I have discovered a new yarn store. Or rather, Darleen pointed it out to me. RubySapphire Yarns is a mother-daughter dyeing team – they really have a knack for color combinations.

I could look at them all day.

They carry several different types and weights of yarn all hand painted or hand dyed. The two above are Luster (50% Merino/50% Tencel) and Sapphire Sock (75% Merino/25% Nylon). Both are machine-washable (Yay!) and the colors are simply lovely. The Luster (in case you’re wondering about the Tencel) has a sheen and is cool to the touch – I’m hoping it will be a great yarn for spring (nearly summer) socks. The best part is that RubySapphire is putting together a sock of the month club! A girl can never have too much sock yarn…

One of my cousin’s graduation socks is finished!

mmmm neapolitan ice cream

One more and I can finally start something new.

My Bloomin’ Feet have arrived!

Please focus on the beautiful stitches and ignore the un-mown grass.

When I got the box out of the mailbox and saw that the return address was Simply Socks Yarn Company I got excited because I figured it was yarn I had forgotten that I ordered. But I discovered something even better: Allison is my Bloomin’ Feet Pal! The socks above are Koigu and fit like a dream. I thought that particular pleasure was forever lost to me, but many Kind Readers have told both Allison and I that machine wash cold (no dryer, of course) will not do them any harm. I am thrilled with this news because (as I have just now discovered) Koigu really is All That. I am especially fond of the subtle variegations in the yarn – you can have both a multi-colored yarn and complicated stitch patterns in one sock! Who knew?

Allison also enclosed some Lorna’s Laces Nearly Solid in Margarita, Simply Socks special Lorna’s color and some cookies.

Again, your attention should be focused anywhere but the grass.

I love the Margarita (for one thing: it’s green, for another: it’s Lorna’s Laces) and I have already planned the finished socks: they will have a white edging – for the salt. In a miraculous collaboration between the Alabama sun and my black mail box, the cookies arrived in fresh-out-of-the-oven condition. I ate the warm and gooey chocolate chip immediately. The box in the picture contains half a sugar cookie. I have no self control.

Since there are no cookie pictures, here is one of Betty and William Henry attempting to develop similar fresh-out-of-the-oven goodness.

Bake 12 minutes or until golden brown.