Contest Time! (Take 2)

First, here’s the booty again: (NORO Sock Yarn, and a set of PrettyKnittyJewelry Stitch Markers and Row Counter)

Just post a comment telling me how many of my blog posts you have read, and what your fave pastime/hobby is – other than knitting, of course! Winner announced May 1st!

Ok, along with learning my way around the computer, in the past 10 years or so, I have also learned how to navigate Yahoo, Yahoo Groups, Ravelry, Facebook, My Space, Google, Etsy, and now Blogger. I even designed a website for our church a few years back, and it was fun! (I have told you all how much I love the computer!)

Each time, I pretty much dove in head first, learning as I went, and this blog is no exception to that rule! The contest has helped me learn a little more about you guys, a little more about me, and a little more about blogging on Blogger. Mostly, it has been a rip-roaring good time! But, there have been one or two times that I have found myself just shaking my head, wondering how exactly to proceed. (Same story, new application!)

Aaaaanyway, so here I am, with about 68 new comments for my contest, and I am really wanting to reply to each one. Buuuuuut, I haven’t yet figured out how. . .I have replied to a few. . .but, for the most part, I can’t seem to find email addresses for individual commenters. So, as the contest continues (you have until Thursday, April 30th, at midnight EST to enter), let me take a moment to say:

• Wow! Knitters are a wide and varied group of people, enjoying every type of pastime from cooking and reading to riding motorcycles, working out and playing/watching all kinds of sports. You guys are all amazing!
• Spinning counts as not knitting, so all of those entries are completely valid. The same goes for collecting yarn (stash-ing), crochet, sewing and all other needle arts, as well as frogging (which I hope you don’t have to do, if it is painful for you).
• I have a beagle too! Aren’t they funny little dogs?! LOL
• Who doesn’t love a good cuddle on the couch? I always miss that when sticky-hot summer comes around. . .
• Mistaking “time at work” with “time with the dog” is not that uncommon. I work with a couple people, and sometimes they can be as much fun as my dog. . .sometimes not. . .
• Ummmm. . .I don’t know if sleeping should be counted as a hobby. . .but I’m gonna say ok to it. . .sometimes, when I sits down, I just falls asleep myself!
• Oh! And thanks for all the kind things you have all said about the blog and my shop! I guess if I had to pick a “second-place” hobby, it might be writing. One day, I even started writing a book. . .but that’s a story for another day!

I know that I did not respond to everyone, but I hope I have addressed any questions you might have left. If not, comment again, or PM me on Ravelry (PKJewelry), and I will get back to you the best I can!

For now, here’s what I have been up to –

More Millfiore - Blue Sweaters this time! These are newly listed Stitch Markers from the shop!

Mockery Socks – as part of a KAL on Cleveland Knits West (Ravelry).
And I seem to have Polymer Clay on the brain, so check the shop often for new additions!

Ciao, Baby! And may you all knit (and read, and ride motorcycles, and sleep, and play with your dogs) in good health!

Contest Time!

Which is nothing like Hammer-Time! Unless you count the fact that both might just make you wanna dance! So, in honor of my One-Month Bloggiversary. . .

do a little dance, make a little. . .wait, I digress. . .

Instead, how about I give you a chance win a prize?!

So, I began my blog on March 24th, just after I opened my Etsy shop, and just before my birthday. There has been much celebration in my life lately, so I wanted to share it with you as well! And, since I have such generous friends, they have agreed to help me with spread the word, and Knitting Nonstop even offered to share some prize booty (that’s yarn booty, by the way) for the contest!

If this is the first time you have read PrettyKnitty's blog, welcome! If this is your 10th read – well, Yippee! Here are the specs:

1. To enter, leave me a comment, letting me know how many posts you have read (hint: it will be a number between 1 and 10 at this point), and what your favorite pastime or hobby (other than knitting) is!


2. I will enter all of the comments into the Random Number Generator on April 30th to find the contest winner.


3. Make sure to check back on May Day (that’s May 1st four you youngsters!), when I will announce the winner of the contest!

