Studio Ghibli Swap

I know it's been a while since I posted because this should have been posted more than two weeks ago. I apologize - it's just been very busy around here.

So, I joined the Studio Ghibli group on Ravelry because it's a great way to find out what is out there and what is going on. I learned of two movies that I never knew existed - one is available here and the other is not. I also learned that there is (was) a new Miyazaki movie coming out the middle of August. The girls love his films and so we went to see Ponyo soon after it came out.

Anyway, while browsing the group, I saw that there was a person setting up a brand new swap. I'd never done a swap, but often see pics of what people get in them so thought it might be fun to do one. I've participated in Christmas ornament swaps and not had very good luck, but never a knitting swap. So I knit up a totoro and soot sprite and here are pics of what I sent off to my swap partner:

She's a new knitter - just learning, in fact. So I found some used books that had good instructions on how-to and several small simple projects so that she won't get frustrated and quit. I stuck some yarn and some needles in the box along with some japanese candy and some tea. This young lady also likes origami, so I got some origami paper and star paper for her at the japanese store here.

And pics of what she sent me - she cross stitched the lovely little picture of totoro. I really like it because I'm not a cross stitcher, so have little of that in the house! She went on a trip to London just before she mailed off her package so I got tons of stuff from there. She got me the Uncle Joe's Mint Balls - which I brought back years ago in a tin (like them). There are three London Key chains in that pic and a Tower of London cross stitch kit - so I can learn how. She tossed in some Rice candies, some dried mango (that's all gone now), some chocolate and a little electronic cat (so cute)! There are two balls of yarn - one is blue glittery and just for me and the other is black fun fur which I love because it's getting hard to find fun fur and I always seem to need it. She also got a very cool comic book with stickers but somehow it didn't make it into the picture.

I was very happy with what I got and I think she was too - so it was a very successful swap! I might actually do it again.