Celebrating with knitting ...

I drew the names from out of over thirty six people that participated in the "Name My Tea Cozy" contest and here are the winners ...



1. Debbieknitter won the Vickie Howell book "New Knits on the Block." with emphasis on knitting what kids really want. She can try 'em out on her own kids, hehe.

2. Sue from MommySusieKnits won the murder mystery "Knit One Kill Two". The story takes place in Colorado and I was excited for her because for some reason I thought Cody was in Colorado, but now I realize it's in Wyoming. But hey, Colorado is just south of Wyoming. Right? At one point, I think the story's main character even takes a drive up to a ranch in Wyoming. Well, I think she'll enjoy the story anyway. [And BTW, the book came from Cynthia asking me to pass it along to someone who would enjoy it.]

3. Sara from FabricNFiberFanatic won the Circular Solution needle organizer. She says she could really use it too.

4. And last but not least, Dorothy from Knitting stuff and going on and on ... has won the few balls of cotton and ribbon yarn that I no longer need. And when I took a look at her blog to get her email address, what do I find? Yup, a cotton knit washcloth! I think she'll use up what I'm sending don't you think? Whoohoo!!


And now it's on to knitting ....

WARNING ........ this is a spoiler, so if you don't want to see the new sock yarn & pattern for Socks That Rock ... don't look any further!






Whoohoo ... my April STR club sock yarn & pattern came in! It's a brand NEW yarn for the Blue Moon ladies. Not only do I love the colors, but it is soooooo SOFT and luxcious. 89% superwash merino and 10% SILK ... that's right ... silk; and it is wonderful to knit with. I cast on the very next morning. I bet I'll have these done pretty quick.

Here's a close up ...
Yummy!!


Only the night before, I wound up my sock yarn I plan to knit up for the summer ... but it looks like the next one there will have to wait a tiny bit longer ....

I think this new one from Brooklyn Hanspun will have to be next, don't you? It'll make a great Summer sock!


Of course I have a few WIPs like this one too ...



And I do have every intention of finishing it before the leaves turn in the Fall.

Honestly!

Do we have a Winner yet?

Happy Valentine's Day! And the winner is ...


Can you stand the suspense?


Envelope please ...


The winner is ....

NO WAIT!


They're still looking for the person who has the total numbers ...

Stay tuned! mahahahahaha

The winners have been announced!

For the Miracle Bag Contest at Strickanleitungen

Break out the wine bottle and give 'em a toast...

Platz 3: die Schaftasche von Claudia.

Platz 2: die Rosenzwergin von Sabine

Und *Tusch* Platz 1 die TeeTee-Fliege der Garnprinzessin.

Congratulations to the three top winners! It was fun participating and getting all the nice compliments I received, both in person and in blog comments. I had fun even tho I didn't win. Really! Thanks for all the support, cheers and thumbs-up I got from all my new friends here, with the Community Knitting Group at Seed Stitch and the SnB Gang at M.I.T.

Since I was asked more than once about the knit pattern I used for the Placemat, I'll include it here. The border is just garter stitch picking up the stitchs along each each and the flower stem is applied icord.

The leaf pattern is from the book, Nicky Epstein's Knitted Embellishments and the flower pattern is from Nicky Epstein's Knitting on the Edge.

But the center is an idea from a book called The Encyclopedia of Knitting and Crochet Stitch Patterns that I've had from back in the 1970's. I changed the pattern a little because I wanted it to look like latice work in a garden. It's not exactly like in the book tho.

I did a long tail cast on of 50 stitches with knitting needle size 7.

Row 1: knit across
Row 2 & 4: slip one stitch as if to purl, Purl across, turn
Row 3 & 5: Slip first stitch as if to knit, then follow in pattern with *sl 1 (purl wise) k1, yo, psso both stitchs [this means to pass the slipped stitch on right needle over both the k1 & yo just made], repeat from * across to last stitch. Knit last stitch.
Row 6: sl first stitch (purl wise), Purl across

Repeat Rows 1 - 6 for Pattern Stitch

That's all there is to it.

And I have one more bit of news for you all. A big SALE is about to happen at the Seed Stitch Fine Yarn store. [if you're not on a yarn diet, meet me there] 30 to 70 % Off two days only [oh go ahead and fall off the yarn diet for one day].

Here's the email message I got in my email box ....

CLOSEOUTS, DISCONTINUED COLORS, LAST SEASONS YARNS,PATTERNS, BOOKS AND GIFT ITEMS!!

SUNDAY, JANUARY 21ST AND MONDAY, JANUARY 22ND

12 NOON TO 5 PM BOTH DAYS 30%,40%,50%,60%,70% OFF

MAKING ROOM FOR NEW FIBERS

SEED STITCH FINE YARN

10 FRONT STREET

SALEM, MA

Make room for more Happy Knitting!