Three! Three Contest Wins! Ah-ah-ah!

I'm in a weird mood. I've been clucking classical music - just a minute - and now I can't think "Oooh, three contest wins!" without thinking of The Count from Sesame Street.

(See, this morning on NPR, the anchor was plugging the upcoming classical music program, which was focusing today on "Plucked Classics", which he stated he assumed was guitar classicals, as opposed to chicken classicals. And so now, thanks a lot Newsguy, I've been clucking the William Tell Overture all morning.)

So I won THREE contests recently, from Aija, Adelle, and now, as I just found out, from Aimee. And you know how I hate to leave the universe all out of whack like that - especially since two of those were charitable donations that turned into prizes. (I feel like I cheated the giving-spirit system somehow.) I should probably participate in the sort of thing I should fundraise for, instead of a random contest, but I'll need spare time to put that together, so we'll make that a goal for another day.

Let's have some really ridiculous contest instead. How about this: How many items will I buy at Rhinebeck? (I know, it's stupid, but I've got Rhinebeck on the brain. I was originally going to ask you to guess how much money I'd spend, but I may not want to confess that one. So don't guess in dollar amounts, 'cuz I'm not tellin'.)

I'll give you some hints and guidelines:

1. An "item" is one unit, in whatever way it makes the most sense. So, for example, a set of stitch markers is one item, but six skeins of the same yarn is six items. A kit, though, is one item. (So eight skeins of Fleece Artist merino? Eight items. One Fleece Artist jacket kit with fortyeleven pounds of yarn? One item.) If roving is sold in pre-measured bundles, they're each one item - if it's sold in bulk (i.e. merino: $16/pound) then however much I buy is one item.

2. I'm including non-yarn-related stuff too, and things I buy peripherally - so yummy handmade soaps, lotions, candles, or anything from the Morehouse Merino afterparty count too. (PS: Remember to print your coupons from Morehouse!)

3. The mortgage is still due at the end of the month and we're still a bit strapped, as ever. (This may or may not have anything to do with how much I spend, but it *should*.)

4. I have PLANNED to restrain myself, due to next weekend's SAFF festival and the fact that I'll probably go batshit there.

5. I'm flying to New York, so my bringin'-stuff-back space is somewhat limited. (I do plan on packing light, but taking my biggest suitcase. The mega-expandable one. Just in case.)

6. I'll be with a friend. You know how much of a difference that can make - she may talk me out of stuff, she may talk me into things. You never know. Or I may be so anxious to get back home to her adorable little Ewok-dog that I won't even care and I'll be begging to leave at noon. (It could happen. She's pretty effing cute.)

7. You all probably expect me to come back with 400 things, but remember that I am never predictable. Sometimes I come back from a huge sale with nothing...

8. ...but all bets could be off - there's going to be Socks That Rock there.

So! Take a shot, leave it in the comments, and when I get back (Sunday) I'll draw at least one winner for something(s) fabulous. (Probably something from Rhinebeck that I feel guilty about buying.) If multiple people get it right...well, we'll just have to see what happens. ;-)