I’m a Winner?

I won my first contest at age two and really haven’t won anything since. That was until Christmas this year. The multi-fiber-talented Cece held a contest for new to her Christmas cookie recipes. I was selected as one of two winners because my Peperkakor recipe is Swedish and her heritage is 1/2 Swedish. I swear I didn’t know that when I joined the contest! But I’ll take my win any way I can :-)

I got a kit to knit Branching Out which I’ve been contemplating knitting for a long while now. She even printed off the directions and put them in a page protector! The EL Silky Wool is Color 005, one of my favorite shades of purply goodness (though don’t judge by this terrible photo taken on this very overcast morning)! Thank you so much, Cece!

I suspect most of the recipes are not exclusive to holiday baking so check out the comments here for more great cookie recipes!

A Celebratory Contest…

It has been a year since I broke out on my own and began teaching my online art and creativity classes through my own web site. To celebrate, I’m offering up to $30 off the 315th order placed (I’m currently just shy of 300 orders) through my shopping cart system! This includes my on-line classes as well as my original artwork, photographic prints and knitting patterns (gift certificates excluded)!

The next term of classes begins October 5th and will wrap up around the beginning of the busy holiday season. This will be the last term of classes until February 2006! Any classes that do not have enrollments by September 7th with be cancelled. So, if there is a class you’ve been especially looking forward to I suggest enrolling as soon as possible!

You can choose from 6 of my 8 classes - Printmaking for the Home Studio, Bodacious Backgrounds, Techniques in Altered Books, Intro to Collage Design, Creative Color, and Intermediate Bookbinding. If you haven’t taken any of my classes before I recommend checking out the FAQ at http://www.designedlykristi.com/classes/faq.html

For your chance at being the 315th order, head to http://www.designedlykristi.com/shoppingcart and place your order for classes, art, photos or knitting patterns now!

I’ll return to the regularly scheduled knitting and spinning topics tomorrow, but I’m too busy celebrating today :-)

Drum Roll Please!

While it is noon here, I assure you I put the names in a hat last night and had DH draw one this morning before he headed of to work and me to water aerobics.

So, the winner is…

Fellow Mile High Knitter, Leisel!

She submitted the caption of “Baa-aad hair day” for pic #3, there were some other great suggestions as well. For example, “I’m so horney!” for the last photo was submitted by Jacey. The curly haired Maus wrote, “no, its NOT a perm” about #3 which I know my sister would totally appreciated. “Aw come on, Sugar! Gimme a kiss!” for #1 was coined by Rossanna. Thanks guys for the laughs!

Leisel, just e-mail me (knittingfool (AT) designedlykristi (DOT) com) with your mailing address and I’ll get your secret prize out to you early next week! Yeah! :-)

Spinning has been pushed aside a bit this week in hopes of managing pain levels, but it has gotten me to pick up and begin the Shaped Triangle once again. I’m only about two repeats past where I was back this spring when I last posted a picture so I’ll spare the bandwidth for the moment. But it seems to be going along a bit better. But, I’m using a lifeline just in case :-)

Hopefully next week will bring blog worthy knitting and spinning to share before I leave on my trip to Minnesota. Speaking of my trip, if anyone knows of some good yarn/fiber shops in the central or western Twin Cities Metro or in West Central Minnesota near Willmar, Redwood Falls, Alexandria, St. Cloud etc. Let me know!

Contest Time!

I like to think I’m clever and amusing, but I think it is actually quite a rare occurence for me, so I’m enlisting your help!

Please submit any and all pithy, amusing, clever or humorous captions you can think of for any of the following images. Just leave a comment with the number corresponding to the image and your caption. You may submit as many as you like.

1. 2.
3. 4.
5.

See larger versions or color version of the B&Ws here.

On July 18th (next Friday), I’ll put all the names of those who joined the fun into a hat and draw a winner. I won’t tell you what the prize is, but it’ll be fun. I promise! Everyone who submits ideas will qualify, including anyone from SnB etc…

Let the games begin!

Mish Mash Make Up & Contest

To make up for yesterday, I have pictures!

Here is picture proof that am now indeed dressing to match my socks. In fact, Amanda wanted to ask me where my purple headband was when she came to SnB on Monday and I was wearing the get up. Someone, please tell me that I do not need a second pair of Crocs in purple just to go with this obnoxiously loud outfit?!?!?!?!?

Then, on Wednesday, I had this lovely little box awaiting my pick up at my PO Box. I wasn’t expecting anything so I had no idea what it was the name and address didn’t look too familiar to me. However, when I opened it up, I squealled with delight…

Inside was this lovely little coffee-themed coin purse made by Sonja of Georgia. She sent it to me filled with one of my all time favorite candies - Andies Mints along with a lovely thank you letter thanking me for posting the instructions on how to carry a stitch pattern down the heel flap for clog or sandal socks. Thank you so much Sonja! I’m in awe of the lovely dainty zipper as putting zippers in anything has always scared me, let alone to put in such a small zipper in such a small item - wow!

On Tuesday I had a hair cut appointment down in Loveland in the morning (don’t ask - let’s just say I spend another $35 this morning) and DH’s car went back into the shop (after being there last Tuesday) and was there until last night I might add and goes back for yet more testing next Wednesday *sigh* But I try to make lemonade from lemons whenever I can. So, I stopped into one of my favorite LYSs, Woolen Treasures. I bought more sock appropriate needles - US 2 and US 3 short Bryspuns and 2 16″ US0 Addi Turbo’s to try the two circ method that Snow is always raving about. But, upon the success of Heatwave, I picked up some more Fixation. The multi-color one is subdued enough and more manly colors that I’m hoping to talk DH into occassion wearing socks other than his dress socks when he wears shorts :-) The sage green will be mine (of course) and perhaps the toes of DH’s if need be.

I’ve also been playing around with a few things this week since I finished Heatwave. Though I’ve only been doing so rather late at night while trying to watch the last few episodes of X Files season 1 so it hasn’t been entirely successful. Can you guess what it is going to be when it grows up? Those at SnB on Monday are not eligible. But, if you’ve been reading my blog for a while you’ll likely have a good idea of what it is. Anyone who guesses correctly will be put into a drawing next Friday morning and will recieve a goodie from me.