With the luck of the Irish, maybe you can be a winner in our fabulous bloggiversary contest. (Did you like that smooth transition?) There is still time to enter. For photos and descriptions of our fabulous prizes, please click here. Once again, here’s how to enter:
Send an email to theraineysisters@msn.com and put “Contest” in the subject line. Choose one of the following questions to answer.
1. Of everything you’ve ever knit, what is your favorite? Why?
2. What was your biggest knitting disaster?
3. If you were stranded on a desert island, what one knitting related book would you want to have with you? What yarn? Needles and other knitting necessities would be hanging from the palms!
That’s all there is to it! Five lucky winnners will be selected at random. The Rainey Sisters reserve the right to quote portions of winning (and non-winning) entries in a future blog.
Deadline is midnight March 20, 2008 (meaning that you have all day on the 20th to submit your entries.)
Susan and I want to thank all of those who have entered thus far. We have enjoyed reading your answers to our questions. Some are funny, some are thoughtful, some are near tragic. We both have wondered how we would answer each of the questions. I think I know how I would answer numbers 1 and 3, but number 2 was a bit harder. Would it be my lovely Silver Belle — beautifully knit but large enough for two or more of me? Would it be the intricate cabled sweater I made years ago out of Vogue Knitting that looked great until I put it on (when I then looked as if I had a hunchback)? I took that thing apart and reknit portions of it multiple times. Then I gave up. It’s in a drawer somewhere because I harbor fantasies of turning it into a pillow. It won’t ever happen, but then that’s why it’s a fantasy. Would it be the beautiful sweater I knit for my daughter when she was three? It turned out, but got left behind in a hotel in Europe. Sigh.
Then there is this brand new horror candidate:
I hear the protests. What? Why that’s beautiful. How could you call that a knitting disaster? Sit down, take a deep breath, and then scroll. You might want to put your hands over your eyes, the way I do at horror movies.
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Gulp.
That is what happens when someone leaves a blue felt tip pen on the kitchen table without its cap and a lovely piece of white knitting touches it. Just in case you were wondering what would happen.
I had to rip it back to here:
Now, I was upset but it could have been worse. I have far more yarn than I need for this project, so I knew I could re-knit this piece and not worry about running out. I finished the front for the second time last night. Whew. Now I’m off to finish the back, which I thought I would have finished yesterday.
Mine was a red felt pen, and I didn’t have enough yarn to make up for what was ruined. I picked it up and just froze. My husband said I wasn’t even breathing–it just fell from my hand and I didn’t move. He knew it was bad.
Comment by Barb Outside Boston — March 17, 2008 @ 8:46 am
Nooooooo….. I had to stop myself from gasping when I saw the photos!
But with your lightning-like speed, I’m sure the Japanese sweater will be done in no time, repairs included!
Comment by ann — March 17, 2008 @ 8:59 am
Sally- That painting always scares me, but I have to say, that pen mark was pretty freaky.
Irish joke time: What do you call an Irishman, with no arms and legs, in your backyard?
Patty O-Stone.
Comment by Lorraine — March 17, 2008 @ 9:31 am
From Susan — Gasp! This is enough to make one start drinking…heavily…at 7 am.
Comment by lv2kniturly — March 17, 2008 @ 9:38 am
Note to self….
Never buy felt tipped pens.
Comment by Needles — March 17, 2008 @ 9:51 am
My very favorite knitted item is my clapotis. (so far) The first one I started I had to frog because I ran out of yarn. So when I started the 2nd over a year later my skills had grown and it was a piece of cake without being garter stitch or boring stockinette. 😉
Comment by Kay — March 17, 2008 @ 9:52 am
Your sweater is stunning. Good job. I visit this site often, your knitting is awesome.
Comment by WPGGAL — March 17, 2008 @ 10:21 am
GASP. That would be enough to make me ban felt tips from the house for life!
Comment by Miss T — March 17, 2008 @ 10:33 am
Oh that is a horror! Thank goodness it wasn’t sewn up and you could just rip back. Small blessing, I know, but at least it’s something.
I’d be scared to wear that sweater. But then, I’m a magnet for every bit of dirt, spaghetti sauce and so forth, which is why I don’t wear white. It never stays white.
