Knitters Are Loverly (Plus A Givaway!!) -

      I had originally planned a post on some of the reasons I think everyone should be Knitters, with an Exciting Giveaway at the end.  It ended up being about a page and a half.  And I was only about half done.  In the interest of getting to the Exciting Giveaway, I have decided to break up my original post into much smaller posts and summarize here.

1. Knitting is a form of Cognitive Anchoring that helps keep our minds focused while our hands are hands are engaged in automatic behavior. Plus, you can have a gorgeous cowl at the end of a week-long training seminar instead of a legal pad full of doodles that end up in the trash!
2. The fiber and color choices readily available to today's knitters are quite astounding (This ain't yer grandma's scratchy acrylic yarn, ya'll!)
3. Handknit anything > store-bought knits.  Every time  Everyday.
4. Knitters are Amazing, Caring People

     In fact, a group of Knitters is commonly called a Kindness of Knitters.  Aside from creating beautiful things for those they love, Knitters frequently donate their time and skills to many other groups like Halos of Hope, the Special Olympics and Project Linus, just to name a few.  The kindness of knitters extends beyond charitable acts & enters into the realm of "I'm giving this to you just because."

     Need an example?  Many of you know about my current sweater crush, Hana Hou.

     Fully intending to purchase the pattern for this gorgeous sweater, imagine my surprise on launch day when I opened Ravelry to find this:

     

     And to top it all off, when I thanked Mel (my sweet friend & designer of this gorgeousness!) and mentioned that I would give away the copy had I intended to purchase for myself, she generously offered to donate a second copy for me to give away!!

     What a Loverly Thing!!

     I have to tell you, this pattern is not just stitch directions, abbreviations & written instructions.  It contains detailed instructions, helpful tips & amazing photography by Nate Smith.

     Seriously.  I want to print this Look Book, have it bound and keep it on my coffee table.

     You want to win a copy so you can knit it immediately?  I thought you would!

     Here's what to do:

1. Go stash diving!  (This I-Must-Knit-Right-Now cardigan requires 1500 - 2180 yards of sport/5-ply yarn)  Tell me what is in your stash that is begging to be knit into Hana Hou?
2. No sport weight in your stash? Go shopping!  Let me know what you decided to make YOUR sweater with.
3. Go to the Pattern Page on Ravelry then come back and let me know what you like best about this sweater.  It's also a good time to take a look at Mel's other patterns and queue them up!

***PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR RAVELRY ID IN YOUR COMMENT!***

     After you've commented here for your chance to win, hop on over to this post from Mel's blog, Singlehanded Knits.  She wants to give every one of you a discount on Hana Hou!!

     Contest will close Tuesday, February 18th at 10pm CST.  Two (2) winners will be chosen by RNG and announced Wednesday, February 19th CST.

     Still on the fence?  Here's another look.

An Introduction -

     One thing is for certain: a Blogger (note that capital B?) I am not.   The problem isn't finding the words to say, rather it's finding the time in which to say them.  There's always plenty of words in my head, but getting them out can be quite a chore.  I want it to be clear, concise and accurate.  I agonize over word choices, reading & rewriting nearly every sentence until it's perfect.  I am a bit of a grammar snob.  You know those grammar tests that were making their way around Facebook last year?  I answered each and every question correctly.  Improperly placed modifiers and commas cause me to (involuntarily) correct sentences aloud, much to the annoyance of those in the immediate vicinity.  Let's not even mention the oft confused your/you're and there/their/they're. . .   How can you be taken seriously in life if you cannot use second and third person pronouns and their contractions correctly?!?  (I am aware that "there" is a place and is NOT a personal pronoun or a contraction.  However, it IS one of those words that is frequently confused with a certain third person pronoun and its contraction.  Just to be clear, alright?)   I believe that an essential life skill is knowing how to diagram a sentence correctly, and that each home should have a copy of the Plain English Handbook sitting on the bookshelf.  You may thank fellow grammarians, Juanita Wigginton and Dayle Allen Shockley, for their influence on my appreciation for good writing.

I am also the wife of Prince Charming, who sometimes accuses me of being the Grammar Police. Because he is a Lover of Words & my Live Thesaurus, we get along just fine.  Together, we endeavor to pass the appreciation of words, books and punctuation on to our three Beautiful Princesses.  These four individuals make my world go 'round (sometimes spinning like a whirligig!)

In spite of the fact that all my text messages are grammatically correct and certain posts on social media make me want to pull out my hair, creativity is highly encouraged in our house.  We have our own way of saying things, a certain turn of phrase or made-up word, that others might not understand.  

"Loverly" is one of those words.  Princess #2 came up with it all on her own one day (while it is a favorite of mine, she's never watched My Fair Lady.)  

Loverly is how we describe the often indescribable beauties of life.  For example, a glorious sunset over the Gulf of Mexico is truly loverly.  Loverly can also describe the excitement of realizing one of our pet lizards is a She and not a He when one day there is a new addition to the habitat.  Loverly is the sense of accomplishment after taking on something really difficult and succeeding (Princess #3 ice skating all by herself was definitely loverly!)

Loverlies are the really good things in life.  Sometimes they take your breath away.  Sometimes they surprise you.  Sometimes they make you cry.  Loverlies are sights, sounds, smells, feelings.  So beautiful you never want to forget them.  

This blog will be my feeble attempt at sharing all the loverly things in my world with you.

Do you have loverlies in your life?  Tell me about them in the comment section below!