Crafting Morrighana

Let the Weekend Begin!

Okay, so today begins my much needed long weekend!  I cannot wait to get in the car and drive, drive, drive outta town!! *big grins*  Got the mixed cd's burned, clothes packed, still working on the choice of what to knit at the cottage:
-Shawl for Kev's Grandmother
-Socks
-Lizard Ridge
-Alien Illusion Scarf for a Friend's birthday
-Socks
-Tuscany Shawl in my Glacier Sea Silk (thank you Amy for clearing up the guage thing!!!)
-Socks
-More Socks?!?!?!

Hmmm...looking like I'll be taking at least a pair of socks to work on.  Might try that Speed Demon Saffron colourway first...at any rate, I think all of the above are portable and in desperate need of progress.

In the meantime, kick back and prepare your stomach muscles for some serious laughing.  Here is Stacy's entry which we awarded first place in the Fantasy Island Contest:

MESSAGE IN A BARREL

Fiji(AP) – A barrel containing a large fabric scroll washed ashore today at Tubakula Beach on the south side of the island.  Local officials are divided over whether the message is in earnest or an elaborate hoax planned by the local knitting community.   Laina Knowles, owner of the local yarn shop, says the message was produced using two fingering weight yarns in Fair Isle”.  A local group, known to the customers of Ms. Knowles’ shop as The Muggles, believe her statement shows complicity in the manufacture of the message, which they believe is a marketing stunt for her store.  The message is reproduced in its entirety here:

Dear Morrighana,

Real funny.  It’s been 10 years, and we’re ready to leave the island now.  If that proves impossible, please send more needles, as the boys have broken many of them on coconuts and clam shells.  Oh, and another Barbara Walker Treasury would be nice – I’ve knit all the patterns in the third one twice now.

We had a hard time of it at first, until we discovered that the garnet Rowan Calmer could be woven into sturdy ropes.  That helped us get the tree house together – the wild boars were a bit of trouble for us before that.  But now, we just lob coconuts down at them using our yarn slingshots from the safety of our platforms.  The ropes have also proven useful for rappelling down the south cliff into the pirate caves.  I made some bags from the ocean Handmaiden Sea Silk for gathering the treasure. 

Between the Sea Silk, Calmer, and cream Louet Gems Pearl, I was able to outfit our tree house in comfort.  We sleep on knit beds stuffed with our soft and comfy Louet Gems stash.  In addition, I’ve knit pillows, toys, blankets, towels, and washcloths over the years.  The Gems makes soft and comfy clothes, the Sea Silk mesmerizes me with its colors – even after all these years - and the Rowan Calmer gives me my cottony goodness with a bit of sproing.  Every set of shorts, shirts, undies and shawls were a joy to make.  The hammocks for our “deck” and the beach were a little more difficult, but we managed by first weaving ropes from the yarn, as we did for the tree house.  The acrylic in the Calmer is helping it to wear well – technology has its uses.  Plus, the cotton is good for daywear on the island.  I save the wool for our chillier nights.  Over the years, I’ve knit a lot of clothes for us… thank goodness for how well these yarns wear!  The only item I’ve had to reproduce several times is John’s swimwear… the monkeys keep making off with it.  They appear to believe blue-green knit speedos are appropriate monkey headgear. (Here is where Morrighana dies of laughter...again...)

We’ve adapted pretty well to living on the island – our Calmer bridge over the giant chasm to the east took us a few years to build, but it was well worth it.  The rope swing out past the waterfall and into the lagoon is quite the ride.  Between the fish we net in the lagoon (the Sea  Silk blends right in) and the nuts and berries we gather in our Gems pearl bags, we eat pretty well. John thinks he can cover a pit trap with a knitted square and some foliage… if he’s right we might change the island boars from an effective parenting tool (“If you two don’t settle down we’ll lower you to the boars”) to a nice dinner.

Of course, not every idea has been successful.  We got a little desperate at about three years ago and attempted to knit a hot air balloon to use as a signal.  However, I couldn’t get a tight enough gauge with any of the yarns, and we had to abandon the project.  We settled for the giant knitted message on the beach – you can still see it from the air today: “HELP: SEND BOAT OR CHOCOLATE.”

