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...

It's all over but the shouting

And I have exactly one (1) winner: Knitterofhats has claimed the larger stitchmarkers and the teal cob-stitch mitts (my design). So, the other set of markers and some of the mitts will go back into my holiday gift bin, and will not be on a giveaway here anytime soon. I have started knitting a hat for the next giveaway, and already have two sets of stitchmarkers ready to go. Would you like me to add a skein(/ball/hank) of yarn? I think I will, so I'd better go stash diving for a nice one.
I brought Sarge's hats into work, and he's happy with them. I had to break into my yarn-stash-cash piggy bank to get his change; the Plaidman took all my cash for laundry this weekend!

Hello

O.K. everybody, big news: I’m going to be co-authoring on my Mom’s blog, Trés Divine, on a regular basis (as in more often than on my blog at http://www.discodamespursuitoflife.blogspot.com/). Starting this Spring, I’ll be posting at least once a month, and I’ll also post the start/end of events on mom’s blog.
Speaking of events; Mom is having a giveaway on Trés Divine: four pairs of hand-knitted fingerless mitts, and two sets of hand-made stitch markers. For complete details, please go to my mom’s blog: www.tresdivine.blogspot.com; look for the post titled “Cha-cha-changes”,

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!

Here they are!

I've got pictures of the stitch markers DiscoDame created for our giveaway. I'll let you look; the first commenter on the "Cha-cha-changes" post earlier this month will get to pick one of these two sets:




I had a really hard time getting a decent picture of the "tiny" set, which will fit up to 5 mm needles. They are quite simple, just a jump ring with a bead for 5, with 1 ring also having a couple of teeny "crystal" accent beads on their own itty jump rings. The larger set up accomodate up to US sz 13; the beads on 5 are approximately the same size but different shades of green, with the one for the start of your row being a much bigger bead (still green!). Let me be clear: these two sets are the only ones in this month's giveaway. I had to say that, because she's given me another set which is just wonderful, so lovely that I don't want to part with it! Check out this set; she's upcycling buttons!




Now for the really big news: DiscoDame will be co-authoring this blog! Look for her to add her profile (or maybe we have to have a joint profile? IDK; she's the techie so I'll let her sort it out!); she's agreed to allow me editorial control -- which means she's to write up her posts but let me review them before they're published. I am nothing if not a control freak.

Winner #1!!

Knitterofhats gets 1st choice of the stitch markers from DiscoDame, which she just finished last night! I've yet to take a picture of these, but they turned out well. So, KOH, wait 'till I get the pics up & I'll contact you to get your selection & an address. I'm so tickled to already have a WINNER!

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!