hand eye crafts

In the mood for a re-vote?* Because Jamie Lee Curtis and Tina Fey wound up in an exact tie, and before we can move on, we need to settle that.  So. . . Seventy-sixth Pair *Semifinals tomorrow.  Happy Birthday to Barry Gibb today.

Who's winning the office pool?* Seventy-second Pair Seventy-third Pair Seventy-fourth Pair Seventy-fifth Pair *Our first Semifinalists: Liam Neeson Isabella Rossellini Maggie Smith Denzel Washington Seven of you are still in the running for the Knitters' Chick prize, five for Knitters' Hunk.  I may need to come up with some tiebreakers!

It's getting real now, huh?*  These votes are to see who goes into the Semifinals !  ( I KNOW!) Sixty-eighth Pair Sixty-ninth Pair Seventieth Pair Seventy-first Pair *Yesterday's Winners: Jamie Lee Curtis Mark Harmon Rashida Jones Zachary Levi

Did you sleep well last night?* Sixty-fourth Pair Sixty-fifth Pair Sixty-sixth Pair Sixty-seventh Pair *While you slept, the following were declared winners: Craig Ferguson Rachel Maddow Denzel Washington Helen Mirren

Are your favorites still in?* Sixtieth Pair Sixty-first Pair Sixty-second Pair Sixty-third Pair *For a lot of you, the answer is "Yes."  Nine nominators are left in both the Hunk and Chick contests! Yesterday's winners: Maggie Smith Daniel Craig Cate Blanchett Liam Neeson

Crazy-making?* Fifty-sixth Pair Fifty-seventh Pair Fifty-eighth Pair Fifty-ninth Pair *This year has been something --- intriguing match-ups, surprise winners, former champs beaten down, the hardest time ever  finding similar photos for nominees, and then that stupid bookkeeping mistake.  (Which we are simply going to play through, thanks to the graciousness of the slighted nominator.) Yesterday's winners: Robert Sean Leonard Tina Fey Ewan McGregor Isabella Rosellini

It's been brought to my attention that at least one Knitters' Hunk nominee never showed up in the tournament draw.  Have any of you noticed one of your nominees missing?  We are down to the final sixteen entries, so if you nominated someone and haven't seen him yet, I overlooked him.   I am so, so very sorry for my sloppy bookkeeping.   Please let me know right away if I've left anyone else out.  We will decide what to do then. ~KSD

POLLS ARE CLOSED.  POLLS ARE CLOSED. THERE WAS A MISTAKE IN PROGRAMMING THE AUTOMATIC CLOSING TIME. POLLS ARE CLOSED. Nice weekend?*  Here are your first Quarterfinalists! Fifty-second Pair Fifty-third Pair Fifty-fourth Pair Fifty-fifth Pair *Yesterday's winners: Mark Harmon Maria Bartiromo Peter Capaldi Aisha Tyler Denzel Washington

THERE WILL BE VOTING TOMORROW. It's gettin' kinda hot in here, don't you find?* Forty-seventh Pair Forty-seventh Pair Forty-seventh Pair Forty-eighth Pair Forty-ninth Pair Forty-seventh Pair Fiftieth Pair Fifty-first Pair *Yesterday's Winners: Michael Pitt Ewan McGregor Yvonne Strahovski Nathan Fillion Tommy Lee Jones After voting is done today, we will have the Sweet Sixteen for both Hunks and Chicks.  I may take tomorrow (Monday) off --- some family issues.  But we will definitely  have our champions within a week and a half or so.  Eleven nominators are still in the hunt for the Knitters' Chick prize, and twelve for the Knitters' Hunk.  And what prizes they are: thank you to everyone who has donated something for the packages.

How are things?* Forty-second Pair Forty-third Pair Forty-fourth Pair Forty-fifth Pair Forty-sixth Pair *I suspect they're pretty good if someone you nominated is still in one, or both, of the contests.  That means you're still in the running for a prize package!  Yesterday's winners: Robert Sean Leonard Anna Kendrick Zachary Levi Rashida Jones Craig Ferguson Let's keep this momentum going, shall we?

POLLS ARE CLOSED Zup?* Thirty-seventh Pair Thirty-eighth Pair Thirty-ninth Pair Fortieth Pair Forty-first Pair *Yesterday's winners: Jon Hamm Jamie Lee Curtis Daniel Craig Alyssa Milano George Clooney Is it just me, or are the match-ups this year particularly intriguing?

POLLS CLOSED Feeling strong?* Thirty-second Pair 276/">Thirty-third Pair Thirty-fourth Pair Thirty-fifth Pair Thirty-sixth Pair Yesterday's winners: Alan Rickman Maggie Smith Sam Neill Michelle Williams  Liam Neeson If I'm doing this right, both the Hunks and the Chicks should be down to the Sweet Sixteen by Sunday.  So, maybe another week, give or take, until we know our champions!  And until the winning nominators are crowned!!

