With feeling

There's a "movement" (and how many of us think of Alice's Restaurant when we hear that word?) afoot, about helping crafty folk reclaim time for their crafts: http://cre8time.org/
The aim is to set aside 8 hours a month, for crafting.  Well, I think I already do that, but I like the idea of setting up a designated time.  I pretty much work on either knitting or crochet whenever I'm parked in front of the TV.  Last night was an exception, because I wanted the overhead lights out so I could watch a couple of episodes of Game of Thrones, season one.  Yes, we bought the DVDs.  The Plaidman & I are just completely hooked on the books, and have finished all that have been published so far.  I was reading a fan site last week, and the gossip seems to indicate at least two more books coming, but not soon -- it'll likely be 2018 before Winds of Winter makes it to the bookstore.  We are officially jonesing for more G.o.T. at Chez Plaid.  Last year it was the Malazan Empire holding us in thrall; at least we're dealing with (mostly) humans this trip.  Boy howdy, if someone could figure out how to turn Tales of the Fallen into a series, we'd be over the moon. 

Oh look, the folks over at AllFreeKnitting ( http://www.allfreeknitting.com/sweeps/sock-yarn-shawls-book-giveaway/ml/1 ) have another really nice giveaway!  I have a little shawlette I made last year, that I wasn't wearing because it jest seemed too tiny, but lately I've been using it as a scarf.  I get lots of compliments on it!  It's Wendy's Seriously Simple Shawl, worked in sock yarn from the Loopy Ewe.  I like it so much, I would like to have several more.  So heck yeah, I want this book!

Oh why not

DiscoDame got busy again yesterday. When I got home she presented me with a set of 10 double-ended stitch markers, each with different sized rings at either end, and all with either charms, buttons, or both between the rings. AND all 10 have lobster claw clasps at one end too, so they can be used as removable row markers. I gave her a really nifty work lamp, with a magnifier lens in the middle of the circular light, that she can clip onto a work surface and bend around to suit herself. Disco was just about beside herself over that lamp! She's quite far-sighted, so close work isn't at all easy for her, but with the magnification & bright light she's finding it a lot easier. Anyway, I was playing with my (or possibly your?) new stitchmarkers, and linked them all together--around my neck! We'll have to get some pictures; I'm sure it's pretty funny.



Didya see/hear about the prank played on Julia Roberts on the set of "Larry Crowne"? You know she's a knittah too. Anyway, Tom Hanks talked about half the crew into one part of the set, and had someone go fetch Julia. When she walked in, everyone in the room was knitting! Even the cameraman was knitting, & holding his work in front of the camera. How cute!




























Here's a shot of the June giveaway handknit, made from 6 colors of Stitch Nation Bamboo Ewe - read up on this yarn in Ravelry for care:

Giving it up

Seems like when the weather warms up (& we're NOT being flooded), I just lose all interest in snail-mail communications. I still haven't sent out the last round of blog giveaways--Mea Culpa!--which I must do this week! As God is my witness, etc, etc. Since I have this problem, I want to do this giveaway thing a little differently: I'm going to package, weigh & number each giftie before drawing the winners! That way, as soon as a name is drawn & I can get a shipping addy, I can just slap a label on & send them to the post office via the Plaidman. Honestly, as SMRT as I am you'd think I would have figured this out before now. I have something to show you:

Just a little background, this is my reply to a friend's asking how long this took:

"Let’s see, I guess I started the first one in January –Christmas knitting was done, so I started this for her birthday (February!). The first one was worked exactly per the designer’s pattern, and came out very tight around the brim (but still wearable) and the top part was more like a lace skullcap. Frogging ensued; back to the drawing board. Another one had just one [extra] repeat of the lace pattern around, worked on bigger needles, and stitches added to the brim. Still turned out to be a beanie rather than a beret! Back to the frog pond it went, maths reworked to add 2 more repeats of the lace without increasing the brim anymore, then I thought I’d run out of yarn (!)—so I got on Ravelry & found someone who’d sell me hers (couldn’t find this color in the stores here), & had to wait for her to send it. Once I got it, I couldn’t find my notes about the brim size….so made it too big, & had to frog again when the notes were found. It’s a good thing I like the process about as much as I like the product, ‘coz this one was all about the process! As far as actual knitting time for the pattern, it’s not that much—hats are fairly quick (Mwah-hah-hah! Famous last words….)"


