Be Sure To Have Your Seatbelt Fastened

We have a couple of new el primo prizes to add to the prize pool for the Red Scarf Fund fundraiser, and there is a new winner.

As Seen In Vogue Knitting, S. Kate has made us a set of these stunning copper and sterling silver stitch markers.  

SpindleCat Studio Handmade Copper and Sterling Stitch Marker Set
As seen on pp.10-11 in Vogue Knitting magazine - Fall 2009

6 - Copper 5-lobed Swirls, US8
6 - Copper rings, US8
6 - Sterling Silver rings, US8
6 - Copper rings, US6
6 - Sterling Silver rings, US6
4 - US4/US6 Rosy Hammered Copper Dual Duty
7 - US4/US6 Bright Copper Dual Duty

41 markers total, all corralled on a handmade hammered copper pin keeper. 

I am breathless at their intricate beauty, and so thrilled that Kate has donated these to our cause. And a bit of trivia re: the level of “handmadeness” of Kate's work – even the cord on her marker tag is her own handspun hand dyed silk.

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And Alisha is making me cry. This is so gorgeous I almost can't stand it. I can't win this, but one of you lucky, lucky people will:

Harvest Chocolate is mostly a brown that tends toward orange and red. Chocolate in the sunset, wheat in moonlight, crusty bread and a well-loved Teddy bear come to mind looking at this yarn.

Fling Silk Fingering is 100% silk, but it isn't oil-slick shiny. Instead, it is lustrous, the colors shift and shimmer, and it feels good wrapped around your body. Each skein weighs 3.5 ounces and is 400+ yards of yummy, rich color.

I'm sort of hitting myself over the head over this. Alisha made the offer for me to choose something from her shop for the prize pool, and instead of being smart and just buying this molten chocolate gorgeousness, I said I'd like this to be in the prize pool. STUPIDMESTUPIDMESTUPIDME 

If you haven't already donated, please do so today:  

It's been sooo heartening to see all the bloggers helping to spread the word and encourage people to knit scarves. The knitalong in the Knitspot Ravelry group has been especially enthusiastic and productive in a short time (Join today! She has prizes, too!). I'm constantly reading in the forum in there that people are surprised at how quickly their scarves are progressing and how much they can actually accomplish when they put their minds to it, and/or how they are realizing how quickly a few rows here and there -- while waiting for the tea kettle to boil, while waiting for something to upload on the computer, while waiting at a red light, while waiting in the doctor's office waiting room, while waiting for the pasta to cook -- can really add up. 

To wit, in my case, for example:

My number five scarf is now half done. I have come to love the colors. I wish I had done a straight knit row where it joins from saffron to blue, so that line would be smoother, but then I kind of like those gold seeds popping up in the blue field. I guess it's all good.

Also, please think about joining the (two overlapping, in a funny turn of events) Red Scarf Groups in Ravelry. And if you can't do a scarf now, please think about it the next time you are purchasing yarn or see yarn on sale, or need to fill up your online shopping cart in order to qualify for free shipping. Throw in a few skeins of DK red (or other unisex color) yarn with next year's Red Scarf Project in mind, and when you need a mindless project, cast on and knit a simple unisex scarf and hold onto it, so that next year when the time comes, you'll have scarves ready to go.

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And now, drum roll, please.......

LUCIA is the lucky winner of one of the two spectacularly beautiful bison lace yarn kits generously donated from our friends in Prince Edward Island, Fibre-Isle Fine Yarns. Congratulations Lucia, and thank you Jacques and Sylvie, for donating these beautiful kits. There is still one more left to win.

Comments

[Manise]

Holy Crap! And we, including Lucia, were all fondling cashmere yarn and talking about bison yarn today at knit group- how apropos!

I finished my scarf yesterday. Starting another one.

[Margaret in Ontario]

Beautiful stitch markers! And that chocolate silk... Wow. (Nice scarf, too, Norma!)

[GraceY]

Christmas bonus arrived so charitable donations are in process, Sent my dollars via PayPal this morning

Love the scarves you have done Norma!

[Carole]

What wonderful prizes today! And hooray for Lucia. I'm almost done with my 2nd scarf. wOOt.

[Lucia]

I can't tell you how atwitter (as it were) I am to win this prize. I even know exactly what to do with it.

Those other prizes are pretty nice too. I would be drooling over them if I hadn't already won. (OK, I am still drooling. A little.)

[marianne]

Congratulations Lucia! and big thank you to Jacques and Sylvie! and oh my, those beautiful stitchmarkers and that SILK... creamy molten chocolatey silk.MMMMM.
#3 is on the needles and a quarter knit.

[Kym]

Oh, wow! Those are prizes to drool over! :-)

[gayle]

Congratulations, Lucia!
That chocolate silk... Oh, my...

[Renee]

Wow, the prizes are spectacular!

[Betsy]

Hey Norma-Have you seen Webs new free pattern?
http://www.yarn.com/resources/Yarn/docs/discdpatterns/293_Herringbone_Scarf.pdf

Uses laceweight but could easily be made with dk or fingering with less repeats...

[Joansie]

Fantastic prizes. No wonder you are so excited!!!!!

[Jean E.]

Gorgeous prizes! I think I better go donate. And I am working away on scarf number two!

[Jean]

The Paypal link isn't working for me. I had grand ideas of knitting or weaving a couple of scarves but it never happened.

[Carol]

Lucky Lucia!! Those stitch markers are just gorgeous too!

[Anne]

Yeah AND I love you enough to donate today. Or maybe it's the Fling I'm in love with. Either one. :)

[Cookie]

Congratulations to Lucia!

And what wonderful new prizes!

[Joannah]

The paypal link didn't work for me either. In the meantime, I'm more than 2/3 through scarf #1, I have enough yarn for a 2nd scarf AND I have a few drs. appointments in the next couple of weeks. It's only 12/3...just keep knitting!

[Norma]

I think I've fixed the Paypal link.  Thanks for the heads up, everyone!

[Seanna Lea]

Those are pretty sweet looking.

I am almost done my second scarf. I'll probably finish it during my commute home as long as the train isn't too crowded.

[Patty]

Pretty sure I'll be starting the new Reversible Ripple tonight. Got to dig in the stash before anyone gets home!

[Lisa]

Congrats to Lucia!! You lucky, lucky (and very talented) girl, one of these days I'm going to be just like you! And oooh, that chocolate drizzle....yum, (biting lower lip, ouch, too hard).

[Doris]

Wow, what gorgeous prizes. I am keeping my fingers crossed for that chocolate silk....a sure guarantee that I won't win it! Nice scarf, too, Norma. I like how the colors play together.

[Mary Fran]

Those stitch markers are beautiful! My Dad makes jewelry. If I don't win (ahem), I may have to send that picture to him and put him to work!

[elizabeth a airhart]

great prizes happy for everyone

[kmkat]

Congrats to Lucia! Mmm, silk...