On a tuesday, dark and dreary

It's a cold, dreary rainy day... in a string of cold, dreary, rainy days.

It's the kind of day that makes you want to call in sick, curl up in bed with the cats and spend the day reading.

But I didn't. I got up and went to work like a good little girl and the cats got the bed to themselves.

And while, I did go to work, I wasn't nearly as productive as I could have been (of course that probably has something to do with the fact that my tasks today involved far too much html coding). I found myself constantly clicking back to Ravelry.

And while I was was there, I noticed two very strange things....

1) a surge in members to the Wandering Cat group
2) a HUGE surge in the download of my Baby Janes pattern

We get a new member every so often (maybe one new member a week, but probably not even that often) but this was a whole bunch all at once.

As for the pattern - it is by far my most popular pattern (I think it's the combo of "free", "quick" and "stupid adorable") usually with about 5-10 downloads a day. Today.... wait for it.... 117 downloads.... WTF????

Now, after talking to Mom, we deducted that the new members might be the work of Miss Monika, who received her Wandering Cat KAL prize the other day. We thought she might be bragging and her readers were hoping to get in on some Wandering Cat action.

Mom checked her blog and sure enough... she sent them all our way with promises of a the next KAL in the Year of the Cat.
So, I had to light a fire under my butt and actually get the details up


So, without futher ado, I give you the Wandering Cat "S"ummer "S"titch-A-Long
(You must be a member of the Ravelry Wandering Cat Group to take part)
Wandering Cat “S”ummer “S”titch-a-long --Dates: May 23rd- September 5th 2011.

• Projects must be knit or crocheted in Wandering Cat Yarn.

• Project type must start with the letter “S” (ie socks, shawls, sweaters, stoles, scarves, skirts.. even snails. If it begins with an “S” - you’re good!)

• Projects must be completed between May 23rd & Sept 5th, but can be started before May 23rd.(so if you have already started something as long as it is finished on May 23rd or after or after you can enter it.)

• Tag your projects with yearofthecat

• Each completed project = one entry. Enter as many times as you like

• FOs that are also knit from a Wandering Cat pattern will get an extra entry.

Prizes

There will be three prize kits, drawn at random from all entries.

• Shawl Prize Kit - Any Wanderingcat or redknitz shawl pattern, and enough yarn to complete it. Yarn base is in weight corresponding to pattern, but is choice of winner (from bases in stock at the time) - custom dyed to semi-solid shade of winners choice.

• Sock Prize Kit - Any Wanderingcat or redknitz sock pattern, and enough yarn to complete it. Yarn base is in weight corresponding to pattern, but is choice of winner (from bases in stock at the time) - custom dyed to semi-solid shade of winners choice.

• Stripey Prize - A custom dyed (winner’s choice of two colours) self-striping skein in Top Cat, Barn Cat or Alley Cat.

So.... if you want to join in the fun - come join our Ravelry group!

But... as for the Baby Janes....
Does anyone know what's up? Is there a Baby Jane knit-a-long somewhere? Or is someone on Ravelry just REALLY click happy? Either way, I'm just happy to advance the shoe addiction of little girls everywhere......