EXTRA YARN GiveawayFebruary 1, 2012

ALERT! This is important! There is a new kid's book in town, and it's AWESOME.

Extra Yarn

What happens when a little girl find a box of yarn THAT IS ALWAYS FULL?

Yeah, you want to know, right? It's pretty great. You'll love it.

And I have one to give away! Just leave me a comment below to be entered. (You know I never add commenters to my mailing list, right? That you have to do for yourself, up there in the upper right. But I do give presents from that list from time to time, too. Just sayin'.)

Because the author also lives in Oakland, I was able to drive to his house and knock on his front door until he answered (I knocked a really long time), and then, while he glared at me from his handknitted bathrobe, I asked him a few questions.*

1. First of all, where do I get a box that holds an unending supply of yarn? (No, really. WHERE?)

Oh that's easy. They're usually out in the field, just to the right of the old fence by the house with the barrel out front.


2. Do you knit?

No, but I did darn this sweater!

Interviewer's note: Nice job!

I probably should have put 20 Hipstamatic filters on that shot to make it feel cozier. I'm quite proud of my work, but to your readers that picture probably looks like one of those horrific botched plastic-surgery photos you see on gossip blogs.

3. Now that you're a New York Times bestselling author, will you take me up in your private plane?

Sure, here it is:




4. OAKLAND REPRESENT. What's your favorite thing in Oakland? (Interviewer's note: Mine is Mountain View Cemetery. No, it's not creepy! I swear! It's gorgeous! A great place to walk dogs or steal character names.)

That's a good graveyard. And it's close to Fenton's, for when all that death makes you feel like an ice cream. I think my favorite spot in Oakland is the Paramount Theater. It's a spectacular art-deco movie palace, and on certain Fridays they show classic films. Five dollars gets you an old picture, newsreel, Warner Brothers cartoon, Coming Attractions that may or may not come to the theater, and, of course, Dec-O-Win, a raffle presented by gentlemen in tuxedoes and ladies in evening gowns. My life dream is to win that raffle. I even tried bribing the staff by paying fifty bucks for a box of Red Vines. It didn't work. Those people have a lot of integrity.

 

So, thanks, Mac! And readers: leave a comment to be entered to win (I'll draw on Sunday morning) or just go buy the book at your favorite bookseller. You won't be disappointed.

* This is not technically true. But he does live in Oakland. Or at least he says he does. (What if he said that to all the reviewers? Yeah, I live in Tulsa/Peoria/Brooklyn. That would totally WORK.)

Comments

[ccr in MA]

That looks like such a cute book! And I too want the endless box of yarn.

[Celeste nossiter]

I would love a copy of the book, please enter me in the raffle. Thanks!

[Shannon]

I would love to read it to my 2 year old daughter. Send it this way please!

[Gina in the East Bay]

My favorite thing in Oakland are the redwood trees - not so much my neighbor's redwood that sheds all over my backyard, but the little forest up in Redwood Regional Park is fantastic. And my always full many boxes of yarn are generated by the "Add to Shopping Cart" button at my favorite online yarn stores.

[grace]

An endless box of yarn sounds so enchanting!

[Jenny Pipes]

My favorite thing in Oakland is my third son, Justin. I miss him.
Your books are wonderful...reading the third one now and read My Life in Stitches yesterday. Since I discovered reading on my nook I can knit at the same time I seem to get alot more reading done!!! The knitting was happening anyhow!
LOVE your blog as well!

[Carol]

The book truly intrigues me. I think that your thing for lace has transported you into another realm of creativity. If I ever get back to CA, I must come to your section, not that sandy, dry old San Diego. I need rainfall and soil, it's a survival kind of thing.

[Word Lily]

This book looks super cool.

[Deborah]

Looks like a fun book! I also love the Paramount Theater - saw The Nutcracker ballet there quite a long time ago when we lived in the East Bay Area.

[C.C. @ I'm On My Way ~ my journey as a Christ follower, wife, mamma, and fibromyalgia fighter]

I'd love to win. Sounds like a great book. :)

[Lynn in Tucson]

Hooray! That book looks adorable!

