Now, the Reveal

If you recall, when I sent out the last package for my Christmas in July giveaway, all I showed was this:

Which, frankly, would be a good enough giveaway in my world, as it has Rudolph on it and you all know my obsession love of Rudolph, right?

But since it was the grand finale of the month of giveaways, I wanted it to be extra special, so I promised surprises inside of the bag.  This past week, Cheryl let me know that the package arrived in Canada, so now I can share what was tucked inside.

I wanted it to be full of goodies, but also not weigh too much, especially since it was headed across the northern border (wall-free, as of this writing!).  So I pulled out my bag o' yarn from my Cozy Squares of Memory blanket, and, including yarn from my Christmas in July socks, made up some minis - 24 of them, in fact!

Along with a ball of soft, pretty mohair yarn, and a mini-candy cane, I thought it was a happy surprise - or at least it would be for me!  I arranged it so that it would look more like an Advent wreath

and then I squoojed it into the project bag, so that [theoretically] it would have some semblance of that when opened.

The Debbie Bliss Gigi yarn and the candy cane were always going to be part of the package, but I had several ideas about what the other contents would be.  I don't have a scale, or any way to really be sure that the minis were of significant yardage, but I tried to make them all the same size, or as close as possible to that.  Cheryl reports that all was received safe and sound, and that her daughter claimed the minis for a scrappy project she was making.  Cheryl sounded really happy with the package, and that made me especially happy.

I have heard from a couple of the other winners that their packages arrived safely, and that they were pleased with the contents, so I feel that my Christmas in July was as successful as I'd wanted it to be, which is very exciting, since it was so much fun on my end!  Thanks again to all who participated.  I'm hoping I'll be able to make it an annual event, since I think I enjoyed it more than anyone else.

Have a lovely Labor Day weekend for all of those in the U.S., and have a lovely regular weekend to everyone else!  If you still have things you wanted to accomplish during August, I'd suggest you get moving ... ;-)

Grand Finale Giveaway Winner

Well, folks, in just two more days, this month will be history.  August is just around the corner.  Theoretically, in Philadelphia, July is supposed to be the hottest month - the meteorologists tell us that every year.  Which means I always have unrealistic expectations for August, expecting it to suddenly be more comfortable weather-wise than it actually is.

But enough about August - we are here for the final giveaway for Christmas in July!!

The final giveaway was kind of a mystery - a project bag, featuring Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, with mysterious contents.

Again today, I asked Random.Org to do its thing.  I promised that it could take a rest after this week, and thanked it for its service.  Its response?  Comment #11, otherwise known as Cheryl!  Here's what she had to say:

I really like most foods but it seems any holiday contains cooked broccoli. Yuck. I like it raw but not cooked. Always the veggie everyone wants. Christmas for me is all about the cookies. I love them all. Can’t get enough. So I don’t bake them. Period. Lol. Love the bag. Love Rudolph. He’s my hero. 

Cheryl
Seajaes on ravelry

Well, it would appear that Cheryl and I are of like minds on Rudolph (because really, he is THE BEST), and cookies (because ... COOKIES), but I must admit to liking broccoli in all of its forms, so we part ways there.  It appears from her Ravelry page that Cheryl lives in Canada, which pleases me greatly, because The Tim and I have done lots of traveling in various areas of our northern neighbor, and We Love Canadia (as we call it)!!  Plus ,it means this little giveaway has gone international, and that the little Rudolph bag and its mysterious contents will travel over the border.  :-)

Cheryl, please send your name and mailing address to me at thekittyknitterATverizonDOTnet.  I'll get your package together and send it to you.  I know you don't have a blog, so once I am certain that you have received the package, I'll reveal the contents for everyone so that they can move on with their lives and not let the curiosity become an obsession ... ;-)

I have to say another huge thank you to everyone who participated in this month of giveaways.  I had so much fun putting the packages together, and thinking of the questions.  And I am thrilled that so many of you played along.  In one way, giveaways can be upsetting, as I always end up wishing I had more things to send.  But then I think how for myself, part of the fun is just being part of it, and if I win, fine, but to be honest, I never really expect to be the winner - it's just a fun thing to do.

