WIPs and Contests!
You’ll have to wade through the WIPs to get to the contest info (or skip to the bottom if you are a heartless blog reader). I didn’t do any knitting on either scarf this past week, so I don’t have couch-o-meter progress this week. Last week I used a green tape measure and was told in the comments that the couch-o-meter was missed. The one scarf is dark pink and the couch is bright red, but as soon as there is more progress on it, onto the couch-o-meter it goes! But this week saw action on three WIPs.
The first delicato mitt is done. All I did this week was the thumb. Three times. It’s as good as it’s going to get. I have a short, stumpy thumb and need little more than a gusset. It’s rather pathetic in a trivial way. 
I am half way up the armscye on the back of the Minimalist Cardi. I had illusions of having the back done for this post and the first sleeve started, but I got caught up in other things. Still, to stick to my schedule, I have until Saturday to get the back done.
What I got caught up in was working on the Spaced Check Socks for my friend Nancy. I finished the first sock, and am half way done with the heel flap of the second. The Walk in the Woods colorway is doing some pooling, but so do woods. You don’t find a violet here and a violet there. There will be a mass of violets here, then a grove of evergreens, another mass of violets, a stream, etc. So, I think this pooling is fine.
CONTESTS!
I have received over 900 comments. The 1000th commenter will receive a yarn prize!
August 27th is my First Blogiversary, so naturally there will be another contest. But what to have people comment upon? My last contest, wherein I asked readers to tell me why they had named their blogs what they had, met with great success. Many, many commenters remarked how much they enjoyed reading why blogs are named what they are.
How do I top that? I will have a Pre-Blogiversary Contest Contest! So, to enter the Pre-Blogiversary Contest Contest (PBCC), leave me a comment to this post on what you think I should have you do for my Actual Blogiversary Contest. The PBCC is open until noon PDT, Saturday, August 25th, when I will choose a winner based upon which idea I like best. Then, on August 27th I will announce the Actual Blogiversary Contest based upon the PBCC winner’s idea. Simple as pie! Who ever said I make everything needlessly complicated?
OK, but I’m working to have some good loot for prizes. I’ve done some shopping at Simply Sock Yarn Company, and I have (or am expecting) Sleeping Dragon sock yarn, Fleece Artist Somoko, and Seacoast merino/tencel! If I get a lot of entries to the Actual Blogiversary Contest, the prize pool may increase. So, start your commenting for the PBCC now! You may even be the 1000th commenter!
Hmmm, that’s certainly very tempting. I know I would perhaps love to hear about every knitters’ worst ever mistake (just to make me feel better about myself, lol!) I’m sure that would be very interesting!
Thanks for the fun contest, and happy blogiversary!
OH, forgot to add that I LOVE that yarn you’re making the socks out of. I quite agree with you about the pooling. The colors are just perfect that way.
Sorry. No PBCC entry. Just a kudos comment on the WIPs progress.
Best of luck with the finishing and congrats on the milestone!
Hhmmm, I don’t know, I am a lazy contest blogger. I don’t like to have to do a lot of work. I hope you get a lot of good ideas though, because I am thinking of having a contest soon too. I may have to steal one :0 See how lazy I am. I will have to give this some thought and come back
Love the sweater and the socks.
Love the Cardi. Going straight to the sleeves? Have you seen Bronwyn’s finished one? Beautiful. Those socks are an excellent colorway! You definitely like the blues!
Who was it that asked for everyone to tell the story on how they came up with their blog names? And Tiennie asked “what makes you feel most loved.” While that is a little work, it is so interesting to read what people write. Maybe something like that…. That probably wasn’t too helpful. Sorry.
Have you noticed how few contests I’ve had lately?! Trying to come up with a great idea… Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm…. What inspired people to start blogging? What’s their favorite/least favorite thing about knitting? What’s their #1 piece of knitting advice? What project will haunt their dreams/nightmares forever?
How about needing to say what their favorite color is and why? Like, how does it make them feel?
Your mitt is not pathetic! It is delicate! (and lovely). Hmmm… a couple good contest ideas already. How about folks saying what ‘popular project’ (you know, the kind that it seems like at least half the bloggers you read are making) they started but didn’t finish, or otherwise really just didn’t like enough even to start, and why.
Brenda- I just wanted to say how much I like your socks.
And I think the couch-o-meter is brilliant. You do make me laugh sometimes.
Here’s an idea- tell us what you keep in your knitting bag- besides yarn. That could be interesting.
How about having a wrapped box and people guess whats inside of it and if they are right, they win the box! I like easy contests, those ones where you have to post this and go here and bury this secret message are WAY too much work. thank you for sparing us.
Those socks are beautiful! And the mitts look lovely.
How about a follow-up to the “why you named your blog x” question: “why did you begin blogging? / what made you decide to start a blog”? I’d be interested in the answers…
Oh whoohoo! 3 contests? Wow. I don’t think I’ll be number 1000, but here goes…gorgeous socks, btw.
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Now. What should you do for a blog contest? I have so much trouble thinking up good ideas for my OWN contests!
Guess the number of skeins of sock yarn in your stash (with a photo of it, tho’ not revealing too much) – a la how many M&Ms are in a jar?) hmmm..on that note, How many M&Ms are in a jar!?!
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Whatever, have FUN!
((((hugs))))
Hmmmm. A blogiversary contest…..what about a scavenger hunt with the questions/answers being facts from your blog?
Love the mitts and socks and sweater! As for a suggestion for a contest, how about having us leave a comment about the most useful knitting tool we have that wasn’t originally intended for knitting.
here’s my official Pre-Blogiversary Contest entry. I think the Blogiversary Contest should ask about the worst place and time that someone lost their yarn. (i.e. I have a friend that was knitting a Norwegian sweater in a discontinued color, the yarn dropped out of the car during a stop at a local drug store where they were paving the parking lot. By the time she figured out that’s where that ball of yarn was, it was mostly buried under the asphalt)
I love the mitts!
