Category Archives: Contests

Contests, Knitting

Does the first sunburn of the season mean it’s spring?

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If so, then I guess it’s spring. 🙂

Take a questionnaire about creativity for a research project that Eve is doing, and you could win one of four $25 Amazon gift certificates. Contest ends May 15.

Looking for an adorable new kitten? Live in central Minnesota? Limedragon has info about a kitten that her aunt recently rescued.

Apparently Mayhem isn’t the only one who’s inspired to acrobatics by flying toys – Deb’s black kitty Sammy sure seems to be enjoying her new toy, doesn’t she?

Over the weekend, I finished that mysterious item I was knitting. Not surprisingly, it was a pair of socks. 🙂 The pattern was my variant of Rebecca’s Spirited Socks pattern, using an early and experimental test dyeing of her Black Beauty colorway. I knit one sock from each end of the ball of yarn.

“Hey, it was past time for a new cat bed around here. Cool.” -Mayhem

“Oh no – a mussed spot on my leg! Nobody look, please!! The shame…” -Mayhem

What? You couldn’t get a good look at the socks?! Ok…

Contests, Knitting

Not quite gale force…

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…but with our warmer weather (nearly 70F) yesterday, we also had wind advisories and winds gusting to 40 mph! Still no green in my neighborhood.

*sniff* Please keep the Craftylilly family in your thoughts – their beloved kitty, Wiji, fell and was severely injured yesterday and now is no longer with them. 🙁

V’s been very busy and hasn’t blogged much in recent memory, so to entice people back, she’s having a contest. Guess what she named her Webkinz (by 9 pm EDT, April 17) and you could win a kit for an adorable hat.

What sort of crazy, completely over-the-top thing would the Best Aunt Ever be doing for an incipient nephliece? Share your ideas with Michaele by midnight MDT, May 1, and you could win a puking animal creamer or other wondrous prizes! You can enter as many times as you’d like, and the contest is not limited to knitters. (This should give you an idea of just how far Michaele is willing to go, knitwise, to be the Best Aunt Ever.)

And really, I am knitting! I actually have two projects nearly done. Here’s a tease for one:

Yes, I do know it’s black and purple, Marina. 😛

Oh oh – obviously some of you made eye contact with May yesterday…

“Still waiting… Your feeble ‘behind-the-screen’ excuses are pathetic. I grow displeased.” -Mayhem

Contests, Festing

In which I become Knitter #500something

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Emma’s celebrating her blogiversary with a contest – guess which color she and her husband will paint their bathroom and you could win a skein of Wollmeise! Leave your guess by midnight CDT, April 18 – winner will be announced when a color is selected.

Thanks to Rebecca for letting me know about this very funny YouTube video. “Corporal cuddling” is my favorite means of cat discipline. Hee hee.

On Saturday, Jeanne and I journeyed out to the market at Yarnover (imagine an extremely mini Stitches event or the like). While there, we had the chance to participate in Franklin’s 1000 Knitters Project. Here are Franklin and Jeanne:

I’m sure Jeanne will post the picture of me at some point. 🙂

We also spent some time wandering around at Uncle Hugo’s/Uncle Edgar’s (support your local independent booksellers if you want them to survive!) and then had a tasty lunch at Chiang Mai Thai. A very pleasant way to spend a rainy/snowy/sleety/windy Saturday.

Oh, what did I buy at Yarnover? Jeanne and I each bought a skein of the same yarn – 823 yards of Rovings‘ fingering weight Polwarth-silk to dye this summer.

“Is a Polwarth a type of kitty? Or a kitty snack?!” -Mayhem

Contests, Those Cats

“Hold me closer, tiny [Cat] Dancer…”

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String Bean’s taken some fabulous pictures of graffiti murals in Olympia, Washington.

Knitnzu has just the post for those of you who love the surreality of vintage knitting pattern booklets. I laughed, I shrieked…

Marsha not only has a great post of links to items of knitterly interest, she’s also having another contest! She’s giving away several of those ginormous IKEA blue bags for those of you who don’t have an IKEA near you (and thus have no idea how darn useful those ginormous bags can be). She’ll select a random winner on April 16.

As promised, some pictures of May meeting the Cat Dancer. No need to caption these, as May obviously has only one thing on her mind: “Must. Get. Cat. Dancer.”

Contests, Knitting

Inadvertently stealthy

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Grumperina’s giving away two skeins of the Lorna’s Laces Grumperina colorway – leave her a comment before 11:59 pm EDT, April 8 (aka today), to be included in the drawing.