Thus endeth this year's event.  I will get everything ready to send out, and likely get to the post office here next Saturday.  I'll let those who have a package on the way know for sure when it goes out, so that they can be on the lookout for its arrival.  

Who knows, maybe this can be an annual event?  I know I think that would be worthwhile.

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In other news, I finished the Christmas in July socks I was knitting this past Thursday, and I'm really happy with how well they turned out!  I want to get a good photo of them, and will likely be posting about them on Monday or Tuesday.

As for our new family member, I want to thank you for the nice comments and good wishes about Hamlet.  He is settling in quite nicely, though I think he is still a bit confused about it all.  Yesterday we took him to a local wildlife refuge, and hiked around for about an hour and a half.  He seemed to really enjoy it, though he was literally a tired puppy the rest of the day.

The cats have all made friends with him, and he clearly likes them, but is not quite sure what they are, which is kinda funny.  Pip of course, is still keeping us informed, and was quite shocked that this morning THE DOG was sitting in the doorway to the bathroom, meaning that it was necessary to walk right past THE DOG to come into the bathroom and sit in the tub!  Can you imagine??? 

Enjoy your Sunday evening, and hopefully this week will treat all of us well.  Take care.

Christmas in July : Part 4 - The Grand Finale

Happy July 25 - five months from Christmas Day, if you can believe it!  Sadly, this is the last week we will be celebrating Christmas in July here on the blog.  I've gotta tell you, I have enjoyed doing this so much, and hearing from everyone with the various questions you have all answered.

Alas, all good things must end - but not before the final giveaway, which is just a little bit different than the other packages.  This is what the winner will be receiving.

It's a project bag starring Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the version from the Rankin-Bass show that is my very favorite one in the world!  Here is a closeup of the fabric:

I love it so!  It's from Molly Klein Design, a great shop on Etsy with pretty yarn and some fabulous project bags.  You may wonder why, if I love it so, I'm using it for a giveaway.  Well, I ordered one for myself last year when I saw them, but I inadvertently placed two different orders for the same thing.  Rather than go to the trouble of returning it, I decided to keep it for a gift, which of course I promptly forgot.  But as it turns out, that's to your advantage!

What is different  this time, is that what you receive will have some added mystery, as the best gifts from Santa Claus do.  Because I'm showing you the project bag, but - WHAT WILL BE INSIDE???  It could be anything - Candy?  Yarn?  Patterns?  A lovely photo of me?  Books?  Money? (OK, I can tell you for sure that it will not contain money, but you get the drift.)

In order to be eligible to win this somewhat mysterious package, tell me your answer to this question in the comments:

What is your very favorite and least favorite holiday food?  I don't mean just Christmas, but for instance, do you really like July 4th potato salad, but you could definitely skip the mincemeat pie that your Aunt Mildred brings for Thanksgiving?  Let me know!

I'll choose a winner at random on Sunday, July 29, 2018 at 5 p.m. EDT - good luck, everyone!

Third Giveaway Winner!

It's that time again - time to announce the third winner of the Christmas in July giveaway!!

This time around, the answers to the question posed were both illuminating and hilarious.  When I posted it and first hit "publish," I thought to myself, "You know, someone is gonna say that they would take x projects with them, and not worry about it because they could buy more yarn on the way ... and I'm guessing the first person to say so will be Dee." Well, read the comments, and you'll see I hit that nail on the head.  :-)

Anyway, the ol' Random.Org was cranked up again, and after only very brief consideration, chose the winner of this week's prize.

This package will go to Araignee, who posted comment #8, which is one of the ones that made me laugh out loud:

"This is an easy one. I have two sweaters I just started and the only chance in hell they have to ever get finished is if I am on slow boat to China!"

I am 99% sure that I have her address, since she was kind enough to send me some of her soap during the last call, but just to be sure, I'm going to ask her to send her mailing address to me at thekittyknitterATverizonDOTnet. 

Thanks again to everyone who participated - there's still one more chance to win when I post the final prize and question this coming Wednesday, July 25, so if not before, check this space again then.