So, we’re sending out this message and hoping for the best.

~Stacy and family

Hee hee hee!  Thanks again Stacy and congratulations to everyone!  I hope you all have a fantastic weekend.  I'll be back in the blog again on Monday to let you know what kind of progress I made this weekend on whatever it is I take with me this weekend.  Until then...

All good things,

Morrighana

I'm a Dumb A$$...

Okay, so yesterday at work I had this nagging feeling that there was something I was supposed to do.  It bugged me all day like a person incessantly flicking your ears with their fingertips.  I kept working, all the while trusting that my little brain would suddenly smack me upside the head when it was time to remember this important task.  There was no smack.

So I went home after work, understanding from my internal monologue that the task could still be completed there.  Upon arriving at my humble abode, I proceeded to help make dinner, go out to practice my standard driving with Kev and take the cat for a walk in the woods.  At absolutely NO TIME did my little pea brain remember what it was that I was supposed to do yesterday.  Not even while I worked on the Print O' The Wave Stole in my Sundara Silk Laceweight (Guava colourway) did it even occur to me what I was supposed to have done yesterday...

This morning I remembered, and Dawn, I am so very sorry.  This awesome 2nd Place entry for the contest was supposed to be posted yesterday and I'm a dumb ass.  So I'm posting it today in the hopes that you will all forgive my idiocy.

Actually, I blame Captain Sparrow over here on my little fantasy island...he's been a little erm...shall we say, inebriated...um, ALOT lately and well... let's just say that it's amazing how much yarn you can stuff into an offenders mouth when they won't stop incesssantly singing old Pirate songs of the sea.  I swear, if I hear one more "Yo ho ho" I'm calling in some assistance from Davy Jones... *snicker*

So without further ado, here's Dawn's entry for 2nd place.  Please allow yourself to be swept away to her island as you enjoy this awesomely described yarn fantasy.  If you aren't wishing you were there by the end, I'll be surprised:

"Having found myself adrift in the pool overlooking the ocean and staring at the fleecy clouds, I survey my surroundings and note the water and wind proof crystal clear containers of knitting supplies. But where pray tell is the yarn?  I stare longingly at the woolly clouds and my body aches to knit.   I assend from the pool and search.   As I walk along the beach and round the bend, I notice a cave and amble towards it.  Inside this cave is the first stash of yarn. Behold, it is the Alice's Garden color way hand dyed sock yarn by White Willow.   I open the first crystal clear container and squish the yarn. A 75% superwash/25% nylon ply melts in my fingers. I gaze longingly at the pinks, maroons, and apple greens and then close my eyes to be transported to a relaxing, lush garden with rainbow shades of pink flowers. I am laying in a hammock swaying in the breeze. I am at peace.  Opening my eyes, I am back in the cave and ready to find the needles. First, I will make socks to keep me warm at night. Then I will make an afghan to curl up in and a pillow on which to lay my head.  After a few days, I search for the second stash of yarn.

Instead of heading out on foot, I decide to canoe around the island. As I drift in the current and keep the canoe close to shore, I spot a dense grove of trees. I stop to investigate and after some searching, I find the second stash. Oh, how my mouth waters and my mind remembers. I have found the Orange You Glad color hand dyed sock yarn by Doodlebirds Creations.  I sink into loving thoughts of my daughter and husband who both love the bold, bright color of orange. Those loving thoughts wrap around me and keep me warm like the spark of a fireplace dancing light that I see in the colorway.   This second yarn is also 75% superwash/25% nylon.   This yarn too is versatile and yet cuddly.  With this colorway, I will make more socks, a mattress, and a pillow to start.  Over time, with both yarns, I will make other useful items for my new home comfort - placemats, napkins, etc.   I may even get daring and mix the two colorways together to see what happens; perhaps, I will make a backpack.