Is that fine, or what? No, this isn't for a blog giveaway, although it is a gift for a special young lady. It's so lovely, that I've already started another one! And I'll likely make one more in blue or pink, for another special young gal. None of these will be finished this month, as I'm "attending" Camp Loopy this year. I have 3 hanks of Loopy's Solid series fingering yarn, 2 in Serenity Green & 1 in Ice, for Wendy Johnson's Seriously Simple Shawl -- in stripes! I'm also working on Sis's socks, which I should really put down for a little while. The first Camp project needs to be finished by July 15. But what will I give away this month? Maybe a nice cowl? I'll get back to that in a later post.

Lace hat giveaway

Oh, it's almost time to give away the aqua lace beret -- which had to go back to the knitting basket briefly, to have elastic thread woven into the brim. Seems the preponderance of bamboo fiber in Bamboo Ewe makes it stretch out without bouncing back. But all is well, 'coz I've put about 4 rounds of thin elastic thread in there, and now it bounces back.

Buzzy

We went straight from the tag-end of winter into 91F summer over the weekend! The wasps & hornets have hatched! Run for your lives!!
Knitting news: I finished a Gwen Slouchy Beret, even blocked it! It is so purty! I used Stitch Nation Bamboo Ewe in colorway Beach Glass, which is a really nice light aqua-teal color. This was a free pattern, and is on Ravelry. Being a wool-bamboo blend, it's a bit more suitable for spring & summer than just wool. So, who wants it? Yes, I'm giving it away! Comment on this blog between 4/12 and 4/29; I'll draw a winner 4/30 from all commentors. This hat will fit a head up to 23", while the ribbing is stretchy so will hold onto a smaller noggin.


I've heard from Fleegle, so I'd better get it together & pack up the March goodies. I still have not heard from Ele, either on the blog or on Ravelry (I'm AnnBan). So..the suspense is killing me...

And the winners are...

I put the names of this month's commentors on nearly identical slips of white paper, folded & placed in one pile. Then each giveaway item went on a similar slip of paper, also folded & placed in another stack. Drawing one from column A & one from column B, the winners & their gifts are:
Itty bitty button markers set for fleegle
striped washable hat for Ele
pastel beaded markers set for Paige
Wendy Johnson's Japanese Garden shawl pattern for Amy (aka knitterofhats)!
I will be in touch with all, for shipping addresses.
No, this is not a prank. Even if it is April 1st.

Ele, I hope you'll check in with me here or through Ravelry (AnnBan), as your profile isn't available through Blogger.
Paige & fleegle, I will need addresses ASAP.

Once again

The time draws near for the drawing; I'll put up some photos of the lovely finished stitchmarkers:




Odd, I could have sworn I'd already posted some pictures of these. I guess they've just been on my mind so much, it seemed like a "done" thing. Well, be sure to comment on the 2/26/11 post in order to be in a drawing for these cuties. The little buttons are only .25" across; I've used them on baby booties--too tiny & sweet! Disco got a little carried away, and there are 7 stitch markers in that set. She's so silly--the alphabetic set will include "LDIR" after the Harlot's response to knitting that's kicking her arse. I may get her to include "MSB" also; if you can tell me what these abbreviations mean, you're a real Harlot follower!

A quickie

Please send good thoughts (if not prayers) out to Laurie aka Crazy Aunt Purl. The universe seems to have picked her out for more than her share of unpleasantness, which is a d**n shame 'coz she's such a nice lady. Go over to Wendy Johnson's blog, http://wendyknits.net/, & take a look at her Japanese Garden shawl -- one lucky commentor to my 2/26/11 post will win a copy of the pattern! If you're on Ravelry, I can gift it to you directly, but if not we'll work out something!

