We have a winner!

It took a while to get to the goal, but we finally have a winner for the Coral Shock sock yarn. Congratulations to Christine! (She also just signed up the Breast Cancer 3-Day walk so go on over there and show her some love.)

This means that we'll be ready for the next yarn. In the opposing corner we have

Desert Song
coming in at 1250 yards
made of 50% silk and 50% merino
the opponents don't stand a chance



A little closer so you can see how yummy this yarn and the colors are:


I think I'll change the rules a little to maybe make it easier for everyone. We'll approach this like an internet drawing: for every $1 you donate, you get a "chance" (since this is all virtual, you won't get a physical ticket). For every $5 you get 6 chances to win. This time, we'll shoot for just an accumulated total of $50. Sound good?

Like last time, email me at betzig AT gmail DOT com (delete spaces and change to appropriate punctuation) and/or comment on this post when you make a donation so I know to put you down for the drawing.

Pretty in Pink and Purple

I finally started my first Elizabeth Zimmerman project, a Baby Surprise Jacket.



It doesn't look like much right now, but I'm enjoying the simple garter stitch. Unfortunately, I got cocky and messed something up when I was knitting and watching TV. I ripped and reknit so that the stitch count is back to what it should be. I thought briefly about fudging the counts and then adding another ridge to get everything back on count but I knew if it didn't look right later, I would just be annoyed. Better to rip and restart to get it right than hate it later. With the help of Kenny's spreadsheet, I should be able to stay on track.

I enjoy EZ's straightforward description of the pattern because you can hear her voice as you read the words. However, it very much feels like a description since its not like other commercial patterns where everything is spelled out for you. When she describes a new direction, it takes a while to internalize what I'm supposed to be doing but as soon as I get it, it seems so obvious.

Technically, this is for my friend's baby but I don't actually know if it will fit the baby. However, I've really wanted to try this pattern and there seems to be lots of support/tips on the internet so even if it doesn't fit her, I'll enjoy the process and just have a baby gift on hand.