******

Have you ever been thisclose to finishing a project, only to realize that you are going to run out of yarn?  That happened to me yesterday, but fortunately I can get not just another skein, but even one in the same dyelot!  It will probably arrive this week, so I can still finish the project sooner rather than later.  Which makes me feel like I've won a prize ... :-)

Wishes for a good week for all of us!

Christmas in July : Part 3

OK, I don't know about you, but I'm surprised it is already the THIRD week in July - seriously, how have I missed it all??  But the good news is, today marks the third giveaway for Christmas in July!

I have to tell you guys, I'm thrilled this has gotten such a wonderful response.  I knew I would enjoy it, but I didn't know if anyone else would be as excited about it as I am, and it appears that at least some of you are.  

This week's package is primarily made up of things I have in duplicate.  First, I Dream of Yarn, a coloring book for knitters and crocheters, with the images drawn by Franklin Habit.  I received my first copy of this in a prize package from Kim, and had fun with it.  However, in the next couple of months, I received FOUR more copies from people who "knew I liked knitting."  I gave the others to friends who were interested, but I still have this copy, and thought maybe some of you who "liked knitting"  might like to have this as well.   Then, another book, Knit the Sky, that is also a duplicate of a title I already have (coincidentally enough, also from Kim!)

On the bottom level, there are a pair of stretchy house slipper socks (commercial made), one with Santa's face and one with Mrs. Santa.  And finally, a copy of Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket pattern. 

To be eligible for this giveaway, you need to answer the following question:

Good news:  You have just won a trip around the world, all expenses paid!
Bad news:  You have to be ready to leave in 24 hours, and you are only allowed to bring two crafty projects for the duration of the trip.
Question:  What two projects will you bring along and why?

Let me know your answers in today's comments, and I'll choose a winner at random on this coming Sunday, July 22, at 5 p.m. EDT. 

Good luck!

Second Giveaway Winner!

If it's Sunday, it must be ... time to find out who won the second giveaway for my Christmas in July!

There were fewer entries this time, which I expected, since the prize was sewing-related as opposed to knitting-related.

But those who did respond had some really great ideas - none of which I didn't have in some way myself - about what they would do if money were no object and they could do whatever project they wanted to do.  Some reponses even added to my own ideas. :-)

So I cranked up the old Random.Org, and demanded that it tell me who would get the package.  I am always surprised by how quickly the response appears - but I guess when it's your only job, you need to do it well, right?

The number it chose was response #2, from Kat!  Her response was:

"Oh my... if time and money were no issue, I would love to go to Alabama Chanin and take a work shop! What fun that would be! Also, high on the list would be to join Maryjane Mucklestone and Gudrun Johnston in Scotland for one of their knitting tours!

Good luck everyone!"

I thought it was a funny coincidence that she mentioned the Scotland knitting tours, since my friend Kathy (she of helping me seam together my Custom Cranberry Sweater) was in Shetland at the time, on a knitting retreat/tour/workshop!  The photos she was posting on Instagram made it look even better than it had all sounded before she even left.

In any case, Congratulations Kat!  When you have a chance, please send me your mailing address at thekittyknitterATverizonDOTnet, and I'll put the package together to send.

Well, that was even more fun than last week.  Join me again this coming Wednesday to see what the next giveaway will be!

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In related news, yesterday I finished the first of my Christmas in July Socks:

These were fun to knit, and I had no issues, so hopefully sock #2 will go as well as this one.  The colorway of this yarn is Peppermint Mocha, and I think it's definitely truth in advertising! 

I hope the upcoming week is a good one for all of you.  I have Part 2 of my dental implant procedure tomorrow morning (ugh), but next weekend should bring something fun.  I'll keep you posted. :-)

Christmas in July : Part 2

It's that time again!  Today marks Week #2 of Christmas in July!!

This week, the giveaway package is geared towards people who: like to sew, used to sew and want to get back to it, want to have inspiration and a simple project to learning how to sew, or those who know someone who sews and wants to give them a package of goodies.