[Kris]

Looks like a great book - my niece (aka "she who will steal my stash someday") is going to love it.

[Marsh]

I would love to win it for my rural library. I love your books and run a friday night knitting program at the library. We need new kids books and this would fit right in. Thanks for the offering.

[Maggi]

Must have that book! And I will. But you can give me this copy.

[Lorajean]

Teehee! A kids book about yarn? Eli would be in heaven! Especially if there was pink or purple yarn in the book. His favorite!

[Dawn]

Anxiously waiting for my library's copies to arrive, so my own copy would be fabulous!

[Abigail]

I would love to read this book to my boys. :)

[deidre corbet]

What a wonderful concept! I would love to win this book and dream about it. Thanks for the chance

[Cris Pansiera]

Hmmmmm.....Yarn and kids, what could be better?
Crossing needles here, I mean , fingers!

[Karen]

I know my 3 yr old son would love this book. He loves playing in mommy's yarn!

[Trish Jones]

Rachael, I recently discovered your books and read two of them and enjoyed them so much! Since then I've bookmarked your blog and joined your FB page.....I'm really enjoying reading books about knitting and knitters! I'm a basic/beginner knitter, but love it!

[Shanan]

My 4 yo son loves yarn and is very used to seeing me knit. We are always seeking out new yarn/knitting books to read, this one would be a great addition! Thanks for the info.

[Monica]

Awesome interview! I can't wait to read this book. I want to read it with daughter, Olivia. She's 7, and an avid (beginner) knitter. The idea of a never-empty yarn basket delights us both.

[alison]

Oh, hello there! How can I stay away when you start talking about a kids' book with YARN? Mwah! :)

[Gwendolyn T]

I would love to win this to read woth my daughter. Thanks for the chance.

[Barbara]

I think the Endless Box of Yarn is in my basement right now--next to the Armoire of Endless Fabric. So I'd like a story about that box o'yarn if you pick me. I don't have any grandpeople but my granddog and grandchickens would like it. I'm certain of it.

[lyssa]

This book sounds awesome, and I love the plane!

[Kelly Momsen]

Oh please, oh please, oh please PICK ME!!!! I am a knitter and didn't have time to knit my son (he's going to be 3 on Saturday) anything....yeah I know, I suck!

[LaurieM]

Hopefully the box fills with good quality wool. Or is it the other end of the time warp that steals socks from the dryer?

[Jenni]

This comment is being written while thinking random, lucky thoughts. This book looks amazing, something my 5- and 3-year olds would love!

[Erin berry]

I love the thought of yarn based tales for my daughter

[KnittingInMind]

"...all that death makes you feel like an ice cream" makes me want to read the book!
I have a box that is always full of yarn. I *might* have more than one. It's sort of a problem.

[ElizabethD]

I may have enough yarn to qualify as an endless box -- but I don't have this book, and it looks wonderful! Hope I win. . .

[Martha]

My favorite thing in Oakland is running into a famous knitting romance writer at a cafe! It was fun to see you last month. I would love to read that book to my two daughters. They have seen the Rubbermaid containers that hold my stash, so they think they already have a box with an endless supply of yarn.

[Sarah Stevens]

Oooooh, I'd love to win!! Thanks for the chance!

[Marcy]

What a great book for my granddaughters, who have both asked me to teach them to knit!

[Noralee Arena]

Oh this looks like a terrific book! Reminds me of Strega Nona and her over-flowing pasta pot, only better because it is yarn. I think i want one of these boxes. This will be the perfect book to read to my great/grand nieces and nephews.

[Megan]

Wow, an endless box of yarn....FANTASTIC! Thanks for the opportunity to win the book

[Michele Phillips]

Please enter me into your drawing for that wonderful book!

[Dara]

an endless box of yarn , what could be better, I want one!

[Pat L]

Hi Rachael, I would love to win the copy of Mac's book. It and he sound really fun - especially the endless box of yarn. Best to you and Lala and the 4-footeds.

[Risa Nye]

Please enter me into the drawing. I live in Oakland, walk through Mountain View almost every weekend, and am knitting the baby blanket that seems to be endless...for my tiny new grandson named FENTON! How Oakland can you get?