True story

It's a bit on the Seinfieldian side -- not much happens, but it's funny anyway. The Plaidman has been going deaf for a while now, and we're just living with it as best we can. DiscoDame & I aren't above getting a laugh out of his problem(s), far from it! I guess this "running gag" started in 2009, when we had dinner at Richard's (local Louisiana fare). There was a live band, and the only open seats were at a large table just half-way back into the dining room. So, there's a large expanse of table between us, and we're trying to have a bit of conversation with the deaf guy--an exercise in both hilarity & frustration. At one point, Disco said something to her Dad & got a puzzled look from him. Just then there's a lull in music, and he asks her, "What about Canadian sign language?!?!". She puts one hand behind her ear, asks "EHYA?", and then she & I just died laughing. So Canadian sign language has becoume our little way of ribbing the Plaidman. Many, many years ago he & I were listening to the radio in a car (long since gone!) that had no air conditioning, and he almost wrecked us because he thought the basketball team being discussed was the Hamilton Road Apples. (I heard the ad as Hampton Road Admirals, which turned out to be correct.) Wait for it. Two evenings ago, the chitchat over supper turned to March madness, and some team's miscue lead to the Plaidman saying that the Hamilton Road Apples were using Canadian sign language to communicate their next move. Rimshot! Yes, the Plaidman can even use our mockery of him to make a funny. BTW, thanks to all for sending good thoughts out on his behalf; he's much improved now, and is going today for a follow-up visit to his primary provider. I hope he remembers to call me after his visit, but I'm not holdling my breath--he'll likely go home & turn off his phone!
Not much to report on the knitting front, still plugging away at the pink stole. Last night I flipped through some of the knitting magazines I've got, looking for a beret pattern with some lace, that I could work up in place of the failed Janet beret. I will keep looking, there's gotta be something nice for Miss A.
3/26/11 ETA: I have selected another pattern for Miss A's hat, the Gwen Slouchy Beret, which I'm working up in Bamboo Ewe in a pale turquoise color. Let's hope this doesn't turn out to be a beanie!
Newsflash!: The drawing for the giveaway did not go off as planned. The stitchmarkers weren't ready, and without posting a picture I didn't feel like I had something to give away. Anyway, I've extended the deadline for comments on the 2/26/11 post to 3/31/11 (midnight, CDT). Please go & re-read that post, as I've editied it to show a picture & explain a VERY SPECIAL GIFT that will be in the drawing! Good luck!

See the lightbulb?

I mean the one over my head, as in, "Boy do I have an idea!" I follow http://wendyknits.net/ and I love her patterns. I'm not usually keen to buy patterns, since there are so many available for free if you do a little digging. BUT! Wendy has a shawl pattern, Japanese Garden, which is lovely and for which all the proceeds (after PayPal's cut) in March & April will go to the Red Cross relief efforts in Japan. I am going to purchase one of these patterns as part of of my giveaway for March! (& I will likely get another just for me!) So, go to my post of 2/26/11 "Drumroll, please..." and get a comment on there WITH your Ravelry name, so if I draw you for this gift I can gift it directly to you through Ravelry.
Last night, DiscoDame & I discussed the stitchmarkers for the March giveaway, and she'll have something ready to ship out before the end of the month--but I'm not sure we'll have a picture before the draw date of 3/25. Sorry!

Count down

Ten days until the giveaway! DiscoDame is working on some pastel beaded stitchmarkers as spring has nearly sprung. She's also working on some with knitting abbreviations via alphabet beads. I've told her we need some with four-letter words, but I don't know if she'll make them!
Last night I went to the grocery to pick up two very important items that I'd forgotten in the weekly shopping: a beef brisket & a head of cabbage! Can you believe it, I got the last Savoy cabbage in the bin. There were lots of briskets available, though. And you know the Plaid Patrol needs their corned beef & cabbage on St. Patrick's day! I'll have to get up early so I can put it in the slow cooker before I leave for work. Yum, I think I can smell it now....

