bad, sick blogger

I've been a bad blogger this week. Crazy work and horrible coughing cold since Sunday. Can't concentrate enough even to knit well. Tinked multiple stole pattern rows before I gave up and tried plain knitting --- no luck. Hopefully better by Friday, cause we leave for Rhinebeck at 4:45 AM on Saturday!

I'm going to post a contest on Sunday if all goes well with fun prizes to celebrate the visits to my blog - so stay tuned.

Contest #4 FFBE

It's a crisp, cool, sunny Sunday in October - the sky is clear, there's a bit of a breeze, and the leaves have already started to change. How would you spend your day to best celebrate and enjoy the season? Are you at home curled up with tea and a book and a window open to enjoy the breeze? Do you head out on a long drive and hike through the mountains to see the trees? Go find pumpkins and colored corn to decorate? Tell us about your special day!

My favorite kind of fall weekend day -- is to go to one of the local farms with my husband and pick-out pumpkins and gourds for the house. We have a blast arguing over which pumpkins will be the best for carving and picking out apples, gourds, corns, etc. for the house. It a bit of nip in the air and sun shinning. Then, we will go home and have a pumpkin carving contest!

Contest

I just noticed that I've now had more than 1500 website visits to my blog! Wow, who knew - So we'll have to start a contest. I'll work on some prizes this weekend. Any contest ideas - other than a random number generator?

FFBE Weekly Contest #3

How often do you change the purse or bag you're carrying? Do you change based on seasons? Outfits? Something else? What's your favorite bag in the world (and it doesn't have to be a knit/felted one!)?

I typically will only change my purse and bag (I carry a purse + a bag for work with my lunch, misc papers and my knitting of course) when the seasons change. I can't be bothered to move all my junk from one bag to the next to match my clothes. I sometimes will switch to a specific bag if we are going somewhere where I need something specific. Ex - vacation - need a bag that is easy to carry water and camera with out killing my sholders.

My favorite bag is probably my white leather coach purse. I got it on sale at a Coach outlet and I absolutely love it. It has pockets that are just the right size in the right places and just enough room for the essentials, so I don't end up dragging too much stuff around. I like it so much in fact that I got a tan one that is almost identical for Fall. They are great bags - really well made and timeless.

In knitting news - I have a few picture progress updates:

Bacardi:
Slow and steady is the game on this one. Love the yarn though RYC Cashsoft - brings soft to a whole new level.

Monkey Socks:

Turned the heel and switched to 2 circs. Really love the technique and will continue to work on the foot - so that I can do the toe in Saturday's class.

Secret of the Stole:

Sloppy pinning job - but you get the idea. I have about 10 rows left then I'm done with Hint#1. It's a great project - definitely think I'll be doing beads again. It's really easy with a crochet hook.

I also mailed off my second SP 11 and my FFBE packages to my Pals - hope they like them. I'll post some pics after I know that they received them.

FO, Stash Enhancement & SP 11 Contest #2

A few random things for today. I finished my mittens today and Tuesday I finished all the pieces for my FFBE bag! Yeah - feels like its been forever since I finished something:






























To add to my joy - the postman delivered two packages today----

My recent Loopy Ewe Sneak Up Order:

Fleece Artist Merino in Mermaid - Yummy & 2 Wendy Knit's Sock Patterns















The other package contained the yarn I'm going to use to make the Bacardi Cardigan from No Sheep For You for my Mum for Christmas. I decided not to use the cotton in the original b/c I wanted something softer and more drapey -- I'm using RYC Cashsoft DK (love how it feels and it makes a really beautiful fabric).




SP 11 Contest -
Shelby our lovely Sp 11 hostess is hosting Contest #2 for SP11. We are to post pictures of our stash - a little crazy right now - as I'm working on the 2nd package for my SP11 pal and my FFBE package, but here it goes..... If you are on ravelry you can check-out the details of my stash on the site - my username is "kamcole". It's pretty up-to-date its only missing the cashsoft for the fore mentioned sweater and the cashsoft I'm using for the never ending blanket.

Happy Knittiversary to Peggy!

Go wish Peggy a happy Knittiversary to be entered in her contest and tell her why/when you become a Knitter (instead of a knitter).

Made some progress on the swaps today. I picked out some felting yarn for the FFBE bag and some Hogwarts yarn for a little goodie to go in my swap package (I think I'm also going to make hats and mitten from Charmed Knits for my nephews-to-be). Plus - I received my HSKS 3 sock yarn and stitch markers in the mail today. Tomorrow, I'm going to start putting the packages together and taking some photos that I can post after my partners receive them in the mail. Yeah!!

Contest Queen

I'm the contest queen - I seem to find them everywhere I go. I'll have to host one of my own soon. This Kitten Knits is having a blogiversary contest - check it out and let her know I sent you!

Contest Again - She Knits!

Ok - so as you may have guessed, I have yet again entered another blog contest. I think they are really fun. She-Knits is hosting a contest on her blog. She makes beautiful felted bags that are sold in her Etsy shop. Go ahead and participate - it's really easy! Just post a comment on the blog and let her know that you are "in"; send an email as instructed in the blog with a bag of hers that you would like to see a pattern for or one in a magazine or on the web that has a shape that you would like to see interpreted in a knitted or felted bag. You can win a bag kit of her design or yarn! Hey all you Felted Bag Exchange participants --- you should get in. You might win some yarn to make your swap gift.

Contest!

As you may know if you read my blog, I'm always up for a good contest. There is a fun one on the Golden Purl Blog - http://goldenpurl.blogspot.com/2007/08/contest.html. It is a drawing for multiple beautiful yarny items - for her Anniversaries (Blog & Wedding). You can be entered in the drawing (for one of 4 prizes) by Commenting on her blog, posting the contest on yours, and if people let her know that you were referred. So go try it out and let her know I sent you! Thanks & Good Luck.

New Addition

It's been a busy weekend. My parents came in on Thurs to visit with us for a long weekend. I had sweater class at the local LYS that night, work on Friday, baseball game Fri night, Saturday off to an outdoor Quilt Show and then we braved the newly opened Cheesecake Factory restaurant (absolutely mobbed) and then last but not least off to the Corning Glass Museum on Sunday - we got to make our own glass Christmas Balls. So after all that I'm a bit tired - but I did take a vacation day tomorrow since my Parents won't be leaving until late morning. All the time in the car - did allow for some productive knitting - 2 rows left on my baby cardigan then just last ends to weave and that will be done. I started a table runner in the car with Rowan handknit cotton - but I'm not happy with the pattern - (after 10 rows of 276 stchs - frussstrating..). I think I'm going to frog it and use the yarn for something else.

Plus - we got a call from my youngest brother - he and his girlfriend are expecting. I bit surprising, but we're all excited. Plus I get to knit more baby stuff - which I love - even though we don't have any of our own yet. Waiting for my DH to find a full time teaching job - particularly since we don't have family around that can help pitch in - which means full time day care $$$$$.

If I haven't said it before - I just have to repeat - I love knitting blogs - it is so much fun to read about everyone's projects, progress and general life events. It really brings the world closer together. Contests are also a lot of fun. You should check out the contest on this one: http://shutupimcounting.blogspot.com/2007/08/post-222-contest.html. It is a lot of fun to read everyone's responses to the contest questions:
2 favorite knitting blogs; 2 favorite knitting books; 2 favorite knitting patterns

I'll try to post some pictures of the almost finished cardigan tomorrow while I'm home. Goodnight all!