A winner and some Little Things to Knit

Alrighty then! I love it that so many of you came by to enter this giveaway! Thanks to every one of you so much. This morning I used the random number generator at random.com and the number it selected was 35....katjobson, who said, "Red is my favorite color and perfect for Christmas. I would love to win :))))))". So, katjobson, please email me within the next 24 hours at diannemac1010@gmail.com with your name and address and I'll get this box of goodies on the way to you.

I'll be having at least three more giveaways between now and Christmas, so I hope all of you will stop by to see what goodies I'll be offering. (Hint: more fabulous yarn and books!)

And now, back to our regularly scheduled program.

So, looking for some great little projects that you can whip up quickly? Here are a few I'm working on and loving every stitch (which, to be totally honest, I cannot always say about my knitting!)

The Melissa Scarf-I found this by visiting one blog and then followed a link on to another and so on and so on......you know how that goes. In the end, I have no idea how I got there! I'm not sure why, but this scarf is just plain fun to knit. (read...borders on addictive!) Something about those bobbles at the end of every row (this from someone not that fond of bobbles). Try it. I'll bet you your favorite set of knitting needles that you'll like it.

These mitts-A great gift and a reasonable amount of knitting time involved. If you make them with some of that chunky stuff you've got lying around, you'll be done in no time. I'm all about chunky stuff right now! And, here's another pair of mitts that are even more stylish and fun to knit.

This cowl is fabulous! This is a last minute gift from heaven. And there's a matching beret! Perfect. Thanks for calling my attention to this one, Mary!

Need a gift for someone who doesn't want to muss up their hair putting on something to warm their neck? Then this neckwarmer is just the one. Once again, practically instant gratification!

I love to give handmade gifts (even more than I love staying out of the mall!) and though these are all quick and easy, they are all gifts that I would love to receive.....which is my criteria for whether a gift is nice enough to give to a friend or family member.

Got any great, fast and easy Little Things to Knit that you'd like to share?

Black Friday Giveaway!

So, did everyone have an awesome Thanksgiving? After days and days (and days) of cooking, it's all over in what seems like a flash. We were missing a few grandchildren this year and we missed them, but everyone else was here and it was great. Every year brings the noise level down because the little boys are growing up and are not so rowdy anymore!

It was weirdly warm (70 degrees---and that's just not right) and rainy and the prediction for a drastic drop in the temperature and a chance of some snow flakes actually came true. We woke up this morning to a dusting of snow! What a thrill for those folks lining up outside the big box stores at 4 am. Ha!

So, here's my plan. I'm thinking of doing several giveaways leading up to Christmas. I've got some nice "stuff" to send out to someone. All you need to do is leave a comment here sometime before 8 am on Tuesday morning, November 30. Then I'll either figure out how to do the random number generator thing or have a someone else pick a number and the lucky number will get all of the things pictured. For this go-round I've got 13+ balls of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino chunky in a beautiful red (color #17016 - 71 yards in each ball). Add to that one skein of Cherry Tree Hill Laceweight Possum (40% merino,40%possum,20% silk - 480 yards). Also, one skein of Mountain Colors 4/8 wool - color Firestorm - 250 yards. Lastly, a new copy of "Knitting New Mittens and Gloves" by Robin Melanson. It's a great book with lots of Christmas knitting ideas. Somehow, I have two copies. (I'm sure it has nothing to do with my lack of memory when it comes to my personal knitting library!) So, there you have it. Spread the word and keep your fingers crossed!

(the Debbie Bliss yarn color is closer to that in the first picture)

I don't know about you all, but my plan is to get back to my knitting today. It's cold enough to have a fire and there are plenty of leftovers, so no cooking required for the next few days. Perfect!

COMMENTS CLOSED. Thanks so much for entering. Check back a little later today and I will announce the winner!

In the outfield

It is seriously hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just days away when the temperature is 71 degrees, which it was yesterday. We had a big storm blow through early this morning and it is bringing a big change our way. Right now the forecast is for a chance of snow flakes early Friday morning. I pity those poor folks who are planning on getting up early to get some Black Friday bargains, which is one thing I can honestly say I will never do! I don't even like going into the mall or any of those big box stores on regular days!

Yesterday I took these pictures of the ewe flock grazing in what we call the outfield. It's the one farthest from the barn. Holly doesn't really like for the ewes to go there. It's bordered by the woods and coyotes often come into the pastures from there. I opened the gate to that area recently because there is so much good grazing there and practically nothing to eat in the other fields. During the day, Holly allows the ewes to go there for a short time and then she will move them back into their regular field. It's an interesting exercise to watch and it reassures me that Holly is doing her job.

I love watching what happens between these two. This old girl spends a lot of her day resting and Holly is usually close by, keeping watch. I like to think that the ewe is comforted by Holly's watchful presence.

(Edited to add: I'm planning a little giveaway for "Black Friday". Don't you think it would be the ultimate bargain to get something for free? Just check back here and I'll put up a post with pictures of the goods!)

Tiny distractions

Though knitting family Christmas gifts should be my focus right now, I am being distracted by these little bitty, fun things. I made a few of these Christmas ornaments or package decorations (whatever you want to call them) last year and sold many at wool festivals. I'll be participating in the Christmas Jingle and Mingle Gift Party on December 5th and thought these seemed like a perfect small item to offer. I've come up with my own easy to remember pattern and the best part is going through my stash of odds and ends to find yarn for each one. (It reminds me of being a little girl, going through scraps of fabric at my grandmother's house and finding just the right ones to make a new outfit for my Ginny doll.)

In continuing with my "one of these things is not like the others" theme, you may notice a tiny Einstein jacket amongst all those pullovers. The pattern for it came from the brilliant Sally Melville's (with her daughter, Caddy) new book, "Warm Knits, Cool Gifts". There are some lovely gift ideas in the book. I especially love the Ear Flap Baby Hat.

Anyone making progress on those Christmas gift knits?