"No Charges Were Filed" (Conclusion to Contest)

I'd like to thank everyone for their patience in waiting for the official announcement of who the winners are for the "Milesstones Worth a Hundred Grand " contest that celebrated 100,000 visitors milestone (this number does not include blog feeds or AOL's Alerts), and in celebrating blogging here for a terrific three years.

The delay was caused by a slight change in how the winners were selected...

Mini-Dee wanted to select a winner by number, so did Dee Jr. So they each selected a number and then opted for "up" or "down."

Mini-Dee selected "up" (meaning counting the entries from the bottom up) and the number five. LisazArt is our first winner with this entry:

" ... but the LPD did request Mrs. Stanziano crochet up the entire squad coffee cozies with matching hats. "There's only one thing worse than a cold cup of coffee," the Chief stated, "and that is when you find your partner drinking your coffee because the cups look alike!" Mrs. Stanziano said she'd crochet up the hats to show her appreciation, but it will be the children who would create the cozies -- with the green yarn and the Barbie knitter. The children happily agreed and darted back into the stash for more yarn. A second search for them is currently underway."

Dee Jr. decided on "down" and chose the number six. This means Haleyzim2 won with this entry:

"No charges were filed however, Mrs. Stanziano was required to provide a formal statement as to how she came to be in possession of Susan Bates' headless body. The authorities were then able to obtain a full confession from the Bates company and MiniDee finally received her replacement hook. Mrs. Stanziano was also required to show proper registration for all the Gray dogs found kenneled throughout the stash. The officers were pleased with the working conditions of the dogs and reported that each was in excellent health. In addition, several pair of knitting needles were confiscated and Mrs. Stanziano was advised to steer clear of such tools which "can be dangerous in untrained hands." Mrs. Stanziano's knitting projects were released into the custody of Mini Dee who also promised to make sure Mom keeps knitting to a bare minimum."

The holdup in this announcement was caused by the delay in picking the third winner. Mr. Dee decided he didn't want to pick a number, up or down, but rather judge by the "laugh-o-meter." Since he worked two difficult weeks at work he was too exhausted to immediately set to judging. So a wait was deemed necessary.

This morning (with a little pressure of being poked with crochet hooks) he sat down and read each entry. As he did so I was in the other room listening -- you all had him in stitches! He selected the final winner based upon how much he laughed, and wants you all to know how much he appreciated your comic entries. So, without further ado, our final winner, judged as the funniest entry, is ellgormley:

"No charges were filed, however, the Mother was asked to have an evaluation for "Yarn Acquisition Syndrome" and complete a 12-step program. In addition, the Mother will have to complete 300 hours of community service untangling yarn balls at the local preschools, thus serving children and the crafting community simultaneously. In addition, the Mother will have to volunteer with the Fire Department's "Heavy Rescue" team, teaching them to crochet lassos to be used in future rescues. The children, though unharmed, will be monitored closely for Post-traumatic stress by an Art-Therapist who will utilize yarn projects in their care. Anyone who wishes to aid the children, should send skeins of green yarn to the above address."

I will need the three aforementioned winners to contact me with their mailing addresses so prizes can be awarded.

Thank you everyone for a great contest!

Tags: crochet contest, winners

... and the 2012 Winner Is ...

I would like to thank everyone who participated in my Anniversary Celebration where, for the 2nd year in a row, I am gifting away a 1-year CGOA Membership. I greatly enjoyed reading everyone's Top 3 Favorite Crochet Techniques -- in reading all the entries it seems Tunisian Crochet is in the top spot for favorite! 

'Angry Kitty' takes on Chuck Norris

"Angry Kitty" got to pick the winner!

Before I announce who the winner is, I want to take a moment to thank Dee Jr and "Angry Kitty" for all their hard work in the preparing and choosing of this year's winner.  Dee Jr printed out all the entries, cut them into strips and then curled them into spirals; they remind me of confetti!  They were then presented to the cat, who we affectionately are calling "Angry Kitty" as she has been upset her that her human/owner has been on vacation for over a month now. (I've been tweeting about this on Twitter.)  She isn't hissing at us as much as she was in the beginning, so this is great that we got her into a playful mood where we presented the spirals to her, giving her time to "favor" one (aka "swat around the room" -this was the entry to be awarded this year's membership giftaway.)  Since she can't read, we thought this would be a fun, non-biased, kind of way to select a winner.  She certainly had fun!


So who won?  Well, not so fast.  It seems, after the winner exclaimed upon notification: "Oh Dee thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!! Hubby is not sure if his ear can take the squealing of, 'I won';" has "giftawayed" her newly won prize -- to her husband -- who she taught how to crochet back in 1999!  So, on behalf of myself, and our chews'n winner, Janie, the new winner is:

CONGRATULATIONS BOYCE!!

Disclaimer: I want to state that this membership was not something given to me to giveaway to help promote the CGOA.  Nope.  Not at all.  This membership, like the one gifted last year, comes from my crochet passion deep in my heart, and my very own wallet.  :)

Congratulations Janie, Boyce, and once again, thank you to everyone for participating, making this a wonderful way for me to celebrate 8 years of blogging about crochet, and celebrating my 11th Anniversary of being a CGOA member!

If you are interested in joining the CGOA, or gifting away a membership yourself, visit www.Crochet.org for more information.

