Mossy Cottage Knits

Culture Shock

Two words:

I win.

Yep, I kicked some major sock bootay and, thanks to the yarns, ended up with a really lovely, soft, stretchy, jewel-toned and denim-y sock. TMK has promised to have her second foot amputated so I can bypass the Second Sock Syndrome altogether. Any bets?

We’re back from our schlep over the mountains to the speck on the Washington-state map called Monitor. You think I’m exaggerating when I say “speck,” but on the official state map there’s an arrow pointing to the speck and a note which says “Actual size.” Monitor is so tiny in fact, that the U.S. Census doesn’t have any data on it. It does for the nearby town of Cashmere (pop. 2,965, thank you very much) but nothing for this tiny town whose “downtown” consists of four apple warehouses and, ironically, a postage-stamp-size post office.

But the Lilliputian nature of the speck-town also means you’re in the country in the truest sense of the word so, while at the “in-law’s,” you get to spend time in a yard that looks like this:

And overlooks this:

And is reigned over majestically by this beautiful weeping willow:

And contains things like this (not arranged for effect, I promise; this autumn bounty and the accompanying leaves were sitting on the outdoor table just like this):

And—bonus!—you learn what it’s like to be around a dog that, unlike Frankie, cannot say “no” to a ball of yarn. That’s Bichon Frise Benjie, y’all, who has abandoned one of his favorite toys in favor a ball of Avalanche yarn, which looks as if it has been glued to the side of his face but which, I can assure you, has been well and truly skewered by his left canine.

Okay, I’ve procrastinated long enough. Time to launch:

Dulaan 10,000 or Bust!

Goal: To get 2,007 people to commit to knit five items for Dulaan 2007. This will give us a minimum of 10,035 items towards our goal of 12,086.

The rules:

1. To participate, sign up between between Monday, October 2, 2006, and Tuesday, October 31, 2006. For more details, see "How to Participate" below.
2. Between October 2, 2006, and June 15, 2007, make five (or more!) items for Dulaan. All items need to be in Arizona by July 1, 2007, so the June 15 date I’ve picked should give you time to mail your items to Flagstaff. (Note, however, that, as always, you can mail your items to Arizona at any time.)
3. If you had already knit five (or more!) items for Dulaan 2007 (not 2005 or 2006; just this year) before this contest was announced, you are also eligible to participate—and my hat’s off to ya’. Again, for more info, see "How to Participate" below.
4. “One item” is defined as a knitted item, a crocheted item, or a fleece blanket. A pair of knitted or crocheted socks or mittens is considered one item.
5. The size of the item does not matter. A pair of children’s mittens will count as one item; a pair of adult mittens will count as one item; a fleece blanket will count as one item.

How to participate:

1. To participate, between Monday, October 2, 2006, and Tuesday, October 31, 2006, email me your name and a working email address. I will add your name to a list that I will maintain and post on the blog. (I will not publish the email addresses.) Note: Do not use the comments to sign up; email me!

2. When you finish your five (or more!) items, email me again and I will mark the list to show that you have accomplished your goal. (If you have already made five (or more!) items, let me know and I will mark you as “done” at the same time as I put your name on the list.)
3. After June 15, 2007, I will randomly draw a name from the names of the people who finished their five (or more!) items. The person chosen will receive a kwality, fibery, knitterly prize. If you are the winner, I will email you and ask you for your address at that time.
4. All of this will be handled on the honor system. I will assume you actually finished your five items and, even though it is not an official rule, mailed the items to F.I.R.E.
5. TMK and I will be working on a "Dulaan 10,000 or Bust!" button that bloggers can put on their blogs if they feel so inclined.
6. The sending of “my five (or more) finished items” pictures is greatly encouraged.
7. Questions? Post a comment or email me.

Posted by Ryan at October 2, 2006 11:27 AM