After basking in the delights of my two sock yarns, I will search out the third yarn and add a spin to my collection. For a long while, I debated in my mind whether I wanted to find King Tut Egyptian cotton or Hand Maiden Sea Silk at the end of my journey. I decided to hike across the island to see what I would see.  I followed natural trails and eventually wound my way to the other side of the island. Thank goodness for the socks I'd knit earlier.   As I came to the end of the trail and spied a boat dock, I found the final yarn destination in an underground bunker.  Yes, my debate on the last yarn was over and the Dragonfly colorway of Sea Silk is packed into the bunker.   I fill the backpack with skeins of yarn and head back to my knitting supplies. Along the hike, I dream of a finished hammock, a canopy, a shawl - oh these yarns are so versatile!  Oh, what endless possibilities I have ahead wiling away the hours feeling the fibers, drinking in the colors, and expressing my art."

Hey?  You drooling yet?  Thought so...if you enjoyed that, be sure to check out Dawn's reading of her fantasy on the Yarn Thing podcast.  Thanks Dawn and congratulations!!
I'll be away for the weekend celebrating the Canada Day long weekend at the cottage so I'll post up the 1st place winner before we leave tomorrow.  Be sure to check it out cause man, those monkeys...*snicker*.  You'll have to check it out tomorrow to see what I mean.

All good things,
Morrighana

Kalypso's Nightmare Companion

Today is a scorcher out there!!  I attempted to go outside for my lunch at work to eat my microwave heated stir fry, but it was just too damn hot.  I even tried envisioning myself sitting on my fantasy island with Captain Jack Sparrow drinking rum by the cool blue ocean...nope...didn't help.  Sorry Jack darling, I'm heading in to the air conditioned haven of my 9-5.  Now I'm sitting comfortably in my air conditioned office where I find myself downloading and listening to the song Calypso by Suzanne Vega totally out of the blue...  Funny, I can't figure it out, but the nymphe Kalypso from the Odessy has been crossing my mind a lot lately.  I mean aside from Pirates of the Caribbean 3.
Poor Kalypso.  She didn't have any air conditioning on days this hot...

Okay, enough of my rambling!  As promised today's entry is our 3rd place winner Lauren of Knittiot blog.  I'm sure you'll all join me in helping her chastise Paolo for his actions...tsk tsk Paolo...tsk tsk tsk.

May 22, 2007
I have been on this island for two weeks today. Food is scarce, supplies are running low, and my Brazillian companion Paolo is putting too much lime in my mojitos. I take heart, however, in knowing that there is an ample supply of Schaffer's Helene in Jane Addams. True, there is not much practicality in having garments made from a handpainted 50-50 wool/silk blend in this tropical heat, but I rest easy at night knowing that I will soon have the prettiest hammock in the south seas.
PS I hope that Paolo likes his Clapotis.
PPS I wish he would stop complaining about using our shelter as yarn storage.

June 18, 2007
More than a month on this island, and still no sign of rescue. I sure hope they're not looking too hard, I'm trying to finish this Shetland shawl in the Jade Sapphire Lacey Lamb. I just adore this gossamer weight yarn, but knitting on this lace border is tricky enough without a bunch of pesky planes circling overhead. Once it is done, I'll have a shawl that will keep me warm through the night but light and airy enough to protect me from the sun during the day. I tried to show Paolo how the yarn was so fine, you could pass the shawl through a ring, but he didn't seem interested. He was just all "food" this and "rescue" that. Some people just have a one track mind, I swear.

July 5, 2007
I sure hope it gets cold on tropical islands, because I don't think I can wait another day before I wear my Fleece Artist BFL Simple Knitted Bodice. Maybe I should have made the short sleeve version. Who cares, this Moss color way really turns my crank! I think I'll have to make a cardigan too. This stuff is so soft, no wonder they call it the poor man's merino. Maybe I should try felting a pillow cover in a tide pool....

July 12, 2007
Alas, today I caught Paolo trying to use one of my shawls as a fishing net. He's off my Christmas knitting list for sure. I really should reconsider the practicality of a Brazilian pool boy when I already live on a beach.

Awesome entry Lauren!  Thanks for joining in the fun!!
All good things,
Morrighana

Fantasy Island Honourable Mention

Happy Monday!

