A Contest!

I have a fun announcement to make:  a contest!  Some of you just might enjoy entering.   First a little introductory information is in order.  

Dale and I have a very gifted daughter, Lita Judge.  She both writes and illustrates children’s books.  I’m proud to say some of her inspiration has been nurtured while sharing our love of wildlife and the outdoors; and many of her books have a personal connection to us, mostly in the form of using our photographs for reference material.  She especially loves our grizzly photos. 

A few of her books have a very different connection.  I’ve done a considerable amount of knitting for her!  The knitting started with half a sock -- yes, just half a sock.  The clerk who sold me the wool was quite puzzled when she asked about the project and I answered, “I only need enough wool for half a sock.”  Lita needed an illustration of a half knitted sock for “One Thousand Tracings; Healing the wounds of World War II” -- Hyperion Books for Children.

Most recently I’ve been knitting red hats.  Lots of red hats. LOTS!

 The first red hats were for Lita’s book “Red Sled” (Atheneum Books / 2011), a delightful adventure book.  In it a bear borrows a red sled and ends up taking a variety of woodland friends on a wild ride.  Since the child in the book wears a red hat, Lita decided she wanted a red hat for her book jacket photo .... and she then asked for about 30 miniature hats to help with marketing.  Out came my knitting needles and I made a dent the Norwegian wool I had stored for years.  

My little hats were a big hit.  More important, the book was a bigger hit!  Lita was encouraged to come up with a sequel.  

 “Red Hat,” the sequel to “Red Sled,” will be released this March.  What mischief do the bear and friends get into this time?

Out came my knitting needles again.  This time she not only wanted another batch of miniature hats, but also a variety of unique hats to kick off a ‘Red Hat Contest.’  I’ve had lots of fun creating red hats for the initial contest site.  I put a hat on an onion blossom; cut holes in my straw gardening hat and put it on a pony; and I stared knitting weird and wonderful: one for her parrot, one for her kitty, for a goat, and for Sophie, a Scottie I know.  

Poor Sophie.  She wasn’t at all excited about wearing a red hat.  She suddenly went mournful and froze.  “Oh dear!  What on earth is this thing on my head?”  But Sophie is a quick learner and found out that subjecting herself to wearing ‘that thing’ also came with very special treats.  Pretty soon Sophie forgave me the indignity and decided to look quite cute in her hat. 

Now it is your turn to be creative and enter the Red Hat Contest.  It can be a photograph or a drawing.  You don’t need to knit a hat ... just use a hat that has been hiding in your closet or borrow one from a friend or draw it.  In any case be sure to go to Lita’s web site and enjoy her art.  More information about the contest is there too.  

Lita’s books can be found in many local bookstores and on Amazon.com <http://www.Amazon.com> .  .  Here is her website:  www.Litajudge.net