Agony of defeat

I finished the Janet Beret last night; it seemed small, but I knew the tubular cast on would definitely stretch to 21" or 22". I made it in the "slouchy" version, with four 8-round repeats of the pattern as called for. Well, there was a brief struggle before I could get it on my head--and it's a beanie. A very pretty lace beanie, to be sure! But not what I wanted. So, it will go to the frog pond over the weekend, and I'll use bigger needles & increase more stitches -- a repeat of the lace pattern is 12 sts wide, adding a repeat above the brim would bring the total to 120 sts. Starting with 90 sts (actually 45 for the tubular cast on), I'd increase by 1 every third stitch. If the cast on is worked in US 7, then the 4 repeats of 8 rounds each could be worked on oh, say US 9? That should make a beret. I did have a good bit of the skein leftover, so will hope to have enough. Le sigh. I was really hoping I could have this ready to go to TEXAS real soon.

Lookee, new stuff!

Hi y'all! If it's Saturday, I must be posting from the library...and I am. I have some more pictures of this month's giveaway, which will be drawn on 3/25 from commentors on my previous post. Here's a pretty item up for grabs:

























I have pics of this month's stitchmarkers, but I haven't decided which ones I can bear to part with! DiscoDame is all about "reduce, re-use, recycle", so she's been saving the big pony beads from her old hair dodads, and put them to use in these:


I'm working on another lace beret, called the Janet Beret, and this is also done in a Stitch Nation yarn--Alpaca Love, in color Dusk. It's a lovely deep purple, which just happens to be a favorite of one of my nieces. I think I missed her birthday, but maybe a pretty lace beret would make her forget that!

Drumroll, please! Giveaway Time!

3/26/11 ETA: Due to extenuating circumstances, the drawing date for this month's Giveaway will be extended to 3/31/11 (midnight my time!). Later posts show a picture of the lace beret that's part of the "package"; here's a few shots of this month's stitchmarkers (the alphabet ones are examples; I promise there'll be more than two!):
The buttons used here are only 1/4" wide; I've used some of these on baby booties!

In addition to these cute little things & the two hats, one of this month's winners will receive a copy of the shawl pattern relesed by Wendy, Japanese Garden. She's sending her part of the payment for this pattern to the Red Cross's relief efforts in Japan, so if you have a Ravelry ID I can gift the pattern to you directly and you can be part of the relief effort. If you're not keen on the Red Cross, please check out Mason-Dixon Knitting--the ladies have a blanket pattern for sale, proceeds of which are to go to Doctors Without Borders. You know we knitters can shake & move the world when we pull together!










* * * ** * * * **

I've got a hat ready to give away for my March readers' gift:



These are really easy to make, and I just sold two to the Sarge. The yarn is Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick & Quick, machine wash & dry on low, very easy care and Sarge says his kids fight over them. They are wonderfully warm. There's a very deep ribbing, which can be rolled up for something like a watch cap or left unrolled.
I'm also working on an All-Day Beret, a Debbie Stoller design for Stitch Nation, in a lovely spring green--yes, it's Bamboo Ewe! Debbie had sent me some sample skeins she'd had from the maker (Red Heart), and this is the first I've used. No pics yet; but I'm about 6" up from the cast on edge, and it's very easy & quick. DiscoDame has been busy making more stitchmarkers, so I'll be offering them too--just gotta pick which set I'll part with! I packed up the February gift, including a little extra goodie (none of your business!), but to my surprise the Post Office was already closed this morning when I got there at 11:15! So Knitterofhats will have to wait another couple of days, but it will be mailed Monday.
Also on the needles: a Janet beret in Alpaca Love (more of Debbie's gift!), for which I worked a tubular cast on to start the ribbing -- nice & stretchy! I'm torn as to whether to offer it with the giveaway, as it's in Niece#1's favorite color. And I kinda owe her a birthday pressie...so maybe this first one goes to her, and I'll work another for next month, ok?
******I'm upping the ante this month, here's the deal: Starting 3/1/11, leave a comment on this blog post with either a link to your blog or to your profile on Ravelry. Then, on your blog or in the Blog Train group on Ravelry, mention my giveaway! I'll check these on 3/25/11, & for each mention of my giveaway, you'll get a chance to win a gift drawn on or about 3/25! I'll contact you for your particulars, and this month's drawing is open to addresses in North & South America & the EU & Australia. Just be sure to comment on this post, and leave me some contact info (blog or Ravelry). Good luck!