Check out the Third Annual Movie-Plot Threat Contest. Entries are due by May 1. Last year’s winner got a $50 Amazon gift certificate and signed copies of Bruce Schneier’s books

Kmkat nicely sums up my feelings about the brief bout of snow we had yesterday morning. Hmph.

Knitting Update
On Sunday, I finished a pair of socks you didn’t know I was knitting. 🙂 These were started March 11. The pattern is Elegance, from Sockamania. The yarn is ALWO Strumpfwolle, which I begged off of Jane after she decided she didn’t like the colorway (06). Jane, how many stitches were you using when it was pooling like that?! I really like the effect I got at 72 stitches on 2mm needles (around 8 stitches/inch).

“Mayhem!! I’m trying to take pictures of my socks! Not the time or place for a bath!” -me

*groom groom groom* -Mayhem

“Sheesh, simmer down there, Mom. Um… you aren’t going to use that picture, right?” -Mayhem

“Hee hee hee. Of course not, sweetie. Hee hee hee.” -me

Contests, Reading

Don’t purple jersey sheets mean spring to you?!

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Fricknits is holding a fundraiser for a new Ravelry server. Every $10 you donate to the “Ravelraiser” between now and April 25 is an entry into the prize drawing – and some pretty cool prizes have already been donated.

Becka’s having a “Knit-Tit-Along” – check out the details on her blog. She’ll randomly select participants in the along to receive prizes on May 4.

Reading Update
A Quick Bite, Love Bites, Single White Vampire, A Bite to Remember, Bite Me if You Can, The Accidental Vampire, and Vampire, Interrupted by Lynsay Sands. Um, in one week I read seven of the nine Argeneau Vampires books… They’re somewhat predictable paranormal romances with the occasional massive internal logic breakdown, but I obviously enjoyed them, eh?
Knitting Bones by Monica Ferris. Really, the only reason I read the Betsy Devonshire Needlecraft Mysteries is that they’re set in Excelsior, Minnesota, and occasionally have amusing in-jokes.
Wife for Hire by Janet Evanovich. This is a totally silly romance that Evanovich wrote 18 years ago. A very light, fast read.

Signs of Spring
Saturday was mostly sunny and in the mid-60s and the snow but a memory. I awoke Sunday morning with “Must. Change out. Flannel. Sheets. Now.” flashing through my brain. So, after the usual 3 or 4 hours it takes to do that task around here, I’m sleeping happy in my spring/fall “transitional” jersey sheets. Ahhhh. Now, if only something green would grow outside…

“I have you trapped, big kitty! Bwa-ha-ha!” -Mayhem

“Curses. Why did Mom decide to trim my claws this weekend?!” -Chaos

Contests, Knitting

Retro kitties

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It’s Wendy’s 6th blogiversary and she’s having a WendyKnits trivia contest. First prize is a $50 gift certificate to the Loopy Ewe! Deadline to enter is noon EDT, April 3.

Knitnzu is having a snow melt contest – guess when the monstrous pile of snow will finish melting and you could win yarn. Leave your guesses by April 4, 6 pm EDT.

My KnitPicks Options needle case arrived from Zonda! I also had her make me a sock knitting bag from the same fabric. I absolutely adore both.

“Can’t… quite… reach… itchy spot.” -Chaos

“It sure was nice of Mom to get us this brand new kitty bed, wasn’t it, big kitty? Is this a pillow over here?” -Mayhem

“Dum dee dum dee dum… Maybe if I ignore the itchy spot, it will stop itching… Did you say something, May?” -Chaos

“I was just wondering if this was a pillow or what.” -Mayhem

“Um, May? You’re a cat. You don’t need a pillow. Suck it up and be tough like me! Cursed itchy spot. Where’s Mom when you need her?” -Chaos

“Well, that sent May off in a huff, didn’t it? Oh, what do we have over here?” -Chaos

“Cool! This comes with a nifty purple cat toy! Purple’s my second favorite color, you know. Hey, I don’t feel itchy anymore!” -Chaos

Oh oh – gotta go and rescue that cable!

Contests, Randonymity

Can’t blog – taxes ate my brain…

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Lynne’s having a “one year since first flying to the US” contest – explain three differences between the two pictured socks and you will be entered in a drawing for some yummy sock yarn and stitchmarkers. Contest closes 6 pm PDT, March 30.

