my Lantern Moon basket overfloweth, aka, the winner is...

But first, what are we playing for?

From top left, more or less...

A skein of Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Solids (420 yards of luxury merino fingering weight), donated by the fantastic Michelle of The Sweet Sheep

Handmade sheepy notecards from Krafty1 Designs

Ten (count 'em, 10!) skeins of Lavish superfine alpaca donated by last year's top winner, Nancy

(starting over at the next row)

A skein of sock yarn from All Things Heather in pinks, purples and blues

two skeins of Heilo to knit "We Call Them Pirates" hat by Hello Yarn (or whatever you choose, but that's what I would choose)

A sheepy notepad, contributed by wonderful Angie, without whose help this fundraiser wouldn't be nearly as good as it is

(back to the front row in the basket)

Aloe and Comphrey lotion donated by the fabulous Ronni

A skein of Hand Spun Australian wool generously donated by my crack dealer Cider Moon

(in front)

four skeins of Sugar 'n Cream, also from Angie

a bar of Naked soap, which is a righteous bar of unscented and uncolored soap, made by me

All of of it is packed into (and in front of) a Lantern Moon drawstring box, woven with seagrass and lined with silk.

Some non-melting goodies will be stowed away with all of that and will soon be on its way to...

...ticket #144, Jesse! Congratulations, Jesse! Jesse is blogless, as far as I know--please correct me if I'm wrong.

Jesse will also get to choose a nice selection of patterns donated by Harvest Moon Designs.

We still have three more drawings to go--please keep spreading the word! Huge thanks to all of you for helping to blow through the first two goals!

In honor of Nova

Please read all the way to the bottom. You could end up with some very nice yarn.

It's time to kick off the second annual fundraiser for the American Heart Association's Heart Walk, Team Nova. If you've been around here for a while, you've read about Nova before.



Sometime shortly after Lydia was born, I got a comment on here from Belinda to go check out Erin's blog and take her up on her offer. Erin had a new baby boy, Donovan (Nova), and had somehow happened across my pics of Lydia. She joked about betrothing them and, always happy to exert some control over my future grandchildren's genetics, I was game. One look at Nova and I was smitten. A beautiful boy from a big family. What more could I ask for?

But you see, Nova was born with a heart defect. Erin had already lost a newborn baby girl, Alexis, to a heart defect several years prior. They were told it was not genetic. They went on to have another baby girl. Then, during her next pregnancy they found out about Nova's heart. I can only imagine the fear that came with that news. But they knew ahead of time. They could prepare for repairing his heart. There was great hope that all would be well.

But after going through surgery, in the end it was an infection that took him. Sepsis shut down all of his organs except, ironically, his heart and he died in his mama's arms on April 6, 2006. He was just four months and four days old.

From the American Heart Association's website:

Each year approximately 35,000 babies are born with a heart defect.

About 8 in every 1000.

Congenital heart defects are the most common birth defect.

Congenital heart defects are the number one cause of death from birth defects during the first year of life.

Nearly twice as many children die from congenital heart disease in the United Sates each year as die from all forms of childhood cancers combined.

As a mother, I find those numbers staggering. And Nova's sweet face is what I see each time I read them. Each of those 35,000 babies born with a heart defect each year is wonderful and amazing, cherished by their families. In honor of Nova and his mother, my friend, Erin, I am holding this fundraiser.

Last year this fundraiser brought in $323. This year I am hoping to hit $500.* The Charlotte Heart Walk will take place on September 15. I will be holding drawings on the first of each month (starting May 1) until then -- five drawings in all. All of the prizes are not decided, yet, but I can tell you that Socks that Rock will be one of them. Other contenders, to be named at a later date, will be fabulous, as well. If anyone would like to contribute something for one of the drawings, I would love to hear from you.

*When I set this goal, in all honesty, I was afraid to aim higher. I have seen how generous the online knitting community is, but I didn't want to set the goal so high that in the end we wouldn't meet it. As I write this, less than a month in, we are nearing the $500 mark, so I am setting the goal higher. But do I dare I say I'd like to raise $1000? I'm saying it. Please help spread the word!

edited to add: I have already been contacted by Pippi of PippiKneeSocks, Michelle of The Sweet Sheep, Jacki at Cider Moon, Sheri at The Loopy Ewe and Sue of Harvest Moon Designs about donations of prizes. Thank you! Please see posts below for more specific information on the prizes.

For each $5 donated, your name will go into the drawing one time. It will stay in the drawing until it is drawn or the final drawing, whichever comes first. So you get lots of bang for your buck. I'll keep an ongoing list of contributors in the sidebar. Every penny raised will be sent to the American Heart Association's Heart Walk Charlotte, Team Nova. Follow the Paypal link at the top of the sidebar to contribute.

Please spread the word far and wide among your knitting and non-knitting friends. After all, if your non-knitting friend wins, they can gift it to you.

Thanks for reading and thanks for helping.

If you'd like to read more about Nova's story, please go to Erin's blog, Nova's Heart.

