contest – Beverly Army Williams

A Book Review and Giveaway: Drop-Dead Easy Knits

drop-dead-easy In less than five words, my review goes something like this:

You need this book.

Ok, so you probably know that Gale and I teach together regularly, and I’m pals with the book’s two other co-authors Kirsten and MaryLou, too (I like to surround myself with smart, talented people!), so you might think there is no way I can give an unbiased review of Drop-Dead Easy Knits. I’m going to be honest with you, people.

The patterns are insta-classics!

The quality and timelessness of the patterns reminds me of some of my favorite knitting books: Weekend Knitting and Last Minute Knitted Gifts come to mind. Books I turn to again and again, not only for the great patterns, but because the books themselves are beautiful.

That’s the deal with Drop-Dead Easy Knits: wearable patterns you can knit while slightly distracted by photo by Gale Zucker friends or food or wine or movies…what the Mason-Dixon duo have dubbed #knittingbelowonesSkillLevel, with brilliant warnings when you have to pay attention. Gale shot the gorgeous images, and the writing is funny, smart, and just plain companionable. Which makes sense. The book idea grew out of conversation when the authors were hanging out together, well, knitting!

I’m lucky enough to have two copies in my possession, and I want to share. If you’d like to win a copy, here’s what you do:

Hop over to the Ravelry book page and add it to your favorites.
Peruse the patterns and “favorite” your top three.
Come back here (I’ll be waiting) and tell me in the comments what you can’t wait to knit from the book.

The contest will close at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, September 26. One lucky winner will get their own copy!

I’ve got a Camurac Cardigan in progress (just finishing work left to do…hoping to wear it at Rhinebeck), and tomorrow I’m picking up yarn to make the Keynote Pullover and Glama Wrap. What’s on your list?

Contest and a Pattern: Picnic Mitts

During the snowy days of January, I cheered myself up by thinking of spring and creating a hairpin lace pattern for the fabulous CraftSanity Magazine. Want to see?

I am crazy about this magazine. I pored over Issue 1 for hours and hours, and I can’t wait to spend lots of time with Issue 2. So many neat projects inside:

Would you like a chance to win a copy for yourself? How about if Jennifer and I throw in a skein of Koigu, the yarn used for the Picnic Mitts pattern (Rav link)?

Of course you’d like that! Who wouldn’t? Here are the ways to enter:

1. Leave a comment sharing what your favorite picnic item is (links to recipes are always welcome!).

2. Post about the contest on your blog and leave a comment here telling me you did so, with a link to the post.

3. Tweet about the contest with my user name (@pomogolightly) and a link to the blog. No more than one tweet per hour, please!

4. Post about the contest on FaceBook with a link to this post, and leave a comment here.

If there are over 50 comments, I’ll add another prize (yes, I’m stealing Jessalu’s contest rules!), so be sure to tell your friends! The winner will be selected by random generator at 5:00 on Wednesday.

Ten on Tuesday, Last Minute Gifts Edition

This week's list asks for Top Ten Last Minute Gift Ideas. Here goes:

1. Tickets to an event. A play, a game, a concert, a ballet, a symphony. Whatever the person enjoys, it is pretty easy to purchase tickets online and write up a card to put under the tree.

2. Pastry-of-the-Month Club. I gave this to my dad for his 70th birthday, and when my mom turned 70, she wanted it, too. I took twelve postcards, stamped and put my address on them, and on each I gave a choice of three things to bake. The recipient mails the card back, and you make them a treat. You could do this for anything–chore of the month, dinner of the month…whatever you like to do and you know the recipient will enjoy. The added bonus: if you live nearby, it's a great excuse to visit each month as you deliver on your club.

3. Lessons. What does the recipient want to learn? Can you teach that skill? If so, make up a certificate for a fun afternoon of lunch and lessons. If you can't teach it, is there a place near the recipient that can? I'm hoping for a few private downhill ski lessons, but cooking lessons at Sur la Table (or Williams and Sonoma–my sister goes to their classes frequently) would be great, too.

4. Fitness. Gift certificates to a yoga studio, ballet school, pool, or whatever your recipient likes to do are quick to order for those near and far.

5. Museum membership. Pick a museum near the recipient that s/he will enjoy. The summer I lived in Oxford I visited the Ashmolean practically every other day because I didn't have to pay to get in. I felt no guilt about going in to look at one object for twenty minutes and leaving.

