Thank you Mandy!

My ISE4 package arrived on Friday before we went on a little trip over the weekend and I'm so happy!
Look at this:














Not one scarf, not two scarves, no --- two scarves, a hat, and mittens! Plus two gorgeous sets of stitch markers! This is incredible, it's like Christmas in May! I love everything that Mandy sent me!
The lighter colored scarf reminds me a lot of some textiles (belts, scarves?) that I've seen in travel pictures from South America. I'll add a link when I can find it. It's gorgeous. It's pure silk, too! So soft and gorgeous. I am wearing it right now and delighting in its gentle warmth and beauty.
And when Oscar saw it he had to try it on immediately, too. I predict some struggles as to who will get to wear this scarf in the future... :) He looks cute in it, too!
The red variegated set is beyond words for me - it is just so super cute! I love the curly scarf, so whimsical and soft and the colors are so cheerful. That will be great for the coming grey winter days. Around here, you kind of have to use colors you wear and surround yourself with to liven up the winter drab. I am so impressed that Mandy just kept on knitting at that point after she had two scarves for me already. But she did. There was plenty of the variegated Alpaca yarn leftover so she made me the cutest hat with cables and mittens! I will be totally stylin' when I walk the dog in colder weather! And the yarn feels so yummy on my hands and around my neck. I'll keep this out so that I can easily grab it for those colder nights through the summer, too.
Thank you so much Mandy!
You have totally hit my style right on. Nobody has ever knit me anything in my life, so this is the most special thing to me about this whole exchange. I'm very, very happy!

Oh, and I cannot forget about the extras that Mandy included: Stitchmarkers! Don't you love these orange ones tied with the Argyle ribbon? I do. And the little horn ones are just adorable as well! Truely jewelery for my knitting. I can't wait to try these out!

Thank you so much, Mandy for knitting for me and wrapping me in such thoughtfulness and friendship. I will cherish your gifts for a long time and think of you whenever I wear them, which will be often.

I am so glad I joined this exchange. It was my first one, and what better introduction to exchanges could you have? Thanks also to the organizers, sharon (the stripey tiger) and my group hostess Dorothy. You guys rock for making this possible and you deserve highest praise for keeping everybody up to date with information and posting.