Who Knows Where the Time Goes

So I've been a bit quiet lately, to the point where people are starting to wonder if I still exist. I am fine, we are all fine, even the cats are fine, as well as feline. And I was starting to write a fairly whiny post about my work crunch and how it keeps being winter, which I may pick back up at some point (you can hardly wait, right?), but at the moment I have some business to take care of, and before I do that I will show you a picture of an actual FO. Yes, I have been knitting, and I've finally managed to make something for my husband, who doesn't wear sweaters because they keep him too warm and likes the white athletic socks they sell at CVS.


It's an earwarmer in the Sunday Brunch stitch pattern. If it's not actively snowing, earwarmers work for him, because he is always warm — he will lounge on the bed in his underwear while I huddle in flannel pj's under three or four layers of bedding — and this way he can lose heat through the top of his head without freezing his ears.

Pattern: cast on a multiple of 4 sts to fit the relevant head (take a gauge swatch first: Sunday Brunch pulls in a lot), join into a round, work Sunday Brunch stitch pattern for 4-5 inches or however wide you want it, bind off. There is, alas, no perfect bind-off for 2x2 rib afaik — if you know of one, for heaven's sake speak up — I used the tubular bind-off for 2x2 rib given in Priscilla Gibson-Roberts's Simple Socks Plain and Fancy.

Now, about that other business... you'll never guess what I just noticed: it's my third blogiversary today. Yay! I managed to miss my first two, and almost missed this one as well, but looked at the calendar in time.

I'm trying to think of something either witty or deep to write about What Blogging Means to Me, and my mind is a blank. It does not help that I've read several excellent posts on the topic lately. I may try again later, but I'd be remiss not to mention what lovely readers and commenters I have. Couldn't have done it without you. Well, I could have, but I wouldn't have: being a voice crying in the wilderness is not my idea of a good time. So much do I appreciate you that I'm celebrating my blogiversary in traditional fashion by having a contest. (Entrants are warned that I can be extremely slow about sending out prizes, as Abigail could tell you, but I do get to it eventually.)

Here's the gimmick: I'm working right now on designing a pair of mittens. They're going to be stranded in two colors, I've already picked a motif, and I want you to guess what it is. (It's not reindeer. Reindeer mittens are lovely, but reindeer live where it's even colder than it is here.) Leave a comment with your guess before midnight Saturday; the first correct guesser who didn't get inside information (sorry, Ruth) will win a prize, and if I get at least ten guesses I will do a random drawing for another prize.