Here's the entry for Honourable Mention entry from Madge (aka Knit Devil) from the Fantasy Island contest!  Enjoy:

Somewhere in the Bahamas, our luxury cruiser, the Destroyer, has foundered on a picturesque beach. Palm trees sway, the surf gently caresses the sand, and crabs the color of paprika cavort in tide pools. We, however, are miffed. We were working for SMERSH on a contract basis, until James Bond came along and upset things with that Dr. No business. Now, they're cleaning that mess up and aren't returning our calls. So, a few weeks ago, we decided to go freelance. Since we were vacationing in Nassau, we thought we'd check out the islands in the area and see if anything appropriate for a nefarious base of operations caught our eye. Nothing really has, and last night we'd decided to head to Cuba for a little gambling before starting up the search again. We celebrated our decision by imbibing a few too many champagne cocktails, and set the steering on autopilot so we could leisurely sleep in. Then we crashed. Literally. Stupid autopilot.

As LDM is moving the death ray into the underground caverns we've discovered, I'm reviewing my yarn options. Hmm, what to take with me? Let's see....

1. Koigu KPM. So versatile! Lace, socks, scarves, hats, gloves - all can be made with this delicious yarn.

2. Cascade 220. So practical! Perfect for garments, blankets, toys - and for felting little vests for the monkeys we see in the palm trees.

3. Rowan Scottish Tweed DK. So tweedy! A must for cable projects.

Yes, those will do nicely. And now I must rush. LDM is calling - seems he needs help programming our rescue jet to come pick us up. Ta ta, minions!

Nice choice of Yarn Madge!  Hope everyone got as much of a laugh out of this as I did!

And here is our second Honourable Mention entry from Marie:

First of all, my desert island would be in the cold latitudes--maybe one of the Shetland Islands or the Faroes, where the people have all gone but left their old stone houses and crofts behind.That way, I can have a cozy house with a big ol' fireplace to sit and knit by on the long wintery evenings when the winds bluster and blow. That way, I could knit all kinds of thick cabled sweaters and complex Fair Isles, and wear them too!

So the first yarn I'd want to take would be a nice thick aran yarn, a creamy white Blue Faced Leicester. I have some of this yarn and it's just so wonderful to take it out and pet it and imagine it turning into one or more of those great cabled sweaters, like Alice Starmore's Inishmaan and Inishmore. Could I also have a couple of BFL sheep for company and to provide spinning material?

Next, I would want to have a nice selection of either Jamieson's or Jamieson & Smith's shetland yarns, to be able to do lots and lots of colorwork. If I can't have a case of assorted colors, I will just have to take white and dye the colors with the natural plant dyes and other materials on the island. Hey, a stranded-on-the-island girl has to be resourceful, right?

Lastly, lots and lots of Kid Silk Haze. Enough to make allthe shawls in Victorian Lace Today, and as a bonus, could I have the book too? Once I've run through all the patterns in the book (it is a LOOOONGGG time, right?) I'll start designing my own. But the main thing is the KSH. It's the best, soft, silky, strong. And a little ball goes a longlong way, too. Petting KSH is one of my very most favorite things to do. I think one reason I haven't been able to finish Birch is that I spend more time petting the yarn than knitting the shawl!

As far as other accoutrements for my island, well, I don't need a cabana boy to bring me drinks, but I'd love a big strong silent type who will hew wood for the fire, ride a bicycle to power the generator for the Ott-light and the computer, and cook good meals to keep us both healthy and strong.Hey, wielding those pointy sticks takes lots of energy!

Hee hee!  The strong silent type is more my kind of cabana boy!  Thanks to both of you for your awesome entries. I wish I could have had more prizes to give to everyone that participated!

Stay tuned tomorrow for 3rd place in the entries.  Hope everyone had a great weekend!
All good things,
Morrighana

Fantasy Island WINNERS!!

Okay people...I had a SERIOUSLY tough time with choosing the winners of the contest.  Absolutely all of you sent me great entries that I enjoyed reading and I first off want to thank you all for taking part in the contest and for sharing your blogs with me.

Secondly, can I say again how tough it was to choose the winners?  When it came down to it, there were some entries that I laughed myself silly with, and many that completely pulled me on to your desert island with you where I could enjoy the passion for the yarn that you hold so dear to your heart.

In the end, I chose as winners the entries that stood out for Kev and I in terms of your passion for yarn, your creativity and humour, as well as the guidelines for the contest as laid out in the rules at the beginning.

