I decided to take the Handmade Pledge for my part of Dish Rag Tag: the Sequel long before I announced the start date. The prizes are a cavalcade of handmade!

To start, I contracted with my Mom (who should really have an etsy shop, I hope all this sewing will inspire her) to make prizes for the top three teams. Members of the team that places Third in the Dish Rag Tag Final Standings will receive:

A project bag! (It is Dish Rag Size! And sock size!)

Then, to dress it up a bit, I got in touch with Dragonlady Designs and had her create stitch markers for the top two teams. Members of the team that places Second in the Dish Rag Tag Final Standings will receive:

A project bag and a set of lemon drop stitch markers!

Then, because I can’t stand it when every one else has all the crafty fun (and if I ordered them, they wouldn’t match – you know how I like it when things match), I set about making a little something for the top team. Members of the team that places First in the Dish Rag Tag Final Standings will receive:

A project bag, a set of sour cherry stitch markers and a matching tape measure (each topped with a different button from Great Gran’s box)!

Note: If a team with a Manly Knitter on board (we have more than a few) should happen to score one of the top spots, I have a more masculine project bag as a substitute for the floral ones.

I made a whole new forum for the Dish Rag Tag Superlatives and started topics for each one. Superlative entries should be posted in the appropriate forum. At the end of the race, the team captains will help me pick the top 5 entries and we will have an open vote (which means that non-participating folks can vote) to pick the winner. Winners will receive a button for their blogs, a certificate to print and a permanent entry in the Dish Rag Tag Hall of Fame*.

I also added a forum for the Individual Merit Awards and created two topics there to make it even easier to submit Hard Luck Stories and nominate people for Mr/Miss/Mrs Congeniality. Email submissions are still happily accepted and all official rules, restrictions and dates still apply.

There is one more Individual Merit Award in the works because it was too good an idea to pass up and there is a prize for it! But that is a post all by itself I think. Oh the suspense!

*I am not sure what this is, I just thought of it this morning. Dish Rag Tag is nothing if not Ever Evolving.

Dish Rag Tag is moving right along with our three front runners reaching the halfway mark! In the lead with six tags each are the Cross Country Knitters, The Dish Rag Divas and the Dish Rag Taggers! There are a dozen teams hot on their heels with five tags, so the winning spots are still up for grabs – anything can happen!

I’ve almost hit the halfway point in my personal challenge. I’ve got a visit with my Mom to thank for that!

Number three is delicious.

The kettle corn I ate with number four was delicious.

Thank you, Aunt Patti, it was as good as being there! It really wasn’t, being at the first home game of the season is always better. This did not stop me from eating it ALL.

I sat in the backseat on the way home for fifth and sixth.

Most of sixth anyway.

I’ve gotten some really fun ideas from y’all for the Dish Rag Tag Superlatives! Just like in your high school yearbook, the prize for these awards will be Fame Alone (and a blog button) – but I will get the categories up in the forums as soon as I can. Pictures and stories will be submitted there, but we will have open voting to pick the Superlative Knitters! You have no idea how hard it is not to name these SuPURLatives – but I think it might be going just a little too far…even for me.

This – and a few other things like pictures of the prizes for the top three teams – might be delayed a little bit, we’ve got a hurricane warning. And while we’re not in for it like some other states, it is best to be prepared for anything. Especially since we have a tendency to lose power for a day or two.

Dish Rag Tag is designed to promote team work among knitters, but it is also meant to inspire individual knitters to acts of greatness. In acknowledgement of the spirit of the Individual, I joyfully announce the Individual Merit Awards for Dish Rag Tag: the Sequel. Individual Merit Awards can be won by any participant, regardless of team performance. Merit Award Winners will not be decided until the last box has returned to the Yarn Miracle Household.

Fastest Turn-Around
This honor will be bestowed based on tag times in the DRT Application. Everyone who received the box and got it mailed again on the same day will be placed in a hat. The winner will receive a CD from Harvest Moon Upper Room with all (that’s right – ALL) of her dish cloth patterns! You will also receive a cone of Peaches and Cream from Jane so you don’t even have to buy yarn to get started! It’s the perfect combination.

Miss/Mrs./Mr. Congeniality
Nominations for Miss/Mrs./Mr. Congeniality should be emailed to me (emily@yarnmiracle.com) before the end of the race. Nominations can be based on general kindness and helpfulness in the forums, a shining moment of Dish Rag Tag selflessness, or even just plain friendliness. Feel free to nominate as many people as you like, there will be two winners of this prestigious award for 2008! The first will be based on which individual receives the most nominations and the second will be a drawing. One nomination equals one spot in the drawing (if three people nominate you, you’ll have three chances of winning) and the overall winner will be excluded from the pot. Nominations must be in my in-box before the last box is in my mail box. **NOTE: I have added a forum topic to make it even easier to nominate people for this award!** Elizabeth and Beth will be providing the two lucky winners with knitty goodness.

Dish Rag Tag Hard Luck Story
Bad knitting makes for good stories. Please submit your Tales of Woe via email (emily@yarnmiracle.com) to compete for this prestigious award! You can either send me a permalink to your blog entry or the whole story in prose if you are blogless. Feel free to enter other people if their stories are suitable tragic! The Ivey household will narrow the entries down to five and then everyone will have a chance to vote for their favorite. You do have to email me to be entered in this – there are 288 of you and one one of me – even on a good day I couldn’t keep up with all those blogs (not to mention the un-blogged knitters). Entries must be in my in-box before the last box is in my mail box. **NOTE: There is now a forum topic to make it even easier to submit your Hard Luck Story!** Lesley is providing a set of stitch markers as a beautiful and delicate pick-me-up for the winner. There also candy associated with this award, nothing soothes the soul like sugar.

Emily’s Surprise Award
An unexpected tradition continues as I don’t tell you what this award is for until the end! The prize for this year is two great knitting books from DeeDee: Inspired Fair Isle Knits and New Directions in Knitting. I’ve been leafing through these (never let a knitting book go by unopened I always say) and even though I haven’t done any colorwork since the Knitting Olympics, these designs make me want to give it another go.

There are also many wonderful individuals who have sponsored Award and Prize Mailing! I want to take just a minute to acknowledge Kate, Alaina and Lisa! Be sure to stop by and thank them when the Tangible Evidence of Dish Rag Tag Glory arrives in your mail boxes!

Thank you so much to all of our Dish Rag Tag Sponsors for 2008! You have really made this a fabulous race with your generous offers and enthusiasm.

I didn’t forget about 1st, 2nd and 3rd team prizes! My Mom has half of them which makes them a little hard to photograph. We are visiting this week so I won’t have to keep you in agonizing suspense for much longer!

PS I am also considering some just for fun type of awards where the prize is only Fame (such as Most Stuff Crammed in a Tiny Box) so if you’ve got any ideas, I’d love to hear them.
PPS It would be nice if the hosting company would email me BEFORE I exceeded my bandwidth, not after.