The Chicago Top Ten for the Week of Nov. 30, 2009

You still have today to get into the contest. Mr. Honey will pull the winner sometime this evening and I will review all the entries and announce the winner tomorrow!!

OK, so I chose a restaurant for my birthday dinner. Way back decades ago when I was in college, there was this restaurant by the campus called My Pie (except on the sign the pie was the Pi sign.) Great pizza - I mean really great. They closed but then a year or so back I read an article where they reopened a couple of restaurants and I tucked that information away. When Mr. Honey asked where I wanted to go for my birthday, I chose My Pie. I dutifully looked it up on the Internet (because Mr. Honey always wants to review the menu before he goes) and I looked at the menu - not surprising for a pizza restaurant, it had pizza stuff like that and it had a daily special that said either dine in or carry out.

I need to repeat that: the daily special was good for dine in and carry out.

So we mapped out how to get to the place because it wasn't far but it wasn't close. So we get to it and

no restaurant.

I don't mean that is was closed - I mean I didn't see a building. We passed by a few more times and then I saw it. It's not a stand alone restaurant - it's in a mall.

So we park, get out of the car and walk over to the place.
Do you know what dine in means?

One of those tacky little glass patio tables with two ratty rattan chairs and some of the rattan was missing.
Ended up going to Giordanos' cuz we wanted pizza. Mr. Honey was kind enough to say that didn't count as my Bd dinner. There's another My Pie location in the suburbs and he suggested I call them to see if they were a dine in restaurant - but I don't trust them to know.

But that's not why you're here. You want to see the goodies I've picked for this week - and I want to show them to you. I promise the word 'pie' is not in the title of any of them. So here, in no particular order, are the ten things that will make me forget the birthday restaurant experience:

Holiday Pillows by Earth Cadets
It's nice that there's a pair - but I only need the one.

Iris Heart Necklace by Chinacherie
It's pretty and elegant and will suite a wide age range. This is the kind of piece that goes timeless.

Cashmere Dog Sweater by shopKCQ
Not only is the sweater cute, but you know the dog is saying: 'After this is over, you so better be giving me treats.'

Orange Dichronic Glass pendant by lpjewelry
Whimsical, cute and the color is eyecatching!

Blessing Pears by Middleburg
I could never do paper mache when I was a kid. I just ended up with a goopy mess my mother wouldn't even show off on the mantle. This is a much better improvement!


So, how's the Christmas shopping coming? I have one set of items to make. During the week when I haven't been posting, I've been a cotton dish/hand/body cloth making machine. I've made about 10 spa cloths, 5 scrubbers, 4 pots/pan scrubbers and 5 face scrubbers. We'll see how well they do at the holiday shop which opens this weekend.

I've also been working on the new church website. So, you see, I have my reasons. Hey, a new giveaway is coming, too. Kind of a neat prize, too. You can thank that ole Knitting Knoobie Suzy for it. I'll explain that when it happens! For now, here are the final five:

Mena by jenniferhawkjewelry
These are so pretty!

3 Strand necklace by sweetcharity
Colorful and really beautiful, I can see wearing this necklace on a nice night out (to a restaurant with real seating!)

Santa Stone Coasters by creativecoasterchick
Here's my selection for the holiday season. These are kicky and cute. You can sit your glass right on Santa's face!

Messenger sling by toteworthydesigns
That this cute little tote bag made the list isn't a surprise - but how did a store with the word 'tote' in it escape my notice for so long?

Timmy by glasscat
Glasscat returns to the list because of this very cute and funny suncatcher. I think it would look great in the window of a child's room!


I hope your Thanksgiving was great! I cooked a really good dinner and we had the leftovers the next night and they were even better than the first night. Mr. Honey will be cooking the Christmas dinner and he has something to beat; I'll tell you that!

I also hope you get the chance to take the batteries out and let them recharge. The holiday season is hectic and leads right into the new year so there's stress to be had all around. But you don't have to let it get to you. Make the time to take some deep, cleansing breaths and let the world turn without for a moment or two. It's the best present you can give yourself!

The Chicago Top Ten for the Week of Nov. 23, 2009

It's almost Thanksgiving.
This year Mr. Honey and I will be staying home. We were invited to his brother's but I had already told him I wanted him for myself this Thanksgiving and I will be cooking - but he can bake the gingerbread - I should probably remind him of that.

