We’ve got one more contest in this year’s Dish Rag Tag. It’s a little photo contest with two categories. Anyone may enter, but only two will win.

Best Use of Dish Rag
Submit a picture that illustrates what is, in your opinion, the Best Use of a Dish Rag. This is a contest of creativity rather than knitting speed. I’ve got a flickr group all set up. Just upload your photos, join the group and submit them. If you don’t have/want a flickr account (they are free), you can either email pictures to me (emily at yarnmiracle dot com) and I will upload it, or put a link in the comments of this post. You’ve got until October 21, 2008 at noon central to get the old creative juices flowing. After that, I’ll narrow the playing field to three entries and we’ll all vote for a winner*. Jessica has created an exclusive set of Dish Rag Tag stitch markers for the winner! They are really cool, I’ve seen a picture.

Best Time to Knit a Dish Rag
Submit a picture that illustrates what is, in your opinion, the Best Time to Knit a Dish Rag. There’s another flickr group for this one! You can email pictures to me or put links in the comments of this post if you prefer. To keep things simple, you’ve got until October 21, 2008 at noon central to submit pictures for this one as well. We’ll put these to the vote soon after! Barbara has donated a 2009 Dishcloth Calendar “Knitting in Colors.” It’s a wonderfully put together collection of patterns with dishcloths for all seasons.

If you’ve gone pro (on flickr) and are feeling daring, videos are more than welcome.

To sum up:
Two categories: Best Use of Dish Rag and Best Time to Knit a Dish Rag.
Anyone can enter, you don’t have to be a DRT participant for this one.
October 21, 2008, Noon Central is the deadline.
Enter more than once if you’ve got more than one idea! The more the merrier.

*We’re going to practice different voting methods to use for the Merit Awards and Superlatives, so help a knitter out and play along.

Monday morning, the mail man once again pulled down the driveway. This time, Michael saw him out the window and met him at the truck. Michael stressed that the order in which the boxes were handed to him was paramount.

Eleven and Twelve!

The boxes were carefully labeled so that there are no mistakes*: the eleventh box to complete the race belongs to the… Scrubbing Stars!

See the Cinderella frisbee? Makes me giggle.

Crabby Patties, tiny Tabasco and Old Bay! Must be time for gumbo. There is also a crochet hook in the mix, is this an inspiration piece? Is it possibly a sign of Things to Come? Thank you, Cindy! The bright and pretty turquoise dish rag belongs to Captain Gracie (formerly an Alabama Knitblogger).

If the Scrubbing Stars are eleventh, that makes the Rag Tag Fleet my even dozen.

I <3 knitting!

Thank you so much, Barbara! As you can see, the cookies arrived in one piece (although they didn’t stay that way for long). Barbara also included a dish rag just for me with South Carolina on it. The striped blue dish rag goes to KT who captained her team to Dish Rag Tag Glory.

We’re at the halfway point for returned boxes! It’s time to announce the last contest of Dish Rag Tag: the Sequel. But that’s another post. So you have to wait a minute.

Maybe more.

Dish Rag Tag: the Sequel Round-Up
1… Deuces Wild 9/24/2008
2… Rag-Taggers 9/25/2008
3… Dishrag Taggers 9/25/2008
4… Dishin’ It Out 9/29/2008
5… Cotton Queens 9/30/2008 (amended)
5… Cross Country Knitters 10/1/2008
7… DISHY DOZEN 10/2/2008
8… Rag Olympians 10/2/2008
9… Dishrag Divas 10/2/2008
10… Phaster than Phelps 10/4/2008
11… Scrubbing Stars 10/6/2008
12… Rag Tag Fleet 10/6/2008

*Except for the mistake I made when I was labeling the pictures. 12 is 11 and 11 is 12. I am starting to worry about me.

You must have been good!

They’ve all got eight legs!

Can you tell what my Trick or Treat Feet theme is now? I hope my Pal isn’t squeamish.