Mim’s having a signs of spring contest. Post pictures of your favorite signs of spring, then let her know about it before 5 pm MDT, April 1, when she’ll randomly select someone to win a “yarn-y prize.”

It’s birthday month at Knittymama’s and she’s having a “best of 2008 so far” contest to celebrate. Leave her a comment with a link to the best knitting pattern/article/blog post/etc you’ve seen so far this year. On April 15, she’ll randomly select a winner to receive an adorable mini project bag or needle roll.

I actually had something to blog, but after finishing my taxes, my brain is utter mush. “Thanks” to Maryse for triggering this “must do taxes now!” thing. 😉 So let’s look at this nice picture of Chaos breathing deep the calming waves of Feliway feline pheromones, shall we? (See the little misty shadows on the left? That’s the stuff.)

“Ahhhhhhhh…” -Chaos

“Like, I feel totally mellow, dudes. You should try this stuff.” -Chaos

Contests, Randonymity

Incoherency

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The first two people to guess where Kristi’s photos were taken will get 8×10 prints of that location. Get your guesses in by Thursday or Friday of this week.

Holly’s been participating in the 52 Pair Plunge (knit a pair of socks each week from April 1, 2007, to April 1, 2008). This experience has inspired her to revamp the poem “The Charge of Light Brigade” into “The Charge of the Sock Brigade.” Help her add verses to her poem and if your verse is particularly good, you could win some sock yarn!

  • Yesterday morning was rough. First, I dreamed about one of my coworkers in a way that left me feeling a titch uncomfortable around him in the office yesterday. D’oh! Second, between hitting snooze the first time and actually crawling out of bed a while later, I completely convinced myself that it was Friday morning. Double d’oh! I was so sad when I realized how very wrong I was…
  • After years of searching for US00/1.75mm circular needles for sock knitting, suddenly there are two choices: Hiya Hiya (strangely not mentioned on their own website, but available from retailers) and Addi Lace. Many thanks to Bethany for alerting me to this development!
  • Does it surprise you to learn that, with all the vampire and shapeshifter sorts of books I read, I’m not a fan of horror? Well, except for H.P. Lovecraft, but he’s too darn scary to read very often.
  • Have I mentioned that I will most likely be spending several weeks in the UK this September? My stepmom will be teaching at Alnwick Castle (the castle in Harry Potter) and I will have the chance to stay in the castle with she and my dad! I’m also hoping to spend some time with the Paos.
  • My ASL I class is done for the quarter. Of the eight sessions, I was sick for one and the instructor had to cancel the last class due to a family emergency. I’ve signed up for ASL I again next quarter, as I really don’t feel ready to move on to ASL II. If the instructor disagrees, ASL II is two days after ASL I, so I can change classes.
  • I have been knitting – expect a major bib photoshoot sometime soon, as a plague of babies is about to descend upon my office. Although, since Mayhem knocked a beer over onto my bib-in-progress last night, it looks like I have some bib washing ahead of me, too. I’m guessing it’s poor form to give baby gifts that smell like beer…

“I can’t believe you told about that, Mom. I’m so ashamed… now everyone will think I’m clumsy!” -Mayhem

Um, sweetie? I have some bad news for you – you are clumsy… I’m sure if Chaos ever stops biting your whiskers off, you’ll be much more graceful. (P.S. Probably you should stop nursing from him, too.)

Contests, Reading

Monday, Monday

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Jane’s celebrating her blogiversary with a contest – leave a comment before 3/25 to participate.

Cosmo is home!

Reading Update
Glass Houses: The Morganville Vampires, Book One by Rachel Caine. For some reason, I kept thinking about the bit in the movie The Lost Boys when Grandpa says, “One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach, all the damn vampires.” Yup. That’s the situation in Morganville.
New Moon and Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer. More vampire novels! 🙂 Although I really wish Bella wasn’t so passive, the second and third books of the Twilight Saga totally sucked me in. I spent the last 45 minutes of Eclipse trying to read while crying. *sniff* I’m glad to see that the next book (Breaking Dawn) will be out at the beginning of August.
Dream Chaser (A Dream-Hunter Novel) by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Not exactly a Dark-Hunter novel, but since Acheron is in it…

Snow Update
It snowed Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Good thing it snowed lightly, or we’d be totally buried! This picture from Friday morning could’ve been taken either Saturday or Sunday, too.

Check out the cute snow bunny that Limedragon saw!

But hey, at least the first day of spring (last Thursday) was pretty sunny, right?! (Help me out here, folks…)

“Mmmm… sunbeams…” -Mayhem