I wasn't sure there was a lot I would want to be thankful for this year; there was so much stress, but there are things to be thankful for - there always are:

I am thankful for my aunt 'Bay.' She is the last one of her generation. After her there are no more aunts, uncles, Moms or Dads for me any all my cousins. She is in poor health and I have been in contact with her. She is the 'fun' aunt and I am grateful for her laughter and her smile - especially after all she has gone through in her life. She has a genuine spirit that will stay with her the rest of her days.

I am thankful Gayle, Judy and Cindi. Four friends from the other church who's friendship was never in question. They have stayed by me during the entire ordeal even though Judy now lives in New York. Cindi is Gayle's daughter and she and her husband have been very present and vocal. It's good to know people will speak up for you when the popular thing is to remain silent in the presence of a bully.

I am thankful for Mr. Honey for being the most wonderful husband in this and probably any universe. He handed over $30K to me in the summer and then just last week asked me what I wanted for my birthday.

I am thankful for all of you in the knitting blogosphere. Those who comment and those who lurk and those who do both. I really feel connected to you all and I don't remember what life was like before you - but it could not have been this fun.

Are you ready for this week's picks? I am thankful to be able to bring them to you - and when you see them you'll know why. In no particular order here are ten items to think about over the holiday week:

Snakeskin Purse by grandmamarievintage
Veru funky, very vintage

Customized mirror by chaoticcurios
I had to pick out a mirror and i like the funky chunky one with the letter. I like them all. what a unique gift idea for someone!

Cubes by burntone
I don't know what it is but this painting intrigues me.

French Love Letter by chinacherie
They've made the list before and earned another spot with this lovely piece.

Beach walk by liamparkinson
This isn't his first time on the list, either, and this photo is just stunning.

So what are you doing this Thanksgiving? If you have some time between visits and friends, you still have until the end of the month to enter the contest. There will be another contest coming sometime next month as well. I have more books I can afford to give away and there's always someone out there who can use it! How about the final five?

Green River by peggysu1464
I love the color and the stillness, but it's the reflection in the water that sold it!

Baby Pod by ventichi
Doesn't it make your uterus ache?

Holiday shimmer by glasscat
O come on, you knew it was just a matter of when the earrings would show up!

Teardrop Earrings by uncharted
These will be home for Christmas

Shumai by gobuggy
Two words: clev ver!


I wish for you and your family the time together to appreciate the good things about each other and that your hearts are so warmed in your company that you cannot wait for the next time to be together. Have a safe Thanksgiving!

A Special Kind of Prayer Shawl

Still have time to enter the contest and win a nice 'knit kit' or some stash yarn from my stash to yours!

The prayer shawl in the picture was started last Sunday during church. I like to sit in the back and knit. It's not that people can't see me, but sitting in the back is less distracting and the prayers of the people can still reach what's on the needles. It was easier at the other church because it's a lot bigger and sitting in the back was like sitting in a cavern. At the new church, people can easily see.

This prayer shawl is special because it is the first one I knit for someone at the new church. There are prayers and good wishes for the recipient knit into it, but there's also relief and relaxation knit into it from me. I just feel so much better.

It's going to a woman who has come to that time in her life where she can no longer make all her own decisions. She suffered a fall and her husband is also in poor health and they can no longer live alone. She's in her upper 80's and she's reached that point.

God bless her life that she has been able to live it in her own way for so long. The most precious gift we have is the ability to self-determine. To be able to decide for one's self how their life is going to go. And the second precious gift is having loved ones around you when time and nature start to remove that ability from us. So we are not abandoned and left behind but that we are given as much of the ability that can be had so we may continue with dignity and integrity.

I hope this shawl brings her comfort and keeps her connected with a church family that has been a part of her life for a very long time. And I hope it keeps us connected with her that we remember her in our prayers and in our visits and that we pray for everyone to live with grace no matter what our age. That we live our own lives that way so we are so filled up that we overflow with it and others can benefit from the excess of our blessings.

My blessing is to feel a part of something again and to move one step closer from walking away from a bad habit. Thank God I could make that determination for myself.

Mandy Patinkin Deserves an Emmy

Ohmigod!

