Emily: What is your favorite thing about my knitting?
Michael: That I get stuff to wear. Even though I don’t get to wear it for very long. Because of the heat. But socks, you know, you can wear socks all year round.

E: What is your least favorite thing about my knitting?
M: The quantity of sock yarn stashed around our house. In random places.

E: Like where?
M: Like shoved in the little desk upstairs. There’s probably some under the bed. (There’s not.)

E: What is something I have knitted that you recall as being good?
M: There are lots of things that you’ve made that are good. I love my cardigan.

E: Do you think knitters have an expensive hobby?
M (carefully): Umm. Some of them do.

E: Do you have any hobbies?
M: Yes.

E: What are your hobbies?
M: I don’t know if any of my computer stuff counts as a hobby. So that leaves ham radio and sailing.

E: If we compared money spent on hobbies, who would win?
M: Over the long run, I’m sure it’s me.

E: Has my knitting in public ever embarrassed you?
M: No. You knit in public?

E: Do you know my favorite kind of yarn?
M: Obviously, it’s sock yarn. You’re fond of the Lorna’s Laces.

E: Can you name another knit blog?
M: I’m Knitting as Fast as I Can, Lookie What I Made, Sugar Bunny Boulevard, there are tons of So-And-So Knits.

E: Do you mind that I want to go to yarn stores everywhere we go?
M (reluctantly): Not really. It bothers me that you rarely buy anything. Because, why are we there?

E: Look! Look! Did you see that? Dear, she’s on her knees!

E: Do you understand the importance of a swatch?
M: Absolutely.

E: And that is?
M: It’s to make sure you have your gauge right. Which is a combination of needles and yarn sizes.

E: Do you read Yarn Miracle?
M: Yes.

E: Have you ever left a comment?
M: Yes.

E: Do you think the house would be cleaner if I didn’t knit?
M: Probably not. I don’t think the reason the house is not clean has anything to do with you spending time knitting.

E: Is there anything you would like to add in closing?
M: Unh-unh.

Blogless Patricia in GA, CONTACT YOUR CAPTAIN

The same goes for:

Joyce in NY

How do this many people sign up for a swap that starts in a week and then fall off of the planet? Do I sound annoyed? I am. I am annoyed loudly and publicly.

TIME’S UP! I am contacting alternates!

I have made a mistake. (Shocking, I know.)

About a week ago, the Cotton Queen Captain asked me if I could mail the box to her where she would be (in Florida) instead of where she lived (Colorado). I said no problem, printed out the address, and put it on the windowsill with the rest of my Dish Rag Tag post-it notes. What I should have done was change her address in her profile. Or had her change her address in her profile. I told at least two other people to change their addresses in their profiles when they wanted the boxes to go somewhere else so you would think that I could have managed to do it myself.

But I didn’t. I didn’t do that. And as a result of my click ‘n ship euphoria, the box is now in Colorado (where it arrived right on time) and Lani is still in Florida. The good news is that she will get home tomorrow and is rethinking her team’s strategy tonight.

So here’s what we’re going to do: Lani isn’t going to start knitting until the mail arrives at her home on Wednesday and the Cotton Queens have a two day handicap. All that means is that when the box makes it back here, I am going to pretend that it arrived two days before in the final standings. Like in golf but with days instead of strokes.

I got arrival notices from 22 of 24 boxes on Monday! I am going to figure out whose didn’t make it (or whose didn’t get scanned upon arrival)!

UPDATE: One of the teams I don’t have a notice for is on their second leg. So I am only worried about one!
UPDATE AGAIN: I just got the message for the last one! Go knitters!

First, a little exposition in case you are Just Passing Through (Constant Reader, just skip to the next paragraph).

I have a Great Grandmother* who could crochet and knit. She always had a crochet bedspread going. Whenever she would have to wait somewhere, she would pull out a bedspread square. As a result, there are more than a few spreads in the homes of various family members. A few years ago, I decided that I wanted make one too. My crochet skills don’t amount to much, so I have to knit. Knitting takes a lot longer than crochet. A. Lot. Longer. I’ve named the thing my Epic CounterPain. The first square from my pattern was finished on March 27, 2006**. My goal of 52 squares in 2007 brought me to the halfway point (excluding the trim).

Half a spread. (Folded in quarters: 1/8 of a spread is visible.)

My goal for 2008 was 24 squares – I thought that two a month was reasonable with a new baby.

In eight months, I’ve made seven.

Seven and a half.

I am going to finish 12 of those squares before the first Dish Rag Tag box gets back. Each square is about the size of a dish rag and takes about the same amount of time (two Monks and a Psych) to complete. I have confidence! I like a challenge! I can beat the box! I can do this thing.

The real trick is going to be doing all the other things that need doing.

*This is Great Gran’s mother. I live in her house. Great Gran is my regular grandmother – let’s think of the “great” as a superlative and not as a mistake I made when I was 2 because Great Gran was taller than her mother. She has finally forgiven me because of Ellie has made her a real Great Gran.
**It’s times like these when I regret not categorizing my posts.

Cyndie in CA

Joyce in NY

Monica in TX

Your Team Captains want to hear from you! Please log in and post to the forum, email them directly or comment on this post and I will get you in touch with them.

If anyone else has not been in touch with their Team Captain or Teammates either through email or in the Dish Rag Tag forums (available when you log in), please check in with them as soon as possible! The race has started! You need to know your teams strategy and your Captains will sleep better at night knowing you are ready to knit and help your team peruse the elusive Dish Rag Tag Glory.

If there are participants still unaccounted for by Friday, August 22, I have to assume that you no longer want to play and find an alternate to take your place. Not as a punishment or anything, but because you team deserves a fair shake at Glory. I don’t want to do that to anyone, so y’all make with the emails, comments and forum posts!

Here they come!

I saved $18 with click n’ ship!

Seriously, y’all, postage is ridiculous.

Speaking of postage, I finally got around to picking a winner for the Divvs Rating contest. We did things the old fashioned way.

That is his A-Team lunch box.

Congratulations, Beth! You were the “other Beth” because you were the second Beth. Knitty goodness is on it’s way to you (I forgot to take a picture, but that would spoil the surprise anyway)! Thank you to everyone who helped Michael test, they are always tweaking the system so check your Divvs Rating often. I’ve found that the quickest way to boost your score is to harass your friends into signing up.