Myfairbaglady and *Giveaway*

I'm sure you all were intrigued when you saw little Knikolas Knickerbocker the Knitting Knome on the video... I'll give you a little background information before we delve into Knick's story.
I approached Myfairbaglady about felting me a little gnome (I can probably quote you "Amelie" word for word en francais, I've watched it so many times!)to travel the world via the Phat Fiber boxes. I didn't know the project would soon take on a life of its own.
First, I received the most amazing gift... a hand felted Spinning Sprite (yes she is spinning on a drop spindle)! I don't know how many hours/days/WEEKS? It took Kathy, the Fair Bag Lady to make it for me! Not only did I receive the sprite and Knickolas, but an entire story has been created, a magical land called Yarnovia birthed, and hopefully- an entertaining serial will be published here on the blog and the website as we track Knick's progress as he pays visit to random Phat Fiber enthusiasts!
I'd like to post the first chapter in Knick's life here (he's old now, so this happened a long time ago) , and we will get to the giveaway afterwards.

The Story of Knickolas Knickerbocker

Chapter One
The Beginning, A Very Good Place to Start

One day, a very long time ago, a young woman knelt upon a tattered piecemeal blanket, spreading soft batts of creamy white wool across her lap. She quietly mused about her day, happy at the thought that her life was about to change. In just a few days she would leave the work of washing and carding wool to become an apprentice spinster in the guild. How amazing that now, while she was busy with her daily chores, she spied a particularly beautiful fleece. She smiled and wondered if she dare set at least a few rolags of the delicate fibers aside so she could herself experience spinning it.

"Anna!" the crackling and gravely voice of old Miriam pierced the quiet evening and startled the young woman. "If you don't finish soon there will be nothing left of supper but crumbs and a few sips of broth!"

Anna snatched just two small rolags of the lovely fleece and tucked them under a fold of her old quilt. She quickly loaded each of the worker baskets with the rest of the wool batts, covered them with muslin, and then scurried off to gather her things. The secreted rovings were folded into the quilt now cradled like a child in Anna's arms. All the while that Anna finished her work, old Miriam hobbled toward the kitchen. Now in a few quick steps Anna was at her side and the two women slowly proceeded to their meager supper.

Supper finished, Anna unrolled her blanket and smoothed it on the straw tick that served as her bed. Old Miriam was already asleep. Her chest quietly moved her own blanket up and down in a slow but rhythmic pace. Anna placed the two batts of wool neath the ticking, between the muslin covered straw mat and the stone floor on which it lay. Finally she lay her head down, closed her eyes, and softly breathed her evening prayers till sleep overtook her.

Her dreams were magical that night, filled with wild colors and strange creatures. Nonsensical sounds sung by angelic voices softly cooed musical notes. All through the night her ears were filled with the noises and her countenance grew paler and paler. By the time the morning sun creased the horizon and began to send shots of gold through the muslin cloth that covered the window slits of the old stone quarters the young woman's body had soaked the ticking with feverish beads of sweat. The strange music had transformed to pounding noise, her mass of brown curly hair, matted and wet, tangled about the beauty's head as she thrashed her body to and fro. Old Miriam sat nearby, mopping Anna's brow and murmuring pleas to heaven for mercy. Day waned into evening and evening to night, and still the young woman did not awaken from the feverish sleep.

All the while the secreted batts lay neath the woman's ticking, but now their fibers began to seize. Pressed together and moistened by poor Anna's sweat and the spills of Miriam's medicinal teas the once lovely fleece began to press itself into a felted roll. Anna would not-nay, could not waken. Old Miriam kept her vigil all through that day and well into the night. Finally Miriam's old bones could not sit another moment. She retired to her own pallet, leaving Anna to fight whatever demons had invaded the women's lives.

I am a bit of a collector of stories. Fiber folk are full of them, aren't they? Kathy emailed that to me shortly after Knick arrived here. Whomever receives Knick in their box this month will be entitled to a FREE BOX next month, if he is taken care of properly and sent back home here.

Myfairbaglady, was also gracious enough to send along a beautiful aqua- colored felt bead necklace for a giveaway!! This is a large, chunky necklace and it is just beautiful! It has small seed beads that separate the large felted ones, and I really want to keep this for myself! Please visit Myfairbaglady's Etsy shop and find something you like. Post about it below here and you will be entered to win on Friday! Make sure you leave a way for me to find you, in case you win. I always count plurks, tweets, forum posts, blog posts etc twice when drawing for the giveaway so you can have more chances to win!

Big thank-yous to Kathy from Myfairbaglady!