I was never a great fan of Mandy Patinkin. He was great in a little Broadway show called 'Evita' and that shot him to stardom and it seemed, at least to me, that the shot went straight into his head and he seemed a little too pleased with himself. Of course, that could have just been his character on 'Chicago Hope.'

But I watched 'Three Rivers" on CBS (actually, I watched it Monday from On Demand through Comcast) and he blew me away.

He played Victor, a man with ALS who is in a car accident that puts him on a ventilator. With the ALS, he will never get better, but he will be alive. But it isn't what he wants and after speaking with a patient who needs a heart transplant, he decides to take himself off the ventilator so he can donate his heart. Another woman walks in with her daughter and asks if he will give a portion of his liver. Another doctor walks in and asks for his lungs. Victor feels thrilled that he can make a decision about his life that the ALS cannot touch.

But Victor has a daughter. And this daughter was neglected when she was younger and having her father need her in the throes of his disease is her way of keeping him with her. She wants to stop his decision and even speaks to her attorney to stop it. Also, Victor's doctor doesn't think he should end his life because even though he will be tied to the ventilator and even though the ALS will continue to ravish him, he would be alive.

But that's not a life to Victor and he tells Andy that he wanted to be able to die with dignity and to give life to others and that would be his way of beating ALS one last time.

He gets his wish except the man he wants to have his heart gets a fever on the day the transplant is supposed to take place and it cannot go on but as Victor is willed into the operating room where his ventilator will be removed, he will die and his organs harvested, the people who will receive his organs are lining the hall to thank him and at the end of the hall is his daughter who is really proud of him.

Patinkin's performance is amazing. His speech and body movements, his emotions are moving and compelling and he keeps it from being over the top which it easily could have been. If there is not an Emmy nomination at the least then there is something seriously wrong with the process or there have to be some other kick ass performances out there that I haven't seen.

If you can get to On Demand and see the episode, you will see a truly moving performance.
Well done, Mr. Patinkin, well done.

The Chicago Top Ten for the Week of Nov. 16, 2009

I joined a new church yesterday! It's way smaller than the one I left and there's a great deal that needs to be done there, but at least I can walk into a house of worship and not have the feeling I need to wear body armor.

Want to have a bad experience? Have a pastor that lies about you to other members of the congregation and have those people either believe her or if they don't, stay silent and let the lies go on. And with that statement, I hope to have breathed in and out the last of that experience and can now let it go.

And why not? There are some nice items out there in the handmade world that are a better use of time looking at and thinking about. Have you looked at the calendar? Almost a month to go. That's it. You're going to have to start getting serious about the holiday shopping. Let me help you. Without further ado, and in no particular order, here is the top ten list for the week of November 16:

Green Apple Vegan Soap by YourTimeBodyTreat
Fall. Apples. Just makes sense. Besides, it looks great!

Golden Leaf Necklace by vivarevival
It's very retro and very cute. I just saw it and loved it. Simple as that.

Red Ombre by Industryjewelry
One of the reasons I like something is that it makes me think of something I can knit. I love the gradiation of color in the necklace. I love doing that in knitting.

Amber Fairy Light by olderthanyouare
This reminds me of some of the knick-knacks I used to see in the houses in the south. Elegant and timeless.

Coonley Playhouse Kitchen Window by RKMStudios
I am in awe of folks who can work with glass and this is very much like Frank Lloyd Wright's work - which is what it is based on! Simply beautiful!

We've picked up some more followers! Thanks so much. There's still time to get in on the contest. Remember there will now be two winners - one randomly drawn by Mr. Honey and the one tip that I think helps me the most. It's a chance for me to clear some room on my book shelves and clear out some of the yarn stash. Please enter!

Fiesta Dish Pillow by rachelsretrorags
This is just the cutest pillow. I know some folks who collect Fiesta dishes and this would be a great gift for anyone who does.

Cranberry Soap by nothingbutsoap
it looks like a piece of creamy candy but this is one treat you can rub all over body.

Emotions by adrianaoancia
Stunning colors in her artwork. I can see this in the upstairs hall of my house.

Blue Hawaii by elenadiadenko
Another piece of art with stunning colors. I've tried drawing and painting; if it weren't for those little numbers, I couldn't do it at all.