Loose Ends Tied Up

So -- it's been a very fiber-filled weekend for me -- from working on adding more bead work to the freeform jacket to attending a workshop today which marked my groups' 5th Year Anniversary!  (more on that topic tomorrow when I can add the photos)  I do hope your weekend was just as fun!

Here's what I have planned for tonight:  I want tie up the loose ends and announce who the winner was from the latest contest we had here at CrochetWithDee (did you think I forgot?)

Excellent plan, yes?  But first, before I do announce the winner let me give a little bit of background 411, and then some updated news, and then, of course, announce the winner.

Rewinding:  The 411
At the recent Knit Out & Crochet Too! event I assisted Guido by introducing him to the who's who in the crochet world and the KOC2 event.  Even though my interview portion didn't make it into the podcast, a snippet of my voice did.  The contest was who would be the first to identify what I said.

Reality set in.  It was hard to tell if the sentence was in singular form or plural, so I had to wait for hubby, "Mr. Dee," to have time to listen for himself and make the call.  He wasn't able to make a clear determination so he made the decision based upon my rules -- and we'll be going with his judging to keep the contest fair.  ...again, we'll all have to wait until the end of this blog entry to learn of the outcome.

Impatience won't reveal the answer any faster!  Hopefully you weren't thinking of scrolling down to the bottom to find out, were you?  Nah, that won't work either!  {{insert evil laugh here}}

What I was lucky to have done this weekend was to read a few emails rather quickly.  In doing so, I learned that Guido has been in touch with his "inner crocheter" -- that's so awesome!  He said it was Kim Werker of CrochetMe, who is currently on a book tour, that helped him.  I'm delighted to hear the Purlman is stitchin' with a crochet hook!  Guido, I want to see some crochet creations & hear about them in your next podcast!!

OK, so that's about it then.  Guido is crocheting, Mr. Dee decided who the contest winner is, and I'll be back tomorrow with details about today's Workshop I attended.

Now I'm off to go work on some Chemo hats --- what?  Oh, the winner?  Yes, yes, I did promise to reveal the winner, didn't I???  Would it be mean of me to state that I already have?  Yes, that's right, I snuck the answer in!  If you missed it, then go back to each paragraph.  The hint is in the first letter of the paragraphs.  Winner: please email me when you've figured it out.  {{grins}}  Congratulations!!

Happy Cro-tastic New Year!!

Can you believe it?  Today is the start of a brand New Year -- and, in just a few short weeks, it will also be the official 10th Anniversary of my blogging (mostly) about crochet.  TEN YEARS!!!  What a milestone!!  The yarn, the hooks, and the projects!  The classes, conferences, and sheep & wool festivals!  Wow!!

To celebrate, I'll be awarding one lucky reader a one-year membership to the Crochet Guild of America: a year of opportunity, possibilities, and discoveries!  I've been a member since 2001, and I can tell you I have enjoyed every moment of it. ... So, not only is it my blogiversary, but the CGOA will be celebrating their 20th ANNIVERSARY!!  What an exciting year this is going to be!!!  :)

For those interested in helping me celebrate and want a chance to win the CGOA Membership, the rules are posted below.  Please note one entry per person, and the drawing for the 1-year membership is open to everyone of adult age.  (If you're not sure if your country is open to the CGOA Membership, you can contact the CGOA to inquire prior to entering.) 


>>>  EDITED 2/1/14: GIVEAWAY is now CLOSED.  Winner TBA in future blog post.  <<<
The Rules:
1.  Dive into my blog archives and find a post that you like.  An easy way to find a topic that might interest you is by utilizing the "search" option in the upper left-hand corner. You can search for a technique, a hook, a project, a yarn, a book review, famous crocheters and more!
2. Once you've found on you like, right-click onto the title, click onto "properties" and grab the address to that post.

3. Come back here and leave a comment stating "This is a post I liked: (insert the post address by right-clicking again and pasting the post address)."

Example: one of my favorites from my archives is http://crochetwithdee.blogspot.com/2004/09/that-my-mom-she-famous.html

If you comment on why you liked the post, then you will get two chances of winnng the membership.
4. Leave a way for me to be able to contact you should you be the winner.  If I can't reach you, I'll have to pick someone else.
5. Note that this is for the CGOA Membership, and is not exchangeable for actual cash.
6. Yes, even if you're already a CGOA Member, you can participate. Should you win, it will be more like a Renewal.

Good luck, happy post hunting, and may your New Year be Cro-tastic!  :)www.crochet.org

...And The Winner Is ...

For some reason, my mo-blog entry announcing the winner, has of yet to post.  It should have appeared last night.  If it does decide to show up, it will be a duplicate and I will delete it.  This will be the official announcement that declares the winner, ok? 

                                                                    *   *   *
 
Before I announce the winner of the drawing for the "Yoo-Hoo Bamboo Black Bag" purse kit, I want to again thank everyone who participated in the 4th Annual 60 Scarves in 60 Days Challenge.  It is because of you that we're making a difference in 124 peoples lives!  And that is truly awesome!  Thank you, Thank YOU!!