Of course, having said that, anyone at all can participate - maybe you just want to try and win something - I don't know your life. ;-)

In any event, we have a tin of Milk and Honey Lotion Bar, in Citrus scent.  (This stuff is really great - I bought one for a gift a while back and then couldn't find it, so I bought another one.  Then, guess what??)  We have a printed pattern for the Endless Summer Tunic, which I liked so well, I bought two!  (OK, I forgot I'd already ordered it.  Do you detect a theme?)  It's a wonderful pattern, and really quite simple though I'm sure you could glam it up or add to it via the next item, the Alabama Stitch Book, by Natalie Chanin and and Stacie Stukin.  I bought this for myself last year, and though it's a really cool book, and pretty inspirational, I have come to the conclusion that I will never, ever, make use of it.  So I'd rather pass it along to someone who can act upon the inspiration! 

This week, I want to know the following:

If time and money were no object, and you were suddenly granted the ability to do any craft you wanted in the most amazing way possible, what item/pattern/project would you most want to knit, crochet, sew, cross-stitch, etc.? 

If you would like a chance to win this giveaway, tell me your answer in the comments.  I will keep the thread open until Sunday, July 15, 2018, at 5 p.m. EDT. 

Good luck!  I can't wait to see what all of you have to tell me this week!

Christmas in July : Part 1

Hi all - well, here we go, the first week of Christmas in July!

If you would like to participate in this week's giveaway, please answer this question the comments:

What is your favorite SUMMER holiday:  Memorial Day, July 4, or Labor Day?  And why?

This is the giveaway for this week's winner:

The package includes a row counter, a project bag, and a copy of Curls, by Hunter Hammersen a lovely book - but not one so lovely that I need three copies! 

I will choose a random winner from the comments on Sunday, July 8 at 5 p.m. EDT.  Please note that there is a really good chance that I may not send out the packages until the end of July, once I have them all ready to send at once.  I will definitely let you know when they are on the way.

I hope you will want to play along!

*****

In other news, Happy July 4th!  I hope you have a lovely holiday, however you do or do not celebrate.  We are in Rehoboth Beach with some family, and having a great time.  Tomorrow it's back home and back to the usual routine.  Alas, vacations can't last forever.  ;-)

Christmas in July!

Hello there!  I hope you are having a nice day, like we are here in Philadelphia - warm, sunny, but breezy with no humidity.  The kind of weather that I wish summer would have the whole time.  And maybe somewhere it does, but not around here.  By the end of the week the heat and humidity is predicted to be way up there, meaning that it won't just be miserable (in my opinion), but it will be really hard to breathe.  Ick.

But I am going to do something to try and make me feel like summer isn't that bad, by hosting Christmas in July here on my blog.  Here's how it will work.

Every Wednesday during July, I will post something for a giveaway for that week.  It might be a book, or some kind of accessory for crafting or for your person, a pattern, yarn - to be honest, I'm not even sure right now exactly what each week will bring.  All you'll have to do is answer a random question and then have your answer chosen in a random drawing later in that week (I'll let you know each time). The final Wednesday in July is the 25th, and since actual Christmas is also on a 25th, that will be the "grand prize" so to speak. 

I've been thinking of this for a while, and initially was thinking it would be related to an informal make-along.  But I know that many of you are like me, and as soon as you say you want to participate, you lose all crafty interest.  So the giveaway idea came to me and I decided I liked that better!

This will also mean that I will be forced (in a good way, I mean it!) to respond to comments.  I have tried the "notify me" thing but I'm still not getting comments mailed to me.  I will admit that this has made me lazy about it, and I really haven't been making any effort to respond, and I miss the back and forth.  I know that some people prefer responses via e-mail, rather than on the blog (I know I tend to forget to go back and see if someone answered me in the comments), so this will be a good way for me to get back in the habit of responding whenever I can.

I thought I'd announce this today, because a) I wanted all of you to know what was coming and not miss out by finding out too late, b) it's Monday, and something good should happen to make up for that, right? and, c) July begins NEXT WEEK!! 

I hope that Christmas in July will be fun for all of us.  :-)