Shouldn't we be resting?* Twenty-seventh Pair Twenty-eighth Pair Twenty-ninth Pair Thirtieth Pair Thirty-first Pair *Yesterday's winners: Tommy Lee Jones (by one  vote) Denzel Washington (by one  vote) Nathan Fillion Mike Rowe One week in, and two former Hunks have been dispatched in Round One!  And, for the first time, no Hugh Laurie, no Patrick Stewart, no Colin Firth.  Jeremy Irons, George Clooney, Mark Harmon, Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Mike Rowe and Denzel Washington, on the other hand, have been nominated every year.  Stay tuned!

Who dat?* Yesterday's matches were the closest yet, with the exception of Gary Oldman's win.  So thankful so many of you are voting.  And the best is yet to come! Twenty-third Pair Twenty-fourth Pair Twenty-fifth Pair Twenty-sixth Pair *Yesterday's winners: Javier Bardem (57.7%) Michael Pitt (55.6%) Robert Sean Leonard (63%) Peter Capaldi (53.9%) Gary Oldman (88%)

Everything good?* Thirteenth Pair Fourteenth Pair Fifteenth Pair Sixteenth Pair Seventeenth Pair *Yesterday's winners: Rachel Maddow Bradley Cooper (who was in a dead tie until late last night) Cate Blanchett Jeremy Irons

POLLS CLOSED Still with me?* Ninth Pair Tenth Pair Eleventh Pair Twelfth Pair *Yesterday's winners: Harrison Ford Tina Fey Kit Harrington Helen Mirren

Polls Closed How's it going so far?* Fifth Pair Sixth Pair Seventh Pair Eighth Pair *Yesterday's winners: Angelina Jolie James Garner Meryl Streep James Callis

POLLS CLOSED I wish there were some big dramatic, pull-back-the-curtain-to-a-big-fanfare way to start this, but all I can say is GO! First Pair Second Pair Third Pair Fourth Pair

The seedings are as follows: HUNK 1.  Liam Neeson 2.  Benedict Cumberbatch 3.  Sam Neill 4.  Alan Rickman 5.  Daniel Craig 6.  Mike Rowe CHICK 1.  Maggie Smith 2.  Meryl Streep 3.  Helen Mirren 4.  Zooey Deschanel 5.  Tina Fey 6.  Rashida Jones No one else had more than one nomination, which accounts for the seedings not going to 8, as they usually do. The Fedora of Fate and the brackets won't be empty for long. . .

If I'm going to run a Knitters' contest, I suppose I should do some knitting. Making this out of some dreamy lemon cloud yellow cotton/soy yarn. And this out of this: a viscose, mohair, nylon blend.  If I like the fit, I'm going to make several, some using sock yarn as in the photo. Speaking of pretty things on the needles,  my Twinnie  is making a cowl of her own design which shows how positively glorious variegated yarn can be.  I've always been drawn to variegateds, for some reason. The final totals are 50 men in the Knitters' Hunk field, and 33 in Knitters' Chick.  I'll have the seeds for you tomorrow, will be drawing up the brackets soon, and voting will begin on Thursday.  Just let me say, I'm very impressed with the range of nominees this year.  And, like most of you (I suspect), I keep thinking of people I should have nominated. . . 

But not for too terribly much longer.  11:59 tomorrow night (Eastern time) is the deadline.  Then I will start working on seedings and the draw, aiming for voting to begin next Thursday, August 15th. For those of you new to the parties, we do vote on weekends.  If there is going to be a day when polls are closed, I'll be sure and let you know.  Otherwise, assume there will be new match-ups each day, with voting ending, again, at 11:59 PM that night.

Nominations still coming in. . .  To Lorette , Bridget and Kathy , who have given the contests shout-outs on their blogs and facebook:   One issue has come up a couple of times already, and I want to address it.  You can  nominate someone whom someone else has nominated.  In fact, it makes it a little easier --- seedings, where people's names will go in the tournament draw --- are based on how many nominations they get.  Well, the seeds after the previous winners, of course.  So, truly --- REALLY --- nominate who you want, who you feel is most deserving.  If there's a tie at the end of the contest, well. . .  I always cook up a crazy-type tiebreaker. . . Again, the seeds below are set.  Just waiting for you to fill in any more: HUNKS 1.  Liam Neeson 2.  Benedict Cumberbatch 3.  Sam Neill 4.  Alan Rickman CHICKS 1.  Maggie Smith 2.  Meryl Streep

As I type this, I have received 22 nominations for Knitters' Hunk and 12 nominations for Knitters' Chick.  A little low, it seems, but I realize folks may need these days to come to decisions.  I will say, though, that the names that have been coming in include some really interesting first-timers.   Have YOU nominated yet?  Have you helped spread the word?  Cool prizes, you know.  And getting to look at awesome men and women for a few weeks. . .   Or a few days, depending on the number of nominees. . . 

(Leave your nominations in "Comments."  Remember not  to nominate Leeson, MSmith, Cumberbatch, Streep, Neill or Rickman.  Off we go!)

Have you come up with your Knitters' Hunk and Knitters' Chick nominees yet? You can start nominating this Sunday (August 4th).  You can nominate up to three men and three women.  (I've actually just decided on my final names. . .)  Anxious to see who'll be in the contest this year! Oh, and, tell your friends !