Valentine's Day is Approaching

Once the new year has begun our thoughts seem to turn to the next big holiday and for most of the female population, it's Valentine's Day. KnittingsMyBag is no different. I've got some super cute surprises in the works to make Valentine's Day a blast for you knitters out there. Whether you purchase items for yourself or for a loved one, you'll find these items a great addition to your knitting collection. Stay-tuned.

Twas The Week Before Christmas

Twas the week of Christmas, when all over the Net
Podcasters were scurrying to get their casts set.
Their stockings were hung as a background with care
In hopes that all watching would somehow even care.

They worked like mad people to share what they’d knit,
They were talking so quickly on the camera they did spit.
They scrambled to finish their holiday knitting,
Many confessed they acquired blisters while sitting.

They wanted a break, a vacation was desired
It was easy to see they were just plain tired.
Their stashes were growing at alarming rates,
Let’s face it, we’re all hidin’ yarn from the mates.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the luster of mid-day to objects below.
The beautiful scene was a joy to behold, until we heard
Diane from Knitabulls saying, ‘Crap, it’s snowing and I have to walk the girls.”

And so they prepare for their last shows of the year,
No matter how sick, with the coughing and hacking,
They crammed in one more show before packing.

They gathered their props, all their pets and their show notes,
To bid us Merry Christmas and send us out to purchase Barnes and Nobles totes.

Now Bella! now, Maisy! Stay on your chairs,
Now Fred stop your leaping onto “well, you know where”!
On John, John, on Ernie (hey, gimme’ that pom pom)
and Skippy, whose training, stop biting the neighbors!
All the podcaster pets are so wonderfully exciting!

Now they’ve promised to be good in the coming year, yarn diets and knit alongs, it’s all very clear,
There will be projects to show and stash downs to be sure
But Tina from Knitting Blooms will find SOME way to procure.

Sheila and Wendy (Knit1HeartToo) will continue to be “wicked” good,
While Dawn and Nicole (Wolfe Farms)….well, they’ll do what they should!
Steve (DramaticKnits) will continue to drive his Miss Daisy (Callie),
While Becca from Knitbytes will be gamin’ like crazy.
Erin (mommyneedsyarn) will return with her sassy way, and
Jaydee (Twisted Strands) will have the beer of the day (hiccup).
Carin (Round the Twist) will no doubt have another “EPIC” year. And
The Stockinette Zombies with give us nothing to fear.
CharmingLochie (Kelly) will come to us thanks to “the one who pays”
And Tammy (The Proverbial Knitter) will continue the yarn stash craze.
Vicki (DragonflySoars) will finish her sweater,
While Katie (Knittin’ On The Fly) will be our “jet-setter”.

And now it’s been said with pen to paper,
We love our podcasters from whom we can’t taper.
We follow each week, we are clearly stalkers
And confess that many of us are just plain off our rockers.

We wish you the merriest of Christmases it’s true,
And always remember your viewers are “True Blue.”

Merry Christmas,
KnittingsMyBag

Merry Christmas from KnittingsMyBag

2011 Podcaster Challenge Winners

Mother Bear KAL Group: 231 Bears Total!!!
Knitabulls: 34 participants - 66 bears
Knittin' on the Fly: 13 participants - 50 bears
MommyNeedsYarn: 25 participants - 35 bears
DragonflySoars: 15 participants- 28 bears
KnittingBlooms: 16 participants - 26 bears
Exchange Student in Fiberland: 10 participants - 18 bears
Knitbytes: 3 participants - 3 bears
Barknknit: 2 participant - 2 bear

KAL Project:
Knittin' on the Fly: 26 completed projects (cannot count Katie's project)
Knitbytes: 23 completed projects
Knitabulls: 10 completed projects
Miss Elle Knits: 8 completed projects
BrittKnits: 8 completed projects
DomesticaKatedDarling: 6 completed projects
Dragonfly Soars: 6 completed projects
Knit1HeartToo: (Sheila) 6 completed projects; (Wendy) 3 completed projects
Dramatic Knits: 5 completed projects
Addicted to Yarn: 3 completed projects
NoteableNeedlework: 3 completed projects
Exchange Student in Fiberland: 2 completed projects
MommyNeedsYarn: 2 completed projects
Knitting Blooms: 1 completed project
A Cronic Knitter: 1 completed project

Prize Category Winners:
Most Altered Pattern: DramaticKnits (Steve)
Best Yarn Choice: Knit1HeartToo (Sheila)
Talkin' Smack: Knit1HeartToo (Wendy) - I think people were afraid NOT to vote for her!
Suffered Through It: Exchange Student in Fiberland (MariGayle)
Special Guest: Knitabulls (Diane)
Hot Mess: Exchange Student in Fiberland (MariGayle)
Super Knitter: NoteableNeedlework (Kate)
Most Creative Photography: Proverbial Knitter
GRAND PRIZE WINNER OF THE 2011 PODCASTER CHALLENGE

****************Diane of the Knitabulls Podcast*****************

Check out my previous post for photographs of the prizes (except for the Grand Prize Category - photos of those items to follow in the coming days)


**Disclaimer: The numbers were checked and re-checked and are accurate to the best of my ability. If you split your vote between more than one individual in a single category, those votes were not counted.

