The Gift Exchange

The SotR holiday gift exchange started in December 2000. It's a fun way to share creativity among people that have proven themselves time and again to be a talented bunch. The gifts are handmade items that a fiber person would like - though not necessarily a fibery item. Each participant makes one of their items for each of the other participants. 10 members means 10 gifts - including one to keep for yourself. Each year reveals a new set of wonderful handmade goodies. This swap is separate from the White Elephant gift swap we have at our Roc Day celebration - in that swap, each spinner re-gifts something from her stash and gets "new" stash in return.

The swap date has migrated to springtime to make it easier for everyone to get items done. The 2007 took place at the April meeting.

These are the gifts from previous exchanges. Click to see a larger image.
More pictures to be added. Members, if you have a digital photo of any item not pictured here, you can submit it to the email link at left.

April 2007 (unfinished)
Mary made up Cochineal dye kits with mordant, for experimenting with natural reds.	Adrienne stamped notecards and stationary with matching envelopes.
Patricia gave natural colored kid mohair from the brother of her buck Chaco.	Angela made fulled knitted drawsting bags for spindles, shuttles, or whatever.
Kaaren made up fiber sample kits with Cormo, grey and black alpaca, suri alpaca, tussah silk and camel down.	Marie made decorater pencil cups with matching pencils.
Andrea has not swapped yet.
April 2006
Mary made padded hand card covers with her "first-ever" stamped fabric. Each little flock of stamped rabbits and sheep contained one black sheep.	Dana made thrum-catcher bags to place by a wheel or loom and collect little scraps of fiber or yarn for garnetting. She pre-loaded them with some choice scraps.
Eleanor made polar fleece hot packs filled with rice and flax seed. Put them in the microwave for two minutes and apply soothing warmth to whatever ails you.	Kimberly made PVC niddy noddies, and her bunnies made bags of angora fiber to go with them.
Sherri beaded little "happies," with hand and spinning wheel charms. She left it up to each spinner to find the final use. They can hold an orifice hook, or turn a wristwatch into a distaff, or...	Marie knitted neck warmers for everyone that will no doubt be very popular when the cold weather returns. She added hand-painted flower pots and seeds.
Angela made tablet-woven bookmarks with everyone's names. She encourages everyone to read a fiber book.	Patricia crocheted little drawstring pouches suitable for toting small fiber projects.
Andrea gave a set of dizzes in a decorated bag.	Kaaren dyed rovings and presented them in jute bags with a mug.
February 2005 (finished in June)
Jill hand dyed and stamped silk scarves, and embroidered pouches with our names.	Sherri made beaded necklaces with a spinning wheel pendant
Angela made wooden lucets and assembled kits for a beaded wrist distaff with instructions	Mary made wrist distaves with handspun yarns from her personal history as a spinner
Sylvia made green tea salt scrub in a decorated jar	Sandy made reversible lap cloths with appliqué sheep for spinning
Eleanor gave hand made soaps and crochet scrubbie, with an amusing tale about her soap fragrances	Joanne covered quilted boxes and included a slip cover for straight knitting needles
Marie decorated holiday note cards and envelopes	Kimberly made sets of decorative polymer buttons
Andrea made sets of note cards with original photos and record keeping supplies	Gail machine embroidered sheep on hand towels
January 2004 (finished in February)
Mary developed a set of sheets to keep track of our spinning efforts, with a place for the fiber, spun, unspun, all its information etc. All nicely in plastic sheet protectors and a binder.	Patricia published a fiber related calendar, with pictures and other facts, for each participant.
Sandy’s gift to all was a lined drawstring pouch, made out of hand woven fabric, with a small niddy noddy inside. She gave her hubby most of the credit for that part.	Alison had knitted and felted all different type bowls and filled them with candy.
Sylvia gave everyone a set of handmade note cards with real fleece sheep pictures on them.	Eleanor had knitted everyone a scarf out of Malachi yarn.
Angela’s gift was a hand turned wooden yarn gauge. They were all out of different wood, some multiple kinds.	Joann gave each a tea light holder in the shape of a sheep or a donkey. Those without a sheep got sheep salt and pepper shakers. Included was a hand crochet scrubby out of tulle.
Sherri had woven small hot pads (rugs) and hand made Christmas soaps.
December 2002
Eleanor: Homegrown gourd containers (all type of shapes) filled with a set of Malachi coasters (Malachi is her Lincoln ram)	Patricia: Spindle ornaments hand painted with tiny pictures and wrapped with hand dyed, hand spun wool
Marie: Crochet candles, handmade herbal soap, and a plastic snowflake to decorate	Mary: Knitted dishrag filled with exotic fiber sample pack and tied with ornament earrings
Sherri: Santa made from a thread cone, painted with a fleece beard and hair.	Sylvia: knitting needle case made from decorative placemats with a pair of knitting needles made from dowels and polymer clay tops.
Alison: Beaded bracelets knitted with wire	Angela: Nostepinne made from different types of woods and a little wood darning needle.
December 2001
Eleanor started off with holiday trays with soft black wool, homemade rose water, rosemary shampoo, and soap in a crocheted scrubber.	Ann gave handknit Christmas stockings with candy and gifts tucked inside.
Sherri made crocheted flowers, clay sheep magnets & ornaments, and elegant little dream catchers.	Alison made beautiful felted purses from her handspun and dyed yarns.
Angela made yarn carriers for knitting on the go.	Mary beaded oil bottles for spinning wheels and a scissor case for Ann.
December 2000 - The first swap!
Eleanor made little Malachi doorstops from wood bodies and her Lincoln ram's fleece	Mary made tiny drop spindle earrings and necklaces - and spun the yarn on them!
Fredabeth knitted dickeys for everyone	Debbie tatted lace bookmarks to go with a pottery mug & soup mix
Alison gave handmade soap and knitted face cloths	Brigitte gave everyone a skein of her handspun yarn
Kathleen wasn't at the meeting due to icy country roads. In January, she brought her polymer clay spinning wheel ornaments