Here’s the booty, Knitting Tools and SOCK YARN!:

A Row Counter and Stitch Markers made by PrettyKnitty (that’s me, and these are the result of my clay-play-day - Millefiore, polymer clay, cane beads!) The split rings of the counter and markers will fit needles to size US 4 (3.5mm), making these great tools for sock- and other fine-guage knitting! :

The counter sits on the knitting needle, between stitches. Different colored seed bead embellishments with each bead charm mark the beginning, middle (row 10) and end of the counter. On each row or round of knitting, the knitter slips the working needle into the next ring, and when you reach the end of the counter, you have completed 20 rows of knitting. In addition, it comes with illustrated instructions!
The markers also fit needles up to size US 4 (3.5mm), and they match the beads on the counter, with different color seed beads embellishing each one.A beautiful skein of Noro Sock Yarn in the S150 colorway (blues/greens mostly)! This 100 gram skein has 462 yards; it’s a 70% wool, 30% nylon blend of deliciousness! (The bottom picture shows the more true color.)


Good luck to you all, and as long as you’re here, check out the rest of my row counters and markers over at PrettyKnittyJewelry.etsy.com!

Knit in good health!

Millefiore!

Before a couple weeks ago, I would not have even known caning was and acceptable pastime in my country! While compiling items for the contest, I decided to do some research and playtime with the Polymer Clay! Rather than a harsh punishment, I learned that caning is a clay technique. You use tubes, or other long shapes of clay, wrapped with another color (or two, or three. . .), then you make the starting “cane” skinnier by rolling and squeezing and gently pulling. When you slice the finished cane, you get flat pieces that are almost identical, and they can have a design or a pattern in the center of the shape. These pieces can be pierced to create beads or buttons, or whatever you want, before the clay is baked. Pretty cool, huh! But you all probably already knew all about it.

Well, I was so intrigued that I had to try it. Here’s a shot of some of the beads from my first cane ever!

Pretty cool, I thought. So, perhaps I can see a contest prize as part of the fruits of my playtime?!? Stay tuned for contest details in the next post. . .

In the meantime, I have finished knitting a pair of socks,

and a baby sweater,

and my daughter and I found her a pretty nice prom dress AND shoes to match! Life is good! Off I go to knit on another sock – big surprise, right? Haha!

May you all read and write and knit and craft in good health. See you in the funny papers!

It's official! I love blogging!

“So, I thought about starting a blog.
And my friends encouraged me to start a blog.
So, I started this blog.
And I love that I started this blog.”

Actually, I had been thinking about starting a blog for a while. . .I guess I wondered if anyone would want to read what I have to write. And, I guess I wondered if I would have enough to write that the blog would last longer than a week. And, I guess I wondered if I truly liked to write enough, or had enough time, to keep up with a blog.

Well, after 7 posts and a little over 2 weeks, many of those questions have been answered. I have plenty to say, I am making the time (a couple times a week anyway), I am getting comments, so people are reading. . .yes, I would call this “blog success,” at least short-term blog success anyway. We will see if it has the lasting power of some of the bloggers I read regularly.

I was also thinking that I should do something special to commemorate my success, but what? Dance around in my underwear to classic 80's rock when no one else is home? No, I don’t think that’s it. Bake a cake, and eat said cake? Well, seeing as how I have been trying to eat healthier lately, I don’t think that’s it either. Hmmmm, what do bloggers do to celebrate occasions?

Insert Pregnant Pause Here

I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you. . .what was that again? A contest? Really? Hmmmm, I hadn’t considered that. . .perhaps I should. . .but, if I do a contest, it should be official, don’t you think? Not just off the cuff, but I should have some kind of pretty cool prize, don’t you think?

Another Pause

Oh! You’re right! I could give away something from my shop! Wow, you guys are so smart. . . And, since you are so smart, why don’t you help me plan the contest? Take a look over in my etsy shop, PrettyKnittyJewelry.etsy.com, then come back and tell me which of my items would make the best giveaway. . .just leave me a comment here to help me decide what kind of counter to make a part of the free prize package!

While you are commenting, I am going to work on rounding up a couple more things to add to the prize package, and then we can meet back here to set up all the details in the next post or two. Oh! I could run the contest for a couple weeks, and we could call it my one-month “Blogiversary”! Wait. . .is that a word? Hmmm, I guess it is now!

Hey, this has been fun! I love that I started this blog! And I love my friends, who have cheered me on from day. . .errrrr. . .post 1! You guys are the best cheerleaders evah!!

Hellooooo, Blog-Land!

“Where I learned that I love to be on the computer.
So, I thought about starting a blog.”

Ok, it’s true. I love to be on the computer. I love to go on the Internet. I love to do research. I love to write. I am some kinda computer maniac!

And my family doesn’t get it. In all honesty, my family doesn’t “get” many of the things I do. When we were younger, and dating, my dear Hubby would listen to me talk for a long time about band, crafts, friends, my pets, crazy aunt Myrtle. . .well you get the picture. He would just let me go on and on and on. . .about almost anything. Now, he says, “I’m watching 24.”

