HOW many days until the Bazaar Bizarre? And I have how much stuff left to make?! And I’m on the tee-vee doing what now?

Holy stromboli, people. What have I done?

I know, I know. You were all convinced that I’d finally taken refuge in a deep, dark cave somewhere in a remote jungle. Well, I was considering it, but really €“ the bugs. I can’t be living with bugs bigger than my head. So instead, I’m giving civilization one more chance by over-committing myself to kingdom come.

The good news? I knit on a sock for about 15 minutes last week while getting an oil change! Whee! And that’s pretty much all the knitting I’ve been able to do in maybe two months.

Oddly, you can now see me on TV knitting, so that’s gotta count for something, right? The holiday episode of Knitty Gritty I filmed last December is finally airing! Yikes! The episode is titled “Kitschy Christmas” and is airing a bunch of times between now and Christmas. Click here for the times and dates. See? A ton of times. People are going to be really sick of me by the time it’s over. They’ll be stuffing turkeys with my book, I just know it. On the plus side, I’m now a bargain book on Amazon, so you can stuff a lot of turkeys for a minimal investment!

I don’t have the DIY channel and for once, I couldn’t be happier about that. The very idea of watching the episode gives me flop sweat. Seriously. Although I would like to see how my fabulous fake nails looked. Sometimes I miss them.

So. Has anyone seen it? How was it? Please lie and just say “Fine. It was fine and you didn’t look like a ginormous Robin’s egg in that horrid blue sweater that you wore because everything else you brought sucked and you went to Target while you were waiting for it to be your turn to shoot and that’s the best you could do in 10 minutes in Burbank.”

Please? I really want it to be good. I got a couple of good jokes in and I really did love the turtleneck tissue cozy I made. I ended up giving my samples away to a couple of the producers because they were such sweethearts. I intend to make myself another one.

I bet Marnie, my co-guest in kitsch, was as adorable as ever. Her knit granny squares were a stroke of brilliance. The bag is really festive and quite pretty. When the folks at Knitty Gritty asked me to come up with some good kitchy stuff to make, I kept coming up with things that was crocheted. A definite no-no on a show with “Knit” in the title (although I see nothing wrong with crafty cross-pollination) so we decided to try to replicate granny squares with knitting. My tissue cozy has a charted granny square motif, and Marnie came up with a way to knit them. Clever girl.

One thing I’m excited about is that I got to show off Maryse’s Fun Fur Chistmas Tree on this episode!

How cute is that? It’s truly a good use of Fun Fur and is just as cool in person as it is in this photo. It knits up in a jiffy, too. Maryse has written up the pattern and made it available on her site. Click the photo to be whisked off to a Fun Fur Wonderland.

I’ll fill you in on the Bazaar Bizarre happenings a little later. I don’t want to use up all my blog fodder in one go.

Thanks to everyone who participated in Blogger Bingo 2007! By all appearances, it was a huge success. No bingo-related injuries or arrests were reported, even with 168 people involved.

And a super special thanks to David and Mel for being the Official Blogger Bingo Headquarters, which basically meant they had spare bingo cards and provided the perfect spot to display the amazing felted scarf/banner that Woolybuns Chris made for me last year. How awesome was that? It looked stunning on the rafters of the barn.

And Mel performed Paul Lynde duty perfectly this year as the center square. I hope everyone bought a pair of the alpaca socks that were at his booth, they truly are amazing. We at Chez Stitchy are particularly fond of the cotton/alpaca sport socks. So. Awesome. And machine washable! If you didnt, Ill remind you next year.

A few people mentioned that they didn’t seem to be appearing on any cards, but I did a double-check when I got home and everyone what was a square appeared on two cards. Some were Saturday or Sunday Only cards, but you were all on there. I think Ill do fewer cards next year, rather than making extras so everyone would be on two. There’s a weird balance you have to reach so people don’t get their own cards and whatnot. Its kind of a process. Maybe Ill program something in Excel to help automate it a little. I hate that people were feeling disappointed and left out.