Heart by itsourearth
What makes this so cool? It's made from a recycled LP (for those of you who don't know that's a record - a disc that plays music with the help of a record player. LP means Long Play as opposed to a 45 - which is a small record that plays music with the help of a record player!)

Did you notice? Not a bag on the list this week. But two soaps and two pieces of art. How about that for a little different? Like I said, the holidays are fast approaching. If you don't shop any of these places - or my shop, make sure you look at some handmade shops for serious consideration.

I'm going to play with April and Melissa tomorrow at Barnes & Noble. I hope you have a great day!

Instant Gratification

Remember this? I put this photo up in yesterday's post. Oh, btw, here's the link for the contest.

Anyway, I posted this scarf yesterday and put the scarf and the hat in the shop for sale. Last night, right before dinner, I thought I'd check to shop views to see if anyone was looking around.

The scarf had sold.
This brings two conflicting thoughts to mind.
The first: YIPPEE!!!
The second: I sold it for too little.

The first thought tells the second thought to shut up. Pricing has been a big issue in both the freelance and handmade fields. We've had this discussion before: some folks are very quick to point out how pricing too low kills the rest of the industry. I still hear it from people who tell me I price my stuff too low.

Too low for what?

See. This is why the first thought tells the second thought to stuff it. For those of you who are thinking of selling your items, you will have to figure out what works best for you and let everyone else's opinion roll off your back.

Sometimes you have let it roll off your own back. I worked out a formula and I plug it in and a price comes up. Sometimes it seems reasonable; sometimes not, but some things about the business remains the same: materials cost what they cost, postage and fees are usually consistent. Time it take to create an article usually changes so I put in an average value for that which can increase over time like a raise or salary increase. And then I live with the numbers.

I do something similar when figuring out prices for the in person sales. There are some different considerations (like no shipping or handling fees) but the formula remains pretty much the same. Sometimes it means some really good prices - steals almost. Sometimes it means something will be pretty high end. Most of the time it hits it just right. And that might be the best you can hope for.

So I will probably get over the price thing - in truth, the price is probably about right to slightly too low - but the gratification of the sale remains with me. To know folks will buy your stuff. It's better than when I sell something I've written - and that's a pretty good high!

I'll worry about pricing another day - when I schedule time to worry about things. But for the moment, I'm going to rejoice that I have made my 18th sale since being in business for almost a year.

YIPPEE!
050404

I Can't Keep Up

Keep those tips coming for the giveaway contest.
The things I'm learning. Since it is my contest and I can make the rules, I will be giving away an additional prize of stash yarn to the tip that personally helps me the most. So, now, you have more to win! Keep them coming, they are very helpful and very diverse. Knitters Rock.

Dig the color of the scarf and hat. Aubergine. Doesn't it make you drunk just saying it? I love the color and you know what? I didn't even know I was making a set. I made the hat about a week before I made the scarf. They aren't supposed to be a set, though I do think they came from the same pattern book.

I bought four books from Knit Picks while they were having their 40% books sale. I will review them all in detail at a later date, but I am salivating over two of them, one has instructions that I either need to give up drinking altogether or increase my intake three fold in order to understand, and I don't remember what the last one was. (I just went over the site and looked it up...it's OK.)

But this hat and scarf - or the original patterns - came from 24 Hour Knits. There's some nice stuff in that book and I am certain that if I ever completely follow a pattern as written - it would be from that book. Of course, I say that knowing I rarely do a pattern exactly as written and the road to hell is paved with good intentions - but still.

I've started a prayer shawl. I gathered my shawl books together because I'm feeling a shawl mojo starting (say good-bye to hats for the moment.) I am missing a prayer shawl book. I have the feeling it's up in the office which means that when I find it, it will signal the second coming. But even so, I have eight books of shawl patterns. Eight. I just like books. Nothing wrong with that.

I went stash shopping for another project and discovered a bunch of Homespun (of course) so now with that added to the skeins in the upstairs stash not to mention the new skeins in the trunk - I have contracted prayer shawl fever. I have a challenge to see how many I can finish between now and the end of the month. Nineteen days.

What do you think? How many can I get done?


