hand eye crafts

Finn has the oddest habit of grabbing shoes when someone comes in the house.  Not when someone is leaving , and needs to put shoes on , but when they're coming in. When you adopt a rescued pet, you wonder (or at least I do) what kind of life they had before.  Finn was definitely trained to "stand up" and have his leash put on.  I wonder if this shoe thing was part of his training, too. Sort of a quiet weekend.  Hannah worked both days.  I got a good amount of knitting done.  Briton  came over last night to watch "The Walking Dead."  Obligatory Daryl photo now: I spent a whole lot of time looking up and printing out patterns.  I've got a sock and a scarf on the needles right now: the scarf courtesy of Roxanne .  A while back, she sent me two skeins of Chunky Mochi  (color 817), and one of the patterns I came across was a scarf pattern calling for --- you guessed it --- two skeins of Chunky Mochi. Got a follow-up appo...

While I do, indeed, have boards on Pinterest , I don't visit there regularly.  I do , however, regularly find pictures that I like.  Since meaningful content escapes me today, I thought I'd show you some. Baby rhinoceri are among my favorite baby animals.  Very near, if not at, the top of a list like that. Tapirs were one of Briton's favorite animals growing up.  This is a practically-newborn being meaningful and squeefully cute at the same time. I love, worship and adore Barry Gibb anyway --- but the fact that he is left-handed sends him right over the top. First saw this picture yesterday, and still  can't come up with words equal to my delight in it. Can't come up with words for this one, either.  But for an entirely different reason.

New favorite book.   Wish I weren't working on two things already. A couple more Christmas pictures: The traditional top-of-the-stairs-before-opening-presents photo. Hannah wasn't having any luck explaining Christmas to Klunk, so she turned the job over to the big brothers.  (Note Klunk's Fair Isle turtleneck.) GET IT? Finn's favorite toy.  He has scarcely let go of it, save for an adventure or two with the "baked potato" on the left.

For the Inaugural Knitters' Chick contest: Dame Maggie Smith. Never in doubt, really --- at least not to me.  From the first round, people were loving her.  And who can blame them? Lorette nominated Dame Maggie, and will be receiving the Knitters' Chick Grand Prize. Bridget nominated runner-up Meryl Streep, and will be receiving the Runner-Up Prize. If you are interested, the final vote count was 69% for Smith, 31% for Streep. And the 2012 Knitters' Hunk, coming from way  behind earlier in the day is Liam Neeson. I had honestly thought Benedict Cumberbatch was going to win --- his margins of victory were always so big.  But the Liam Lovers among you came through, most of all Camille, who has won the Grand Prize.*  The runner-up package goes to, would you believe it, Lorette ! She sure knows how to pick 'em!  Final margin: Neeson 55%. Cumberbatch 45%. So, the reigns of Maggie and Liam begin, and we'll all meet again here next year...

Edited to add: The results of these contests have been removed on purpose.  In case anyone wasn't keeping up with these races today, the Finalists will be a surprise on Monday!  Have a great weekend! Alright, folks.  Gut check time.  Down to the last four contestants in both Knitters' Chick and Knitters' Hunk.  Today's winners will vie for the titles come Monday.   And , the winners of the nominators' prizes will be announced!  Vote your heart and your knitterly intuition. . . Pair Ninety-One Pair Ninety-Two Pair Ninety-Three Pair Ninety-Four

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

Hello and How Are You?  Still trying to whittle the men's field down to sixteen.  Friday, Johnny Depp, Nathan Fillion and Robert Downey, Jr. moved there, as did Benedict Cumberbatch, who thrashed  reigning Hunk Sam Neill.  Thank you, Sam, for a first-rate year;  I'm sure we'll run into you again another time. Now --- whom do we have today? Pair Fifty-Four Pair Fifty-Five Pair Fifty-Six Pair Fifty-Seven

Winners yesterday (and all by significant margins): Gillian Anderson (sorry, Son), Colin Firth, Rachel McAdams and Stephen Colbert.  We're filling out the Round of 16 for the women, and the Round of 32 for the men. No voting over the weekend, but we will start afresh Monday.  Today: Pair Fifty Pair Fifty-One Pair Fifty-Two Pair Fifty-Three

ROUND TWO Congratulations to the 16 women and 32 men, as well as their nominators, who have made it into the second go-round of the tournament. Sorry to say that Marin, Twinnie and Rashie have all been knocked out of the prize race, but thank every one of you for SO many things other than participating in this contest.  (You know what you've done.) Are you ready? No.  Really.  Are you ready?  Because if not, we can just stop the whole. . . OKAY, OKAY! Pair Forty-Six Pair Forty-Seven  Pair Forty-Eight Pair Forty-Nine