But all in all, I think everyone had a good time. Its always great to put faces and voices to the blogs you read and the names you see in emails and comments. The Ravelry buttons were a huge help because there was a nice space for people to write their names on. It was a huge help as my recollection of names and faces is about on par with that of your average box of rocks. That is to say, not very good at all. There are times when I look at my husband and say “And you arrrreeee . . . .?” So, y’know.

And now, without further delay (because Ive delayed enough its been a week, let me tell you. I had a 9am conference call on Monday morning and work has been crazy since then. I’m glad this week is over.)

THE WINNERS!!!!

Winners were selected by a very scientific method. I kept asking my husband to pick a number between 1 and 168 and matched them up to my spreadsheet. There were more prizes than Id thought because about halfway through, he begged me to stop badgering him with demands for random numbers. I may or may not have explained what I was doing at the time. (I will also be emailing the winners and prize donors to get addresses and whatnot)

*******************************************

Mel (the Center Square!) – Cabezalana and David donated a cute alpaca monkey (handmade in Peru, Pennsylvania-approved!) from A Craftsmans Touch. I almost forgot to give him out as a prize, Id gotten accustomed to having him pinned to my knitting bag.

WINNER: Judy – smatterings

****

-Carole of Carole Knits is offering a skein of something delish from her roof-busting yarn stash.

WINNER: Tamara – The Persnickety Knitter

****

-Shannon Okey of knitgrrl is donating signed copies of Spin to Knit

WINNER: Sandy – Sandy’s Knitting

AND Felt Frenzy.

WINNER: Karen – Foothills Folly

****

-Annie of Annie Knits is dipping into her stash of Socks That Rock for some lucky winner. I do believe she’s even going to let the winner choose!

WINNER: Patti – QuiltBeadKnit

****

-Caro of splityarn has bequeathed one of her lovely handmade needle cases to The Cause!

WINNER: Marin – AntiM and the Rickety Blog

****

-Suzanne of A Crafty Lawyer has donated a pendant from her Etsy shop. She also makes sweet stitch markers, which she calls “Jewelry for your knitting”. Her stitch markers are currently being featured in the current Cool Stuff on Knitty!

WINNER: Monica T. – Calling on Kahlo

****

-Once again, Briar Rose Fibers will be donating something from their stunning collection. Do you now hard it was to part with last year?

WINNER: Debbi (debbi62 on Ravelry) – A Day in the Life of Debbi

****

–Amy Boogie is going to rock someone’s world with a $30 gift certificate to Spunky Eclectic!

WINNER: Maryse – Bags n Trash

****

-Amby of Russell Yarn is donating one of her amazing sock knitting bags from her Etsy shop, Julip Bags. She’s named them the “Everything-But-The-Sock Bag“. Know why? Oh man, you’re gonna love this. It comes with notions. Notions, people! Could you plotz? The winner will get to choose theirs! (This one is my favorite, in case anyone was wondering.)

WINNER: Julia (julsey on Ravelry) – Peony Knits

****

-Jennifer of vanCalcar Acres Sheep Farm is donating four prizes! I know! So. Awesome.

1. Oktoberfest Sock Kit. Who doesn’t want a frosty mug of sock?? I love this so much, I can’t even tell you.

WINNER: Sara – Chicken Betty, life from scratch

2. A sock kit of the winner’s choice. Good luck with that whole “picking just one” thing.

WINNER: David – Sweater Project

3. 400 yds of hand-dyed FlockSock sock yarn in Garnet. Yummmm!

WINNER: Michelle – Everybody Loves Saturday Night

4. a 4oz skeinlet bag from the Yarn Fairy (bags are made up of 2 or more skeinlets, usually 3-4 in complimentary colors, most one-of-a-kind). Trust me, the Yarn Fairy will not let you down.

WINNER: Ann (annieone.typepad) – Annie Knits

****

-Dawn of Scary White Girl Designs (don’t let the name fool you, she’s darling) is going to whip up the winner’s color choice of either a beanie hat (with ruffle, if you wish), a bottle cozy, or an ice cream pint cozy! (It can’t just be me that has a whole ritual of folding and arranging paper towels around the ice cream container. right? I need one of those!)

