Postcard exchange and some more / Intercambio de postales y algo más

A few weeks ago I was invited by Macarena to take part of a postcard exchange that she was organizing in her blog CariñoMalo. The idea was to send a postcard (or as many as you wanted) that showed the place where you live as a way to bring to life the old nice feeling of getting "real post" on your mail box... which is ALWAYS exciting!

Hace un par de semanas Macarena me invitó a participar en un intercambio de postales que ella estaba organizando en su blog CariñoMalo. La idea era enviar una postal (o cuantas uno quisiera) que mostrara el lugar donde uno vive y así revivir el sentimiento que origina el recibir "correo de verdad" en el buzón... ¡lo cual es siempre muy emocionante!

Well, last week I received my envelope!!

¡La semana pasada recibí my sobre!

This envelope was sent by Eugenia, an Argentinian living in Germany who has a WONDEFUL blog devoted to her photography and DIY projects.

Este sobre fue enviado por Eugenia, una argentina que vive en Alemania y que tiene un blog MARAVILLOSO dedicado a su fotografía y sus proyectos DIY (do it yourself, hazlo tú mismo).

Now, what was inside the envelope!
Y ahora ¡el contenido del sobre!

A postcard, of course. Poor Eugenia had it a bit difficult at first when she saw that she was assigned the ONLY guy who was taking part of the exchange!
Una postal, claro. La pobre Eugenia se complicó un poco al principio cuando vio que le tocó sorprender al ÚNICO chico que estaba participando en el intercambio!

Three beautiful pictures that she took (my favorite one on top :) Thank you so much for this Eugenia...  It was extremely generous of your art with me.
Tres fotos preciosas que Eugenia tomó (my favorita es la que está en primer plano). Muchas gracias por la generosidad de compartir tu arte conmigo.

And cotton thread... the same one I got in Reykjavík to make the bookmarks.
E hilos de algodón... los mismos que encontré en Reykjavík para hacer marca páginas! 

The only thing I have left to say is THANK YOU Eugenia! Your presents really brightened up my day!! 

Lo único que me queda por decir es ¡¡MUCHAS GRACIAS Eugenia!! Esta sorpresa realmente iluminó mi día!

And of course thank you to Macarena for having this wonderful idea!

Y, desde luego, ¡¡gracias a Macarena por tan brillante idea!!

Continuing talking about presents, about two weeks ago I met my friend Linda Björk at a knitting meeting at our LYS and she had a little bag full of surprises for me!

Siguiendo con el tema de los regalos, hace casi dos semanas me junte con mi amiga Linda Björk en una reunión de tejido en nuestra LYS (local yarn store, tienda de lanas) y ella tenía una bolsita llena de sorpresas para mí!

The bag :)
La bolsa :)

Pins in different sizes, silk (!) thread and linen in many colors!!
Alfileres de diferentes tamaños, hilos de seda (!) y lino en muchos colores!!

This linen threads are especially cool! The colors are awesome!
Estos hilos de lino son especialmente chulos! Me encantan los colores!

Takk kærlega fyrir þetta elsku ýndislega Linda Björk!!

And to finish and stop talking about presents... I have finished a new bookmark using the threads that Kristín Hrund gave a few weeks ago...

Ahora, hablando de otra cosa... terminé un nuevo marca páginas para el cual utilicé los hilos que Kristín Hrund me dio hace unas semanas...

There are a couple of mistakes but they are not very evident... so I can live with it, hehe.
Hay algunos errorcillos por allí, pero afortunadamente no son TAN evidentes... así que en realidad puedo vivir con ellos, jeje.

Details:

Detalles:

Thread: 100% cotton  (turquoise and light blue)
Hilo: 100% algodón (turquesa y celeste)

N°of bobbins: 40
Nº de bolillos: 40

Stitches: Rose bud, spiders, chevron (made with half stitch)
Puntos: punto de la virgen, arañas, chevron (hecho a medio punto)

Notes:

Notas:

* The most challenging part of the whole thing was to make the chevron sections (which are the half stitch diamonds around the spiders) because it is necessary to be very precise in order to get the bands more or less of the same size. The first and second worked really well but there is something a bit weird about the third.

