I’ve been lucky enough to be awarded the “You Make My Day” award from Ruth, kt and Luni as well as “Lovable Blog” and “You Rock My Crib” from Nichole. It’s taken me a while to figure out how to share the love because I follow a lot of blogs. The blogroll in the sidebar doesn’t represent a fraction of the talented individuals who fill my Google Reader folders.

All that to say: picking 10 blogs out of the passel that I read is really difficult. I have approached this selection in a autoblogobiographical fashion. Recipients, in the interest of freedom of expression, pick your own button:

Fluffa - The first knitting blog I ever read. Many long years ago, when I first learned to knit, I went searching for patterns on the internet and discovered a virtual community. After a bit, I started to think: I can do that. In August of 2003, I did.

Christina’s Attic - There is nothing like the warm fuzzy feeling you get when the very first comment shows up on your blog. I posted entries for several months before I listed myself on any of the blog rings. My very first comment was from Lauren who no longer blogs, but my second was from Christina. Christina’s Attic is one month older then Yarn Miracle and she only had one child at the time - her second just turned three and the third arrived in November.

Country Girl Zine - Becky invited me to join my very first sock swap (The first Bloomin’ Feet hosted by Amanda! You can find Amanda on flickr and ravelry these days.) In a Twist of Fate, she also received the first swap socks I ever made AND was the first stranger from the internet that I ever met in person.

Carole Knits - Carole made my first pair of swap socks (which are also my first and only pair of Jaywalkers). She is a prolific blogger whose posts are varied, interesting and full of great pictures. I met a lot of other wonderful people through Bloomin’ Feet who have become a part of my daily blog reading. Like Teyani, who taught me to use a Turkish Drop Spindle over the phone. And Esther who might be one of the sweetest people on the internet. And Leah! I will stop there otherwise I will never finish this post.

Yarn Harlot - In four years of blogging (starting in January 2004 - I found her in April of 2004), Stephanie has managed to turn blogging about knitting into a phenomenon. Her Knitting Olympics inspired me to give colorwork knitting a try. I haven’t made anything else multicolored since I finished the hat and mittens, but it’s not because I don’t know how. The Knitting Olympics should have prepared me for what happens when a lot of people think you’ve got a good idea and your swap/project gets bigger than you thought it would. Not that it’s a bad thing.

Lookie What I Made - I attended my first fiber festival at KT’s invitation. I actually flew to Washington to meet a stranger from the internet (Michael went too so it wasn’t as scary as it sounds and KT is certainly not the kidnapping kind). She is such a crafty inspiration and a scream to spend time with (as the other kt has had reason to discover).

Is that just six? This has taken me hours. OK, my last four. These are folks whose blogs I just enjoy for one reason or another.

Yarn Collectors Anonymous - Darleen is one of the worst enablers in blogland. And I’ve never seen a sock yarn stash grow so fast! She inspired me to (finally) put together the Alabama Knitbloggers List and is a constant source of enthusiasm and encouragement.

Lickety Knit - While Rachel’s prose is supremely entertaining and her knitting exemplary, I really read this one for the penguin.

I Was Knit Together In My Mother’s Womb - Lynne is chock full of great ideas! She has also played host to the Special Swap which helped me add many many many more friends to my feed reader. I was getting ready to list them all when I realized that I need breakfast! Hunger is the best reason I know of to Wrap Up a Post Already.

For the last one, I was going to use the blog most recently added to Reader. Unfortunately, I can’t figure out who that is! Instead, I will leave you with I Can Has Cheezburger. In case you haven’t experienced the Joy of Lolcats.

The individuals mentioned in this post should in no way feel tagged and like they have to continue the meme - I am notorious for “ignoring” chain letters and tags so you’ll get no grief from me!

I didn’t intend for this to be a Finished Object Reveal…

Ta-dah! A throw for Jennifer’s birthday.

The weather was so grey and rainy while this was in-progress that pictures were a complete waste of camera battery. My original plan was to make a Snug for my sister-in-law’s new apartment, but I bought yarn in the wrong weight. After a lot of soul-searching (about 30 minutes from the time I discovered my mistake), I decided Returns Are for Sissies and I would just make a new pattern. It’s that much more special now, right? I really wanted cables, but wisely decided that I didn’t have nearly enough yarn for that kind of nonsense, so I settled for an alternating eyelet ribby pattern that is vaguely reminiscent of cables. Or a climbing vine. Or maybe even a ladder. Whatever. I like it enough to share: Happy Birthday Throw.

I also like swaps! Especially ones that come in waves:

Yay! A Teaser Package!

My Secret Sock Pal for the Apres Christmas Sock Swap is unable to knit at the present time (THE HORROR). So she has sent me some delicious things to keep me occupied until she recovers: a delicious spicy tea, a more delicious purple alpaca that deserves an amazing pattern choice and some deliriously delicious chocolate. That white box? It’s empty. I emptied it many many many days before this picture was taken. I’ve got it on good authority (my Secret Sock Pal’s) that this chocolate is eaten by the Queen. I’ve also got it on good authority (my own) that the chocolate is unquestionably fit for royalty. Thank you Secret Sock Pal - I am looking forward to the official Big Reveal of your identity and I hope you are back knitting in record time.