So, without further ado, here are the winners as chosen by Kevin and I for the Yarn Fantasy Island contest:

1st Place - Stacy of the Flyin' Needles for her absolutely hilarous entry.  (Dude, you had me at the monkeys with the underwear on their heads.  I'm still giggling about that!)  This entry was so creative in the way that you painted it as a news article.  I loved the ideas you came up with for what to do with the yarn...and those damn monkeys... The environment you described was richly detailed in a way that makes me think of Peter Pan's Island.   Very intricate and inventive entry.

2nd Place - Dawn of the Yarn Books Chocolate blog.  I was completely sucked into this very detailed and creative entry, woman.  I was so THERE on that island with you enjoying that yarn!  And when I heard the recording of your entry on the Yarn Thing podcast, I could totally hear the passion for your yarn that I read in your entry.  Way to go!  You really looked into yourself and found the yarn that best represented your personal style.  You weren't afraid to get creative in a romantic style that made us want to be on that calming and relaxing island.  This was more than just a yarn scavenger hunt, it was looking into your soul and finding art...well...and yarn.  *grin*

3rd Place - Lauren of the Knittiot blog.  I don't know why Paolo didn't understand how amazing it is to pass an entire shawl through a ring, but he's in need of some serious de-muggling!  Your entry was hysterical and creative and your yarn passion is enough to make you not want to be rescued.  Very admirable, I'd say!  I chose this one because you really stepped outside the box.  We loved the journal entry style and we loved the added element of the character of Paolo.  We could really tell that you'd enjoyed writing this as much as we enjoyed reading it.  Kev wants me to tell you he thought Paolo was a really well developed character and he liked that this shone through not only in what you wrote about him but also the way his character shone through in your subtle implications of him.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
Now,  there are also two other entries that I received that were really creative and I wanted to give them an honourable mention because of this.  Madge dude, Kev and I were ROLLING reading your entry!  We loved the Dr. No theme!
2nd honourable mention goes to Marie.  We loved that you thought outside the box and created a totally different kind of deserted island where life is cold and the knitting is plentiful.

Thanks again everyone for participating in this contest.  I had so much fun reading ALL the entries and couldn't believe the response I got to my little contest.  I hope you all had a lot of fun!

Starting Monday, I will be posting up the winning entries AND the honourable mentions each day on my blog so everyone can enjoy them along with Kev and me.
Stay tuned, I'll likely be hosting another contest of an entirely different nature this August or September.
Have a great weekend everyone!
All good things,
Morrighana

Just a little longer...

Hey all,
I'm sure you have been waiting to hear the results of the Fantasy Island contest.  It's just going to be another day or two until I can announce the winners.  I feel like a big meanie to make you all wait so long.
I have been trapped this week with work, the gym, guest as well as numerous mundane tasks that couldn't go unfinished.  All of it has eaten up my free time and prevented me from doing what I truly would like to do.  Okay, admittedly we had a great time with our friends over dinner the other night but you all have been so patient with me that I had to at least let you know what the hold up has been.

So, after that pathetic sob story I will promise you all that I am devoting tomorrow night and tonight to going through everyone's entries and determining the winners of the Fantasy Island contest.   I'll be announcing the winners on Friday night so stay tuned!
You all were so crafty, creative and imaginative (and have amazing taste in yarn, I might add!!) that it's going to be tough.  Kev and I went to see Pirates of the Caribbean 3 a week ago and my bizarre little mind kept drifting to all the yarns you had talked about in your emails.  My distraction by this during the movie was absolutely no comment on my feelings towards the film.  I LOVE the Pirates of the Caribbean series, but (Kev, you might want to skip this next part of the fantasy...er...sentence) my mind kept drifting to images of a luxurious pirate island covered in all those amazing fibers with Johnny Depp feeding me grapes and Mai Tai's while I knitted to my hearts content.  How could anyone not get distracted by THAT bit of imagery! Ha ha!  I have a twisted little mind, don't I?  (Kev, you can resume reading now.)  *evil grin*

I have been only dreaming of knitting for the past week, which frustrates me to no end considering all the wonderful projects I have planned for myself.  I swear, I'm the worlds S-L-O-W-E-S-T knitter.   I have all these projects lined up, but never enough time.  I really don't know how you all complete as many projects as you do, because it's not like you have any more time than I do!  You people are damn talented, is all!  Meh, I have three weeks of vacation to book this summer so you can bet there will be some serious knitting going on during that time.