I think the contest should be first yarn item ever made.
I don’t know I suck at this.
Hmm. Since you’re stocking up on sock yarn, you could have people guess how many yards of sock yarn are in your stash (it might help to give a few clues to narrow it down).
Lovely mitt!
I love those socks!
I think you could ask people for their most favorite (knitted or crocheted or whatever) FO they’ve made – ever, or finished within the last year. Kind of a blog-hosted state fair. You could require photos so the rest of us could see!
Hmmm…I’ve seen lots of contests based on “What made you start blogging?” So, for us blog-less ones out here, how about one that’s “Why haven’t you started a blog?” And for the bloggers that want to participate, it could be “What’s the most tedious/onerous thing about having a blog?”
I know one of these days something is going to tip me over the edge and I’ll start one, but I don’t have one yet. (But I’m not saying why until I see what contest you decide on!) :^)
And happy blogiversary!
I like to see the contests that are favorites because it can help you learn something new, and it doesn’t have to be knitting related, it could be a favorite recipe, favorite book, favorite environmental tip, and favorite non-knitting blog, that way everyone can learn a few new things š
I had a contest for my 100th post. I had people link to their first post and, if they had one, their 100th. If they didn’t have a blog, I had them link to the first blog they ever read that got them into reading blogs.
Ooh, so much pretty! I love the yarn for both the mitts and the socks.
As for contest ideas, it might be interesting to find out how many knitting blogs people are reading. And maybe what their favourites are. But I do really like 5elementknitr’s idea of going back to the first and hundredth posts, too.
Your cardi is looking awesome; I definitely have my eye on that pattern.
I like contests where people have to tell something about themselves, but something that is sort of concrete and self-contained… say, what’s the longest a project has ever stayed on your needles? (regardless of whether it’s still there, finished, or frogged.)
Happy pre-blogiversary! I love the socks – the stitch patterns enhances the pooling and makes it look beautiful, IMHO.
For your contest – how about each person tell about the biggest project they’ve ever frogged? How long they worked on it, how much yarn they used before biting the bullet and rippping until the cows came home…
Ha, cute idea for a contest – a contest about a contest! Hmm, I think getting people to tell you a little story is nice, like why they started knitting, or who taught them to knit, or just their favorite knitting story. Then they have to do a little work, but not too much.
I love the minimalist cardi, I really want to make that one too!
I like the idea of not making people work too hard. But I like it when people help me too, I solicited for advice for my “contest.” You could have people predict what knit you will finish first or guess your total bumber of wips (including the ones that aren’t even wips anymore–you kow, the ones in limbo?). Just thoughts.
I think the conglomeration of colors in that sock could hardly be called pooling, really. They look great, in my humble opinion.
I like the idea of “what is the favorite thing you’ve knit”, but you could also add the category “what is the worst thing you’ve knit”. Photos would be encouraged. So if you wanted to expand the contest, you could have a winner in each category (the best and the bloopers).
How about asking the question: “What’s your oldest UFO, and why?”
I’ve just been cleaning out my yarn containment zone, and found a few UFOs that are almost a decade old, abandoned due to ugliness, I think.
Happy pre-blogiversary. For the contest, maybe the bloggers could say what they would call their blog now, if they had a chance to change their blog’s name, and why and the nonbloggers could tell what’s the best blog name they know and why. Or say what their most helpful knitting tip is.
What does your blog name mean. Your handle. Beautiful socks!
My idea for your PBCC is the following: you could have people guess how many yards or grams are going to be left after you’re done with your current pair of socks in progress or your last pair if you’re not done by then.
I think that a fun contest would be to collect stories along the lines of “Best Reaction of Delight by a Hand-Knit Gift Receipent” or something like that. Or a story about a knit item after it’s been gifted?
The delicato mitt is great! (Since I’m working back in comments, I think that these might be easier for typing in the cold office.)
That mitt is adorable and so delicate. For a PBCC, how about having people guess the strangest place that you’ve stashed (aka hidden) yarn in your house (or elsewhere)?
Hmm, I think your blogiversary should involve something with socks, since, you know, you like to knit those. Something like, worst thing that ever happened to you while knitting a sock? Or, strangest place you ever knit a sock? Or, who has the most sock yarn in their stash? Something like that.
Congrats on nearing the blogiversary. And thanks for a good contest (or three). š
How about people sharing a pattern (free or not free) that they knitted and were actually thrilled with the results. It can be any knitted sweater or purse or socks or shawl or whatever they have been not only happy with the result but they really wear or use it. Too many of us don’t utilize what we knit- I ‘d love to hear success stories,
Maybe the contest could be ideas for what to make with the leftover sockyarn…or we could guess how many pairs of socks you’ve made…
The mitts are really cute! And I love the colors in the sock yarn as well. I like your reasoning for allowing the pooling too. š
I think your contest should involve finding out how many people can stand on their head and knit. š Ok… actually, I’m just not very original, so I don’t think I can help you on this one.
Happy almost blogiversary! I love how the Delicato mitt turned out.
I’m trying to decide on a yarn for the minimalist cardi. I would like to pick out something new, soft, and fabulous, but I SHOULD just go with some Casacade 220 from the stash. Decisions, decisions…
How about our favorite post from the year of your blog?
Those mitts really are lovely and delicate looking.
Oops, I missed the contest! Even so, I wanted to say that I love the delicato mitt. It is very lacey and delicate. Also, the socks and cardi are looking good! I need to set myself a schedule too or I’ll never get anything done.