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The Chicago Top Ten for the Week of Nov. 9, 2009

Let's do some housekeeping:

1. You can enter the giveaway contest to win a copy of Knit Fix and other goodies here.

2. I hope you are all reading the tips that have been entered. There are some really good ones there, heck, they're all good. And they will all be the subject of their very own posts giving credit to the person who submitted them. I'm learning some new things every day from you guys (which happens to be a very good tip submitted by a reader!)

3, You won't believe what I just did! I had a meeting with my new pastor this afternoon and of course, I mentioned my knitting. She said she knew someone who had a stash of yarn from a yarn shop that closed down and they were giving it away and she wanted to know if I might be interested in having some of it.

I said no.

Before you beat me to a pulp.

Then I said to myself: "Girl, you crazy, you better get some of that."
I said: "This is yarn from a yarn shop?'
"Yes."
"Oh yes, we want some of that. We can use that to make prayer shawls and use them for members and the like."

You can put your knitting sticks down now. You won't need to beat me with them. I was thinking about the huge stash of yarn I already have and I was also thinking my mother also told me to say know when folks offered stuff.

But that was all overridden by it's yarn from a yarn store and if it's the yarn store I think it is - they don't sale very much acrylic yarn (which I love) but this could be a source of some natural fibers and that would be a great source of higher end items that can be made for church members.

In any case, that old training was left behind!

But that's not why you're here. You're here to see who and what I've chosen for this week's list. I am eager for you to see them so without further ado (what's an ado, anyway?) here, in no particular order, is this week's top ten:

Gray Mohawk Hat by LeafLee
Come on, now. You gotta admit it's way cool. I like the fact that it even exists.

Fall and Grapes by promirta
This is a lovely and unusual piece. The entire shop is like that. Another newbie who makes the list their first time out.

Evening Stroll by Elizabeth Wren
This isn't the first time Elizabeth has made our Top Ten and with work like this lovely shawl, it won't be the last. It's just beautiful and it looks snugly.

Crochet Picture Frame by double stitch
Now this is something I've never seen before and when you look at it you say, 'well, of course!' I love creativity and resourcefulness.

Abstract Gold Earrings by allisonmooney
These earrings are almost 3 inches so they have substance. I was thinking I shouldn't wear the big earrings because I have no neck and then I saw a reporter on the t and v and she has hair even shorter than mine and she was wearing these big a earrings and she doesn't have a neck, either. That's why these earrings are on my list.

I want to thank the new followers that I've picked up and remind all of you that I will give a shout to all of (especially if you have a blog or store or both to promote. In the meantime, I enjoy you all very much.

Now, back to the show...

Red beret for kids by fril
I've never seen a leaf pattern done in this way. Great job? I'm so gonna make my own version! Thanks for the inspiration,

Holographic Bling Pendant by FireGrog
Gimme,gimme,gimme,gimme

Blue Dreams Quilt by kateemarie
Wow! Lovely simply lovely. I don't have this kind of patience!

Rebecca's Growing Garden Pendant by westbyron
The piece is very sweet and the description is touching. Read it for yourself and fall in love with it.

Spiral scarf by trucksandpearls
This scarf is quite lovely and the care that went into it shows up very nicely. If I didn't knit, I'd be looking to buy it.

There you have it - isn't an unusual but exciting list? Christmas is getting closer, do that holiday shopping and you can have bragging rights over your friends. Look locally, look at handmade and see if that doesn't supply your every gift giving need!


042904

This I Am Told

Still have time to enter the contest! Win a copy of Knit Fix and other goodies!

I tell you, this being in business for yourself thing is a web.

I know from my work in Publicity and PR that a three pronged approach to getting the word out is a key. Not everyone reads the newspaper so there should be something else to go with the press release to the newspaper. So you might do an email mailing, and then you might put flyers up around town. You might utilize the Internet by posting your event on various calendars. I'm used to doing that. But somehow my brain did not make the connection with a three prong approach when it comes to my store.

But I was listening to a webinar (can you believe what we come up with?) and the moderator said we should have a three pronged approach to our shop. We create an item in the shop and we should:

1. Blog about it
2. Facebook it
3. Tweet it

Well, ain't I a clever sausage because I already do those things - I just never put it altogether as a marketing strategy. OK, the truth is, I would blog it and tweet it - the facebook thing is new. I thought it would also be a good idea to do the same thing with the items I sell because it shows movement. It may inspire someone else to go looking around the shop. It keeps the product out there in the spheres (web sphere, blogosphere, here a sphere, there a sphere, everywhere a sphere sphere.)