* La parte más complicada fue hacer las secciones de chevron a medio punto (que son los rombos alrededor de las arañas) porque para que queden bien hay que ser consistente con el orden en que se trabajan las bandas para que ellas queden más o menos del mismo tamaño. El chevron alrededor de la primera y segunda araña quedó bastante bien pero el tercero quedó medio raro.

* Overall it was a quick and rather simple bookmark, except for the diamonds that had me thinking for a good while before attempting to make them!

* En términos generales, fue un proyecto rápido y más bien sencillo, excepto por el ya mencionado chevron a medio punto que me tuvo pensando un buen rato antes de empezar a hacerlos.

To finish... did you already sign up for the GIVEAWAY!?!?! If not, there is time until August 15th!

Para terminar... ¿¡¿¡Ya te has inscrito en el SORTEO!?!? Si aún no lo has hecho, ¡¡hay tiempo hasta el 15 de agosto!!

Thank you / Merci MademoiselleAlex!!

A few weeks ago I was visiting Alex's blog (mademoisellealex). She is a chilean girl that lives in Paris and has this wonderful blog about handcrafts, especially knitting and crochet, and her devotion to her supercute dog, Ruckiette, who models most of her creations (and she is a great model!).

Please take yourself a little time to check it out... you won't be disappointed!!

ICELAND - IRELAND (and well, it also happens sometimes
with Finland!)

In one of her posts she was showing some of wook she had in her stash and I commented about this beautiful, BEAUTIFUL green yarn made of merino and silk. After I wrote the comment I got a message from her telling me that she was not going to use it because it was not going to be enough for what she wanted to knit so if I wanted it she offered me to send it to me... OF COURSE I coulnd't say no! (You will see a picture of the yarn if you keep reading and will totally understand me!, hehe).

Well, she sent me a package and she warned me that there were a few other things in the package aling with the wool... some things that would remind me of my childhood... uhhh... mystery!

The package had a small detour from its way from France... yes. Something really silly happened. Silly but not uncommon, at all. 

We were starting to get ready a little worried because it had been almost three weeks since Alex sent the package and I was not getting anything! She checked online to trace the package and according to it the package had arrived. I called to the post office here and nothing! She finally called to the post office in Paris and guess what!?

The package was sent to IRELAND instead of ICELAND!  Even though Alex wrote CLEARLY in the package that the destination was Iceland!

This is the evidence that the package was sent to Ireland! Poor package... it was all wrinkled and broken but fortunetely all the contents were in perfect conditions!

Fortunetely the package was sent straight to Iceland from Ireland... so after two or three days the postman was ringing the bell to bring mee this!

Milo... it has been YEARS since the last time I drank milk with Milo! I think that all kids in Chile had breakfast either with Milo or Colacao! Jelly... nam nam and hand cream.

This is the wonderful yarn that I commented on. Posh Yarn 50%merino 50%silk. A total luxury!!

The color is just from out of this world!! In the picture it looks a little bit flat but it has some different shades of green and tiny bit of blue. I will have to find a super special thing to knit with it!! It is beautiful, isn´t it?!

The green yarn didn't come alone... it had very good company. One skein of Holstgarn in a beautiful brown (honey) color.

I also feel like eating it!!

And even more yarn! Opal sock yarn.

Also eatable and "petable" hehe.

I had seen these yarns only in Ravelry. I haven't seen any of them in Iceland until now... that makes them even MORE special! I think I will look at them everyday and pet them until I find something that will make these yarns look amazing!

Now, it wasn't only yarn what I found in the package... there was more! Some beautiful threads to make lace!!

Wonderful linen! 

Silk! 

Purple and gray silk. So shiny and soft!

Egyptian cotton. 

And this beautiful mysterious box (from top)

And bottom.

And... this is what I found inside of the box!!!!!!! These are the most beautiful threads I have ever seen!! Look at those colors!! What a treasure! Super-extremely cute!!

Well... after all this I think that all I have left to say is THANK YOU SO MUCH ALEX!

ERES UN SOL: CÁLIDA Y GENEROSA!