Friday, July 2, 2010

Anatomy of a Swap

Hey there, everyone. I've always wanted to participate in a swap, and I finally signed up for real in Ravelry's Lion Brand Swaps group (free login required to access link). It's been a ton of fun putting my partner's package together, and it's also been fun seeing what everyone else has been getting.

The packages (valued at $20.00 USD) needed to include: a handmade item from at least one (1) skein of Lion Brand yarn and/or using a Lion Brand pattern, and any random summertime patterns, yarn, books, local items, etc.

Here's the thing- $20.00 USD can buy you a LOT more stuff here in Mexico than it can in the US, if you know where to shop. My swap partner said she liked bold colors and bright pastels, would like local yarn, and would enjoy any kind of useful crafty items, especially Tunisian hooks.
Strategy: 1. Attack the handmade item first. Since Lion Brand isn't so easy to come by here, I decided on a Lion Brand Pattern. On my third try, I ended up with the Greenmarket Lunch Tote (modified version). But I had a ball with my other tries!

2. Find the yarn next. I went to La Rueca, a local yarn store, and selected a yarn from Spain, in what I would consider to be a bright pastel.

3. Use up the remaining $20.00 at Telas Parisina. In case you are not familiar, Telas Parisina is a nation-wide fabric retailer in Mexico. They have all kinds of stuff at great prices. Sister Diane of Craftypod did a great review of the store on her blog. I had about 60 pesos to spend, and that goes a LONG way in notions at Parisina.

4. Provide suggestions for what to do with this random stuff! The package does look a little bit like a hodge-podge, but I'm proud of it. I'm sending some project suggestions, just in case!

The final swap package looked like this!


I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my package!