Michael wanted to do a baby pool (pink/blue and the date) from the beginning, but we talked ourselves out of it. Teyani has talked us back into it.

He’s decided to handle bets by email (which I suspect might be a mistake). Visit his post (here) to see the details. Basically: email Michael (ivey at gweezlebur dot com) with the subject line “Baby Pool,” your pick for pink or blue, your pick for a date (the official due date is in the middle of February), and whether you would prefer Regular (for non-knitters) or Extra Fiber as far as prizes are concerned. To win the Grand Prize, you’ve got to get both pink/blue and the date. It looks like there will be a smaller prize for just getting the date right (if you are only right about pink/blue, you will receive the good feeling that you get from a well-made guess). Multiple right answers will be entered into a drawing.

One guess per individual, please, so choose wisely! The book will close on February 8, 2008.

I like to be prepared.

I figure there is a pretty good chance that we will have either a boy or a girl, and that someone is bound to have the opposite of that at some point in the future. So why not make hats in both colors? These are based on the basic hat pattern in The Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns (one of the most useful books I own) in Rowan Wool Cotton. The flowers on the girly hat were a blast to knit - the pattern can be found at the beginning of Knitting Stitches.

Another of my projects last week was the elephant pacifier clip from Itty-Bitty Nursery.

It helps if you have a Great Gran to explain how to make the crochet ears.

This little guy was ridiculously fun and quick to make in spite of his many parts. Susan B. Anderson (the designer) has the pattern for the flower clip available for free on her website. I made the flower in green, white and yellow, but I need another clip to actually finish it. Target carries a $.99 store brand line of clips in lots of colors, so I think I will pick up extras for quick baby presents.

I am off to spend the afternoon with Great Gran! Our action-packed plans include knitting and watching HGTV.

We are such party animals.

Dear Jerkface Spammer,
Dude, borrowing my domain name so that you can spam bajillions of email accounts is seriously uncool. That I received thousands (and I mean that literally: the total peaked at over 7000) of “delivery status - failed” messages in my in-box makes me want to hunt you down and hurt your feelings.
Sincerely,
yarnmiracle (you know the one)

PS If any one real sent me an email that needed a response and you haven’t heard back from me, it was probably lost in the Giant Delete. Would you please try again?
PPS My CounterPain Goal for 2008 is 24 squares (shown in green on the status indicator in the side bar). I think two for each month is reasonable.

Little stuff always makes me smile.

Little hats.

Snuggly Baby Hat, Interweave Knits (Summer 2004) in Wool Cotton

Little socks.

Infant Socks by Judy Ellis in Ruby Sapphire Pine Haven

Little kitties.

All six of the cats in miniature! Based on Barbara Prime’s Tabby Kitty.

Their sweaters match their collars (and stocking tops): Betty - yellow, Abigail - green, Lady Bird - purple, Lucy - pink, Mamie - orange, William Henry - blue. Mom put their faces on after Christmas (whiskers were added on New Year’s Day).

Little cake.

That’s a salad plate. The cake is 4.5″ in diameter.

Up until my most recent trip to the bookstore, I had a terrible problem: I have a recurring urge to bake and eat a cookie. This doesn’t seem like much of a problem until you consider the other 3 dozen cookies that my recipes require me to bake and eat. See where I’m going with this? But I will never have that problem again thanks to Small-Batch Baking. All the recipes contained in this miraculous book make just a couple servings! Want a piece of cake? Try the Old-Fashioned Yellow Cake and top it with one of the great frostings (the frosting recipes only make a cup - enough for a tiny layer cake). Want a cookie? The recipes make half a dozen. The cinnamon roll recipe makes four rolls, the muffin recipes make two or three muffins, the mini breads, tarts and pies sound delicious (with pie crust recipes that make enough for just two pies). I am going to try them ALL!

I may try them all twice - the yellow cake was delicious.

Can I knit three quarters of a pair of socks in just four days?

Yes, indeed. So far, 2008 is looking pretty good.

It helps that I changed my mind at the last minute and used the December Rockin’ Sock Club Yarn (as soon as I opened the package and saw that it was Medium-Weight and in great colors, I knew that the day was saved). The stitch pattern is taken from the Best Foot Forward socks in Knit Socks! They are all boxed up and on their way north. I don’t think I am giving away too much saying that - pretty much everything is north of here.

The deadline for my other large work-in-progress is a little more relaxed than the last couple have been. After all, what could be more relaxed than a tree skirt I don’t need until next year?

Check out my stylin’ new yarn tote.

I have completed an eleventh of the tree skirt from Handknit Holidays. This is such a pleasant knit, I really love the cables and the super thick yarn. I can put it down at any time to pick up other little projects:

Little projects like baby knits!