The tenth box has made it’s way back to my mailbox on Saturday!

Team Phaster than Phelps has completed the race! Jessica was responsible for the last leg of the race.

Pardon the backlighting. This weekend was a bit “do it while you can.”

A dishrag for me and one for Team Captain, Susan! And some of that great earth-toned yarn that so many of the return cloths have modeled. The tiny notecards thrill me – I never know what to write in notes. There is just enough room (if I write big) for “Heal fast!” or “Best wishes!” I love it. Thank you so much to, Susan, and congratulations to Phaster than Phelps for a finish in the top twelve.

Dish Rag Tag: the Sequel Round-Up
1… Deuces Wild 9/24/2008
2… Rag-Taggers 9/25/2008
3… Dishrag Taggers 9/25/2008
4… Dishin’ It Out 9/29/2008
5… Cotton Queens 9/30/2008 (amended)
5… Cross Country Knitters 10/1/2008
7… DISHY DOZEN 10/2/2008
8… Rag Olympians 10/2/2008
9… Dishrag Divas 10/2/2008
10… Phaster than Phelps 10/4/2008

*Michael got pictures out of the camera yesterday for the first time in weeks. He got my lone picture of the Phaster Than Phelps box in with hundreds of others. I’ll add it when he finds it and send it my way.
PS You must not have been very good the other day, I didn’t show you my knitting. I am at the heel for the second time on the first Trick or Treat sock. Try to behave better today so I can show you tomorrow.

Yesterday, the doorbell rang. I ran outside to see the mail truck on the way out of the driveway and a stack of mail beside the door.

The bottom layer is boxes!

To avoid confusion (a large part of my day is spent avoiding confusion), I ran back in and grabbed a marker to label them before I picked them up.

Based on row and proximity to the front door.

Then I set about figuring out what team was what! Box number six came from Laura of the Cotton Queens!

Wintergreen Lifesavers! Sparks in the dark!

The sock notes book from The Loopy Ewe is the perfect treat! It’s divided into sections so that I can record my favorite sock yarns, the needle size I used with them, what DPNs I have in my collection, favorite blogs, patterns I’ve made, people’s measurements, and my favorite yarn stores. I love it, Laura! The earth tone dish rag is gorgeous, Captain Lani will be thrilled.

The Cotton Queens were knitting under a two day handicap this year (read about my shocking imperfections), so even though the box arrived on October 2, the amended date is September 30. So they are really the fifth box to finish, but since we’ve already got a fifth box, I am going to record two fifth place boxes and not a sixth. Confused? Excellent, I like to keep you on your toes.

Moving ahead to the seventh box to finish the race: THE DISHY DOZEN!

Ooooh! Ahhhh!

Sara packed this box to the absolute brim! With two dishrags: one for me and one for her Captain, Wen. I’ve got to start something to put in the project bag (the paper lanterns) right this minute. Empty project bags and full chocolate boxes effect my self control in similar (if opposite) ways. Thank you so much, Sara!

Box number eight has fabulous decorations. That’s right, it’s the Rag Olympians!

E is for me! Awww, it has a wee tiny pen.

Suzanne sent stripes! I have only enjoyed the magic of a self-striping dish rag vicariously until now, I think I’m going to try a corner to corner pattern to maximize the fun. Thank you, Suzanne! The beautiful earthy dish rag will be on the way to Captain LaVerna. I really like the earth tones – I bet they still look great when they are grubby, too.

And the ninth box? Are you ready? Is the anticipation driving you crazy? The Dishrag Divas!

William Henry helped himself to the chocolate. He makes me so mad.

My new order of operations is to eat everything that WH might be interested in before bedtime. Don’t worry, Susan, I got the sampler all to myself (cardboard and plastic wrap defeated him). How cute is that baby stitch holder? I hope it doesn’t miss its Mama. The pretty peach dish rag belongs to Team Captain, Deborah.