[Mary Katharin]

My grandchildren would love the book. Thank you for the drawing!

[Stephanie M]

I love love love knitting related books.

[Michelle]

OHH I would love this book! If I don't win...I'm going to buy it for my niece for her 5th B-day in March!

[Juliette]

ahhh. I loved this post. So I have to enter to win.I would love that book -- looks fun.

[Jen]

Even if I don't win this, I'm going to get a copy for my house!

[Jyll]

Such a cool-looking/sounding book. My yet-to-exsist grandchildren will love it!

[Susan]

What a wonderful book! I have taught many young children to knit over the years in my classroom and at volunteer workshops for youth groups. This book would be a great way to introduce kids to knitting.

[GEW]

Here's my comment! If I don't win, I will buy it to read to my kids. They like yarn.

[GEW]

I'm not trying to cheat and enter twice, but I just wanted to say that I just looked up the book on Amazon. I have a niece named Annabelle! I can't WAIT to give the book to her. I might have to do it for Valentine's Day since her b-day isn't until August. Thanks for turning me on to this book!

[Suzanne]

Sounds like a cute book.

[Melissa]

I'm really looking forward to reading this book. Thanks for having a giveaway!

[Erin K]

So fun! Enter me, please!

[Chrystie]

This sounds so cute and my daughter is a book fiend. Pick me! :)

[Rachelle]

I love kids yarny books

[Samantha Edwards]

That book looks so cute!!! I am always looking for books like this for my 4 year-old niece. I hope she becomes a knitter one day. Thanks for the great giveaway!

[Sharon Rawls]

Definitely going to buy the book! Would love that box of yarn too!

[moiraeknittoo]

That book looks like all kinds of awesome. And yay knitting pictures! I like.

[Jessica]

This book looks so cute! I'd love to know how it ends! Bet it has some great illustrations too.

[Lennette Daniels]

This book looks so cute. I want to find an endless box of yarn.

[Rose Kelly]

Too much fun, never ending yarn..... What a great idea!! Please enter me in the contest....

[Lisa Adams]

I LOVE children's books and this one would be an awesome addition to my library! Thanks for this Rachael. ❤💚💗💜💙💛

[Wehaf]

This *will* come with the aforementioned box, right?

[steph]

I love this book. My son does too! We got it from the library and we've read it every night. To have our own copy would rock!

[Sara Byron]

This looks like a really cute book. Enter me!

[christen]

I am commenting with held breath, crossed fingers, toes and knees, and an avalanche of "me me me me" barrelling around in my head.

[Mary Sherwood]

I just checked and we have the book in our library system. I put a hold on it.

Have you read any of Donna Leon's books? Her books take place in Italy, Venice to be precise, and follows a detective as he tries to keep his beloved Venice a safe place. I think you might like them.

[Kathleen Dalton-Woodbury]

My husband probably thinks I have one of those endless boxes of yarn, because my stash never seems to get smaller.

:)

Anyway, that looks like an absolutely darling book. Thanks for letting us know about it.

[Teri S.]

I would so love to win hat book to give to my little niece who knits like a fiend! What fun we'd have with a box of yarn that never empties. Oh wait...I've got one of those. It's my stash. Okay...how about a box of yarn that never empties and doesn't cost money?

[Marina]

I would love to win! And, my son would be very excited about it too. He's been asking me to teach him how to knit for EVER! He knows how to finger knit but his only 5.....soon!

[Amanda Page]

I'm going to be teaching my 6 year old niece to knit, and I'd love to give her an Endless Box if yarn too.

[Meg]

Oh, count me in please! I'm a sucker for childrens literature, especially when there is yarn involved!

[Heather]

What if the box was always full of the wrong yarn? Like, say one day I finally decide to commit to the darning and dive into sock knitting, but each time I open the box it will only give me Habu's stainless steel yarn.

[Christina R.]

I can't wait until my son is old enough to attempt knitting!

[Karen S.]

This book is getting rave reviews on a lot of blogs I read. I'd love a copy to read to my brand new nephew!

