Skip to main content

Sheepish

I should preface this blog post by stating that I enter a lot of contests - you know all those five-minute surveys they print links for on your receipts and you can be entered to win a gift card or cash prize?  I do those pretty consistently.  Every product giveaway that sounds mildly interesting, every "comment on my blog" contest...I'm there!  I started this campaign last summer as I entered the "slow season" at work - seeing how many contests I could enter per week is apparently the best use of one's time.  Obviously.  I did end up winning some body wash last year, so at least I have something to show for all my efforts. 

The law of averages has yet again bestowed on me a prize - this one's about a hundred times cooler than body wash, though - by leaving a comment on Threadpanda's awesome blog, I won the new eBook from The Sweatshop of Love, Hello Winter!

Is anyone surprised to learn that I've already started a project from the book?  I didn't think so.  As a master justifier of such things, I can assert that casting on for the irresistible Sheep Mittens is totally ok because I finished my Shiatsu Legwarmers (I'll post FO photos as soon as I block those bad boys!) and I'm using yarn from my stash. 

Meanwhile, I think now is a good time to mention that I'm going to be participating in the 2nd Annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week - it sounds pretty fun!  Basically, I'll be posting every day for a week on specific topics.  It sounds like it's going to be pretty fun, and this is my first year participating, so if anything, it should be a fun experiment!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my  taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b...

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends,  so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with  this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks).  The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a...

Australian Superfine Merino Yarn Review & Giveaway

After more than ten years of knitting, I can still have new experiences - even with well-covered territory such as merino yarn! This recent merino experience actually took me by surprise: I've spun with it, I've dyed it, I've knit with it, and I've even crocheted with it...I was pretty sure I knew all there was to know about merino! Turns out, there are four different classifications of merino fiber, sorted by micron count range . At the bottom of the spectrum is Strong Merino , which ranges from 26-22.9 microns; above that is Fine Merino , which ranges from 20.1-23 microns; next up is Extra Fine Merino, which ranges from 20-15.6 microns; and at the very top of the heap is Superfine Merino Wool , with a micron range of 18.5-15.6. If you're into numbers and wondering how these four classes stack up against other fibers you may be familiar with, here are a few for comparison's sake: BFL (Blue-Faced Leicester) has a micron range of 24-28, Cashmere goat down ...