Who Swaps? I Swap!

I had to choose what to blog today... would it be the awesome swap goodies, or the collection of beautiful outdoor pictures from around my house yesterday?  Graham Norton decided it!  Today's show (rerun, obviously) had Matt Smith!  It was such a funny show.  So, in honor of the Eleventh Doctor on GN, here's the news from the swap!

My package took quite a while to make its way from Scotland to Missouri.  I saw it arrive and booked it out to the mailbox to bring it in!

Already, I was excited because I had Jelly Babies!  Hooray, I get to try the Doctor's favorite candy.  Plus, stickers!  I don't remember mentioning it in all the swap chatter, but I really love stickers.  I just have a hard time deciding what is cool enough to stick these stickers on!  Especially the big hologram-y Dalek one.  And the big lovely Pandorica one!  Ahem.... I needed to know what was behind all those sweet polka-dots.

Seriously!?!  The first package opened was the Doctor himself!  In ultra-cute amigurumi crocheted form. Which is brilliant, really, since I'm not a crocheter.  This is a real gift, something I can't make myself.  Yes, I could learn crochet, but I haven't yet.  So I'm thrilled to have Tiny Doctor near me!

Oh look!  Not only was the TARDIS also along for the ride, but Martha!  She's wearing her awesome red "jacket" and her hair is in that brilliant up-do.  Really nicely done!  Plus, check out that bracelet!  Shirley, aka cherryred on Ravelry, is also a beading wizard!

Not only are the beads beautiful, but four of them are also removable charms that could be stitch markers!  Absolutely smashing idea.  Not only that, but the box it was in looks like a fob watch!  Nice reminder of "Human Nature" and "Family of Blood".  So far, most people who've seen it really like that blue bead third from the left.  I like it, but also the heart charm that isn't in this photo.  It stays on the bracelet, and is really nice!

Oooh, I'd forgotten about the shawl pin!  It's gorgeous too!  I might use it in my Clapotis, it fits with the colors, but eventually... well, I'll come back to that discussion, let's just say.  Check out the cool tin!  A nice pencil-case size, with the shawl pin, four thistle teabags from Edinburgh (one is gone already, I loved it!) and the four badges from the new Doctor and companions!

Here's the real loot!  Two wonderful, handspun-by-my-spoiler, skeins of worsted yarn!  Get this, the orangey colorway is named Pyrovillia!  Awesome, I really love "Fires of Pompeii".  The grey/color-flecked skein (which is really more beautiful in person) has some recycled sari silk and is called "Don't Blink"!  Great name, also a fave episode and the name really fits this yarn.  You never know what you're going to see in it, and you might miss something if you blink.  I love touching both of them!

Here's the whole batch, with a rather bored Saffron in the background.  I've got to come up with some shawlette pattern for that yarn, and use the shawl pin with it!  And not eat all the Jelly Babies at one go.  I've got a plan with them.  I take gummy vitamins each morning, and sometimes I get the urge to eat them like candy.  Bad idea!  So now, when I get a gummy craving, I'll snack on a Jelly Baby or two!

What a swap.  For the wait, I was really treated well.  Can't wait for the next one!