Deviant Dispatches

Yesterday's giveaway is complete, and we have a winner. The country I had in mind was Argentina. Ana, with her last-minute switcheroo, wins the scarf - Bolivia is the only country guessed which actually borders Argentina. Yep. It's true. One last thing before I venture off into the wild yonder of my life: a before and after picture of my basil. See, this is the time of year when basil plants must succumb to their fate in these frigid regions; if I leave the plant for too long, it will turn black and shrivel and be completely useless. Instead of allowing that to happen, I'm required to temporarily become a murderer. My lovely and amazing basil, before harvesting... ...and after. That pathetic little bag of greenery next to the pot full of sticks is the whole of my harvest. I'll be lucky to get even half a cup of pesto from that. But such is the life of a non-farmer in the city. It's better than nothing, and I think it was worth it...

Hey. I said I'd do another giveaway in September, didn't I? Yep. I did. But this scarf is much more appropriate for the current weather. All man-made materials, this soft, 55-inch scarf is made with love, a crochet hook, and some fiery determination. To do what, I'm not sure. But hopefully some of that will rub off if you win it. It may look like it's full of holes - and actually, it is - but it's pretty warm if you wrap it around you twice. Here's how this contest works: rather than picking a number, pick a country. The person who comes geographically closest to picking the country I have in mind will be the winner. If two people pick the same country, I will draw names out of a hat or some other round object. I've shared the country with Spousal Unit so that I can't cheat. Happy guessing!

And now... the winner of Tuesday's giveaway , the Technicolor Madness Capelet! The correct answer was 504. Congratulations, Amor! Her guess, posted on my Facebook link, came closer than anyone else's. She (or whomever she gives the cape to) gets to call herself The Caped Avenger while wearing it. Because I said so. What will she be avenging? All the happiness in the world that has ever wanted to shine through, and couldn't for some reason. Through her, while wearing that cape, happiness will abound. Yes, I'm kind of a sap. Pessimists, deal with it. For those of you who looked at what I was giving away and said, "Who the hell would want a shawl?" (because I know some of you are out there), I'll be doing another giveaway next month. That one will be a scarf. Unfortunately for you guys, it (like the shawl) is kind of girly. But I don't judge - wear the hell out of it if you win. That, or give it to your mom for Christmas. Speaking of free stu...

I thought I'd try something new with today's post: a giveaway! The shawl above (which I've named the Technicolor Madness Capelet) is something I made for a craft booth a few years ago, and it's just been sitting around, keeping my yarns company behind a cupboard door and bringing joy to no one. It's time to change that. This shawl measures 11 inches from the center point to the corners, and is 20 inches across. The orange yarn is merino wool, nylon and acrylic; the blue border is wool. A great piece for early fall, and a great present, if you're not personally inclined toward capes. (Though who doesn't love a good cape?) Here's how this works: Leave a comment with your number guess - between 1 and 1,875. I have chosen the number and emailed it to Spousal Unit, so you all know I haven't changed the number at the last minute. (Because clearly, that's something I might do otherwise.) If two guesses are equally close to the number I...