Don't you think that has some validity?

Good. This sold today. My Prayer Shawl. You know what really freaks me out? I was thinking about prayer shawls over the last few days. I need to make some more for families of soldiers who have fallen, my last remaining aunt (and the last one of her circle) is ill and they've started hospice care, and I want to get the ministry established in my new church.

And the one prayer shawl I have is now sold.

God is trying to tell me something. I do have a fair amount of yarn to make shawls, but it doesn't all match. The thing about Homespun is that as longs as some of the colors are the same, they mix very well - as witnessed by this prayer shawl made of two different color ways. Homespun was on sale at JoAnn and I had a 10% off coupon - so now I have some to make the new prayer shawls that I am hoping will provide comfort and solace to those who need them - just as I hope it does to the person who purchased it and the person they purchased it for.

May God bless us everyone.




042804

Book Review: Knitting To Go Deck

Win a copy of Knit Fix and other goodies. Contest rules here!

Knitting to Go by Kris Percival and Sherri Giblin

I was not hesitant about giving Kris Percival another shot, after all, she did Knitting Pretty which has a version that like, Knitting on the Go, is done with cards that you can drop in your bag and carry. (Knit Knack Kit) I have both versions (BTW, I will be giving away the card set in another contest down the road.) So buying this set wasn't a hard choice for me to make.

This set is a lot more challenging than the projects in her previous work, and that's a good thing. As I flipped through the cards, I found some projects that I am looking forward to wrapping my yarn around. There's a blanket, wraps and some animal hats that I want to get to (but you know me, could be years...)

The patterns are easy to read and to follow and the authors do a nice job of offering some variations to the pattern in case you're like me and following the rules all the time begins to wear on you. The photographs are certainly big enough (although a problem I have with a lot of books is that they only show one angle or one side. I would take a slightly smaller photo if I could have the front and back and the occasional side of an object just to make sure I know what it's supposed to look like.)

Most of the patterns seem within reach of a beginner/advanced beginner and every once in a while an intermediate pattern shows up. But that's fine. There's nothing wrong with an easy pattern - it opens up your mind to change it around to create something unique or it allows you to enjoy the process of knitting more. At least that's how it works for me.

Overall, I like it. Out of the 25 patterns in the book, I will probably tackle about half and that's a good ratio. If you've a mind to try it out, you can find the book new and used at Amazon and other book websites.


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Witness for the Defense

You can read about the contest here. And for those of you who have already commented - I added another way to get an entry. Tell about the contest on your own blog and let me know about and you can earn a 4th entry! Thanks to all who have already entered - your tips are great!

I stayed up until about 2 this morning finishing the offending afghan. Do not be too impressed I stayed up until 2 - that's normal. I usually go to bed at about 2 and get out of bed before 9 - it's a blessing. If I weren't so lazy I would have enough daylight to be Oprah on steroids. Then I could pay someone to stay up and finish afghans that cause me problems due to no other reason than I did something wrong.

But I decided to finish off the afghan yesterday when there are two other projects pending and I should have - keeping with the program - been working on one of them. But that would have meant I would not have gotten to the afghan until Saturday and it would have sat there - mocking me. So I decided to put it out of my misery.

But he did not go quietly. I put together three of the four strips and when I got to the fourth one, it again seemed to be too long. (Have you ever heard yarn laugh? Not pretty.) I took the pins out and turned the strip around the other way and voila!

Don't ask me why it worked, I have no idea why it worked. I don't think it should have worked. But it did and if you know the science of it, feel free to give me the explanation. I would be interested in hearing it just so I can say it makes no sense. I will say this though, man this afghan is incredibly soft. I've made this afghan twice before (didn't I say it was my favorite one to make?) and this is the thickest and softest. The main yarn (the Homespun) remains the same and then there's a hodgepodge of other yarns thrown in. We have some Norville, some fu-fu yarn some one gave me that I couldn't make anything else out of, and some artistry yarn. I will have to figure out what yarns were used so I can set the price, but today, I am happy to come out of the scrimmage intact and ready to move on to the next project.

