The Spiders can party!
Amanda (and Katie) hosted a White Elephant gift exchange. Ever heard of those? Everybody brings a gift. One by one, each participant gets to choose between opening a gift or stealing someone else's gift. Clearly, if you are the last to go, you get to steal the best gift. There were 11 of us, and I picked #10! Yes! My plan was to carefully monitor the others' gifts and steal the best one. I mean, come on , the odds of the last 2 gifts being the best ones are pretty low, right? I had statistics on my side. Virginia (#11) and I danced a little dance. We were ready to pounce. Check out the pile of gifts!
But first, we had a few Spiders cocktails. Unfortunately, I snarfed them down without taking a picture, but! later on in the evening, I drank a few Spider Screwdrivers. See?
#1, Sarah, got 2 skeins of Manos, in a Christmas-y colorway. The gift opening started so quickly, I didn't have time to snap a pic. (Either that, or the Spider cocktail was working it's magic).
#2, Lisa, stole it from her. Sarah picked another gift: 2 skeins of Lobster Pot yarn in a yummy baby blue and Vogue Knitting Winter 05. I had my eye on this...
#3, Kaitlyn, got Wrap Style and Jacques Torres hot chocolate (yum!). I already own this, so it was not on my "to steal" list.
#4, Amanda, got bookbookbook2 (she squealed!) AND 4 wine tumblers AND a bottle of wine. I already own bookbookbook2. But I like wine...
#5, Stephanie, opened a gift bag with a japanese-looking flower motif. Not a surprise. It contained a sock pattern book, sock knitting needles, 1 big skein of Marie's hand-dyed sock yarn AND one skein of Marie's handspun worsted. Now, this was on my to steal list.
#6, Sandra, picked a gift 'Tina and I had been eyeing: a big glossy black bag, topped off with tumbling red ribbons. She was not disappointed: it contained a plethora of gifts. Blame the delicious Spider cocktail(s): I can only remember 2 of the gifts; Eucalan wash and one of Kaitlyn's cute handmade ornaments.
#7, Abby, opened my gift: Handknit Holidays and 4 skeins of Knit Picks' sock yarn (to make the book's over-the-knee socks). She did not keep it for long...
#8, Marie, got a LeSportSac and some fancy hand cream.
#9, Katie, stole from Abby! Abby opened a new gift: Weekend Knitting.
#10, me, well, I stole from Sarah. And my bad karma turned around and bit me in the ass: Sarah went on to open the best gift ever: 2 ball of Australian lace yarn in the most beautiful blues. (In fact, I already own one ball of this...) And the cutest stitch markers.
#11, Virginia, had the nerve to steal from me. I understand that the last gift remaining was the one she brought, but still. Fortunately, her gift was perfect for me: the latest Rebecca magazine and one teeny tiny little itty bitty cute-as-a-button skein of Lorna's Laces Angel, 70% angora. I think everybody petted it. Marie has photographic evidence of my drunken glee.