If I could, I would award everyone with a prize, but since the drawing is for just one item, only one name will be awarded the prize.   The winner is: Jennifer of www.jaybirddesigns.blogspot.com -- Congratulations Jennifer!!  (Jennifer, please email me your snail-mail address)

Now, just because the drawing and the Challenge for 2007 has drawn to a conclusion here at CrochetingWithDee, that doesn't mean we have to stop crocheting scarves for charity!  Think of scarves as hugs -- and who couldn't use hug, especially with the holiday season coming up, right?  So go ahead, continue to crochet those scarves and make a difference -- donate one to your favorite charity and make a difference!  :)

Thanks everyone, for a most fantastic 2007 Challenge!  If you missed being a part of it, put it on your calendar for next year -- it will be the 5th Annual Challenge!!

Olympians and Winners

During the time of the Olympics I finished crocheting nine chemo hats that were donated, along with many more from members of my Crochet Club to our local hospital. Now today marks the ending for the 2006 Olympics of which my family and I enjoyed watching a good amount of it -- topped off with many, many crochet sightings, and a chance meeting of an actual Olympian! 

It was fantastic to watch the various Olympians in their events, but what was really cool is what Apolo Ohno said before he raced and won is Gold Metal metal last night.  He said he does the sport not because of the possibility of winning a metal, but because of his love, his passion for his sport.  I can certainly identify with that here.  I crochet not because of the possibility of winning ribbons, but for my love, for my passion of my chosen art form.  Well said, Apolo!  (and the race was exciting to watch!)

And getting to meeting that mysterious Olympian ... for those that have been long-time readers here, you may recall that this time last year my family and I went to Lake Placid.  We had a blast going on dog sled horse sled rides, to watching an ice show where the memory of the US 1980 Hockey team's coach was honored, to seeing a castle sculpted out of ice, to visiting a small yarn shop ... ah, memories. And souvenirs!

On Friday night my son opted to wear one of his souvenirs, a gold Olympic toy metal, to a Japanese restaurant we went to. There they sat us with another couple and soon my son noticed that the man had on an Olympic emblem shirt. They got to talking about the Olympics and turned out we were sitting with Andrew Seras, who competed in the 1988 US Olympics, and his lovely wife.

Today he coaches wrestling.  And he had some good advice too.  He said, "You got to believe you can win no matter how big your opponent is."  Isn't this true when we're learning a new technique, a new stitch, or trying a new fiber for the first time? I think so. Without the thought of "I can do this" I thinkwe're destined to fail at some time or another.  If you say you "can't" then you won't.   When we do fail in our various attempts at crochet it's called "frogging:" the art of rip, rip, ripping one's work out.  That's not necessarily a bad thing -- especially if you can learn from it.  This is why it's important to believe you CAN do it.  It may take a few tries, but eventually you "can win."

So that's my little nugget I'd like you to walk away with today; to believe in yourself, in your crochet abilities, in your passion for crochet. The rest will eventually fall into place.

So go ahead, venture out and try something new.  You never know, you just might like it, right Margaret?  {{big grins}}  Or even possibly winning a Birthday Guest Blogging Contest, right Elaine, Amy, Michele, Robbin, Sandy, Tina Marie, Karen, and Ellen?  Think about your blog entries and how many people will benefit from your fantastic entries that are filled with your love, your passion, for crochet!  {{bigger grins}}  Yes, that's right the winner was selected today and it was Michele's name that was randomly selected as the Winner.  I will be notifying Michele shortly that she is the winner of the $20 Gift Certificate to JoAnns.  Congratulations Michele, and thank you to all those who entered!  :)  (BTW: use shopping code FEBPER620 to get 20% off your entire order ... including sale prices! code good until 2/28/06)

(Snafu Note:  For those that receive alerts for my journal entries please note that the links to the individual bloggers got garbled & caused text to be omitted.  I have corrected the problem.  My apologies for any confusion. ~Dee.)

ChainLink: Day Three ... The Hat, the Rabbit and The Wand

Past CGOA President Pam Oddi was called up to the podium to talk a little about the history of the CGOA. Pam asked members who had attended the first conference to stand; everyone cheered. She asked they remain standing and asked others to stand, conference by conference until everyone in the room was standing and cheering.

Soon thereafter I was called up to begin the "Crochet Bling" contest that the Crystal Jubilee Committee put together. This would be my first time emceeing; I was nervous but excited.

The first order of business was to instruct all the attendees to nominate someone from their table as having the most "crochet bling" on and send them up to the runway. As they came up they took turns showing the crowd all their wonderful crocheted creations. There were many cheers -- and this meant my job of listening as an "applause-o-meter" to determine the winner would be quite difficult. Unfortunately, for what I had preplanned, my assistant (Dee Jr. who helped mastermind this idea) was called away. So I called on Mr. Dee who knew what I was up to. Of course he was shocked, totally unprepared to have the limelight on him, but he was a good sport and came up to assist me.

That is when I took off my Top Hat and revealed my secret! I announced to the attendees that indeed crocheters are well known to work magic with their crochet hooks, and can, (reaching into the hat's secret compartment) indeed pull a crocheted rabbit from their hat! Everyone laughed. I then announced the members of the Crystal Jubilee Committee who were responsible for planning this part of the CGOA's 15th Anniversary Celebration:

Our CGOA Board Liaison, Vashti Braha; CGOA Historian & Crystal Jubilee Leader, Gwen Blakley-Kinsler; BJ Licko-Keel; Jane Rimmer; Sharon Devol; and myself.