Next up

I'm working on a hat for the March giveaway, and should have it finished in time to post a picture by the end of the weekend. I'd like to made another hat, maybe something a little more spring-like. I was thinking of a beret, maybe in a fingering weight wool blend (aka sock yarn) or a cotton blend. If you've got an opnion either way, let me know via the comments. Tomorrow I'll mail KOH's gift; I hope the sun will come out long enough to get a photo of her items together. Whew! I think it might be time for a vacation. Oh, to lay about & do nothing for a week...

Claimed!

Amy aka knitterofhats has claimed the larger stitchmarker set, with the green beads. I plan to close the giveaway this Friday at midnight our time (Central time zone), so hurry up & comment on Cha-cha-changes!
I'm working on something I've never done before: duplicate stitch! I made some more hats for the Sarge, in Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick & Quick colors Barley & whatever they call their olive green (haven't looked at the ball band; it's pretty obviously olive!). For the barley (brown) I used a partial ball left from all the cowl knitting. I got to the last 3 rows, and ran out!! So I grabbed some leftover Oatmeal color worsted Wool Ease, triple-stranded it & used it to close the top of the hat. Doesn't look bad, but something made me offer to duplicate stitch in the Oatmeal on the rest of the hat, just a few simple shapes. It's trickier than I thought it would be. So far, I have a squashed-looking diamond shape, a scraggly rectangle, and a slightly lop-sided X on 3 of the wide ribs of the hat. Terrific. I hope I get better at it very quickly!

Cha-cha-changes!

I have been reading lots of blogs with weekly features, and was wondering if I could come up with a feature or two ("Manic Mondays"? "Thrifty Thursdays"?). I sure can't do a Fashion Friday, and couldn't bear to giveaway yarn every week (My Precious!). I'm not the greatest cook, although I do love my slow cooker! But the slow cooker blog's already been done; I'm a big follower. Both of the Make it Fast, Cook It Slow books are on my Amazon wish list. I've been knitting hats, cowls & fingerless gloves like crazy lately--and I could stand to give some of them away! I'll just post a few pics, just those little items that are available to a good home:
She really doesn't eat much, but is a nightowl for sure... No, I can't giveaway that one.
Erm, I made a slew of those silly fingerless mitts recently, but I did give some away already. Let's see now -- here's a pair that fit my hands (women's mediums)-

These are worsted acrylic, most likely Red Heart -- just be sure to add fabric softener to both the wash & dry (COOL only) cycles. I have another pair, same kind of yarn (aka "scraps"):

Then there are the ones I totally made up myself, based on Classic Elite's "Montera Cob Toque" (it's a free pattern). I've given a pair to Ms. Amanda, but I have more:
The green ones are a softer acrylic, still wash & dry cool.
The teal ones are also a soft acrylic (probably not Red Heart). These will fit an even larger hand.
Now, I don't expect a tremendous deluge of folks wanting a pair of my mitts, but I will post something in one of the Rav blog groups, and I'll put the friendly responses in a hat & draw 4 lucky ones. Be sure to tell me how to get in touch with you, in case you win -- tell me who you are on Ravelry, or give me a link to your blog. I've asked DiscoDame if she'd like to be part of my first giveaway, and provide a couple of sets of stitch markers for the First and Second responders only. I don't have pictures of the stitch markers yet, but Disco will make one set for needles up to US size 4, and another set for larger needles (up to US size 10.5). Here's how it works: you go to the Blog Comment Train group in Ravelry, find my post about the giveaway, which will direct you back here to make a comment. Or, you follow my blog (all 4 of you! Woot)and just happen to read about the giveaway here, and you make a comment. The 1st & 2nd commenters will get stitch markers, to be mailed out by March 12 if I've heard back from you as to a address. All commenters names go in a hat, & I will draw 4 out on Feb 18 to send them by March 12. I'm sorry, but I will only mail to North American addresses--this time! I hope to have a giveaway every month, which will vary between beaded goodies from DiscoDame, handknits from me, and possibly a few nice skeins of yarn (the stash is taking over the living room!) So, keep watching this space, as I'd like to do this again in March! Good Luck!