WINNER: Jenn – PassionKNITly

****

Adrian of Hello Yarn will blow your fiber-lovin’ mind with 8 oz. of Bluefaced Leicester wool top dyed to order from her shop!

WINNER: Devorah (aka Mama Squid) – Squid Knits

****

Robyn of Knit & Purl Mama is going to pick something special for one lucky winner out of either her stash or her shop, Robyn’s Nest! (I bet when you have a yarn shop, it’s hard to tell the difference between the two.)

WINNER: Vanessa (Butterflyjones on Ravelry) – Butterfly Knitter

****

Yan Tan Tethera is donating a copy of Crazy Aunt Purl’s new book!

WINNER: Emily – Emily Knits

****

Denise of Knitting Without Needles (oh, yes she does!) is donating a copy of her book Learn to Knit on Circle Looms, along with a set of knitting looms so you can start right away. I’ve seen the amazing things make their way off knitting looms, you’re going to love this!

WINNER: Laura – Soapturtle Knits

****

Sadia of Pumpkinspuns Musings will make your head spin with her contirubution! A pair of her Spindle Jewels earrings from her shop, Pumpkinspun Wools and Fiber Designs. They are wee spindles with handspun thread wrapped around them. So cute!!

Purple pair:

WINNER: Marilyn – The Knitting Curmudgeon

Blue pair:

WINNER: Chris – Spinneret

****

Lynee, who isn’t a blogger but is still part of the knitting family, is handing over what she has deemed “lurvly Canuckian goodness”. Two skeins of Koigu! Pretty awesome, eh?

WINNER: Maureen (also not a blogger. Maybe theyll talk each other into joining the fray.)

****

The lovely ladies of Ariadne (wow, that sounds kind of hot is a Mythological sort of way – rowr) are bestowing upon one mere mortal a skein of Opal Hundertwasser! And no, you don’t have to pronounce it to win it. Well . . . maybe . . .

WINNER: Andrea (blog free and loving it)

****

Judy of Ball and Skein is going warm someone’s toes with their choice of sock yarn from her shop!

WINNER: Tina (PhoenixFibrwrks on Ravelry) – Phoenix Fiberworks

****

-I’m donating a winner’s choice of anything from my General Store, featuring “Knitting into the Blogosphere” and “MOKS” t-shirts and tote bags.

WINNER: Heidi – Sunflowerfairy Knits

****

Just a quick not to say there will be a Blogger/Ravelry meetup between 12 and 1 outside the food building. It’s sort of a non-officiated, casual thing that Jess mentioned would be a good idea. Usually Cara puts it together, be she seems to have other things on her mind. And bladder. So the group will probably just kind of amass organically, and disperse much in the same manner.

Also, tsocktsarina says there will me a message board set up at VanCalcar Acres in Building D, space #26. Their booth is also being used as a meetup point for some Ravelry and Knittyboard people (I’m not sure if there’s a specific time), so if you can stop by any time to leave a message for someone if you’re looking for them! Sweet!

A blog post? Don’t worry, there’s still no knitting. Boooo! But I have sent out all the Blogger Bingo cards, so if you signed up to play and haven’t gotten one, let me know. Also, while it’s too late to sign up to be a square, you can still sign up to play! Just shoot me an email and I’ll send you a card.

I also managed to get myself into the big author signing on Sunday in the building near Tent D. I think that’s it. It seems like the sort of thing I should find out, doesn’t it? Just follow the throngs of people looking for the amazing ladies on this page and you’ll find me mixed in, all wide-eyed and giggling like a fan girl. I feel like I’ve infiltrated some kind of secret society. Hee!

I will also be in and out of David and Mel’s booth for A Craftsman’s Touch in Barn 39, Booth D all day Saturday. They’re the official Blogger Bingo Headquarters, so you can get extra cards there if you need them. I’ll be signing books there, and they’ll also be selling my t-shirts and tote bags at a special price for Rhinebeck – $12 each! Dudes, I really need to sell these, I simply cannot keep giving them away as Christmas gifts unless I get an entirely new family and set of friends. The ones I have now all have at least one already.