I also announced a big thanks to our winning logo designer, Mary Servillo, and those that voted, along with the web address www.cafepress.com/crystaljubilee, where members can order their Commemorative Attire. There was much applause.

One last time I reached into the secret compartment of my crocheted Top Hat and this time pulled out a very long wand, declaring it time to start the actual voting. The wand totally shocked Lily Chin who was standing next to me as well as many others. She went to the microphone and declared me the "Crocheter in the Hat." (Later I would receive inquiries as to how everything fit in my Top Hat. Unfortunately I can't totally reveal all the tricks as there is a magician's code, you know!)

I announced the prizes and sponsors:

• GRAND PRIZE: 2 skeins of Artyarns Beaded Pearl and 3 skeins of Artyarns Silk/Mohair Glitter ($178 value) plus a $50 gift certificate to the WEBS.com yarn store!


• SECOND PRIZE: from the Tulip Company, a complete set of Etimo crochet hooks; one of our vendors! An $80 value!


• THIRD PRIZE: a card of New Metallic's thread and several small tubes of TwistedSistahBeads' speciality bead mixes - the thread makes a good run-along and the beads are great for making fringe! TwistedSistah is also vendor in the market, so be sure to visit! TwistedSistahBeads.com

With Mr. Dee at my side, listening to the applause, I instructed all the participants to walk down the runway. The cheers were loud! We soon whittled down the participants to a small group and had them once again walk down the runway. They strutted, they spun, and they twirled their way into the hearts of the crowd -- and nearly blinded all with their crocheted glitter. I thanked all for participating then announced the winners, "knighting" them with the magic wand:

In Third Place: Margaret wearing her copper, gold, and silver top adorned with flowers!
In Second Place: Jill wearing a beautiful crocheted black dress.
In First Place: Joan wearing an incredibly sparkle-lishious pineapple shawl.

The crowd went wild with applause for our participants and our winners.

To see more photos of the Crystal Bling Contest, please visit Nancy's Flickr Album: http://www.flickr.com/photos/20302326@N07/sets/72157622066959492/

KOC2: Counting Down to September 17th

What a gorgeous summer day we had yesterday; it was perfect for a drive to the City to attend another Craft Yarn Council of America's "NYC: Knit Out & Crochet Too" planning meeting.  Mark your calendars -- this most fantastic event is only a month away!!  And did I mention that it's FREE to attend??  Yeah, mark those calendars & blog about it if you're going! 

During the meeting we worked on "starts."  Starts are little squares, 12 stitches by four rows, that will be used in the Learn to Crochet/Learn to Knit tent.  Even my children got into the act of working on the starts; it was fun to see them getting involved. 

As we worked on the starts we finalized some of the event details.  The first thing I can share is that the demonstration schedule is pretty much set, and happily I'll be one of the demonstration teachers again:

Do plan on coming to see me either for the demonstration or at the Guild tent (more on that as the event gets closer).  The next detail I can share is the Scarf Contest!

Here's how it works:
1. You crochet up an original scarf.  It will be donated to the Orphan Foundation of the America's Red Scarf Project.  Note that scarves for this DO NOT need to be created in red yarn!

2. Should you be the First Prize Winner, your scarf will be featured in a popular needlework publication.  Should you be a Runner-Up, you will receive some prizes.

3.  IMHO, everyone that enters a scarf is a winner in my eyes -- last year some 2,500 students in the program received a scarf as a part of the Red Scarf Project.  Go ahead, give a scarf; give a hug.  And if you can't make it to the event but still want to donate a scarf, then you can mail your scarf right to the Orphan Foundation; visit their website for details.  Don't forget to blog about it!  :)

The Fine Print: The contest is open to all ages.  Entry forms will be provided at the Knit-Out Crochet Too! event. All entries must be an original design to win.  The winners will be announced at the Knit-Out Crochet Too! event and you must be present to receive  your prize.  Judges decisions are final; all scarves entered become the property of the Orphan foundation and will be donated to America's Red Scarf Program.  Prizes are awarded as presented and cannot be redeemed for cash.  Also note that the Contest is sponsored by the Craft Yarn Council and is not affiliated with CrochetWithDee/CrochetingWithDee; I'm just a volunteer happily passing along the details.

Crocheters -- Go Vote!!

What do you love about crochet? Have you ever wanted to let the industry know what your favorite yarn is, or your favorite way to get a pattern, or who your favorite crochet instructor is? Right now, you can! All you need to do is VOTE!!!

The first voting opportunity is for Mary Beth Temple. She wants to learn about what we look for in patterns ... cost vs. quantity, pdf vs print and so forth. You can cast your vote HERE, and even opt to have your name added for a drawing where one lucky winner will receive one cone of Lion Brand LB Collection Wool Stainless Steel in your choice of the Dusty Blue or Wine colorway. I wouldn't wait on the voting -- she plans on announcing the winner on her Getting Loopy show sometime in March.

The second is Patons yarn company; they have a variety of quick surveys ... the most important, imho, is the one where they are inquiring: “Which do you prefer? Knit, crochet or both?” (refresh the page/revisit it later on if it doesn't pop up.)

