Random is good!

So far, I'm short on my entries for the Medina County Fair. I'm entering the PeaPod sweater in the "Babies" category
Aunt Bev is loaning me the Harrisville Basketweave Vest that I designed and knit for her last Christmas. That's going in the "Adult Clothing" category. In the "Scarf" category, I'm entering the Mystery Shawl. That's the closest category for shawls; last year the scarf wall was amass with long strips of fun fur and 2 shawls...

That left me with 2 categories - "Children's Clothing" and "Mittens/Gloves" - and nothing to enter (of course I signed up for one entry in each category!) Fair entries have to be in on the 30th, and I'm leaving for Knitting Camp on the 27th; I'm really hoping that I can count on Kevin to take my entries over that day! Anyway, back to the entryless categories....

I have a few balls of Dale of Norway Hauk, so on Thursday I decided to make mittens. Hauk 100% wool yarn that is saturated with Teflon, so it's virtually waterproof - what a great yarn for snow-shoveling! I had the mitten done all the way to the decreases, and I realized that it was too tight across the tops of my fingers. After much ripping back and detangling of yarn, I'm back to this: As I ripped back to just above the thumb gusset, I decided that I would rather have a pair of gloves instead, so I'm going to increase a few stitches and start the fingers. After that much ripping, though, I wanted to put it down for a little while. That still left me without anything started for the Children's category. I only know one child well enough to knit for her, and that's my niece Ricki. She'll be 5 in October, and she loves wild colors. Yesterday evening I decided that she needed socks. Bright, wild socks that I could enter in the fair. :-) As a result, this yarn from Julie became this size 13 sock today: Lots of flashing and pooling, but I'm only knitting around on 40 stitches, so it was expected. I think it looks pretty darn cool!! Ricki will love them. I'm just finishing the ribbing on the second sock; Kelson has a doubleheader tomorrow, so I'll have plenty of knitting time while I'm keeping score. Then it'll be back to the gloves...

I finished my movie prop for knitting camp:

Now I just have to figure out a way to attach teeth (painted red with model paint, I think) and knit a few bones...

Gracie found a toad on the back porch. We relocated it to the garden, and made a toad house out of an old flower pot. We've named him Clarence...

Clarence is Lumpy's real name on Leave it to Beaver - get it? Well, I bet my mom thinks it's funny...

Mentioning the Mystery Shawl earlier reminded me...

In my emails yesterday, there was a request for test-knitters for shawl patterns. Of course, I sent an inquiry, because, you know, my life just isn't busy enough. They sent me an email today with the requirements for becoming a test-knitter. Most of it was pretty standard, but when I saw the following requirement, I actually started laughing:

"7. You will be required to purchase the yarn for the project – you will not be able to choose the yarn but you will be able to choose the color. If you decide to keep the item, 50% of the yarn purchase price will be refunded to you. If you do not wish to keep the item, 100% of the yarn purchase price will be refunded to you."

Hahaha!!!! That's it! That's the entire payment that you will receive!! No other compensation whatsoever! Sure - I'll knit a big old shawl in your yarn and test out your pattern, just so I can get half off of the yarn that you're selling! What a deal!!! And if I don't want to keep the shawl, I get....bupkus!! Nada!! Nothing but the money back that I already paid!! You have GOT to be kidding me!! Unfortunately, somebody will probably get suckered into it.

Now, what project am I going to take to camp?