It will eventually go on sale in the shop or at the Holiday Sale in December - probably both. What do you think? Was it worth the effort? Feel free to lie to me.

042609

One of Those Things You Can't Explain..Oh, and a New Contest

I am knitting up my favorite afghan pattern. It's pretty simple: it's all garter stitch and chunky weight yarn. The thing that makes it fun is you take all your chunky weight yarn and put it in a bag then pull out a skein and knit for about 25 rows, then switch yarn and knit for about 15 rows then repeat the steps until you get a strip that has 12 of the color changes. Then you make about 5 of those strips and sew them together and you have a cushy, lovely afghan

Pretty simple.

Then why am I having trouble making the strips the same size? I do the 12 changes and then pin the strips together. First two were fine. Third one was a little short. Fourth one was fine. Fifth one a little short.

Well, of course it's the yarn. Though all the yarn is chunky weight, some is boucle and some is cushier which means they don't all have the same gauge which means some pulls in and squishes more than others. No biggie. I could measure the strips - wait, you didn't take me seriously did you? Nope. I'd much rather to the pinning, see the strip is way short and then pick up stitches and knit some more.

Yeah, that's the ticket.

So, let's do a contest!

First, I still owe someone stitch markers from the last contest. I put your email in some folder and have to find it - I have not forgotten. You will get them.

OK - So, the prize for this contest is a copy of this book:


It's Knit Fix by Lisa Kartus and it's a book that gives solutions to some every day knitting problems.

The winner of the contest will also receives some of this:


Some yarn from my stash. You are not going to receive this much and it actually may not be any that's in this bag. But you will receive the book and enough skeins to fill a small mailing box.

You will also receive a set of knitting needles. So, you will have what you need to start knitting and fix the problems you encounter. You will also get a few extra goodies in the box cuz I'm sweet like that.

Here are the guidelines:

U.S. and Canadian participants only, please.
Contest will end November 28 - I like ending contests on my birthday
Winner will be chosen at random by Mr. Honey - cuz he likes doing things like that.

Make a comment with your best knitting tip - get one entry
Tweet about the contest - get another entry
Re-tweet my tweet about the contest- get yet another entry.
I'm adding this on - Talk about it on your blog and let me know and you get another entry!!

So, there you are, my lovelies. Get yourself or someone you love a little knit-kit of a book, yarn and needles (but the treats.) Boy, I'd enter this contest! And if you're interested in other knitting contests pay a visit to WitKnits. It's a fun site that's all about the contests!

Good luck everybody!



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Blog Review: The Huffington Post

First, let me make myself clear - I can think of only one election where I voted a straight ticket - and I'm not 100% sure I did then. I usually do my political homework before I vote and I vote for candidates that represent my views (which have been known to change and haven't always been deeply political.) Not one party holds all the answers (hell, I don't think any of them have many answers at all - we've created a complicated world.) So, when I gather my news, I don't like to have one side bashed all the time (which is why I tend to avoid Fox News and MSNBC and can just tolerate CNN.)

I get my television news from WTTW - Chicago's public broadcasting t and v station. I watch The Newshour with Jim Lehrer because they at least try to be balanced and do an admirable job of keeping their guests on point - which probably comes from having guests who don't think they are the voice of God. Come to think of it, they probably think they're higher than God. After all, God doesn't really need to raise his voice being, you know, God.

But when I want to read opinion rather than hear it or have it interrupted with commercials (even PBS is starting to have small ones) I go to the Huffington Post. Because, to me, it strives for balance. It's a blog that looks and reads like a newspaper and I think does a better job than some online newspapers.

The site overall doesn't give one slant (though Huffington makes no argument about her political stances and even so she used to be a Republican) you can find all kinds of views - even the politically incorrect Bill Maher.

For all the news and opinions, this remains a blog where readers can comment. It's a far reaching blog and it hits. It also gets a lot of hits being the most popular blog on the Internet.

Say what you want about her views - the chick knows how to pull together a good blog.

The Chicago Top Ten for the Week of Nov. 2, 2009

Well, I am woefully behind on my posts - the best I can hope for is to do well in November and December and finish the year strong. Would you believe Christmas is at the end of NEXT month? Where did the last months go?