The third, and the one that I am most humble and honored to be a nominee of, is the first-ever Crochet Liberation Front "Flamies Award" -- you can cast your votes for the Flamies 2009 Crochet Awards HERE. You can learn more about the Flamies, and the Crochet Liberation Front HERE. I have been nominated for best crochet instructor and best crochet blog for 2008 -- which again, I am truly most humble and honored! I raise my crochet hook in a salute of thanks for the nominations!

Now, what are you still doing here? Go, vote -- then come back when you're done. :)

Crochet + Contests = Fun

You got to love contests, especially those that involve crochet.  They're a great way to introduce new people to the art, and to inspire those already enjoying it.  With this being today's topic, I thought I'd share a few thoughts.

First, I want to thank everyone for their support for the Best of the Blogs Awards. Although I won the "Popular Vote," I did not place in the "Winner's Circle."  (For those that are emailing me inquiring why, I don't know that answer -- it had something to do with a point system.)  However, I am thrilled to have been listed as a finalist during the voting; the opportunity to share crochet was wonderful, and your support warms my heart! Thank you! I'd also like to take a moment and send Congratulations to the BOB Winners! (Click Here to see the Winners in the Knit/Craft category.)


Second, I want to thank those that entered into my 2nd Anniversary Blog-aversary/Birthday Celebration.  The winner is Gail with this submission (sang in the Oscar Mayer hot dog jingle):

I am a true yarn junky, that's J U N K Y
And I love to pet my yarn skeins, yes, D A I L Y
Oh, I'm so addicted to my craft,
That if you saw me you would laugh,
For all I do for all the day is C R O C H E T.

Congratulations Gail!!

Next, with today being the start of the Olympics, for those of you who do not know yet, there is Crochet Olympics taking place. To learn more, visit the Crochet Olympics webpage. Hurry though! It starts at 2:00 PM (Eastern Time) today! 

Finally, I'd like to extend a big Blog-aversary greeting over to Amy who is celebrating her first year of cro-blogging! Give her a visit at "Cats in my Craft Basket", and don't forget to enter into her contest where she's giving away a goodie basket!   Happy Blog-aversary Amy!! J 

And, Happy Blog-averary to Jocelyn who is also celebrating her first year of cro-blogging over there at Crochet Cafe!  Congratulations Jocelyn!! J

Thank Yous

I'm on the road to recovery from this "very impressive upper repository infection" (so says my Doctor.  And while I'm mentioning him, let me ask this question.  Why is it that when you have great pains just swallowing liquids that they prescribe medication more fitting for a T-Rex?  Gag!!)  But I'm being good, taking the antibiotics, taking it easy.  All the "Get Well" emails have been wonderful!  Thank You!  I will be back on my feet in no time, and more importantly -- back to crocheting!  :)

A Thank You to my crochet students, and my bosses! -- having to cancel my classes this week was sad.  But your understanding & Well Wishes were greatly appreciated!  I am aiming to resume classes on Tuesday, so please hang tight!  We'll be having fun classes again in no time!

I'd also like to thank everyone who voted over there at the Best of the Blogs -- especially for those votes in the knitting/craft category.  Although the voting was shut down early (visit the website for details on why), I am thankful for being a contender, and for all the support from my readers.  Right now the various blogs are being evaluated for content and that will mix in with points awarded by your votes.  So it's a "Wait & See" until they announce who the winner is.  Again, I'd like to thank you for voting, be that it was for me or for another that you enjoyed.  (To see the final vote count for the knitting/craft category, click here or onto the BOB graphic.)

Lastly, I'd like to thank Sheila for sending me this video link of some men having fun -- getting caught up in the joy of stitching (01/29/06 Update: Reuters has since removed the aforementioned video link).  I will admit that the piece is focused on knitting, but I think it's also more important to mention that it is good to see men enjoying the fiber arts.  More should do so!  And while you're watching the clip, don't forget to check out what the store has in it's front window; I'm sure you'll smile too.

With that, I salute you all with my crochet hook in hand.  I am thankful to have you all in my fantastic fiber world!  :)

Crochet-ulations!

The best thing about the year ending is that you can reflect upon what the year was.  It's good sides, it's bad.  It's happy times, and it's sad times. 

So with much apology, and much delight, I'd like to announce the conclusion of the free drawing I offered back in June.  (Were you all wondering what ever happened?  Who had won?)

First let me explain what had happened to cause the delay. 

I was approached and asked if I had anything I could donate to a local fund raiser for Juvenile Diabetes.  With the cause being so great that benefits children I opted to offer all the pairs of earrings I had crocheted up thinking I had plenty of time to create more.  In retrospect I should have held back a pair as life happens; things get pushed onto the proverbial back burner to make time for the more pressing.  I hadn't forgotten; I just got derailed.  Until today!

So because I was so slow in announcing the winner I decided there should be two winners!  My children each picked a number and now without further delay, the winners are Lisa and Sandra!  (both have been contacted via email and will receive hand-crocheted earrings created by me along with a donation made to the American Cancer Society either in their name or another name of their choosing).  Crochet-ulations!!!

