update: this offer is over now, but see this post for info about the hat pattern!

are excited to vote?  i think most of you do stuff! blog readers probably already are, but, if not so much, i want to get you more excited!

to everyone and anyone – if you comment here or email me (leethalkoala at yahoo dot com) with some kind of proof that you voted (link to a photo of yourself with “i voted!” sticker, for example) i will send you this pdf!  (see bottom of post for more details.)

the pdf includes: pattern for this knit flared hat!

the dandelion stencil design up top, and this alpaca applique design:

and for non-crafters, this thank you card to print out on cardstock paper:

and, contributed by pete, a page about mac and cheese with some fun “recipes”

some extra info and linkage to go along with the pdf……

my flared hat example is made with 2 strands of malabrigo merino worsted held together.  the hat is very fitted, to the point of maybe being a bit too small, but i haven’t blocked it yet.  if you want a bigger, floppy hat, this pattern will work great for that style by using fatter yarn (or 3 or 4 strands of worsted).  the hat pattern uses size us 11 double pointed needles.

the appliqué page has minimal instructions, recommending steam-a-seam just because that’s what i used.  i didn’t elaborate further because full instructions are on the fusible web packaging. there is a fantastic detailed appliqué tutorial here, which includes machine sewing around the edges too (which would be pretty tricky with my alpaca, but i’d love to see pictures if anyone does it).  there are more how-to’s around the web, including videos (just do some quick googling).

for my appliqué examples, i did one at 100% print size, with the nose/mouth piece, the same way it prints out.  the zebra print one is flipped (mirror image) of the way it prints, at 50% size, with no nose/mouth piece.  yay alpacas!

the dandelion stencil was made by taking a photo of the print i did from the original hand-drawn stencil, and adjusting to get a black+white image.  so, the lines are a little textured (wavy), but it’s meant to trace/cut onto freezer paper, so that shouldn’t matter.  (you can find a fabulous f-p stencil tutorial over at neither hip nor funky!)  you can print the stencil out any size you want and use it for something besides freezer paper printing if you want – i’d love to see what you do with it!

the thank you card is a drawing i did by tracing this photo and parts of this photo.  it’s designed on the pdf to print out on cardstock, fit to 8.5′x11′ paper size, for a card that folds in half to measure about 6.25′x4.25′.  you can color it if you want to!

pete’s mac and cheese page is full of meal ideas and fun facts.  i didn’t want this pdf to appeal only to crafty voters!

i am happy to give this pdf to absolutely anyone who voted and wants it, regardless of who/what you choose to vote for, but i won’t hide the fact that i really hope you don’t vote for mccain.  just sayin’…

for oregon voters (and any others states that are weird like us and do mail-in only) – i can’t figure out any kind of proof you can give if you’ve already mailed it in.  if you haven’t already dropped it in the mailbox, you can send me a picture of the filled/sealed envelope or something like that, but if you’ve mailed it, i’ll have to take your word for it.  i am very trusting and won’t doubt anyone who claims to have voted without photographic proof, but seriously, that would be way lame of anyone to lie about it.  seriously.

and this is completely free of charge, i did it just out of inspiration (hey, speaking of inspiration, check out the event my brother ben put together down in so-cal!) but if you are overcome with the need to contribute a little something for the time i put into this, i’m throwing a donate button down there.

and hey, one more thing if you got this far – i wasn’t able to get this done and posted until super last-minute as you can see, so if you have a blog i would reeeeally appreciate it if you mentioned this!  feel free to use any of my images, copy/paste text, whatever, as long as you link to this post.  thanks!!