In the meantime, some wonderful yarn prOn fell into my mailbox both last week and this week.  I swear *innocent blinkity, blink* I have NO clue how it or the patterns go there.  *flutters eyelashes*  Okay yeah, I can't lie that well... I ordered it.  I'm bad...heh heh.  But I'm so good at being bad...

Here's the lowdown on what I ordered and receieved in the past week:

150gm of Handmaiden SeaSilk in Glacier.  Um, can we say DROOL?!?!  I've wanted to touch this stuff in person for ever!  This stuff is for me.  I was thinking of using it for the beaded scarf in the "No Sheep for You" book by Amy Singer, but it looks like I won't have enough.  Guess I'll just have to find another use for it.  In the meantime, I'm just going to hold it, and love it, and try not to get any more drool on it than I already have.  Ha ha!

Next up, the pattern for Tatami arrived today. *GLEEEEEEEEEEEE!!*  I'm excited to find the right yarn to knit up Tatami in.  I'm AWFUL at yarn substitutions, so I'm investigating my options of what yarns I could use for the pattern.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated, or even sources on how to do yarn substitutions.  I'm sadly a "follow the pattern" kinda girl that uses the "yarn specified by the pattern so long as I can afford it" kinda gal.  Unfortunately, Tatami is going to have to be knit up with something a little less expensive than Sundara's yarn no matter how much I want it (and I want it baaaaadddd!!!).  Maybe Koigu KPPPM?  I have some work to do on that one I think.

Also in this picture you will see the Sundara Silk Lace yarn (1000yds) in the Guava colourway.  This is the yarn that will be knit up into a shawl for Kev's grandma.  I never was able to find the Rose Garden colourway for SeaSilk, but this stuff is 100% silk and oooohhhhh soooooo purdy.

Okay, enough babbling from me.  As promised, I will be posting up the winners for the contest on Friday and tomorrow, come check out a sneak peek of one of the characters for the comic I'm working on just for you knitters and crocheters of the world.  I've gotten what I think is a good start on the scripts for 3 of the comics and I've even managed to get some drawing done for it as well.

In the meantime, go check out Sundara's yarn if you haven't already.  GORGEOUS stuff!!
All good things,
Morrighana

Contest Reminder and Spinning Jenny

Hey everyone!

Phew, today is nuts here at work but I just couldn't resist taking a few minutes to give a big welcome to one of the knitters I met at the book launch for the Yarn Harlot's new book at Indigo Books  in Toronto.

Jenny and I chatted in line while waiting to get our books signed and I just found out that she now has her own blog!  So welcome to blogland Jenny!!

Seriously, this woman is after my own heart.  She has an absolutely gorgeous photo of the Peacock Feather' s Shawl that she finished in a beautiful colour of blue.  This is a pattern that I have sitting at home but am too afraid to try out, but now that I've seen how beautifully hers turned out, I really can't wait to start mine as soon as possible!

Also on her blog is her Tatami from Sundara Yarns that she currently has in progress.  This is another pattern that I just recently discovered and completely fell in love with.  I just HAD to order it from Sundara.  I can't wait to start this pattern and Jenny makes it look so good that I  am on pins and needles waiting for that pattern to appear in my mailbox.

So check out Spinning Jenny's blog.  While she only just started blogging, I'm looking forward to seeing more of her  projects.  The woman does beautiful knitting and she is a really great person. *big grins*

Also, I just wanted to put up a reminder that the Fantasy Island contest is about to come to a close.  Can you believe it's been almost a month already?  I've been having so much fun reading the entries that have come in and I know there are still some of you out there that are getting your entries together to send in to me still. 

*UPDATE* Since I found out that I will be away all weekend this weekend visiting family out of town, I've decided to extend the deadline for the contest to Sunday June 17th at 5pm EST.  That gives you a chance to enjoy your weekend and still get your entry in to me for the contest on time.

