Baby knitting and bad memories

Is there anything more pointless than knitting clothes for babies?  There's no way to anticipate their measurements, and unlike blankets, you can expect to see them using it maybe once or twice. 

But knitted baby clothes are so cute!
I knitted up this hoodie a few years ago out of lush alpaca cotton...and I was so proud of myself.  I happily delivered my masterpiece and prepared for the accolades.  Immediately that baby's momma proclaimed her kiddo "would probably be allergic to it" and the hoodie was never seen again.   If you happen to be drinking a 40 right now, please pour a little out for that lost sweater homie.

That still-annoying-to-this-day experience hasn't stopped me knitting for young 'uns, but it has taught me a few lessons. 

For one, I don't knit for that kiddo anymore. 

Also, I've moved on to pants, made from the easy, almost seamless Aubrey Doodlepants pattern. 

And, instead of shilling out for alpaca, I used a cheap ($2.47) self-patterning Impeccable yarn.  No one is allergic to acrylic (although some people claim to be) and bonus - it's super washable. 

I also got mom's blessing on the pattern and the yarn patterning before I started.  I cannot stress the importance of this step! 

Hopefully this one will actually make it onto the baby, but even if it doesn't, at least I only spent a couple bucks.  Now I have enough left to buy another 40. 

Hurry Up and Wait

Last week my sister, my BIL, and I ran around the house packing hospital bags, folding baby clothes, and making sure everything was ready for the arrival of little Liam.

And now, we wait. 

In the interim, I've been trying to keep busy. 

I made some shortcake.

I made a new web banner (see above). E and I are fans, but we're very open to your comments.

And I made a Laurel Love Cocoon...unfortunately the intended model has not yet made an appearance, so we used the next best one.

Yep, it's a fit!

Melissa's pattern suggests bulky yarn and size 13 circular needles.  But we all know I can't follow a pattern.  I used just shy of 2 skeins of Peaches n Creme (in Sea Mist, in case you're wondering) and size 8 circulars.  I cast on 70 instead of 40, and it's 8.25 inches wide (measured with my ribbon bracelet).  Success!

Now, time for more waiting, and if I'm lucky later, maybe some Guinness. 

Momentous Occasion: My First Heel!

I am currently singing a song I wrote myself (maybe inspired by Pants on the Ground?) to celebrate turning my first heel! Kids, I'm on my way to my first sock. Awesome-O!

Want to sing along? Just FYI, all songs I sing are to the tune of Iron Man.

Ready? : I turned my first heel - do do do do do do do - doo doo doo.

OK, maybe it's time for a little sleep?

CCCP

The baby Russian is finally official; he's wearing his colors on his sleeve. Thanks JB!

Did I mention how popular Russian citizenship was on Christmas morning? All the kids were wearing it!

Now if JB would only get on to some baby making, I could make a "bible belt" for her little one:)

New year, same old...

I finished a few things last night but wasn't able to show you because we were running out the door for our New Year's pajama party.  Unfortunately, there was tequila. 

For our kind host who just had her gallbladder removed, a little reminder of what she lost.  I thought this variegation said "I am a putrid organ that needs to be removed," but she said her surgeon let her know it was actually pinkish tan.  Eh, better luck next time.  The bell is because it's a Christmas ornament, and the hanger is recycled from a pack of socks.  Seemed like a good idea at the time. She asked for a knitted organ every year for Christmas, and luckily this pattern provides for just such a tradition: http://www.strangebuttrewe.com/GIpattern.htm.

And this year I get to meet my nephew, Liam, who will be done cooking in April.  The first version looked like this - unfortunately, instead of reading the pattern, I was paying attention to Extract.  What a boring movie and sad looking monkey hat.

Extract-free (at last!) I read and then modified the directions to get even bigger ears...but I sewed them too close to the top of his head.  Oh well, guess it'll be a teddybear hat. 

Made my resolution for the year - I'm going to lose 10 pounds.  BF said he is going to gain 8.  I'm sure you can see where this is going. 

Bye Bye Christmas!

Despite the awesomeness of our turducken, I thought I would serve the BF a warm meal without a face for Christmas.  He wanted ham, but what he got was Morning Star chick'n nuggets.  You win some, you lose some. I made a loaf of bread the night before for the stuffing - there are few things worse than taking a perfectly good loaf of bread and cutting it into tiny bits for even more cooking. 

Christmas Dinner was followed up with a little drinky drink.  A couple years ago, BF's sister and I made some delicious cranberry sauce, and during the cooking phase, skimmed off a little juice and mixed it with vodka.  Voila!  Jello-free Jello shots!  They were so yum that I tried to replicate them this year with BF, and although they looked super cool, I think I waited too long to skim.  Just a wee bit too tart and too solid.  Eh, but who lets alcohol go to waste?