Photos of Prizes for the Podcaster Challenge

Most Altered Pattern:

KAL Group Award:

Best Yarn Choice:

The "Talkin' Smack" Award:

The "Suffered Through It" Award:

Favorite Special Guest Award:

The "Hot Mess" Award:

The "Super Knitter" Podcaster Award:

Most Creative Photography Award:

Visit to Bartlettyarns-Harmony, Maine

August 5th my sister, Krista, and I had the opportunity to visit a local yarn factory and were fortunate enough to get a tour of the mill. Tim, an employee of five years, was our guide and it was great fun and quite a learning experience.

The oldest machine at Bartlettyarns is dated back to the early 1800s and the newest machine is dated around 1948. It was so much fun to see how the fiber is taken from beginning to end.

You can see what wonderful yarns and rovings I purchased and I plan on making many more purchases through their online store at www.bartlettyarns.com. Check out their site. Their prices are great and the product is even better.

Heather from HighlandHandmades talks a lot of her trip to Bartlettyarns in a recent podcast and shows a hat she made her husband from their yarn http://www.thefiberistafiles.com/?m=201108. Katie from Knittin on the Fly also shows her sample yarn pack in her podcast http://knittinonthefly.blogspot.com/

A Clean Slate

Now we have to decide on whether to lift the house, crush the foundation and build a new one or brace the basement walls instead. The difference: $20,000.00. Hmmmmmm.

99 Snow Goose Lane

My husband and I purchased the camp across the street from the one we own now on a small lake in Maine. It belonged to a man who was sadly an alcoholic and he would only come up a few weekends a year and sat inside and drank all weekend. Well, he passed away last spring and his wife, who had never even seen the place, sold it to us. I got to look inside once during the summer but we didn't finally come to an agreement on price until December. That meant that we had to face the mess this summer. In the photograph of the kitchen that includes the stove: notice the lobster pot on top - it had 5 dead mice floating aroud in it. The beds were still unmade from the year before; the fridge was filled with beer and black mold.

There is so much work to do starting with the foundation. All four walls are cracked and damaged and we may have to lift the house and start from scratch. We are hoping to make it into a three season retirement home (we are 51 now and believe me it may take another 20 years to get this done). We paid cash for the property and are only using cash to redo it so it may be a slow process.

I thought I would post of a bunch of before, during and after photos so that you can watch the process and maybe even get some advice, tips, and, of course, sympathy from some of you.

Hope you stay tuned for the journey.

Plurk Podcasters Challenge

Plurkers are united to promote our favorite video podcasters and show them a little love. Find out more about the challenge and how you can participate by going to this Ravelry thread. http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/knittingsmybag-fans/1672112/26-50#35

Video Podcasts - My New Love

I've fallen in love with video podcasts! They are the "new soap operas". I love to see what others are knitting and it's fun to hear about their lives as well. It really gives you a sense of community especially for someone like myself who doesn't have many knitting friends or people around me that get excited about knitting like I do. At my house, baskets of yarn (although attractively and strategically placed around my home) are looked upon as clutter!

I have compiled a list of my "favorite" podcasts to the left. Check them out if you haven't already. You, too may fall in love with video podcasts.

Springtime Knitting

I'm in Big Bear, CA for an exteneded weekend and I'm loving the spring weather. Just before I left, I pulled out all sorts of great springtime fabrics and I can't wait to get back and sew up some cheery knitting bags. So, get out your cotton yarn and bring on spring! Keep checking my etsy shop at http://knittingsmybag.etsy.com for spring bag updates. Check out my flickr page as well for lots of new fabric choices. Link on this page~

MOPS Training Up Your Child

Great message on training up your child from my friend, Venita Page. Check out her blog and join! http://upwordcallministries.blogspot.com/2011/01/word-of-god-go-to-word.html?showComment=1302539060651#c2384929861233142910

Facebook

Trying to build up my fan base on my Facebook Fan Page. I'd love to have some give aways and have some special coupons for my Facebook friends but I only have about 40 fans at this point. The "powers that be" tell me that I need at least 100 first. So, become a friend and let's get going! http://www.facebook.com/knittingsmybag

Spring is almost here!

With spring fast approaching, I'm working on a series of knitting bags with spring/summer themed fabric. So grab that cotton yarn and get ready for my April 2nd "Spring Fling" Open House. Check out my Etsy shop or come back here to my blog to see what new and exciting fabrics are on the shelves.

Happy Valentine's Day

My shop is loading up on great Valentine's Day themed bags, pouches and stitch markers. My favorite color is red so that makes Valentine's Day one of my favorite holidays. I really like vintage valentines and I have a few different fabrics with vintage valentines.

Please check out my new items.