I'd like to thank everyone that participated, and thank those that shared their cancer stories with me.  Hopefully, with the New Year just days away, 2006 will be the year they find the cure!  J

Just heard from Sandra:

Dear Dee,
Thank you so much! I never win anything so this is very exciting. I had truly forgotten about the drawing, so this is a wonderful surprise!  Please make the contribution in honor of my Dad.
Thank you so much again for this wonderful gift.
Hugs,
Sandra

Update 12/30/05: Lisa has checked in too:

I had forgotten all about this. Have you seen the Christensen scarf pattern at the Lionbrand site? A lady designed these and was selling them and giving the proceeds to a cancer related group (support or research, i forget which). I made a bunch and am giving some away. Please make the donation in memory of my grandmother.
Thanks again,
Lisa

That's awesome you're donating some of your scarves, Lisa!  ... And for those that would like to see all the scarves Lisa has been crocheting up, give her a visit at http://lisaizme.blogspot.com/2005/12/scarfocopia.html

Drawing: Try for a Chance to Win

After giving this much thought, I decided to offer a free raffle drawing -- all for a good cause!

 Here's the rules:

1. Drawing will run from now until the end of the month (6/30/05 Midnight Eastern Time).

2. To be included in the drawing you must leave a message at this journal entry here with a working email; or email me stating you'd like to be included. 

3. All the names will be collected and one name will be drawn. The winner will receive a pair of crocheted earrings, similar to Miss Pickles' earrings as pictured here. The bead work will be pink, as that's the chosen color for Cancer Awareness.  (I reserve the right for artistic flair & changes.)  I will then send a cash donation to the American Cancer Society in the winner's name, or (in memory of) another name that the winner provides.

4.  The winner agrees to allow me to contact them to tell them they won.  Winner will then provide me with mailing instructions.  (I don't know if there's any laws for this since no money is exchanging hands except for a donation to the American Cancer Society.  So until someone can tell me for certain that I'm breaking a law, lets leave this drawing open to any place in the world!)

The value of the earring prize is priceless ... it's in memory of my Sister-in-law.  (No, the wires are not real gold.)  No cash/monies will be going to the winner.  Donation amount to be made to the American Cancer Society is at my discretion.

So, it's that simple. Leave a message, or email me. Spread the word -- this is a good thing :)

A Family First

This is a first for my family ... three generations are in competition at the same event, in the same category.  Can you guess it?  Yep, Crochet!

My mother started crocheting about two years ago -- she can't read a pattern yet, so she makes her own designs up using various colors and beads, mostly with just single crochets.  She turned to crochet after being in an explosion at her job that caused 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree burns.  The crochet has helped her regain mobility in her fingers and hands.  She makes about 20 afghans a year now, and is, in her own words, "a fiberholic with a huge yarn stash."  She has an afghan entered, but doesn't know it - yet.  She lives in Florida and mailed my husband, myself, and our children each an afghan.  They are beautiful.  I told my mother that she should enter some of her work to be judged; but she's shy.  So I decided to do it for her and see if the Judges agree with me.  I hope they do because I think it will encourage her to take her crocheting to the next level -- meaning, learning how to read patterns.

My daughter, who is 7, crocheted a beaded Rosary.  Her stitches are far more regulated than last year's which means her technique is improving.  She's already announced that next year she hopes to enter a belt.  That's the way to do it! ... start the youngsters off with simple projects, let them dabble and play until they're ready to learn more!  This means that she's ready to learn how to do stitches, and that alone makes her a "winner" in my eyes.

And then there's me.  I entered the wrap I was inspired to create during a trip to NH; a hat, and a simple freeform purse.  It's not quite what I had in mind to enter, but with all the therapy and "down time" I've had with my back, I'm happy that I was able to enter. Period.  If I hadn't, then this "Family First" of having three generations involved would not have been possible.

The items are being judged this week; we'll find out how wedid come this Saturday.  And, I wonder, will this "Family First" inspire other families to do the same, and will the items inspire others to pick up the hook?  I hope so!  :) 

((snicker, snort))

Last night I served my mandatory "volunteer" time at my children's school, serving as a "runner" during Bingo that helps the school raise money to keep tuition down.

Usually I bring some soft yarn and quietly work on crocheting chemo caps as I await the excited "BINGO!" shout (or shouts depending upon the number of winners for that particular game). But, since all I have on my crochet hook at the moment is my "cotton candy" project, I didn't want to bring it with me and later be upset to have it smelling like cigarette smoke (some judges take off points for projects having an odor); and I had no time to grab a skein of yarn & hook for chemo caps before dashing out the door -- but I did grab Mary Beth Temple's new book, "Hooked for Life: Adventures of a Crochet Zealot" ... and I shouldn't have. Seriously.

When one is in a Bingo hall it is important to be quiet. Apparently, very quiet. Bingo is a serious game, and missing one called number could be the difference between going home empty handed, or going home a winner, perhaps with the jackpot. Why shouldn't I have brought the book? Because Mary Beth got me into trouble. ((snicker))

As I read the various chapters I started laughing. At first I was laughing real quiet like, being respectful to the Bingo players. Then I started softly chuckling; I got a few glances my way. As I continued to read I tried to hold the laughs in, but that only made it worse. Then, when I got to the chapter on Mount Yarn, I just couldn't hold my laughter back any longer -- I burst!! It was as if Mary Beth had a bird's eye view of my own personal Mount Yarn!! ... Ah, if looks could kill! ... reluctantly, I put the book away, apologized, and then returned to the seriousness of calling out numbers and verifying Bingo winners. ((Mount Yarn -- snicker, snort))

At the end of the night several lady Bingo'ers approached me. "What? No crocheting tonight?" one asked. "Yeah, we like it better when you crochet," another one added. "Oh, yeah, bring some yarn next time and make more chemo hats! It's amazing how quick you make them!" the third one exclaimed. I got the message.

