...'cuz over the last two days she brought me two items I've been pining for:

First, the sgian dubh I ordered from Rab Gordon (Rainnea) came in, and it's just exactly what I wanted: Damascus steel, bog oak grip, sterling silver pins and pommel nail, and a nice black leather sheath. It's got nice heft and jimping, and the grip is beautifully worked. I couldn't be happier with it, and would recommend Rab highly.

Second, my custom weave 16oz from Kathy Lare came in last night and it...is...GORGEOUS! First off, I wasn't sure what it would look like, since I was only working off the little jpegs from the ITI website, so it has a slight green element to it that caught me by surprise, but pleasantly so. As far as the kilt itself goes, save your pennies and buy a Kathy Lare kilt when you can: the stitching, pattern matching, hardware, lining, loops, the fit, well, just everything is spot on. I slid the kilt out of the bag and almost could have shaved with the pleats Kathy pressed. I can't say enough about how great this kilt is; the only ding I can think of was that because I ordered a custom weave tartan (Lady Borodale's Gift, #003276) the kiltmaking schedule was at the mercy of the weaver, which took more time than Kathy had expected (and is obviously not something she could control). I have to second Ron on her workmanship-wow.

I'll post pics this weekend of both my new treasures, as soon as I find my camera.

Bryan...I think I've got a regular kiltmaker now...