[Eileen Cashin]

I just finished reading "Extra Yarn" at my library and we are trying to figure out how we can do a yarn bombing at our very new library that we will be moving into in mid-March. Wouldn't we love to have a copy of "Extra Yarn" to put in our Children's Room. (we borrowed the book from another library, we don't own our very own copy yet !) thank you for reading this, and hoping to hear from you.

[KarenJ]

Love the cover, but then again, I'm a sucker for any kid's book with cats. If I get a magic yarn box can I specify things like no eyelash, fuzzy acrylic etc?

[Therese Roth]

I would love to win this book to read to my granddaughter!

[Pat]

No endless box for me; the stash that I have reminds me that my brain doesn't accept the reality of how little time and energy I have compared to the dreams and inspiration. Knit on!
(The shawl is gorgeous, lace and especially a shawl is too daunting at this point! You however are pretty amazing to do all that you do.) Peace and blessings.

[Casey]

I'm a first time blog reader today and I have already found out about the most adorable kid's book that I HAVE TO HAVE! Thanks for starting my day out great!

[Kara]

Oooh, thanks for the chance to win. My neice is attending a Waldorf school, this would be great for her!

Plus we live in Sacramento- so close to Oakland!

[Andi W]

Love a yarn give away and love the book. I set my Kindle to the read to me setting, plug in the ear phones and KnitAweigh (Ravelry) I go~
Andi W

[Amy]

The book looks so cute and my neice and nephew both lover everything fiber related.

[Carry]

This book looks so great! I'd love to say it would be for my kiddo but since the youngest is almost 13 that's probably not true. Really it would be mine and would live on my coffee table because I'm that kind of grown-up.

[Gina Beirne]

I want this book!

[Grace]

An endless box of yarn? A knitter's dream come true! Thanks for a chance to win the book.

[Tish]

I'd love to win it. I just returned it to the library and it's a great story. One of my knit buddies has a new granddaughter and her 2yo big sister really loves the extra attention she gets at grandma's house. They'd love reading this together. (Mommy's a geographical single mom since Daddy's away for Navy training.)

[Mary lee]

Sounds like my childhood fantasy of taking a bite from a chocolate bar and having it magically replaced!

[Diane]

would love an endless box of yarn, wait, it might be in my closet. thanks for the opportunity to win the book.

[Sarah Wethered]

I'm a librarian who knits. I need that book. I also need an unending box of yarn - though I think my yarn closet will never empty.

[Keisha]

The Paramount Theatre is my second favourite place to see old movies in the Bay Area, and one of the few places I actively miss since moving to the great wet and grey Northwest (I LOVE Seattle, being a rain loving person), another being the FreeMason's hall for events. Anyway..please do enter me for the book, it sounds amazing, and I would love to read it to my fiance's children, who are boys and already think they have too much yarn in their lives.

[Lynn in Boise]

My favorite was the Stanford Theater in Palo Alto. I practically lived there. Classic movies only, double features, special themes (mysteries, directors, actors). I'd pick up a burrito, sneak it in and sit in the front row of the balcony. Fabulous. I miss it now that I've moved away.

I have an endless box of yarn. It's my yarn closet. A never ending supply. I visit it regularly.

[Lucretia]

Holy schmoly, that looks like a super cool book! My favorite place in Oakland is Orange Street (I lived on a street that was a color!) in Adam's Point. The neighborhood was awesome and so close to so many great Oakland institutions. I miss the 'hood (even though I love my new 'hood).

[Eleanor]

I've never been to Oakland, so I don't have a favorite place there. But I sure would like to get my hands on that book! :)

[danielle]

Wait - have to take a break from looking for the house with the barrel in front....to find the endless box of yarn! Whew...time to enter to try to win a very interesting looking book!

[Sue]

Too wonderful!

[Afton]

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I would love to read that to the preschool class that I showed how to spin yarn. I got them to be quiet as they listened "to the song of the spinning wheel". Their teacher still counts that as a goal.

[brandi]

Interesting account lol:)

[Joan]

Thanks for the giveaway!