Reason No. 145.7 that I love having the blog:
The coolest friends. (Is this really my life?!)
Regina, you know my soul and rock my world.
I can't wait to wear that t-shirt. Won't I be the coolest mama? And I'm so excited to introduce Abigail to Teddy Thompson*. Thank you! The next time I see you (soon, hopefully), I will hug my thanks to you in person.
*It's so super-cool when a mom can introduce her young adult daughter to some music before her friends can even do so. Wicked cool.
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The Contest: Or What Ancient Project Did I Finish?
The long-overdue gift for a friend -- thrummed (fleece-stuffed) mittens made from Coopworth wool roving, which was a beautiful gift from Carole, and which I spun into the yarn used for these. The thrums are locks of an incredibly beautiful Polwarth fleece, a gift from Kim. The inside of the mittens look like this: 
The story of these mittens is they were knitted for a friend, but I ran out of yarn (and there was no more Coopworth roving to be spun) before I could complete the two mittens, so I went back and took off the cuff of each mitten and knit a different cuff made of Lamb's Pride worsted. Other things got in the way (notably, the Red Scarf Project and lots of other projects), and it took me over a year to get back to these.
My friend's wife is a knitter. When he opened the package, containing one completed mitten and one still on the needles, he said: "I know what this is: A promissory note!" 
He asked me if he was going to have to wait a year before he got the finished pair, and I insisted that no WAY was he going to have to wait that long. Erk. There have been several sub-zero days this winter during which he could have worn thrummed mittens, and I feel bad that I did not get them done well before now. I'm happy they're finally done. I'll package them up and mail them out this week.
And the winner is: Margene! She is the only one who guessed these mittens. I know exactly what she needs as a prize. :)
Awww. Your friends DO know you! The mittens are awesome and what a great gift from Regina!
Posted by: Laura | Monday, February 26, 2007 at 08:54 AM
They are so special - worth waiting for!
Posted by: Mary Beth | Monday, February 26, 2007 at 08:56 AM
Norma, congratulations on finishing them! and to Margene for guessing correctly!
Very cool music/gift from Regina.
Posted by: Marianne | Monday, February 26, 2007 at 09:16 AM
You're making me blush. And BTW? You were already the coolest mama. xo
Posted by: regina | Monday, February 26, 2007 at 09:18 AM
Are you gonna send her that stuff Ann slipped in your wallet?
Posted by: Kathleen | Monday, February 26, 2007 at 09:29 AM
Hooray for finishing the mittens! I'm sure he will be thrilled.
Posted by: Carole | Monday, February 26, 2007 at 09:31 AM
Me, me!!? I won!? I saw them in person last October and felt SO SORRY for your friend. That's why I picked them as I knew the guilt would get to you;-) Now you need to finish socks for David before spring comes!
Posted by: margene | Monday, February 26, 2007 at 10:05 AM
Those mittens look so comfy. Yay Margene!
Posted by: Lucia | Monday, February 26, 2007 at 11:44 AM
*cough*
/runs like hell
Posted by: Cookie | Monday, February 26, 2007 at 11:59 AM
I don't get it. Deep Song was released two years ago, and Thompson's at least a year ago, if it was at the time of Brokeback Mountain. And what t-shirt? No explanation, no picture. Have I missed something? Or am I just not part of the "in" crowd?
Posted by: Teresa Thorne Hunter | Monday, February 26, 2007 at 01:11 PM
That Margene - does she know you or WHAT??!?
Posted by: Anne | Monday, February 26, 2007 at 01:47 PM
It always helps to get those kids young! Before you know it, you'll have a critic on your hands; one with excellent taste in music...Those mittens look like serious weather deterrents, just great! Isn't it supposed to take a year for mitts?
Posted by: CarolC | Monday, February 26, 2007 at 01:49 PM
I know what Margene needs! A little trip from Sandy that will fly out to Utah for a bit of a vacation. Paid for by YOU of course.
No?
Drat it.
Love the mittens. LOVE. Now, deliver them to the poor man with the frozen fingers.
xoxo
Posted by: Sandy | Monday, February 26, 2007 at 04:56 PM
I an attest-those mittens are wicked good!
Posted by: Kristen | Monday, February 26, 2007 at 05:10 PM
(*&^&*!! That's, "I can..."
Posted by: Kristen | Monday, February 26, 2007 at 05:11 PM
Teddy Thompson rocks my world. I heard his first album nigh unto 6-7 years ago and fell in love. "Wake Up" still has the ability to make me cry at its beauty. Of course it doesn't hurt that his dad is awesomeness too. Remember back in the day when the Point played good music?
Posted by: Dusa | Monday, February 26, 2007 at 07:24 PM
Teddy is good but I still prefer his dad.
Posted by: AnnP | Monday, February 26, 2007 at 09:09 PM
/done pouting
What a wonderful package!
Love the mittens and their story. Did you mail them yet? ;^)
Posted by: Cookie | Monday, February 26, 2007 at 09:48 PM
Regina's the best.
Posted by: cari | Monday, February 26, 2007 at 11:47 PM
Lovely presents, awesome mittens! Good on you!
Posted by: Roxie | Tuesday, February 27, 2007 at 09:32 AM
"... a promissory note" Now that is a person who knows our kind.
Posted by: Cathy | Tuesday, February 27, 2007 at 10:30 AM
Bring that tshirt to a festival and we can be TWINS.
;-)
Posted by: claudia | Tuesday, February 27, 2007 at 04:34 PM