And the correct answer was.......

34! There were so many close guesses and two correct ones, and of course I wish everyone could have won. The two names went into a hat (Tori's hat of course) and....more "Time to Knit" is on it's way to you, MARY LYNN!!!! Congratulations! And to Fiadhnat - a consolation prize will be coming your way soon.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the contest!

Whoduknit Hound of the Baskervilles' Project

"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes" Sherlock declares in chapter three of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Observe the common dishcloth.

Now - take a closer look -
Elementary my dear Watson, elementary!

Find the pattern here

How Many Knitting Magazines?

My granddaughter was helping me organize my books and magazines today. We were sorting them into piles and she was trying to guess how many were in a pile, and then count them to see if she was right. I had to come up with prizes for when she guessed correctly! It was so much fun, I decided to invite you to play. This is my pile of knitting magazines. Guess how many magazines are in this pile and e-mail your guess to grammieknits@yahoo.com. by midnight PST on Monday, November 27. In case of ties, Tori will do the honors of picking the winner.
The prize - something that everyone needs, especially at this time of year - More "Time to Knit".

KTC Holiday Ornament Swap

My KTC Holiday ornament package is ready to go! I decided to go with a Victorian theme (sort of) since the KTC December book is Dicken's Christmas Carol. I crocheted the ornaments around a Styrofoam ball using one strand of Katia Granada in a shiny green color and one strand of some metallic gold I had in my stash with no label, then added the tassel. I added a candle, handmade bookmark and some potpourri and it's ready to be mailed.

All Day Crop

Some of the results of the scrapbooking crop I went to yesterday. Most of all it was fun just to relax, chat, and create. We made a fall page, a Halloween page, Christmas cards and Christmas tags and got to try out some neat new products. The day passed so quickly - I still had a bag full of projects I wanted to do.

Thanksgiving

We had our Thanksgiving dinner at school this week. Every year it is our tradition for the kindergarten and 1st grade to dress as Native Americans and the 2nd grade to dress as Pilgrims (I'm on the right, trying my best to hide behind a Pilgrim boy). and have turkey dinner together (our great school cooks provide the meal). And...my favorite Pilgrim \

Needled to Death Whoduknit Project

Here is my Alpaca scarf for my Needled to Death project for Whoduknit. It is knit from Knitpicks Decadence 100% Alpaca in the Spring Leaf colorway. The pattern is the Super Yak Scarf from One Skein Wonders (I love that book!)
I doubt if there were any Yaks on Vickie Claymore's alpaca farm, but I suppose there could have been. I worked the pattern from a chart which was a new experience for me. Charts have always been a mystery to me - what in the world do all those dots, slanted lines, etc. mean. But after unraveling (frogging) several times, the pattern became clear and I have solved the mystery of working with charts! Of course my scarf has lots of twists and turns like the book, including a "make 7" stitch in which you make 7 stitches out of one. I think that this scarf was as much of a challenge to me as solving the case of Vickie Claymore's murder was to Kelly.....and I didn't have Maggie Sefton to help me!

Three Day Weekend!

Hooray! And it's finally stopped raining after two days of down pouring. It's even warm - almost 60 degrees!
Last weekend I went to a United Maine Crafter's Show in Bangor where I met a lady from Scandinavia who was knitting fleece lined mittens. I've been wanting to learn how to do that (you add the fleece as you knit), and she showed me. She was also selling some hand spun yarn and had one skein left of a gorgeous silk that she had marked half price. Who could resist! - she even included a scarf pattern.
"On the needles" - an alpaca scarf for my Needled to Death Whoduknit project. I'm using the Knitpicks Decadence that I received from my One Skein pal, Mary Lynn, and the Super Yak Scarf from One Skein Wonders. I don't know if I will finish it on time - maybe I can claim it is not finished because Maggie Sefton's series is not finished yet???
And a shawl that I'm making for a friend for Christmas. I'm using LB Microspun and the Lacy Winged Shawl pattern from the 2007 Knitting Pattern a Day Calendar (March 28).
Last night I took a break from knitting and went to a scrapbooking class. We made this adorable mini-star album. I think I'll be making a few more for Christmas gifts.

Warning - Danger!

Swap-bot is a very dangerous place to be - DON'T GO THERE! Don't click on that link! You will end up spending the rest of your life at the post office - your mailman will hate you. Your family and friends will question your sanity. Don't click on the Funky Scarf Swap or The Knit Kit Swap and whatever you do, don't click on View All Swaps
That Funky Scarf Swap is soooo tempting....but no, I have willpower!
But..seriously. I'm not sure about this whole Swap-bot thing. It seems very impersonal - like an automated swap. I guess I'll see how the Knit Mitt Kit Swap turns out. At least that one has a home page where you can post.

I guess I should post a warning about going to your local book store too. I found One Skein Wonders at mine today. I love it! I think I like it better than One Skein. I don't think there is anything in it that I wouldn't want to make. Like one of the scarves.. Hmmm - I still have 8 hours to sign up for the funky scarf exchange.
I also picked up a copy of Frankenstein for $2.00. That's the book Knit the Classics is reading this month. But after reading the first couple pages - I really don't think I want to read it. Too many other good books on my list. Which leads me to - or maybe leads you to the poll for the Whoduknit December Holiday Mystery book. There are some great choices and great possibilites for projects to knit.

P.S. I'm weak, I'm very weak! I just signed up for this swap

The Well Dressed Thanksgiving Hostess

Start knitting your thanksgiving hat and tea cozy now!

And get a head start on the Christmas holiday

Purchase the patterns here

Knit Kit Mitt Swap

I just signed up for the Knit Kit Mitt Swap
that I came across pretty much by accident today. It sounds like fun and the mailing date is not until after Christmas so it seemed doable. Here are my answers to the questionnaire.

Knit Kit Mitt Swap Questionnaire:

What are your favorite colors? Blue/green/mauve

Are you a new mitt knitter? How long have you been knitting mittens? I've been knitting children's mittens for years, but have not actually ever knit adult mittens.

Do you prefer solid or multicolored yarn? multicolored

What fibers do you prefer in mitten yarn? wool or wool blend

Where do you usually knit mittens? In my favorite chair watching t.v.

How do you usually carry/store small projects? In a basket, or small knitting bag

What are your favorite mitten patterns? I don't really have a favorite

What are your favorite mitten knitting techniques? I use the magic loop method

What new techniques would you like to try? Knitting a fleece lining into the mittens.

What are your favorite needles for knitting mittens? magic loop (40" circular)

What are some of your favorite yarns? Cascade 220, Patons Classic Wool, Galway, Noro

What yarn do you totally covet? Koigu

Any pattern you would love to make if money and time were no object? Can't think of one

Favorite kind of needles (brand, materials, straights or circs, etc)? metal circs for magic loop/ bamboo circs for other projects.

If you were a specific kind of yarn, which brand and kind of yarn would you be? Probably Patons Classic Wool

Do you have a favorite candy or mail-able snack? CHOCOLATE!

What’s your favorite animal? dog

Would you prefer super warm mittens or something more like fingerless mitts? Super warm

If you were a color what color would you be? blue


What is your most inspiring image, flower, or object in nature? children


Do you have a wishlist? No

Anything else you’d like to share with the group today? This swap sounds like a lot of fun - can't wait to get started!