And, Maryse is launching her new line of cards! You can buy them at David and Mel’s. They’re beautiful, but we only have a limited quantity, so come one over quick to get your paws on them. I have too many favorites to list and they keep changing (I waffle between the spinning wheel bobbin and the baby sheep), so come see for yourself. They are $3.95 each, cheaper and WAY better than some boring card from the grocery store.

And just so it’s not all Rhinebeck, all the time, I’ll tell you something really goofy I did. See, I’ve never really been very good at managing my time and always seem to be running around like a nut trying to get things done. So what do you do when time is short? Open and Etsy shop, of course! But you already knew about that.

So what do you do when time is short AND you’ve gone an opened an Etsy shop that you now must fill with stuff? Well, on a whim, you apply to the Boston Bazaar Bizarre because you know you won’t get accepted, so what the hell. And then you go and get accepted. Yikes! So I’m sewing and crafting like crazy to get a table full of the coolest stuff I can come up with. This has been really hard with Blogger Bingo to juggle, but I did manage to make four baby dresses over the past couple of weekends! And 10 sets of fabric covered buttons with tie-tack pin backs using vintage fabric! And some crazy gift tags! I’m really tired!! But I love every second of it, so my grousing is only because I can’t fit even more stuff into a day.

I don’t have photos of the dresses yet because I still need to attach snaps. I’ll show you when they’re done, I’m really pleased with them. But some of the tags and pins are up in my shop, if you’re interested.

And finally, to close, I would like to give you a shot of cuteness to round out the day. I am LOVING the aunt thing! My niece, Ginger, is now about a year and three months and she can yell my name, make robot noises and loves hanging out with her cousin, Chi Chi. And Chi Chi loves her back. He flops around for her, lets her grab his feet, tail, face, whatever. He never swats, in fact, he barely moves away, such is his love for her. He runs to the door when he hears her coming up the stairs. Seriously, it’s so cute, I can barely stand it. When she leans over and kisses him on the head, it just melts my heart. And, Ginger loves to share. Look.

Awwwwww . . . You’ll be happy to know that he politely declined and opted to lick the drops off the floor after she left.

This is her Dad. Can you tell?

I can’t wait to take her shoe shopping!

We don’t need no stinkin’ deadlines!

Well, ok, we do. But we don’t need to stick to them so rigidly. Originally, the deadline to sign up for Blogger Bingo was October 10th. But because the space-time continuum has clearly been futzed with in the past few weeks, or what would appear to be the past few weeks, but really could have been 10 minutes or six years, I have extended it to the 11th. But I mean it, if you don’t enter by the 12th, that is it!

Got that? New deadline for Blogger Bingo Sign-ups is now October 12th. I need to assemble the cards over the next couple of days, and once they’re put together, it gets really confusing to change them. Come to think of it, it’s confusing to put them together in the first place. Then, because Yahoo only allows me to send out a certain number of emails in a certain amount of time, I can’t just send them all out in one sitting, I have to space it out.

So once the whole making-the-cards thing is done, there’s not much I can do to add you to a card as a square. Last year, we did have some squares cancel at the last minute, so I was able to replace them with late entries who were on stand-by. I can do that again this year, but can’t guarentee anyone a spot after the 12th at midnight (eastern time).

Players, however, are waaay easier to accommodate. I’ll even have some extra cards at Rhinebeck for people who decide right then that they simply must get in on the action. More info on where to find Rhinebeck Blogger Bingo Headquarters, located at David and Mel’s booth for “A Craftsman’s Touch”, when I find out where the booth is located.

And I really need to be doing a normal, non-bingo post at some point. But when? WHEN, I ask you??

Also, if you signed up as of October 8th at midnight, you should be on the Player’s list. Please check to make sure you’re there and that I have you listed correctly. And if you want something from the Cafe Press store, do it sooner rather than later so it gets shipped to you on time! I know a couple of people didn’t get their stuff in time last year, which was a total bummer. Don’t become another sad statistic.

Thank you, that is all. Over and out.