hand eye crafts

So far, the men's quarterfinalists are Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin Firth, Robert Downey, Jr. and Nathan Fillion.  We'll get three more today, then, once the Irons/Selleck tie is broken, the eighth one will be very near indeed. Hope you all had a really nice weekend.  All rested and ready to express your opinions? Pair Seventy-Three Pair Seventy-Four Pair Seventy-Five Pair Seventy-Six

We're halfway through the first week!  Is everyone holding up under the strain?  You chose Anna Kendrick, Jeff Daniels and Idris Elba as your winners yesterday.  Here are your choices today, and, in my opinion, these are the toughest yet. Pair Ten Pair Eleven Pair Twelve

From yesterday: Aidan Quinn, Stephen Colbert and Jon Hamm emerged victorious.  On to Day Three! Pair Seven Pair Eight Pair Nine

Yesterday's Winners: Colin Firth and Olivia Wilde.  There was a dead-even tie between Nathan Fillion and Hugh Grant, so we'll have to try that again later.  As for now: Pair Four Pair Five Pair Six

Every year, this is the point of the Knitters' contest that makes me a wee bit jittery.  The brackets are all filled ("WHOA" is all I'll allow myself to say about some of the match-ups that the Fedora of Fate came up with), I've got at least the first day's photos ready to go. . .  The only thing left is putting the actual poll on the blog and opening it up.  However, significant  problems with polls in the past have stayed with me.  And this year, we're going to have to go with a weird split-screen-y-type thing. But I want it to start!  I want you to see who everyone else nominated, and I like watching people get all psyched about it.  This year, you've responded very, very nicely to Knitters' Chick, so I'm interested to see how that goes. And I'm starting to think about prize packages and maybe random fun giveaways, and what a tiebreaker could be if we need one. So, check back here either very late tonight or very early...

Don't know who's luckier --- them or her.

All of the nominations are in: 60 men will vie for Knitters' Hunk, 32 for Knitters' Chick.  The interesting part is the construction and filling out of the brackets.  This is done precisely as a tennis or basketball tournament is, with seeds placed first, then the rest of the match-ups made strictly by drawing names out of hats. A word about seeding: KH seeds have always been the previous years' winners.  So, this year, Sam Neill will be the #1 seed, Alan Rickman #2, Johnny Depp #3, and Hugh Jackman #4.  But I'm in a bit of a jam with the women.  Three women were nominated more than once, so I could use them as #1, #2 and #3.  But what about #4?  Should she just be chosen at random?  Would that be alright with everyone? I never post the brackets, because I think it's more fun to be surprised each day by which match-up is being voted on.  There'll be some math involved, as I try to determine how long it will take to get to the Finals. ...

The first day of nominations brought quite a number of contenders, both male and female.  A sneak peek at a couple who are in the race: And that is just the first day, my friends! Kathy has been kind enough to mention the contest on her blog, and Camille has been a one-woman drum and bugle corps for this contest from the very beginning.  Thanks so much to them, and, if any of you want to give this silly little exercise a shout-out, I would be profoundly grateful. For now, keep those nominations coming!

Nominations for our Fifth Knitters' Hunk and our First Knitters' Chick are officially open.  And in the interest of complete transparency, I will tell you mine: Craig Ferguson Barry Gibb Martin Sheen Rashida Jones Rachel Maddow Olivia Wilde Your turn!  Leave your nominees in the Comments section through Monday night, August 6th at 11:59 pm (Eastern). And in the meantime, our current KH will be musing over the last days of his reign:

You now have two (2) days to decide on your three (3) nominees for the 5th Annual Knitters' Hunk Award.  The nomination process will be open from 12:01am (Eastern), Wednesday, August 1st until 11:59 pm (Eastern), Monday, August 6th.  I will then take the remainder of that week to set up the tournament brackets, and voting will begin Monday morning, August 13th. This year, more than any other, I am counting on your good will, enthusiasm and word of mouth to spread the news about the contest.  Participation has been overwhelming in the past, but this year, I've changed blog addresses, and don't know if people can find me.  So, if you please, advertise on your blog, on your Ravelry boards, any where you think you can drum up interest in the contest. First of all, there are great --- great  --- looking men to stare at every day.  Second, there are very cool knitting prizes to be won for the person who nominates the ultimate winner.  In the past, i...

The first gardenias of the year are in! (And, Hugh Laurie is on the cover of "TV Guide.")

It would be hard to overstate what these four days here have meant to my mental health.  I cannot remember the last time I was this relaxed, unharried, dare I say it, happy .  I've walked and walked and thought and prayed and meditated and just been still and listened to the water. The realization that tomorrow I have to go back to Athens starts a churning in my stomach, and all my pills immediately imprint on my brain.  While here, I've had to force  myself to take them.  I'm recording little slivers of videos to have when I get back, so that, 30 or so seconds at a time, I can be back here again. What I may need, this experience tells me, is to travel.  With what money Mama left me, I can take the occasional little outing.  And, honestly, into the marrow of my spine, I am certain I ought to buy myself a house on a beach. Some of what I've done here, I'll do when I'm back in Athens.  I've knit a lot.  I've read a lot.  But I've also g...

You get to watch the sun come up.