.  I knitted these for my Auntie M.  They're another pair of Plain Vanilla Socks knit out of some lovely Regia I had in my stash.  I started them back in the middle of May, but just finished them the other night.  They got put on hold while I was away and then while I worked on a few other projects.  It feels very good to have them done now and all I need to do is wash, block and package them up!!  And since I had a pair of empty needles, I did what any knitter would do......I cast on for another pair of socks of course!! 

Now that the weekend is pretty much here, I hope to have a little more knitting time to finish up a few more things on my needles.  I've got so many new ideas and plans formulating in my mind that I need to finish these off first before I can start anything new.  That definitely gives one motivation!! What do you have planned for this weekend?? 

Much Love, xx 

And the Winner Is....

Helloo There!!

We have a WINNER!!  Congratulations kepanie!!  Yay!  I'm so excited for you :D  I hope that you enjoy your prize and I will try to get it sent out to you right away. 

Thank you everyone for participating and for all your lovely and kind comments, they made my whole week :D  I'm so blessed to have such wonderful blog readers!!

I will be back very soon with a TON of updates on all the projects I've been working on.  Until then, have a great day!!

Much Love xx

A Few More Additions

 Hello Again!!

I just wanted to pop in to show off a few more things that are making their way into the giveaway :-)  Since summer is almost here, I thought a nice beach tote and some summery reading were in order.  There's nothing quite like relaxing in the sun flipping through the newest magazines.....it's one of my favourite things to do.  Just ask my sister.  I remember how we spent hours one particular summer floating in the pool reading the July and August issues of Vogue (which are always the best!).  Nowadays, you will find me reading issues of Debbie Bliss (my favourite by far!), Vogue Knitting, and most certainly Interweave Knits while soaking up the sun.  This issue has some lovely lacy cardigans, a pair of lacy socks and the cutest Camp Smock by Mary Keenan.  It truly is a great issue!!

I also made a few little sparkly stitch markers to add.  I can never seem to have too many, and I hope that you are the same way.  Plus, it's always so nice to have something pretty to mark repeats and rows I think.

Today is the last day to enter (which you can do here) - you have till midnight!!  I will be back tomorrow with the winner :-)  Have a great evening everyone!!

Much Love xx 

2nd Year Blogiversary Giveaway

Hello!!

Yesterday marked my 2nd year of writing this blog!!  Wow eh??  In some ways it seems like I've been doing this forever, and in other ways it seems like I just started.  A lot has changed over the last two years and I'd like to think that I've improved in both my knitting and blogging.  This blog has been a real source of joy in my life and I hope to have many more years of blogging ahead. 

To celebrate and to thank you all for coming along on my journey through my crafting and my life, I'd like to host a little giveaway.  The picture above shows the main part of the giveaway prize - the book Nature's Wrapture contemporary knitted shawls by Sheryl Thies and a ball of Shoppel-Wolle Crazy Zauberball.  There will be a few more added goodies that I don't have finished just yet, but I will leave them as a surprise for now (you never know though, I might share a little peek during the week).  I chose these two because: 1. I'm thinking of doing a "Summer of Socks, Shawls and Sweaters" on the blog, where my knitting will be pretty much focused on these projects, and both of these seemed to be quite appropriate.  And 2. I've been knitting so many socks lately that I thought I'd give you all a chance to knit some too :-)  They're quite fun and I'd like to share the fun with you all! 

To be entered to win, please leave a comment with your name/email or Ravelry id so that I can contact you and let you know you've won.  I will be keeping the giveaway open until Wednesday June 8th 11:59pm EST.  I will choose a winner at random. 

Good luck to you all!!  And thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog and following along with me through everything!  I feel so blessed, and I think of you all as my friends :-)  Have a wonderful weekend!!

Much Love xx

May's Week #4 Socks

Hello!

I know it's June already, but here are the socks for Week #4 in my "Month of Socks" challenge.  I'm so happy that I actually accomplished my goal, even if I was a day or two late.  These socks are knit from Koigu KPPPM.  This was my first time working with this yarn, and I have to say it was lovely to knit!  The twist in the yarn keeps it from splitting and makes for a nice fabric.  I'm still not sure if these will be gift socks or for me just yet.  You can find more information on my project page if you're interested. 

I've really enjoyed doing this "Month of Socks" challenge and am considering continuing on into this month as well, but I have to check my schedule first and see if it's possible.  I have a few other things I'd like to knit this month as well, so I have to figure out if I will have the time to devote to the socks.  I will keep you posted on what I decide.  I hope you are all having a great week and I will be back soon with some exciting news!!

Much love xx 

Spoiled

Happy June!

I have another lovely package to share with you all today!!  My awesome cousin TL gave this to me for my Easter/Birthday present.  It included:
A project bag, medium zippered pouch, small zippered pouch and an apron (not pictured because I wore it yesterday while baking bread) that are all made from the same adorable (and so very "me") coffee-themed fabric.
A beautifully knit wash cloth she made just for me that is super soft!!
A package of cute little coffee bean stitch markers.
A sample of Eucalan wool wash in a yummy Grapefruit scent, which I've never tried but am so excited about.
A stack of fleece fabric squares (that didn't make it into the picture since I had them in my room) that I'm thinking would make a really pretty patchwork blanket.
A ball of Zauberball sock yarn that I've been wanting to try!!
And a gorgeous skein of Fleece Artist Trail Socks sock yarn!!!!!!!!  I never thought I'd ever get to knit with such lovely yarn!!

Here are some close-up pictures I took:


Coffee bean stitch markers



Zauberball sock yarn



Fleece Artist Trail Socks in the Paris colourway

Wow!  I am so spoiled and blessed!!!!  Thank you so much TL for such a wonderful gift!!  You are so generous and sweet and I'm very, very excited to put everything to use :) 

Much love xx