A giant thank you to Marly from the Yarn Thing podcast for her mentioning the contest on her podcast and to everyone else that put the word out as well.  I hope everyone has been having fun coming up with ideas of how to gorge themselves on their favourite yarns on their Fantasy Island! :)

Hope you're staying cool where you are.  It's been absolutely scorching here in Ontario for the past few days, so ideas for lighter weight knitting are on my mind.  Good thing Knitty put out their new issue!  WOOT!!  Be sure to check out the great patterns if you are looking for a good summer knit.

Meanwhile, Akira Carrotsawa and Indigo Underfoot are staying cool by snuggling up with an ice filled pop bottle.  Mmmmm...cozy cool little bunnies!

All good things,
Morrighana

In Stitches!!

Okay ladies, I am so glad I'm holding this contest!!  You guys have had me in stitches with your entries!!  I have been having so much fun reading up on your Yarny Island Adventures.  You guys are getting real creative-like with your choices and I have to say, you are thinking up some fantastic things to do with yarn that hadn't even crossed my mind!  You guys are so smart with your yarn and your choices!!  I can't wait to hear what other people are planning to take with them on their Yarny Island Fantasy, so please feel free to email in your entries if you are thinking about it.  You still have lots of time to decide...(don't worry, I know it's a tough decision :D .)
I'm uber impressed with all of the entries to date and I'm really glad you're all joining in on the fun!  I am LOVING your ideas!!

In the meantime, I've been working more on the Snowdrop Shawl.  I had this fantasy that I would have it done and blocked in time to wear to Toronto on Friday, but alas...it was just a fantasy.   I am, however, half done and with the colour changes it looks more like a Sunrise shawl than a Snowdrop shawl.  I'm in love with these colours and the pattern is a really great pattern to knit.  I highly recommend this shawl to anyone.  :D
I promise to post up a progress shot when I get home from the gym tonight so you can see how it's coming along so far.

I also ordered some gorgeous yarn from Jenny over at the Lone Knitter blog.  Wow...I can't wait to get it in the mail.  I've been quite literally drooling over her Neapolitan colourway ever since she first put up a picture of it...I think it's my favourite colourway of any hand dyed yarn!  I would definitely be taking it with me to MY desert island. *grin*  Hey Jenny, perhaps you can start selling those bibs they give you at sea food restaurants to go with your yarns?  I plan on a lot of cuddling with that skein and I'm afraid of soaking it through with all my drool.  Hehehehe!  SOOOOOO excited waiting for it's arrival, people...you have no idea. *big grins*

Also, here's a picture from this past weekend which, if you're Canadian, you would have enjoyed an extra day of relaxation.  Kev and I did a few fun little trips here and there rather than joining the masses that made the journey up to their cottages for the first time this year in celebration of the Queen's birthday.  Rather than fighting traffic, we opted to go to the Metro Toronto Zoo since we have this neato camera now.  We had so much fun taking pictures and checking out all the amazing animals!  I'll put up more picks tomorrow, but here's my favourite of the bunch.  He looks so completely relaxed, doesn't he?  *grin*

All good things,
Morrighana

Fantasy Island

Okay, I know this is a few days late, but here we go with the contest!! WOOT!  I'm looking forward to this and I think it will be a lot of fun!

Here's the deal, friends!  You all already have a yarn obsession, right? Right.  After all, this is a knitting blog.  Chances are if you are here, you yourself are either A) a knitter, B) a blogger or C) Both!!, so this contest should be right up your alley!

The Low Down
Essentially, what I need you to do is imagine that by some strange force you are dropped on a deserted island.  It'll be comfy, don't worry.  I think there's a hammock over there, lots of Daquaris, even a pool boy to wait on you if you like!  So, as well as the hammock etc, you have all the knitting supplies you need: blocking boards, rust free pins, tape measures, scissors, you name it...but there is a catch...
You can only have three types of yarn with you.  Yup, only three.  There is, of course as much yarn as you will need, but I want to know which three types of yarn you would have with you if you were stranded for a good long time on a deserted island.  Now, when I say types, I don't mean something like cotton, silk, angora etc.  I mean like Yarn Pirate Sock Yarn in Black Purl, or Lorna's Laces Swirl in the Bittersweet Colourway...but again, you can only have 3 types to last you until you are rescued (which in this fantasy is going to be a very...long...time...REALLY long.   So which Yarn is your passion?  I wanna know.

