All right. It’s time – I mean, seriously, you’ve been waiting long enough at this point don’t you think? This is going to be slightly more complicated than I wanted it to be, but just bear with me.

The actual voting for the Dish Rag Tag Individual Merit Awards will take place over at surveymonkey (I need you all to remember that my user name is YarnMiracle and not my real name for the next time I forget). But before I give you the link: scroll down and peek at the pictures for the Best KIP Picture and the Most Complex Pattern. After that comes the links to the Best Hard Luck Stories (blog entries). When you’ve perused to your heart’s content (and made any necessary notes), the link to vote is at the bottom of the entry. Voting will be open through Sunday and then I will announce all the winners of all the Individual Merit Awards in one fell swoop with prizes to be mailed next week.

And now…

Without further ado….

The Five Finalists for Best Dish Rag Knitting in Public Picture

Christy – she is knitting at American Idol!

Susan – guess who she’s with!

Linda – she finished it over the course of the ball game (Phillies vs. Mets)!

Marcia – on the boardwalk have a look at the finished artwork!

Cindy – she really will knit anywhere!

The Five Finalists for Most Complex Dish Rag Pattern

Allison’s version of smariek’s Traveling Vine Cloth.

Susan’s dramatic dish rag of her own design!

Amanda’s Vine Lace Cloth (also from smariek).

Dawn’s Doily Cloth. Unfortunately the pattern author is listed as “Unknown.”

Becky’s Dolly the Dolphin!

The Five Finalists for Best Dish Rag Tag Hard Luck Story

• Mark’s self-proclaimed Comedy of Errors
• Sue who was caught with her dish rag in that enormous storm that knocked out the power for so many of you.
• Stephanie who’s late night math troubles resulted in an 11 inch dish rag!
• Cathy’s stormy knitting experience. Rain, thunder and lightening cannot stop Dish Rag Tag!
• Debbie is blogless, but that doesn’t keep her story from being about as tragic as they come:
  

  Hi Emily,
  I didn’t include my story but here it is. I received the box on a Monday. The following Tuesday morning, in a freak accident, I got a concussion. I was leaning on my knees over the end of the sofa to pick up, what else, yarn. When I straightened back up and turn back around, I lost my balance, fell and hit the side of my face on the corner of the end table which I had moved out to put, what else, yarn on. The corner of the table went into the side of my face and I slammed (and I mean slammed) into the table. Got a great cut and had to go to the emergency room. I was told to not do anything for a week. So….my beautiful little idea for a flower wash rag had to be on hold until I was given the go ahead to get up and do stuff. Then, of course, I had to play catch up to get done everything that hadn’t been done for a week. When I finally was able to finish the wash rag, I was so anxious about getting it in the mail that I closed up the box without including a couple more treats that I had for you. But…must get in the mail so I went to the all night post office at the airport and got it off. Yippee!

  That’s my story and I’m sticking with it.

  Debbie

Now, go VOTE!

William Henry and I believe that the decorative knobs on my furniture serve conflicting purposes. I believe that they are for decoration. William Henry believes that they are chew toys.

He’s chewed the knobs on the foot of the bed too.

My solution? Knob cozies!

Practical and stylish!

I really am working on the Dish Rag Tag voting. I can’t remember my surveymonkey password (and I am not sure if I can do pictures this way). This has not been the healthiest week for me. On the upside, all the decorative woodwork in the house is safe.

I have a hard and fast rule about more than three projects at a time. Let’s take a moment to examine how well that is working out for me.

The den as it is right now.

Item 1

The Tree Skirt – needed after Thanksgiving, when we get a tree.

Item 2

A Mommy Snug – needed as soon as possible for maximum use.

Item 3

Set of six non-sharp baby training kitties that correspond with the six actually-sharp kitties (sweaters to match collar colors) – needed pre-Thanksgiving so that Mom can do their faces. Technically, I guess she could do that at Christmas, but it is a good idea to give her as much time as possible. It seemed very very important at the time.

Item 4

You know the one – it only lacks ribbons. Needed in February.

Item 5

The Neapolitan Socks are finished for the second time! You probably remember these. I am sure Maude does.

Item 6

Socks for Michael – needed whenever I get them finished. The yarn is Chasing Rainbows (Moody Blues) from Crown Mountain Farms the pattern is Scar. I am making Tuscany for myself when these are finished.

Item 7

Bunny Hat! Not needed until February, but did that stop me?

The den is not large enough to include the pair of infant socks that is half finished, the bolster pillow I started over a year ago, the two rounds of Hurricane Swap Socks that I have never made the mates to*, that lime polo that I never put the collar on (it doesn’t fit right now anyway), the socks I started for Michael as part of the pattern writing for RubySapphire, the dozen pairs of socks that need darning and the Everlasting Epic CounterPain (23 more squares to meet my goal by the end of the year). Oh, and the Elspeth sweater – I re-made the sleeves so it just needs Mom to crochet the trim (I don’t think this should count toward my total). I thought I would feel better about getting all this out in the open, but all I feel is shame.

On the other hand, Dish Rag Tag is just about wound up! I am going to go ahead and open up the voting for Individual Merit Awards at the first of next week. If you have any last nominations or submissions for any of the Individual Merit Awards please get them to me by Sunday night!

*I have come to believe that the reason the US has been relatively storm-free for two years is because I participate in the Hurricane Sock Party and then never knit the mates. If you are new to the blog, now is a good time to mention that all my Superstitions are personal. No black cat or boyfriend sweater issues here. I’ve got plenty without them.

I made Saartje’s Booties. Michael made a website.

This probably explains a lot about the inattention that I have paid to my blog lately. It also explains how I managed to get a Ravelry account in July and then forgot to mention it to anyone (or really do much with it besides name myself “yarnmiracle”).

The blue is not indicative of anything beyond how much I like blue. Also, those shoes are much smaller in person.

Let me begin by saying that Marisol is a clever clever girl.

Way more clever and creative than I managed to be for the Movie Themed Edition of the Special Swap. In emailing back and forth, Marisol discovered that I have a soft spot for Cary Grant* and hit on the movie Holiday (with Katherine Hepburn**). I am especially excited because neither Great Gran nor I have seen it!

Marisol packed up the movie and also included gifts for the rest of the 2007 Holiday Season!

First up, Halloween:

trickertreat

Candy! And a cool pumpkin straw. There used to be Mellowcreme Pumpkins, but Michael ate them all.

Next comes Thanksgiving! Although she assures me that I can make the pumpkin bread any day:

Turkey Dish Cloth!

Last, but Best of All, Christmas!

The coffee is for All Occasions – occasions like tomorrow morning.

That is the pattern for the turkey dish cloth sticking out of the Holiday Gifts Interweave. The round things are walnut cookies: two roundy nutty cookie halves filled with chocolatey nutty goodness. Neatest things I’ve seen in quite a while – and delicious too.

One more present (in a stocking shaped bag):

Do I get another point if I make them in time to wear Christmas Eve?

It’s Duet Sock Yarn full of Christmas Sock Potential! I’ve never tried this yarn, it’s smooshy and really pleasant to touch. Plus: contrast yarn for heels and toes. I love that.

This was so much fun to open! It will be even more fun to use and eat! Speaking of eating, I need to go and sort out supper; while I could live on walnut cookies, others residents might prefer something more substantial.

*Seriously, people. Who doesn’t?
**Another perennial favorite.