I am half way through the book, and I have Bingo duty again next week. I'm thinking I won't be bringing Mary Beth to anymore Bingo halls...

Pins & Needles

Pins & Needles, pins and needles.  Have you ever got that tingling feeling of pins and needles, that butterfly feeling in your stomach, as you await for an event -- await for results?  That's the very feeling I'm experiencing this morning.

This is partly because sometime tomorrow the end results for the Best of the Blogs will be posted.  Will my blog here be the winner of Knitting/Craft Category?  I don't know.  But I do know it was an honor to be nominated, to be listed with a great group of other fiber/craft bloggers.  And, I'm thankful for the opportunity to represent our craft, our art, Crochet, in this group!  And moreso, I'm thankful for your support!

The other reason for the pins & needles feeling is because I finished some publishing pattern proposals.  The swatches need to arrive by February 1st, so my sweet hubby is off to overnight them to the publisher.  Will the publisher like my proposals?  Again, this is one of those "I don't know" answers.  But I'm thankful for the opportunity to submit them! :)

Of course, to make this proposal process easier for me in the future I need to learn how to have yarn companies send me samples for consideration in my design swatches.  While I do have a rather vast yarn stash, a girl (or budding designer) can never have enough fiber to draw inspiration from!  (that's a big hint to the yarn companies! LOL)

Yep. Pins & needles.  Maybe this is a sign that I should blow the dust off my knitting needles and give knitting another try while I await for the results?  Maybe I should tap into this nervous energy and crochet up some more Chemo Hats.  Either way, I love this feeling and eagerly await the results.  :)

...And the Winner is ...

I would like to thank everyone who participated in my Anniversary Celebration.  I greatly enjoyed reading everyone's Crochet Wish Lists -- it was amazing to see so many listing Tunisian Crochet as one of your seven crochet techniques that you would like to learn.  Fortunately I can help you with that come this September at the Knit & Crochet Show that will take place in Greensboro, NC ... be sure to mark your calendars! 

It was also interesting to read many participants are not CGOA members but expressed an interest in joining.  I wonder, what is stopping you?  Why not take the plunge, join, and discover what I find so special about this Crochet Organization?  And why not join with a friend, perhaps gifting her/him with a membership too?

Giving a CGOA GIFT MEMBERSHIP is very easy -- CGOA memberships include 6 issues of Crochet! magazine plus all the regular member benefits of the Crochet Guild of America.   Want more reasons on why to join?  Check out the top 10 Reasons to Join!

I am pleased to announce the winner of my drawing for the one-year membership to the CGOA:

Congratulations Carol, and once again, thank you to everyone for participating, making this a wonderful way for me to celebrate 7 years of blogging about crochet, and celebrating my 10th Anniversary of being a CGOA member.

It's all in the bag...

In just a short three and a half hours and the FREE Drawing will be closed.  There are many, many entries and I think that's just wonderful.  I'll be spending a good portion of tomorrow writing everyone's name on slips of paper and placing them in a bag.  (Yes, of course a crocheted bag!!  Is there any other kind??  LOL)  Then I'll have my children each pick one name.  Of these two names I will then have my children each pick a number from 0-10 ... who ever picks the number closest will have the winning person's name in their hand.  The other name will be the "runner up" ... you know, in case I can't get ahold of the winner.  (I just want to make this as fair as I possibly can!) 

REMINDER:  Any entries received after midnight (EASTERN time) tonight are void.  So enter NOW! 

                Good Luck Everyone!!!   J

What's fresh off my hook is the most delicious bag I've yet to design -- my hubby, my bosses, my students and my friends are all saying this.   I haven't taken a picture of it yet; just looking for the right props I guess.  I designed it for teaching in my classes but those that have seen this bag are insisting I sell the pattern.  They want me to bypass publishers and publish it myself!  So this means, of course that I have more homework to do.

I was over there at my CafePress store thinking maybe I should use their book option to create a book on all the bags I've already designed, and possibly include this new one I'm referencing.  I'm currious if there is a desire for such a book.  I would possibly include patterns for these items: 

The question I really need to ponder is how should I provide the written patterns themselves.  Should I write them in traditional publication style or in an easier format for beginner crocheters to try it?  I'll have to give this more thought.  While I do, I'd be interested in hearing how you'd like the crochet patterns you use to be written.  You can share your thoughts here, or in your own journal/blog (just be sure to give me a link to visit).

OK, I'm off to crochet yet another and test my pattern ...

The Conclusion: The 4th Annual 60 Scarves in 60 Days Challenge

I'm sorry for the delay; I've been under the weather.  Fortunately, though, because of that, many of you were able to contact me with your updated numbers making this, the 4th Annual 60 Scarves in 60 Days Challenge the MOST successful Challenge EVER!! 

On Monday, October 22, we stood at 69 Scarves -- beating our goal.  With the Challenge now over, we soared to a new record !!!

