happy! happy! joy! joy!

where has this month gone? i don't know that i have accomplished much this month. i definitely haven't been posting, but i have been winning some contests out in blogsville.

first, from tonya at theshizknit: i received these a while back but never got around to taking a photo.

3 skeins of rowan denim
a cute pattern written by tonya
AND chocolate candy

i've never knit with denim yarn. it will be a different experience knitting to allow for shrinkage. i am not sure what i want to make with this yet. i saw a pattern for a cute tote bag but that took 4 skeins. i was thinking of making the bag a bit smaller or i can let the yarn age until i find the right project. any suggestions?

i was most surprised to win the addi lace needles and these cute handmade cupcake buttons (from south africa) from stephanie. you can't blame me. i did tell you about her contest! see blog entry from july 22!

my first pair of addi lace needles! i have signed up for all those shawl/stole mystery kals so these little babies will be used A LOT. i did test-drive these needles at stitches west a couple of years ago. they are very nice. the buttons are even cuter in person. i will be saving these for some very special baby. or maybe i will start making sweaters that just need ONE button. thank you, stephanie (who sent these all the way from the uk. they arrived within a week. pretty good, hey?!)

i have also been doing some olympic knitting while watching our athletes and their erratic results (i am still shaking my head over that baton pass in the relays, DOH!). i finished a pair of socks for olympicsox2008. it was a very hang-loose "competition". i wanted to see how "margaritaville" would knit up in a different stripey yarn.

"margaritaville"

red heart "heart & sole" in watercolor stripes
needles: us 1.5 (2.5mm) for the leg & us 1 (2.25mm) for the foot
gauge: 9 sts/inch in stockinette using 2.25mm needle
made for my niece who felted her panda wool "horcrux" socks
(she claimed that someone in her household washed her socks wrong)

this pattern is perfect for stripes. i LOVE it. it is a fun pattern, even if i say so myself. the yarn is actually pretty nice. i am not that into aloe soaked yarn but liked these colors. i even managed to make identical socks. happy! happy! joy! joy! now, if my niece can stop shrinking her socks. she just started college and will now really be responsible for her own laundry.

and check out these cute little babies. we went to the california state fair on opening day. uc davis vet school brought over some animals that were due to deliver during the week. we could actually watch the delivery if our timing was right (or wrong, as the case may be. did you ever watch city slickers when billy crystal's character helps deliver a calf? would major gross some kids out).

newborn long horn sheep
less than 24 hours old

we also saw piglets and a bullcalf. my camera batteries were getting low so no pixs.

i won one more thing but i haven't had a chance to take a picture yet. i just received it yesterday.

i am slowly approaching my 100th post and i have been lucky to be on the winning end of some wonderful blog contests. seems a good time to start thinking about "sharing the wealth" again. stay tuned. i'm thinking.

**DANGER, WILL ROBINSON, DANGER**