In all fairness, when it’s important. . .like, I don’t know, the house is on fire or dinner is ready (could be the same thing, the way I sometimes cook), he will even turn off the TV or put down the crossword to listen. So, he can turn it on and off at will. He simply has very little interest in the new Internet group I just joined, or my latest knitting, or other crafty endeavor. It’s not his thing, and he doesn’t get it. Again, in all fairness, NASCAR is not MY thing, and I just don’t get that!

But, if my hubby and my kids are not that interested in hearing about what’s going on, and I still have words left. . .well, what’s a crafty gal to do? What if it’s early in the morning, or really late at night, and I think my crafty friends’ families might not appreciate a phone call? What if it’s 4 more days until the knitting meet-up? Wait, maybe someone in Blog-Land will listen!

Sooooo, I thought about starting a blog. Apparently I did more than think about it, because here we both are! And, hey. . .I’m glad to see you! Wanna hear about my latest knitting? It’s a pair of socks. The pattern is called Fools’ Rush, and it’s for my knitting group’s April Knit-Along. I love the yarn – Plymouth Happy Feet, and I am really enjoying the knitting.

Oh, and there’s a scarf I haven’t even listed on my Ravelry page, because I don’t know how committed I am to it. Oh, and there are like 3 baby sweaters I need to get started on. Oh, and I want to do more wrist warmers because they are fun, and because, well, I just like ‘em! Here's fun pair I did back last Christmas. . .how could you not like them?!?

Oh, and did I tell you about my etsy shop? And did I tell you about the Polymer Clay I have been working with, and my knitting and selling cheerleaders? And did I mention that I have been trying to follow NASCAR sometimes lately? And did I tell you that my family, while I love them, sometimes drives me batty? And did I tell you. . .

This is a Row Counter. . .

“And I love making things.
Which is why I currently own 20 Knitting Row Counters.”

They help me keep track of how many rows I have knit. I have counters that count 20 rows, and they are good for also keeping track of pattern repeats that come in 2, 4, 5, 10 or 20 rows! I also have counters that count up to 100 rows! I have counters that fit small needles (to US size 4 or so), medium needles (to sizes 6-8), even extra-large needles (to size 13)!

“And I love my Row Counters.

And my friends love my Row Counters.

And they encouraged me to open an etsy shop.”

Now, at first, I wasn’t sure what an etsy shop was. Now I am in the know, and you can find my etsy shop at PrettyKnittyJewelry.etsy.com! This is where I sell my Row Counters.

My Row counters are more than just a way to count rows. . .they are a little bling for your knitting! What knitter doesn’t like a little bling? I don’t wear a lot of jewelry on myself, but most of my knitting does, and I always have knitting with me, so I always have a little bling - Yay! Don’t you need a little bling for you knitting? Come check me out! Here are some of the polymer clay charms I showed you on Wednesday, made up into counters!

By the way, when I am not making jewelry for my knitting, or blogging or geeking on Ravelry, I also knit! Check out the nifty project bag Michelle made me, and my current sock in progress – Fools Rush (free on Ravelry)!

April Fool!

“And I love silliness. . .and crafts.
Which is why I knit and make jewelry and other things.”

Like today.
Today is April Fools’ Day.
And, today is my birthday. Or, as I prefer to view it, today is the 20th Anniversary of my 21st birthday! That’s right. . .and it’s waaaaay more exciting than. . .say. . .being birthday number four-one. So, that’s how I am looking at it.

To celebrate this big anniversary, I had a big day planned. It’s a Wednesday, so I am off work, and so I will clean the bathroom and vacuum the carpets and wash a load of bath towels and do the dishes and think about giving the dog a bath. Then. . .

Will she knit? She loves to knit!
Will she bake? She loves to bake, AND she loves cake!
Will she make something for her etsy shop? She loves etsy!
Will she watch Little House reruns? She loves classic TV!

Nope, none of those things today. Today, I planned to play with polymer clay for the first time! And play I did. . .here’s a photo of the finished product:
Tiny sweaters and socks and mittens. . .aren’t they adorable?! I thought, here’s a craft I have not tried, I wonder if I can make things. . .tiny things. . .tiny knitted things. . .in clay. . .and, viola! I can! Now, what to do with them? Well, I suppose I will leave that for my next post! In the meantime, thanks for stopping by. Are you having fun today?