6. Music. Does your giftee have a huge record album collection? Get digital copies of the records to make them easier to play (I'm assuming, like us, the record player is not with all the other stereo equipment any more. Neal keeps his turntable in his work room in the basement.) or introduce your giftee to something new and wonderful.

7. Massage. A welcome, relaxing gift, this is easy to purchase long distance or locally. Really, any spa treatment will do.

8. Fancy-pants dinner out. Instead of exchanging gifts, agree with your recipient that you'll wile away a January evening at a posh restaurant. What fun to have a reason to dress up, enjoy great food, and most importantly, a chance to catch up with someone you love.

9. Car Kit. I've got young drivers in mind here, but this could work for anyone, really. Fill a bucket with stuff to keep the car clean, a snow and ice scraper (if you live where that is needed), add a gas card, and maybe even an emergency kit.

10. A knit hat. I'm the world's slowest knitter, but even I can bang out a hat in an evening or two. Make it out of something warm and cuddly like Malabrigo, and even the most basic pattern will be a treat.

I'm breaking the rules by adding an eleventh:

Donate to a great cause. I hope you'll consider donating to my colleague's efforts to build a much-needed classroom in Nicaragua. If you do, be sure to enter my contest!

What are your ideas for great last-minute gifts?

How About a Little Contest?

My friend and colleague is bringing a group of students from our University to Nicaragua to build a much-needed classroom. The group has $3,500 to raise before they go, and I thought I'd share the opportunity to help them with you.

To thank you for your generosity (any donation is generous in my book!), I'm running a little contest. Donate between now and December 26, and leave a comment here that you donated (again, any amount, and you don't have to tell me how much), and I'll enter your name for a glamorous prize. If you're a fiber-y person, I'll send you a skein of hand-dyed yarn. If not, I'll make you a cushy cowl.

Ready to donate? Click here to learn more about the program and to make your generous donation.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Help, Please, and a Contest

I've started a little project, and I need your help, please. I need to create a list of words that describe my blog. I've got my own list of what I want it to be, both style and content-wise, but I need the help of my dear readers. I'm not looking for an ego stroke, I promise! Rather, if you would list one or two words/phrases that come to mind, even if they are repeats of another comment, I would appreciate it so much.

To encourage your help, I'll randomly chose one name from the comments and make that person a potholder in the colors of her/his choice. The name will be drawn on Friday at 9 a.m.!

Thanks so much!

NaBloPoMo 1/28 and a Contest if You Read it All

Karen talked about doing this, so of course, I jumped on the bandwagon. I'm not trying to squirm out of anything by selecting the shortest month of the year to post every day for a month. Really, I'm not.

The NaBloPoMo website offers a theme for each month, and February's theme is Ties. Provocative, right? I'm going to see if I can connect my daily posts to the theme, and I have ideas for a few special days this month. It's those regular, run-of-the-mill days that may present the real challenge.

As my long-time readers know, I started blogging in August, 2005, right after I returned to New Mexico for my second year of graduate school. I was quickly hooked. I enjoy interacting with other bloggers, and I love getting comments and developing friendships through the blog. It isn't only the new relationships that keep me tied to blogging; it means so much to me to stay in touch with friends who live far away. Sure, there are letters, e-mails, and phone calls, but there's something really fun about knowing that if I post a picture of a recent knit, a culinary adventure, or a new color in my hair, my posse will see it. It's almost like I'm back in Albuquerque showing up at the Flying Star (oh, I want Red Stuff. And a Buddha Bowl. One of those ginger cookies, too) to show Scout (look! calendars are back! Hurrah!) and Mona (soon as she gives the word, I'll have an exciting link for her) what I'm up to, or calling Dana five times in one day to tell her what I'm doing that. Very. Minute.

So, yeah. Blogging. It ties me to my peeps. How about you? If you blog, why is it important to you? Don't have a blog? Tell me how you stay connected.

The contest part? How about this: I'll post some questions every day in February. Whoever leaves the most comments (one per day maximum) during my NaBloPoMo project will win a glamorous prize, which I'll show you as soon as I figure it out!!

One last thing before I publish this. I'm not getting all the comments in my e-mail box, so thank you to everyone who commented on the last post…and I'm sorry I haven't responded yet. I'll get it figured out!

Tag: contest