State Fair Photos!

So, as you may remember, I wasn't able to meet the deadline to enter my Lizard Ridge afghan in the state fair. It would have been a great idea if I had started the afghan in April or May. My Mom, Jon, Jack and I headed out to the fair last Friday morning. The weather was gorgeous. We headed right to the Creative Activities building. I took a breath and said a prayer that no one entered a Lizard Ridge this year. My mom walks in ahead of me and immediately says, "Oh, Brooke, there's your blanket." Well, pooey, so much for that. Prominently displayed in one of the cases was a Lizard Ridge afghan with a blue ribbon. Congrats to Debra on a job well done. The afghan was made in panels instead of squares. I thought some of the short row wraps looked a little sloppy and bumpy. Yes, I was secretly thinking to myself that my afghan would have smoked this one. I know...what a poor sport I am. Kudos to Debra for finishing on time and for taking home a blue ribbon.

One of the most beautifully finished pieces was Susan Rainey's sweater. (Everything is displayed behind glass, so please excuse the picture quality.) The pattern, yarn, stitches...everything looked perfect. The lace shawl below was also very well done. The quality of the work overall was very nice. Some of the sweaters were just stunning.

Of course it wouldn't be the state fair if the sock monkey knitter didn't make another appearance! The sock monkey dresses were on display last year. New this year was the sock monkey chair. Wow, someone has a serious obsession.

So Much News

First up is a pic of my 12 finished blocks. I'm so pleased with how the afghan is shaping up. My husband said, "are you going to take new pictures every time you finish a block?" Well, dear, the answer is yes! It's so fun to see how the blocks look together. For the first bit of news I decided that I just can't finish the afghan in time for the fair. I really want to enjoy the knitting and not be so rushed. I was also running very low on Kureyon. I placed an order with Webs (http://www.yarn.com/) on Friday and I got it on Monday. That is amazing service. I put a note in the order that I needed the yarn ASAP and asked if they could send it priority mail. I will definately use them again! I'm a little disappointed that I won't finish in time for the fair. When I'm done with the afghan I'll go out and buy myself a blue ribbon for finishing such a big project!

The other big news is that I am the new volunteer webmaster for Mother Bear Project. This is a great organization that delivers hand-knit bears to children in Africa. To the left you can see my unfinished bear. The bears are easy to make, only use a small amount of yarn, and bring so much joy to the children. I encourage all the knitters out there to donate to this wonderful cause.

Did I mention I get distracted easily?

The Minnesota State Fair has gotten me all distracted. We go every year and enjoy seeing the sights, people watching, and eating various things on a stick (the pickle on a stick and key lime pie on a stick are my faves). My favorite place to go is the Creative Arts building which houses beautiful quilts, needlework, and lots of knitting. For some reason this year I really have the urge to enter something. I thought about entering my dragon scarf but it's now in "used" condition. Then I thought about Lizard Ridge. Even though I have less than a month to finish, I'm going to give it a try. I just finished my 8th block. I have a timeline all set so I can meet the August 14th deadline. I need to knit at least 1.5 blocks a day through August 1st. That will leave me two weeks for seaming, edging, and blocking. I have six new skeins of Kureyon all ready to go. Six of my squares are blocked and they look amazing. The pictures of these afghans just do not do them justice.

The pattern modifications for the sundress are on indefinite hold. I'll finish them as soon as I can!