OK. Ready. Today is Steven's amazing fundraiser/giveaway! Read on below to learn how you can enter to win one of the incredible prizes! And, don't forget to post and repost to help let as many people as possible know how they can get in on the fun! Once you share the project, come back for a chance to win! 

The how:
1. on december 1st, click this link to visit the lansing area aids network website and make a donation via paypal. the suggested minimum donation is $40, the cost of one rapid hiv test. however, i know $40 is a lot money for a lot of people (myself included). since i don't want to discourage anyone from making a donation they can afford, all donations will be accepted, even if it's only $1. 

2. shoot me an email: [email protected]  with your contact information and the amount you donated. the details of your personal information will be kept confidential. this is so i can keep track of the total as it grows, and so i can make sure you get your prize.

3. winners will be chosen at random. it could be you!
Entries will only be accepted on world aids day itself (dec 1st)! this means 12:00am - 11:59pm is your 24 hour window to make a donation and send me an email to be entered to win some loot. i'm in the eastern standard time zone here people, so my giveaway is too!

I took my first stab at social knitting in 2008, shortly after I learned how to knit.  I remember how timid I was at the first group I attended. I was the new kid. I didn't really know what I was doing. I was nervous to engage. By the time I'd left my first knit night, I was glad I went. 

Fiber folk, as most of you, I'm sure, know, are an incredibly embracing group. We love to share what we know, give tips, encourage and enable each other.  I've been lucky to meet some really fantastic people via yarn and a cup of coffee.  For instance, Steven. You may know him as Hotpants. Maybe, you've shared a drink with him. Or, maybe you weighed-in during his attempts at broadening the definition of lace.  I know him as the founding member of my first 'regular' knitting group.  If you've met him, you already know how amazing he is. That knitting group transformed me from 'a person, who also knits' to a 'knitter'; a transformation for which I am truly grateful. 

What does all this have to do with anything? Well, you see, Steven is hosting an INCREDIBLE giveaway/fundraiser to raise awareness and promote testing and education on World Aids Day. And, I want you to help me spread the word.  There are two ways you can help me, help Steven: 

In exchange for you help. You will be entered to win the Pay it Forward Giveaway.  O.K. Rules and Prizes. Prizes first. :-)  The person selected, by random, as the winner of the giveaway will be entered to win her/his choice of the following two prizes:

Knit: A copy of Cast On Bind Off by Leslie Ann Bestor AND  a $25 Ravelry Gift Certificate

Sew:  A copy of  the Colette Sewing Handbook AND $25  to Pink Chalk Studio

Rules: EVERYONE, worldwide, is eligible to enter.You MUST  provide a valid email address. I will contact the winner via email. I will not go searching for you outside the information you provide in your submission. So, make sure you list an email you check!  In order to qualify for the Pay It Forward Drawing:

Spread the Word about Steven's project. Use your influence to help others learn about the World Aids Day Fundraiser by putting a mention and a link to Steven's Project  in a blog post, linking up to his page via Twitter, or alerting your friends on Facebook. THEN, copy your link into the comments section under this post showing me where I can find your shout-out and letting me know whether you would like the "Knit" or "Sew" prize option. ONLY COMMENTS WITH VERIFIED LINKS ARE ELIGIBLE TO WIN. All submissions must be received by 11:59pm CST on December 1, 2012.

BONUS: If you post your link (or make a second post) at 12am on December 1, 2012, your name will get dropped in the hat twice. 

Thank you all for you help! I really appreciate it!!! 

Hello! I hope you are all faring well post election day. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty pooped. I stayed up way past my bedtime waiting for finalization from the candidates. As you might imagine, Chicago was pleased with the outcome of the race. After all,  the president is a hometown hero. This post isn't about politics; however, it does have a bit to do with a Chicago golden boy. Coach Ditka. You might have heard of him. He's kind of a big deal.  

Any of you who have visited this blog for a period of time know that, while I reside in Chicago, I am not a Bears fan. I bleed green and gold. Yet, there's no denying Coach Ditka and his '85  Bears were something special. The sweater vest the coach sported is almost as iconic as the man behind the team. Which brings me to the knitting related content of this post... You see, my neighbor Henri, he's a pretty big Bears fan. And, when came to me with his request for a sweater vest of his own, I couldn't deny him. Just look at those eyes! He's a charmer, that one. He drove a hard bargain to bend my team loyalty, and he more than lived up to his end of the deal by getting me a photo of him wearing my handiwork. (Guess who qualifies to be the beneficiary of future handknits?!?)  

I wasn't able to find a pattern for this project, so I charted out the logo myself  and used an existing vest pattern as a template. I hesitate to put the chart on Ravelry, because I'm unsure whether it falls within the rules and regulations. (If you know, please, do tell!) However, I would gladly share the chart with any person interested. This particular sweater is knit using sock weight yarn on U.S. size 2 needles at a gauge of ( 7.5 stitch="1 inch ). The logo extends across 72 stitches, which makes this sweater sized somewhere between 12mos. and 18mos- Henri's not quite a year old yet, so he might squeeze two season from it, if we're lucky. 

*A HUGE thanks to Henri's parents for helping him get me this picture and    allowing me to share it.*