I Blogged About It and Won !

About a month ago I entered the 'Blog It To Win It' contest with Knitting Daily. I'd been toying around with the idea of starting a blog, a place to write about all my knitting and design ventures and this contest just nudged me over the edge into the blogging world. So, I started this blog with a story about my First Knitting Project, thus entering the contest, and won for the best design category! It was hard to contain my excitement because I never win anything. Thank you to all the folks at Knitting Daily. They put up a nice post on their blog today recognizing me and the other 2 winners and you can read their post here. They also put together a nice page with tips for new knitters, or even experienced knitters, adapted from all the blog contest entries and you can read those tips here. Number 1 on their list was a nice adaptation from my blog entry which I thought was very nice. 

So lets get to the goods! Here's whats in my prize package...

Just look at those mitts! And the yarn! That's Bijou Spun...bison and bamboo and it looks delicious. The cool thing was I was able to pick and choose what I wanted in my prize package. I have been wanting to make some fingerless mitts for a long time now and these are so perfect! I also chose this...

I've also been wanting to make a nice luxurious cowl and this certainly fit the bill. The yarn is alpaca, merino and silk and although is a bulky weight yarn, I know I'll enjoy knitting this up! I've never worked with yarn this heavy before but it'll be great! I also chose this...

There are so many beautiful things in this magazine, its awesome cover to cover. I have friends of mine who have knitted a few patterns out of this and its just wonderful. That shawl on the cover? Yeah. I'm gonna make it. I love the edging, its stunning! I also chose this...

This wonderful book by Galina Khmeleva who I am honored to call a friend. I've known her for several years now and she has been so supportive of my design work. I'm pretty sure she is going to be coming to Albuquerque sometime next year to do a workshop for our Knitting Guild and I'm going to have her inscribe the book for me! She is such a fantastic person and so unbelievably talented. She has saved Orenburg Lace work from extinction and without her we would not have the beauty of the Orenburg Lace Shawls that we have today. Galina's website is here and you can read all about it. You can also see what her schedule is. If you ever have the chance to take a class or workshop from Galina, I highly recommend it! The last item I chose was this...

This is the Darjeeling Shawl Pattern which is stunning. Its similar to the kind of design work I do in that the body of it is quite simple yet it has a stunningly beautiful lace edging detail. I can't wait to work this one up! I even know the yarn I'm going to use.

Its been a good day. Not only did I win the Knitting Daily 'Blog It To Win It Contest,' I received a large order this evening for a shop in Scottsdale, AZ who wants to carry all of my patterns! I couldn't be more thrilled. Jessica Knit's is a fabulous shop my Mom and I frequented when I was receiving treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale a few years ago. After long days at the Clinic we would go to their shop and relax and knit. We were always greeted by one of their owners and several regulars who were always there. We love this little shop. I am so pleased they want to carry my patterns and support a 'local' designer! If you're ever in the Scottsdale area and need a good knitting shop to hit up, Jessica's is the place to go. Thanks again to the folks at Knitting Daily for the recognition. I appreciate it beyond my ability to tell you. 

It been a good day...