I never got to the "Ira is the Reason for the Season" cross-stitch (I really like This American Life), but I did finish a dolly - this is BF's sister-in-law, Leanna.  She has wavy hair, which I tried to replicate by pulling apart wool yarn into strands (after threading it through the head - I'm not a masochist).  It looked like my hair does in the morning, a little fluffy for a gift.  But I gave it a little rinse with some soak (had a sample from the Loopy Ewe) and it laid down quite nicely.  I even had enough soak left to wash the BF's fingerless mitts, which looked like, well, a boy had been wearing them.  Everything is crocheted except the sweater because knit sweaters are cool, and Rowan Wool Cotton + Bamboo Needles is so slippy awesome, I couldn't resist. 

Hope you had an awesome holiday and that E will post a pic of her baby boy wearing his homemade gift.  Mostly so I can see his cuteness again.  I miss the little dumpling!

Last one, I swear

This, children, is my last calorimetry for a while.  Even though E said she needs two more with some "slight" tweaks. I guess headbands are the new monkey? 

My mom hits the Flickr pool every once in a while and thought E's headband was a "sweater" - a pretty scandalous one, I suppose, but she swears it looked huge because of the crop.   Hopefully this one throws her off as well.  She wanted black to match her coat.  I tried to tell her that if you have a black coat, you should have a crazy headband, but what do I know?  I try to wear as many colors as possible on any given day. I did throw in a vintage button, though, because it added a color (ooh!  cream!)

E, your Brooklyn trip is cracking me up!  You are, as always, the queen of deals and deserve the mantra WWED.  Of course you owe me nothing for the monkeys - just seeing that little dumpling cuddled up is all I need.  Gosh, how did you make such a super cute baby? 

REDRUM YEKNOM

 

This is my second monkey for E.  But there was something wrong - I just couldn't stand the head.  Too small, too wobbly, too much pink.  Since the body was knit top down and the head was sewed on, there was no way to save the body without severing the head.  And so, I considered the unthinkable.

But don't worry - I had already added Ms. Monkey to the transplant list.  Right quick a new, disproportional  head was knitted up and attached.  The patient is resting comfortably on a ball of yarn.  You can see the color is already returning to her lips. 

However, I have more bad news.  Maybe Ms. Monkey was feeling a little too cocky, what with that new big head and all.  Maybe in her weakened state was was easily convinced by Mr. Monkey and Little Monkey (our house mascot) to take on the Munny. All I know is whoever instigated, someone forgot Munny has a (matching!) bat.  Oy vey!

And that, children, is Friday night at my house. 

Calorimetry: headband and homicide prevention device

Ok, I know it is wrong, but I am really considering some knitwear homicide.  To keep myself from committing a murder I may later regret, I thought I'd knit up another calorimetry for one of my favorite crafters (you'll never guess who!).  That did get my mind off things for a little while...

But now, calorimetry is finished (in some grey, clearance sockease) and I'm still plotting.  Be prepared for pics of the heinous crime coming soon!

What, Me Knit?

This little monkey is 100% knitted.  Yep, E said she wanted a toy that wouldn't leak stuffing the way crocheted ones sometimes do, and I said, OK.  I just converted my usual crochet monkey into a knit version, although this one doesn't have the same round bottom, so he can't sit up.  Don't worry monkey, having a rounded bottom isn't all it's cracked up to be. 

Oh, and I tried Cluster Stuff instead of the regular, and it really is better and not just more expensive. (here's a link to some http://www.susaglenndesigns.com/Cluster_Stuff_p/83.htm but I bought mine at Hobby Lobby with a 40% off coupon.)

So, bet you can't find a single bit of crochet on him...wait, nevermind.  Stop looking! 

Calorimetry!

I like to wait about 3 years from the time a knitty pattern comes out until I knit it up.  That way i can be sure it's out of style!

In case you're curious - yep, that's a poster of house surrounded by pill bottles behind me.  Duh, that's how you decorate a bathroom.

The Facebook Charity Project returns with a "steering wheel cover kit"

Another facebook request from my cousin who needed a pink steering wheel cover and thought the best way to communicate that to me was commenting on my facebook status.  Thanks social media!

I found a pattern at http://raesofsunshine.blogspot.com/2009/03/steering-wheel-covers.html using my best friend, Ravelry.  Because we live in seperate states, I researched her wheel width, realized it was similar to that of the BF's car, and knitted a strip that, if worse came to worse, would fit BF's wheel (I can just see him cruising around in his mid-life-crisis-mobile with a pretty pink cover).  I mailed it off with enough yarn to sew it to the wheel (I almost sent a needle, but imagined a variety of injuries that could result from that).  And look what she did - see, I'm inspiring others to craft!