Problems With Fibre

First of all let us all wish a big, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MUDDER!

And, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SIL!

I have to admit to some false advertising here at Chez Fibreholic. Not intentional, I assure you, but poorly planned nonetheless. Remember that Nova Scotia mohair I offered up as a prize? Well, let me tell you a story. A farmer’s market (a first for Middleton apparently) started up here earlier in the summer and, every Friday afternoon that we’ve been in town, we have attended. We have also, every Friday, admired the mohair at one of the local farmer’s booths.

When Iain and I dropped by the market two weeks ago, the mohair table wasn’t there. No biggie. Some vendors are unable to make each and every market afternoon so I wasn’t concerned. This past week, it was the same thing. That’s when I started to get anxious. This past Friday, it was the same. By now, I’m hyperventilating. After all, I need mohair for a prize! I promised! In a panic, I spoke to a lady who is often sitting with the mohair folks. She said that the mohair family are back visiting England. They have been away for two weeks already. Likely, they will be for at least another two weeks. Be still my palpitating heart.

So, here is yet another confession from me. Fibreholic isn’t able to come up with the mohair goods. I hope the following will suffice…..(head hung in shame):

As to who will receive which box of goodies well, I have to leave something a surprise!

Next, allow me to introduce you to another problem with respect to fibre. Gorgeous, no?

Yep, I think it is pretty spectacular too. It’s a worsted weight (as least I believe 20 sts = 4” translates into worsted weight yarn) Fleece Artist hand dyed special. It is comprised of 450 metres (490ish yards) of 60% Donegal lambswool and 40% silk. Although I simply love the colourway and the yarn itself, I am completely stumped as to what to do with it. It has been sitting in my stash for years. It managed to survive my pregnancy purge (although another skein just like it (different colourway) did not) when even as little as a whiff of wool sent me running to the nearest bathroom. I really like it but, what should I do with it?

I found the Yogini Bolero pattern over at Knit and Tonic that I really like and thought might work. However, I have realised that the yarn the pattern calls for is a ‘light worsted’ yarn and I’m not sure my problem skein fits that category. My first favour of this post (if you completely disregard the fact that I messed up my contest prizes and my first favour could be construed as begging forgiveness…): what do you think about using my yarn for the Yogini Bolero? Is my yarn too heavy to work? The gauge and needle size for both the pattern and the yarn in question is exactly the same, by the way.

My second favour: if the pattern I found doesn’t work out, do you have any other pattern suggestions? I was thinking of a bolero or a shrug or something of that nature. I have checked Ravelry but, well, I guess I can admit this too - I got tired of looking.

I’m going to go and knit up a swatch for something else while I wait for a lightening bolt wonderful idea to hit me from the blogosphere. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Drum Roll, Please….

There was a contest draw at our house today.

The basket was primed:

The baby was ready:

And, in the name of wool, I present to you the winners!

The names are laying on a wool carpet. There is something just right about that, don't you think? Abigail can be reached over at 1870 Pearl My Life in Stitches and Jersey is blog free.

Congratulations to both of you and thanks SO much for participating in this contest! I now need some more personal information (aka your full names and mailing addresses) so that I can send you your pressies. Please use the email address on my sidebar and send me your details privately.

Hosting this contest was a lot of fun. It was great to receive so many great big ‘hello’s’ from so many people in the blogosphere and from so many different parts of the world! It was very exciting for me to have so many people participate. This was a great way to meet new friends and I look forward to reading your blogs as well. It’s too bad I can only get organised to host one of these types of events a year but hopefully you will be back again next year for a similar feature. I’d love for you to continue to drop by and have a read.

Hopefully the big winners do not mind their parcels not being brought to the mail until early next week. I want to take pictures of the booty for other enquiring minds before I send them off. So you do not feel too disappointed, I will tease you by saying that the quantity of loot in your prize parcel has been growing…

It’s My Second Blogiversary Contest!

Things can get way too complicated when you have a thirteen month old. Things like getting up in the morning, going to the bathroom and thinking you can eat a hot meal become, as one of my brothers put it, ‘strangely exciting’.

In light of the fact that things are strangely exciting around Chez Fibreholic on a daily basis, I wanted to offer you a contest that is nice and easy for all of us. You need only do three things to enter this blogiversary contest (and one of those things will result in you getting a double (or more) entry in the draw basket):

• First, send me a comment saying ‘hello’ (or an email in case you’re not interested in setting up on blogger to post a comment. See the right sidebar for my email address). This will earn you one entry;
• Secondly, post about this contest on your blog (or tell your friends if you do not have your own blog) and encourage others to enter;
• Finally, make sure people use your name/blog name when they drop me a note so that I can enter you again! For each mention, you win another entry.

The contest will run from today and right up until midnight on my blogiversary date (August 21, 2008). I/we will draw two names from the prize basket when we are up and at’em the next day (baring strangely exciting disasters, etc.).

There will be two prizes for this contest so Iain gets to make two draws. Yeah! Hints about the booty? Sock yarn and handmade in Nova Scotia mohair…how does that strike you? Naturally, if you win, you will need to share your name and snail mail address via email with me so that I can send you a prize.

Let the games begin…