From My Cold Dead Hands... to Yours

Yes, that's right, I'm actually digging something out of my closely held stash to give away. This is the first time it's ever happened and it may never happen again, so I recommend jumping on this possible one-time offer!

Oh, but first you must admire the baby blanket I finally finished! I started it in January and here it is June, all done. Oh, didn't I mention I started in January of 2008? Um, yeah. To distract you from that distressing amount of time, I chose a very charming model: Tiny's stuffed Mononucleosis. No, really. She got it as a gift. I suppose most people get it that way...Okay, you've been waiting patiently, so let's get the most exciting portion of this blog underway! I accidentally wound up with a second copy of the Yarn Harlot's Page-a-Day calendar. I just adore my copy--some days are funny, some are informative, some inspirational--but how many of the same calendar does a girl really need? So I figured I should give it to someone who really wants it. As it's already June, I wanna get this baby to you before even more of the year disappears.I'm also adding in three balls of Knit Picks Risata--that's a fingering weight cotton/wool/polyamide/elastic yarn, perfect for summertime knitting! I must confess I was probably seduced by the name of the colorway: Fairy Tale. They could have named it anything, really. Well, not green. Now this is open to anyone with a mailing address in the US or Canada. I know that's not fair, but I can't get Jane Brockett's giveaway acuz she's in the UK. No whining.

How to get in on the fun:

1. Have a mailing address in the US or Canada.
2. Leave a comment on THIS bog entry and tell me what you would call this yarn colorway. Disqualification for just saying purple. I mean, come on!
3. Deadline to enter: June 12, midnight PST
4. Then I'll contact the rapturous winner for their address and all will be joy. (PS: if I can't get ahold of you by June 19, I'm pulling another name. So there.)

And extra points to anybody who can tell me what this mysterious plant is that has invaded my front yard.

Ravelympics Begin!

The proper date for this entry should be Tuesday February 16, because that's when I went to the beach at La Jolla Shores. It was a nice, warm day. In fact, I got myself a nice little sunburn! (Just on my shoulder where my blouse didn't cover.) But, as you can see, folks were playing in the sand and frolicking in the water. I took this little travel bug with me to enjoy the ocean air. She's called Blazena and she's from the Czech Republic. I found her in town and will probably place her near the airport so someone can take her travelling. Her mission was to travel the US and Japan before returning home. The Olympics have begun, as have the Ravelympics. That means the participants on their various teams are knitting for medals. My team is Battlestar Kickasstica. I am working on this scarf (again), chasing a WIPs Dancing medal. (WIP: Work In Progress) It's kinda like Ice Dancing, but you don't have a partner. If I finish my project by the time the torch is extinguished, I win! I'm also working on this blankie for another WIPs Dance. (Not sure if it'll make it to the finish line, though.)

Trumped!

The baby blanket I've been working on has been trumped. I know, you're saying, "What could possibly trump a blanket made by a cousin who loves her very much?" And the answer is, "The very blanket made by DC's grandmother for when she was an infant." DC (that's dear cousin) was wrapped in it when her mom brought her home from the hospital. That's REALLY special. So I guess it'll go on the back burner for now. I'll put it away with the instructions and I can get it out whenever another baby pops up. It's almost half done...The good news is I can focus my knitting energy more tightly on the dress I'm making for DD. And, hey, she might actually get it before she graduates from high school! Here's the pattern:And here's the progress to date:

Readin' and Knittin' and Stitchin'

Okay, Kids, I'm still working on that border for Kiwi Twist. I sit down and set a timer for 20 minutes. I've still got one side and one corner left. So it's moving along. I hope to have it done this week. Maybe I'll even make a label. Ol' Molly is sitting idle, waiting for me to do some more machine work!

The baby blanket is also moving along. I just measured and it's 14" long. That's about 1/3 done. I actually took it to the movies and knitted in the dark, slowly but without mistakes. No mistakes that I could find, anyway.

I thought I'd let you know about this fun site I've been going to: Paperback Swap. It works on a credit system. Each credit is good for one book. I got a credit for posting my first 10 books. I get a credit for each book I send out. (I've sent out over 30 books!) AND, if YOU sign up, using my link, I'll get another credit. Even if you forget to credit me, I still think it's a cool system and I'd love to have you enjoy it too. And if the book you want isn't currently available, there's even a wishlist--they'll contact you when it shows up in the system. If you're interested, there's a link under my photo.

Naked Stranger!

Yes, there was a naked man in my front yard yesterday! Okay, so he was only temporarily naked and he was really in the street in front of my house. But still, he was nekkid! I think he was changing from being at the beach because I think I saw a wetsuit but, cheese louise! We live a good ten or fifteen minutes away! Isn't there a men's room between here and there?

On the knitting front: the baby blanket now has three blocks and I found a picture of someone else's finished blanket. Cute huh?




Also, I made a quilt top I'm calling Leapfrog. As we'll be off to Texas this coming Saturday, I may have very little chance to blog. Golly, I hope my camera comes today. Then I can show y'all what I'm up to! See how I added that y'all right in, like a real Texan? Shoot, I don't really speak the lingo but I'll give it a Yankee try!

Borg-Vision!

This is what my work would look like if I had borg-vision. I guess that's why they're not known for their handwork. (Yes, my camera is misbehaving.) The baby blanket is green, but not this green! And what's with all the horizontal lines? This is my stitching without a flash--it's usually a little dark, but oh, dear! And here is my stitching with the flash--a very green pink, wouldn't you say? The good news is that I have completed the March stitching on the Red Thread SAL and started the border with weathered barn floss--I like it a lot better than the coffee color for my fabric... although it's hard to tell....

Girlfriends Group

Yesterday, I went to something fun: a Girlfriends Group from MeetUp.com. We met in Point Loma at Panera and brought our knitting (although crochet and other handwork would have been welcome!). I started this baby blanket, Christie was working on a dress (!), Sherry brought a vest she had gotten stuck on--Christie fixed her right up--Heather, our organizer, was working on a cute little dog sweater, and Jillian brought herself back up to speed on the needles. We keep saying how pleasant it is, to get together with "nice, normal women with no drama." (Heh, heh, heh.... wait 'til they really get to know me and my evil twin!)
I put a little tag for the group on the sidebar, beneath my Way Too Many Projects section, so you can check it out. Yes, it's a baby blanket. No, it's not for me. Give that up! I've been wanting to make this pattern for about a year. Now finally someone I know is obliging me by having a baby! Yay! It's all about me, isn't it?