I tell you true, if there actually was a Superlative for most stuff crammed in a box, the Dishrag Divas would have my vote. Not only did Susan manage to get all of her goodies in there, each team member packed in a little something from their home state!

How much fun!

Thanks so much to all of you – and congratulations to all of the day’s finishers achievement of Dish Rag Tag Glory!

Tomorrow, if you’re good, I’ll show you my knitting. *wink wink*

Dish Rag Tag: the Sequel Round-Up
1… Deuces Wild 9/24/2008
2… Rag-Taggers 9/25/2008
3… Dishrag Taggers 9/25/2008
4… Dishin’ It Out 9/29/2008
5… Cotton Queens 9/30/2008 (amended)
5… Cross Country Knitters 10/1/2008
7… DISHY DOZEN 10/2/2008
8… Rag Olympians 10/2/2008
9… Dishrag Divas 10/2/2008

Yesterday had a big shiny bright spot! As shiny as sunshine on packing tape.

Another one made it home!

The Cross Country Knitters are the fifth team to finish the race!

Yay, Wendy!

You can’t really tell in this picture,* but the dish rag is a great peach, tan and cream heather. It’s really pretty, Dorothy, and will be on the way to you soon! As for the Nips…mmmm. Creamy deliciousness! I’ve already eaten four (and I have glued my teeth together with a fifth), but it says on the box that they are only 30 calories each. There are probably about 20 in there so that is…um…600 calories…

Maybe I’ll slow down, I just googled to see how much exercise it would take to burn off 600 calories. I don’t have that kind of time.

Thank you again, Wendy, and congratulations to the Cross Country Knitters on achieving Dish Rag Tag Glory!

Dish Rag Tag: the Sequel Round-Up
1… Deuces Wild 9/24/2008
2… Rag-Taggers 9/25/2008
3… Dishrag Taggers 9/25/2008
4… Dishin’ It Out 9/29/2008
5… Cross Country Knitters 10/1/2008

*I wanted to get this post up yesterday, but Ellie had a little bit of a crawling epiphany and I couldn’t wait any longer to Ellie-proof the den and kitchen. By the time I was finished (half-finished really), the sun was gone. I took that picture this morning.

Remember when you signed up for Dish Rag Tag: the Sequel? Remember how you had to click that little box that said you read and agreed to the rules and regulations? Remember how by signing up to play, you agreed not to cheat or hijack the box?

Remember that?

Good.

Can someone explain to me why I am mailing three (THREE) back up boxes? None of those boxes are lost in the mail.

Hijackers: you should be ashamed of yourselves. You have let your teammates down, you have ruined the 100% DRT Participation Record and you have shaken my faith in knitters. Don’t think I won’t remember who you are.

To the other 286 of you: thank you for your enthusiasm, patience, good will and commitment. You have restored my faith in knitters. Don’t think I won’t remember who you are.

Look what was on my front porch yesterday!

Taken with the iPhone – we were in the car when I saw it.

I could still read the team name on this one: Dishin’ It Out! Congratulations to the fourth team of 2008 to finish the race.

Goodies from Heidi.

Really fun goodies too – Heidi really knows how to pack a box! Apart from the dish rag for Team Captain, Alicia, there are all kinds of fun things. The dark bag is tea (Blue Lady – it smells delicious) and that tiny box is sugar!

Sweet can’t get any sweeter!

But the thing that tickled me the most about this team’s box were the little notes of encouragement on the inside.

The first thing each teammate saw upon opening the box was “Go team!” This the the kind of camaraderie that Dish Rag Tag is meant to inspire. I’m still all warm and fuzzy inside from the smile that gave me.

Y’all keep knitting! I’m going to have a cup of tea.

Dish Rag Tag: the Sequel Round-Up
1… Deuces Wild 9/24/2008
2… Rag-Taggers 9/25/2008
3… Dishrag Taggers 9/25/2008
4… Dishin’ It Out 9/29/2008

Gina in MA
Cynthia in PA
Contact me immediately regarding your team’s box.