I’ve been going to the same gym class time for quite a few years now, which means I’ve made some friends just from seeing them three times a week at 10 a.m. One gym friend lifts just about the same maxes as me–which is humbling, because she’s in her 70s–and she’s been my rack partner/spotter for the last few years.
She and her husband just got back from a cycling trip to Portugal and she brought me yarn as a souvenir!
An entire sweater’s worth of yarn, that she made a special trip to the yarn store for, and used Google Translate to make sure was made in Portugal and merino wool because when we were talking about her upcoming trip, I told her my fact that the Merino sheep originated in the Iberian Peninsula. 🥹
I spent a very fun afternoon browsing patterns and think I’m going to do a cabled vest–the Vest No. 8 from My Favorite Things Knitwear looks like an easy to memorize pattern and someone on Ravelry has already made it in the same color: 
Then I can use the leftover yarn to make my gym friend a cabled hat and mittens set, as a thank you for the gift of yarn.