May 1 drawing prize box (aka, Kim's loot)

From the top, sort of...

Twisted Flower sock pattern by Cookie A.

project bag made by Amanda of bulldogknits

Zen Knitting Garden handpainted cashmere, donated by Michelle of The Sweet Sheep

Glacier in Juneau, donated by Cider Moon

Online Supersocke 100, donated by Ronni

two skeins Claudia Handpainted fingering weight in Tropicana

wooly lamb notebook, donated by Angie

4 skeins of Sugar 'n Cream, donated by Angie

Aloe & Comphrey lotion, donated by Ronni

handmade soap made by yours truly

Scarlet Fleece handpainted in I See Red! colorway

In addition to the things you see, Kim also gets to choose her favorite colorway in Socks That Rock (lightweight or mediumweight), plus her choice of an assortment of patterns from Harvest Moon Designs and a few other goodies that you can't see in the photo.

I told you these packages were going to be pretty nice! And there are four more still to come!

and the winner of the first drawing is...

Kim D., with ticket number 84.

Congratulations, Kim! I'll be sending an email in case you're not reading here. A photo of the goodies will be posted tomorrow.

Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed, so far, and please keep spreading the word--we have four more drawings to come!

dilemma

Yesterday I told y'all about a very large donation that came in over the weekend. Large enough that I am thinking it surely must be a typo. I've emailed the person but have not received a response, yet. With the first drawing coming up this evening, I decided that the only fair thing to do is add it in to the total and then, if necessary, I'll take it back out.

Having said that, look at the total! Even without the huge donation, I am overwhelmed at the generosity I've seen, both from donations of money and prizes. The online knitting community rocks and I am so honored to be a part of it.

So, Ben's dental drama that I mentioned the other day? The dentist had him taking motrin every four hours, around the clock. At the three to three and a half hour mark he would cry that it was hurting. He wasn't eating. He was waking up every night, crying in pain. We ended up seeing a pediatric dentist on Thursday (at which point I felt like the mom in Terms of Endearment screaming for someone to do something about my baby's pain). As it turns out he needs to have a root canal and a cap on his second-to-last molar. He's four.

They started him on an antibiotic and last night was the first that he didn't wake up at some point, crying. He's eating. Tomorrow morning we will go in to have the work done.

After that I'm driving my parents to the airport for a well-deserved vacation. So the drawing will take place tomorrow evening. Here is the way it will work: I have everyone who has made a donation listed, in the order the donations were received. Each five dollar increment will be numbered. So if you were the first person to donate and gave $10, you will have number one and two. And so on. I'll use the random number generator to choose a number and the person with that number will be our first winner.

Lindy Rocks

I believe I've used that title before, in one form or another. Lindy won my blogiversary contest and was to receive three skeins of Noro Kureyon. But I got a lovely email from her and this is part of what she said:

"...add the kureyon to the prizes for the Team Nova Draw. I'd like it to go towards this wonderful cause."

So the lovely Kureyon is added into the goodies for the drawing. Lindy, I've said it before and I'll say it again. You rock. Please pop over to her blog and tell her so...and tell her she needs to update more often!

cautiously jumping up and down.

We had a very large donation come in over the weekend. Very large. Large enough that I have emailed the person to make sure it wasn't a typo. I haven't heard back, so I haven't posted it in the total. I'd rather make sure than have to take it back out. So, if you made a donation over the weekend, don't see your name on the contributors' list and don't normally check your paypal email account, please do. I'd love to add that amount to the total, but completely understand if it was a typo and will send it right back.

prize update of the evening #2: handpainted cashmere!

This is just one of a handful (actually, it's more like two heaping handfuls) of yummy stuff that Michelle of The Sweet Sheep sent for the prize drawings. It's Zen Yarn Garden's handpainted 100% cashmere: 400 yards of it. The colorway is Paradise Fish and the label recommends using a US 0-1 for 7-8 sts/inch. 100% cashmere. Let me say that once more. Cashmere. All of it.

Michelle was so kind to speak up on the very first day of the fundraiser and offer to donate something for our prizes. If you haven't been to The Sweet Sheep, you really should. Michelle has a great selection of yarn by indie dyers as well as the standards. And, as I said, this skein is just one of the great things she sent to be included. More photos to come! Michelle, thank you again!

prize update of the evening #1: Lavish!

That's what Nancy, last year's top winner, donated to be included in the prize drawings. It's an unopened pack of 10 skeins of Lavish--109 yards/50g of 100% superfine alpaca in a really lovely soft peach color. I am keeping myself from tearing open the package to feel just how nice this yarn is. Thank you so much, Nancy!

gratuitous Lydia pic

I have more prize photos to add including some of things I haven't told you about, yet (a hint: hand dyed cashmere). Good, good stuff. Dental drama with Ben that has had me on the edge has delayed getting them off the camera and up here, but watch this spot and they should appear later today.

If you click on the "prizes" tag at the bottom of this post, you can see all of the prize posts together.

another peek...