So, what I need from you is like a mini essay.  Tell me which three types of yarn you would have with you on the island and why?  Write as much as you like with a minimum of two paragraphs, you can only have 3 types of yarn, and GET CREATIVE!!! :D  This will NOT be judged on length, but the more creative you get in your description of what you would knit, what else you could use it for, why you want that yarn over another brand, how you think this yarn could bring world peace...etc etc etc.

Given that you all love to blog and I know you all have a great sense of humour, the funnier your description is the better!  Your humour is one of the things that pulls me to read your blogs and I love to hear about all types of yarn, how they feel, why people like them, and just general opinions on things like Handmaiden Sea Silk, or Sweet Georgia's Speed Demon Sock Yarn.  Get brand-happy people and let your imagination go wild!

I'm not expecting a thesis here, don't worry.  I know some of you might think this sounds really heavy, but think about how long you've been blogging and tell me you can't write. *grin*  I know you all can do this and I can't wait to hear the zany things you will come up with for your yarny island adventure!

How will this be judged? 
1.) Hmmm...well the big thing that will stand out in the winning entries will be your enthusiasm for your pet yarns...the ones you crave at work when you aren't able to knit anything, the one who's website you visit every night just to drool over it.  I don't care if it's silk, wool, acrylic, corn...it's your obsession and that makes it cool. :)  Just tell me about it and why you would want to be stranded with it for months.
2.) The other thing that will get you high marks in this contest is your creativity.  Use your humour, get silly and be yourself.  I love humour and I love reading blogs, so  I know you all have it in you.
3.)  Stay within the criteria.  3 types of yarn and no cheating. *grin*

BONUS QUESTION:  Which pattern book would you take with you and why?

Why should you do this?  Well for PRIZES of course!  Read up...hopefully this stuff will entice you to get your fingers on the keyboard:

1^st place will win Alfonse the Alpaca (see previous post), as well as a (hopefully signed) copy of the Yarn Harlot’s new book, YARN, and some other little surprises just to sweeten the deal.

2^nd place will win a very cute and much drooled over (see previous post) Sheep ornament, YARN (woot!!) and a few other little surprises.

3^rd place will get their entry posted on my blog for everyone to enjoy!

How long do I have to come up with my Yarn Island Fantasy?

You have 1 month.  Starting today, you have until June 16th 2007 at 1pm to get your entries in.  Just email them to me at meredith at fireopal dot ca with the subject line Yarn Fantasy Island.  I will put all the entries together and my yarn enabling husband will help me go through them.

So away you go!!  I'm officially dumping you all on the tropical island paradise of your choice, all alone with your favourite 3 types of yarn (and of course the pool boy if you so choose)...I just need to hear about which yarn you can't live without!

Happy Yarn Fantasies, everyone!!
All good things,
Morrighana

 

Alfonse the Alpaca

Hey all,
It's friday...bleh...I CANNOT wait for the weekend to start what with all the beautiful weather these days and well...I can sleep in on Saturdays. *Gleeee!*

Update on the laptop:  The battery officially died last night, but rest assured my darling husband has a Mac at home so I will still be able to maintain contact with the outside world this week.  *snicker*  Of course, I may have to wrestle him for access since his Mac is his baby.

Before the battery died however, I did manage to load up and email to myself a picture of the stuffed alpaca that I'm going to be giving away in this upcoming contest.  I thought it would suffice as  some Friday Eye Candy.
Isn't he sweet? I called him Alfonse, but the winner is welcome to name him whatever you would like.  And trust me, you will want to cuddle this one...
Beside Alfonse is the little sheep figurine for the second place winner.  Both will be accompanied by yarny goodness (of course!) and first place will get a copy of the Harlot's new book (as mentioned yesterday I'm going to try to get it signed by the Stephanie Pearl-McPhee herself at the gathering coming up in Toronto.)

Enticing to anyone?  Hope so.  I'll be putting up the details for the contest in the next few days!!
Have a fantastic weekend everyone!
All good things,
Morrighana