I am already looking at the blessings of the past year and the big ones came during these last few months. I am blissfully clear of credit card debt, I have a great knitting group with a core group of women who are fun to be around and inspirational to boot, I may have even found a new place to worship - God is amazing in all that He does.

And I cannot help but believe He's at work in the artistry we create - including these ten items from local Chicago artisans. Here, in no particular order, are ten more works from the Chicago creative circle:

Sangria by TaraBacci
If someone has a spare $288 and would like to get these for me - I wouldn't turn them away!

Colorblocked by CamilleStar
I will need something to put the Sangria earrings in.

Winter Bear Hat by EliesHappyHats
Come on, don't you wish you had a little head? Or knew someone willing to make one for your big head?

Fig Beret by PandoraSpocks
Can't playa hate. When someone does what you do and they do it well, you gotta give the props. Her hats are cool!

Jade earrings by Your Time
I just can't help it - a lot of artisans make jewelry. My ears are so happy for them! These are cute little gems!


I was supposed to launch a contest last week and I will launch it - just have to move the dates. But I will be giving away a copy of the book 'Knit Fix', some yarn from the stash and a set of knitting needles. Nice huh? Stayed tuned for the new launch date - it will be very soon. Now, back to the final five...

Bakelite Chetties by PetitOiseau
I love the color of this necklace and the little leaf. It is a delicious piece!

Rustic Cross by Wickedlygood
One, I collect cross necklaces. Two, there's just something about a store called wickedlygood selling a cross!

Pink Elephant by Hamandeggs
The menagerie is sweet, but this little fella just stuck out.

Hooded baby blanket by doodlebugmlh
Pretty baby blanket - hey, is this the first baby blanket to make the list? It just might be - and it comes in all sorts of pretty colors!

Patchwork blanket by homemadebysony
It's a blanket, it's a fleece! It's darned cute and look, back to back blanket picks - not planned I assure you. And the shop is bilingual as well.


There you have it! I can't help that I love earrings but I feel great that there are so many jewelry makers in the area and knitter, sewers and other artists. I bet if you look - and not all that hard - you can find such craftspeople in your area.

I informed Mr. Honey on Friday that we were buying handmade/homemade this year for our Christmas presents - I think he was somewhat relieved by it. After all, they're easy to find on line! Why don't you go take a look and see what you can find?

Can You Believe It?

Before I even start, let me just say I know there were other alternatives. I know there were other things that could have been done. They would have delayed action and action is what I needed to take...even so, I am not at sure many (or any) of you will understand what I've done. But here goes.

Remember when I told how Mr. Honey emptied everything that was in my trunk into my back seat? I had a lot of stuff in the trunk including some newly purchased yarn and pillow forms. Well, I am not going to just put it all back into the trunk and I am taking Mr. Honey's advice to 'go through the junk in my trunk.' Every time I've had to go to the car, I take out something from the backseat and decide to keep it or toss it. When I got home from church, I took out a big paper grocery bag. It had a plastic bag inside of it and inside of the plastic bag was yarn.

Ugly yarn
Old, ugly yarn.
Old, ugly, 'who the hell thought that would be a good color, yarn
Old, ugly, who the hell thought that would be a good color, made of the roughest ply of wool ever to come off a sheep, yarn.

My mind ran through a myriad of ways I could use this yarn and I couldn't come up with anything that appealed to me and then I heard myself say out loud: "I don't want this."

Me.
Who would steal yarn from a knitting baby.

I took the bag and closed the car door and started down the walk to my house. Now I had two options:

Keep straight, go through the gate, walk through the backyard to the gate and place the bag on the garbage can.

Go straight, turn right when I get to the side door and go in the house and place the yarn in the basement until I run across a pattern calling for an old, ugly yarn in the stupidest colors ever thought up, in which case I would be set.

The Bears played a really good game today. They started off a little rough and then realized they were playing Cleveland and then started playing smarter. We were watching the scoreboard to see if any team would remain undefe....what?

Which option did I take?

I placed the bag on top of the garbage can in the hope that one of our nosy (and they are) neighbors who walk in the alley (and they do) will look in the bag, find the yarn, take it and excitedly run home to tell their spouse or significant other: "You won't believe it! Someone put this yarn in the alley. Look how soft it is - and what wonderful colors! Can you believe it?"

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