...at something that will be in the first prize package drawing on May 1:

This super cute bag is made by none other than Amanda of bulldogknits. How cool is that fabric? And it's lined in a great coordinating print. The bag is the perfect size for toting a small project. It even has wee snaps on either side of the handles. Thank you, Amanda!

Photo courtesy of Amanda and the needles are shown for size reference.

teaser...

In addition to many other wonderful yarn-y delights, the winner of the first prize drawing will get to select a skein of Socks That Rock in lightweight or mediumweight in the colorway of their choice. And folks, that's just the beginning.

Please help spread the word!

Oh, and if anyone knows how to add one of those nifty goal bar things to the sidebar, I'd love to hear from you. gretchenknits at gmail dot com

ultrasound and more fundraiser info

Everything looked good on the ultrasound. Now she's on a small dose of antibiotics daily until the VCUG in May. Emma has definite personal space issues. She freaks out over a strep test. I'm not looking forward to this at all.

A few people have told me that they don't use Paypal but would still like to make a donation and be entered in the drawings. No problem. Drop me an email (gretchenknits at gmail dot com) and I'll give you and address so you can send a check or money order.

Please keep spreading the word! I am so excited that we have already passed last year's total and boy, wouldn't it be great if we blow past my original $500 goal for this year?

And three skeins of Noro Kureyon are up for grabs in my Blogiversary contest. All you have to do is mention the fundraiser on your blog with a link and then leave me a comment to let me know.

added to fabulous box o'prizes:

These were contributed by Ronni, whose family was touched by congenital heart defects.



Ronni sent five bottles of Aloe and Comphrey lotion that she makes herself. There are five different wonderful scents, full of wonderful, skin soothing ingredients. One will go into the box of prizes for each drawing.

She also sent two skeins of of yarn: the first is Seacoast Handpainted Panda in the Mountain Rainbow colorway. It's a merino/bamboo/nylon blend and so pretty--soft with a lovely sheen. I've been wanting to see Panda up close after seeing it online so many times and it is now officially on my want list.

The second is Online Supersocke 100 in color #805. To have a peek at this fun jacquard print all knitted up, click here and then supersize the photo.

Thank you so much, Ronni!

In further prize news, Nancy, last year's top winner has asked to contribute to our prize pool for this year! She has given me an idea of what will soon be on its way and it's something good! More details once it arrives.

Angie and I are truly humbled by the outpouring of generosity from the online knitting community for this fundraiser. Thank you all so much.

One last thing, don't forget about my blogiversary contest-- 3 skeins of Noro Kureyon will go to a randomly chosen winner. All you have to do it post a little something about this fundraiser on your blog, link it to me and then leave a comment to let me know. Drawing to be held next week, 4/25.

I know I promised pictures,

but I just plain ran out of time. Right now I'm about to go pick Emma up from school (yeah, I sent her for just an hour, but she has missed so much already) for her kidney ultrasound.

I will post photos later but in the meantime, please go over and see what Amanda is contributing to the prize stash. More on that later, too.

blah, blah and prizes!

The college visit was good. More on that later. This morning I'm off to take Hope to the orthodontist. I just wanted to let y'all know that a package arrived while we were gone yesterday with more great stuff for the prize packages and I'll be posting about those later today.

happy blogiversary to me. (CONTEST!)

(a day late)
Two years and 434 posts and I'm having a party. You are all invited and one person will take home a lovely door prize: 3 skeins of Noro Kureyon in #95. Enough to make a Booga Bag or any number of other fabulous projects.

To enter, post on your blog about the AHA fundraiser with a link to me, then leave a comment here to let me know you did. I'll draw a name in 10 days...so on the 25th.

Good luck!

that news I told you about... (aka, attention dishcloth knitters!)

Someone told Sue Schaefer of Harvest Moon Designs about our fundraiser. Sue has a big, strong 23 year old son who was once a newborn with a life-threatening heart problem. She was touched by Nova's story and has offered to donate one of each of her 90+ pattern designs for this fundraiser.

To say I was overwhelmed when I read her email would be an understatement. Sue specializes in dish/spa/face and body cloth designs and also has some felted bag patterns. I know there are a bunch of you out there who have jumped on the dish cloth band knitting wagon (seriously fun and quick!) and you will be so excited to see all of the patterns that Sue has.

To go along with this, Angie and I are going to be adding some cotton yarn to the prize packages so that you'll be all set to go.

Sue, thank you again! I've added Harvest Moon Designs to the list of prize sponsors over on the right-hand side and you can also read Sue's blog by clicking here.

To enter, click on the paypal button at the top of the sidebar. $5 gets you a chance in each of the five drawings. Thank you and please continue to spread the word.

I just have a second.

I have two dirty little boys to catch and pop in the shower in preparation for their baseball/t-ball opening day ceremonies this morning, but I have to take a moment to let you all know that there will be more information about prizes for the drawings later today.

Nova's life was far too short but his story continues to ripple outward in ever increasing rings, touching more and more people.