Comfort comes in 10 cones of yarn and Mom's rollercoaster

PICTURES!!!!

Yesterday was soooo much fun, winding away on my new 10-skein winder hubs built. Yes, comfort comes in 10 cones now. The fun part now is which one is Ravel Me, which get Code Monkey and which get Mascot! :)

Okay, not that I really like getting into drama or my personal life, but I thought I would share about this. My sweet, single mother has gone onto an online forum in hopes of meeting someone. She doesn't do the bar scene and is involved in things, but just hasn't met anyone. So? She's been getting contacted and low and behold, the first guy that contacts her, ultimately ends up being one of those Nigerian money scammers. Mom got a learning curve from hell! I know a lot of people do the online thing and just wanted to put out a warning. If anyone ever asks you for money, or asks you if they can send you a money order so that you can send them cash, DON'T FALL FOR IT. My mom's a tough cookie, but there's a bit of a ego hit when you admit you need a little help finding someone...this was below the belt. And if anyone has had this happen to them...my heart goes out to you! It's really a shame we live in a world where the one thing we all require, love, is being used to scam money. (whatever happen to good hard honest work?)

Is this legal?

My husband is going to kill me...but at least Blue Hands Fibers has a new employee!

What have I gotten myself into?

I am so happy to report that contest entries are starting to trickle in! If the essays that have been enter so far are a portion of what's to come... this is going to be hard to choose. I don't even think hard is the right word for it, herculean is probably more like it. I have to say though, that I feel so honored and humbled with what people have shared with me so far. The love that people have for Ravelry is immense. Community doesn't even begin to describe what this place is. Great, now I'm watering my cheeks again!

Some news I did want to post about to, which I'm whole heartedly ashamed about, is that I finally completed my first pair of socks. Yes, I have been a sock yarn dyer longer than I have been a sock knitter. Yes, I'm hanging my head in shame. Now to my defense (and demise), my knitting has always taken on a personality. If it upsets me, I put it in time out. I have, on record, about 6 different socks that have been put in time out because either a needle broke, I goofed up really bad on the pattern and I can't bring myself to frog it or my little monster child has gotten ahold of it and ripped out a weeks worth of precious work. I get so discouraged so it sits. But now, I have a new found determination. I put the socks on my feet last night and I don't want to take them off!! They're still on my feet! Yes, I know it's gross but the comfy warm feeling without sweating is absolutely devine. Now I get the desire and want to knit socks. You just can't buy stuff like this. So today, I'm casting on another pair, probably baudelaire in my recent stash edition, Bling from Zen Yarn Garden Yarns. She doesn't have any in stock right now, but wow is it beautiful. As soon as we get some sun, I'm going to take photo's of my new socks though.

Break, Almost Half Time, Contest Blues

Breaks are something that usually don't fit into a sentence when I talk about my work. Since its inception, my only break has been a anniversary vacation back in October which if you heard about that one, wasn't much of a break, and my birthday weekend, which I did work on anyway. So yesterday, I took the Goose and went to see Spiderwick Chronicles and do some much needed non-work, non-yarn shopping. We had a lot of fun trouncing around the mall, playing on the putting green at the sporting goods store and eating a very unhealthy meal in the mall food court. It was a lot of fun and every time my mind wandered to, "I need to get in contact with my dealer about my upcoming order." or "I need to check on the shipment of mailers", I made myself stop. Despite my knitting, I'm very much a type a personality. I have to get it done now, or it haunts me. The fact that I still have a month before I need to start dyeing for the club and a month after that before the first packages go out feels as I've got merely days. Now, I've come back from my day of excess with much needed focus.

Speaking of the club, things are going AMAZINGLY well. It has been received so well! I can't wait for everybody to see the colors that were inspired by Ravelry. When I came up with the concept, I don't think that I even realized the circle that it creates with Ravelry, its founders, and the members. I feel very honored to be a part of that circle and help perpetuate it. I also can't wait to see the FO's with the yarn and the sentiments that will come with it. So with that, I've almost reached the 'half time' point with the club. I'm about 10 shy of going on the downhill slope towards being sold out. I can't believe I'm this close already!!! (Thank you everybody...so much!!!!!)

Now, for the downer....I've got the contest blues. I haven't received any contest entries! I don't know if everyone is more intent on giving or if it's just too much work for the contest. Either way, I have wanted participation! So, I've decided to revamp the contest. The essential same rules will apply, as far as if you've purchased one, you can still participate and if you win, you can give away the club you win, keep it for yourself so you'll have two, donate all your money from your original purchase, or receive a refund (partial or full). I'm changing the contest to just an essay on how Ravelry has inspired/affected you. You won't need to do the photos and I do apologise to those who've taken them already, if any have. I'll also post a sidebar note on it but I request that the essay is no more than 1500 words and still submitted to the bluehandsfibers@gmail.com.

Sock club reveal

Oh shooters, I couldn't wait...(I told ya, I'm more impatient than anyone)



Go check it out!

SOCK CLUB PREVIEW!

okay everyone...officially fourteen days till the launch. The contest to win a free sock club opens today. I'll list all the fun stuff then the rules.

Photo Scavenger Hunt
You will need to take the following six photos:

1. A picture of you holding up as many needles/crochet hooks as you can without using your hands. Sticking needles through clothing doesn't count. If we can't see them in the picture, doesn't count and it can only be 1 picture.
2. Go to your local yarn shop and ask to bury the owner in as much of her stock as she will let you.
3. An alternate to 2.: Use yarn as an artistic medium in a photograph. An example would be like using the sock club preview image, with a piece of yarn as the sustenance of the brunch plate.
4. How many center pull balls can you hold on top of your head?
5. Knitted/Crocheted Graffiti. 'Tag' something out in public with a bit of knitted graffiti...but nothing illegal, you'll be disqualified for it. :( When in doubt, graffiti something you own.
6. Knitting/Crocheting in public.
7. Knitting/Crocheting with another medium other than string. Like if it was possible, to knit coffee cups.

Okay, those are all the pictures you will need to take. Now, here's the fun part....essay time! (oh, stop groaning!) It's a lurv essay. "How Ravelry has impacted my life." ohh, the plot thickens, so what's this sock club all about? It's The All Raveled Up Sock Club. My hope is to raise a lot of money to give back to Jess and Casey for how they've impacted my life and help keep ravelry going strong and give them what they need because they've already done it for so many people. (Okay, mush, need a moment!) The colorways are going to be Ravelry inspired. More on exactly what the names and everything else.

Okay, now for the rules. The submissions must be your own, original, untouched work. If we find our they are not, you will be disqualified. You do not have to purchase to win, however, if you do purchase a club and you win, you have the option of having the money returned back to you or donating all or part of your club fee to the Ravelry donation. I'll see about getting a little thermostat thing as well to show what will be being donated to them...my goal is to get it as high as I can!

Submission dates: March 1st to April 15th. Winner will be announced on April 30th. Odds of winning depend on submissions. Incomplete submissions will be disqualified. There may or may not be notification of disqualification. Please send submissions to: bluehandsfibers AT gmail DOT com

So that's it for now, I'm working on building up the stuff for the etsy store for these to purchase. Oh, and quick note too on the sock club. The yarn is my standard, Sock Yarn base, the three ply merino super wash. Very yummy and squishy!