Comment by LaurieM — March 17, 2008 @ 12:18 pm
I think I’d have cried. Then cursed.
Comment by Denise~ — March 17, 2008 @ 1:23 pm
I’ve watched that avatar like 70 times now..awesome.
Comment by Nora aka Surly's daughter — March 17, 2008 @ 1:27 pm
Oh, my goodness!! I could not imagine what I have done with the person who left this felt tip pen! Maybe I would have done a lot of painful things ;o) Knitting needles can be so unhealthy, can’t they??
However, good luck for the next time! It looks so awesome!!
Comment by Stephanie — March 17, 2008 @ 2:08 pm
Holy Hannah, you should have put that behind a jump. Pains shot down my left arm.
Comment by Shannon B — March 17, 2008 @ 4:29 pm
Jesus, Mary, AND Joseph! You made me choke on a Jujyfruit!
Comment by Michelle — March 17, 2008 @ 5:22 pm
I agree with Nora, that avatar is great! The sweater is absolutely lovely.
Comment by Marie — March 17, 2008 @ 6:09 pm
Sally –
What is the pattern and the yarn? It is beautiful sans ink.
Penny
Comment by pjknits — March 17, 2008 @ 7:35 pm
Sally, I felt physically ill when I saw the ink stain on your beautiful knitting. What a great idea, alternating “The Scream” with the ink-stained sweater–that says it all.
Mary G. in Texas
Comment by Katie's Granny — March 18, 2008 @ 1:08 am
I feel your pain! I did it several years ago with a black felt tip pen and a cotton lace sweater. I luckily didn’t have too much to rip out but the ottoman it was sitting on was permanently stained. Every time I uncover it and see the remnants of the stain I curse my stupidity. I still haven’t finished the lace sweater either.
In any case the sweater is damn gorgeous!
Comment by Eve — March 18, 2008 @ 1:45 am
Wow. That is pretty horrific! I would have given up I think. Sorry about the small bit of bad luck!
Comment by Jaclyn Bailey — March 18, 2008 @ 12:47 pm
Your boo-boos look better than my triumphs! That was scary though. Love your tech saavy!
Comment by Carol — March 18, 2008 @ 7:23 pm
HI- I knit the Silver Belle, and thought it was too big as well. It sat in a drawer for a month. One day, I decided to risk the sweater, as I was not wearing it any way. I took a scissor, and cut(eek) off the bottom (inches!) of each sleeve. I then knit (down) in kip1 rib, a traditional fold over cuff. I also Ripped out the collar and knit what I had hoped would be a ribbed Shawl Collar( Katarina Buss- BIg book of knitting) but what actually turned out to be a rather pedestrian collar. However, the 2 changes had the effect of cinching in the sweater enough to balance the rather voluminous swing of it. I wear it more frequently than I would have before(never)- and am always surprised when I get complimented on the sweater, as I still think of it as an unfortnate mistake. The cables alone deserve to be seen in public! The white sweater is gorgeous! Pat Olski
Comment by pat — March 19, 2008 @ 12:33 pm
I love the Scream!!!!
So that’s an avatar huh? I’m so behind the times.
Comment by Denise~ — March 19, 2008 @ 1:45 pm
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Romi — March 19, 2008 @ 2:10 pm
Oh, my gosh, I would have died, then killed whomever left the marker on the table. You are so fortunate that, even
as bad as that is, that it wasn’t worse and that it is fixable. Thank goodness!! It really is gorgeous.
Comment by Sue — March 19, 2008 @ 6:24 pm
Oh my! That’s certainly something to scream about – it looks lovely, by the way : )
Comment by Octopus Knits — March 19, 2008 @ 11:08 pm
Thank goodness you have a sense of humor about the pen. Love “the Scream” effect.
Comment by Judy — March 20, 2008 @ 11:27 am
My jaw hit the floor when I saw the blue stain….omg….I would have just chucked it out!
Beautiful piece of knitting, even with the blue stain! Congrats on having the patience to rip it out…the KSH would have driven me crazy! Looking forward to seeing the finished piece!
Comment by Tanja — March 21, 2008 @ 1:05 pm
Horrors of horrors! But thank goodness you had enough yarn to fix it. I am curious to find out how you did that flashing avatar ?thing?
Comment by katomliz — March 24, 2008 @ 8:49 pm