Here is the breakdown:

Sandie at Crafty Corral  just finished 7 scarves 

Sherri at CrochetR completed 4 scarves

Tracie at Fibers by Tracie has completed 5 scarves

Sheila at Just Another Hooker contributed a scarf

Bunny from Bunny's Blog has four completed scarves for the Challenge

Ellen over at GoCrochet has completed her second and will be sending hers to Threads of Compassion in Chicago. 

Haley of CT has completed two scarves for the Challenge

Priscilla of http://byhookorneedles.blogspot.com has finished her sixth

Sonia of http://fromthehook.blogspot.com/ has one scarf for the Challenge

Jennifer of www.jaybirddesigns.blogspot.com; has completed on her second scarf, but I'm going to up it to 7 scarves as she has 5 for sale to benefit Breast Cancer Research.  You can buy one of her beautiful scarves, or purchase the pattern for it here.

Beata of www.hookandfiber.blogspot.com created 6 scarves and says, "I can't believe how quick they were to make." 

Jane of http://janeshookedoncrochet.blogspot.com/ has cranked out 9 scarves

Valarie of Chino Valley, AZ; she donated two scarves she crocheted to her local church.  Her Church donates clothing & food to the homeless.

Olga of CT has two scarves for the Challenge.

Lucy, an elementary school teacher in Wisconsin, has one scarf for her school.

Lori of CT has completed three scarves.

Robyn of warmwithlove.com is sending out a scarf to charity

Maven of fiberprom.blogspot.com has two scarves for the Challenge.

PCB Chick in Florida of http://pcbchickinflorida.blogspot.com/ has two scarves for the Challenge

Ghost of http://hoppinhooks.blogspot.com contributed a scarf to the Challenge

Joyce of http://ladynthread.blogspot.com has two scarves completed!!

Robin of http://crochetinglessons.blogspot.com has an incredible 8 scarves done for the challenge!

Shelley of Stamford has 5 scarves completed for the Challenge!

Nancy of http://nlsstitches.squarespace.com who has completed 4 scarves.

Lucy, a member of the Crochetville group has also completed 4 scarves and shares the details about them here: http://www.crochetville.org/forum/showthread.php?p=983543#post983543

Scarlet of www.scarley-pooh.com has completed a scarf that will be sent to a platoon serving in Iraq.

Millie has added 7 scarves to the Challenge

Sylvana joined the challenge with two scarves that will be donated to The Women's Transition House in Victoria, BC Canada.

And I have 23 ... this makes the grand total, when added together, an AMAZING 124 Scarves for the Challenge!!  Please, participants, give yourselves a well deserved pat on the back as this means 124 people will benefit from our beautiful stitch~work!    Thank you, thank you!! 

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OK ... I'm off to number our 28 participant names and then call Mr. Dee at work to ask him to "pick a number" to determine who the winner of the "Yoo-Hoo Bamboo Black Bag" purse kit is.  The bag can be knitted or crocheted!  (A $35 retail value!).   Tags: 60 scarves in 60 days challenge, knit, crochet, dee stanziano

Modern Technology and other Odds & Ends

 I know, I know ... I'm late with the final totals, and with announcing who the winner of the drawing is.  So many of you opted to update me on your totals yesterday that I decided to wait until this weekend to give me time to ensure the numbers are as correct as possible ... so please stand by.  Those results are coming!

 I spent the day today at my children's school library.  I showed the other volunteer librarian my new "toy" ... it's a keyboard that works with bluetooth technology so that I can cruse the internet with my cell phone -- with the ease of typing on a full size (real) keyboard! I love it!  My goal is to use the combination, increasing my speed, when needing to locate books of various authors the children are looking for.   Since the school library is not computerized, it's already proved to be a huge improvement!   

When the other librarian saw my new keyboard "magically" placing actual text unto my phone's screen, she said the same thing I did when I was first introduced to the concept by one of my crochet students, "Oh, that's so coooooool!"  Yeah, she wants one now too.  LOL  (Those interested in seeing the keyboard, search for "Shasta Keyboard" on eBay or visit the ThinkOutside website.)

My second goal is to use the cellphone/keyboard combination when I am away from my computer -- possibly doing remote blog updates and such.  Since it's WAY lighter than needing to carry a complete laptop, I'm thinking this is going to be a great "working" relationship; I just need to learn how to do updates within the AOL world on the cell. [[If anyone has tips, please contact me!]]   With not needing to lug around a heavy laptop that means I can carry even more crochet projects with me!!  I'm so excited!  LOL

Why just this afternoon I figured out how to visit eBay on it and noticed Graydog has new crochet hooks available -- that's right, Graydog fans, Bill & Jill have a lot of new beauties up for auction!  Sa-weet!  Bidding on eBay auctions, or perhaps visiting Ravelry while away from home, is going to be a lot of fun!   (I see I'm going to like this remote internet access stuff! LOL)

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For those country music fans, check out the song, "If the World Had a Front Porch" by Tracy Lawrence.  He has "crochet" in his lyrics!  Many thanks to Grace for this crochet "hearing!" alert. 

In closing, here's a joke from Mini~Dee:
             Q.  How many sheep does it take to crochet up a sweater?
             A.  None; I didn't know sheep know how to crochet!