Summer exchanges

It's the season for exchanges again.
As last year, I took part in two Ravelry exchanges.

As I was away from home for part of the time, both exchanges happened over the past week.
Spring into Summer: This Monday I took the train down to London, and met up with LittleLixie.
It was so good having an exchange partner I've known for years.
It made it so easy to choose items for the parcel.

Lixie chose yarn for me that I had seen in Chicago, but not bought in that colourway. 

(How clever of both of us.)

Green tea from Japan, champagne soap and a pattern for a beaded wrap.

Although the colour still isn't quite right in the photo, here is the  fabric bowl she made in my favourite purples.

June birthdays:
Patience chose me some great sock yarn in purple shades, what else!
I've almost finished the first sock in this yarn, combining it with a Crazy Zauberball, giving a distinctly offbeat look.
Lots of fibre to play with, and some sari silk predominantly in shades of red.
Local honey and purple accessories filled out the package.

Patched up!

We've been away in the US, and on our return the garden had gone a bit mad, putting on about 30 cm (1 ft) growth on many plants.
In between the showers over the past week, we have been busy taming the "jungle".
One smallish task is removing the forget-me-nots that have finished flowering.

With the path cleared to get to the side fence, I found that one gooseberry bush had toppled.
It looked very recent, and I'm sure I would have seen the gap along the fence even if I couldn't get to it easily.

The remedy, a small length of cotton fabric over the torn area, binding it up, and supporting twine both there and at the top.
Fingers crossed this holds, as there are some nice looking fruits there.