Thursday, May 31, 2007

I hate posts without pictures.

For the record, I did finish my second baby ducky foot over the holiday weekend. And I delivered the little feetsies and duck hat to Baby Aubrey.

Unfortunately, I neglected to take a picture before I handed them over. Oops. Hopefully in a few more months when she grows into them, I can get you a picture of the embarassing duck accessories in action.

Oh well, you saw pictures of both earlier. I used Bernat Baby Softee yarn for both the hat and socks. Two strands held together on size 6 DPNs worked out well for the hat. A single strand on size 2 DPNs for the feet. Both patterns were from p2designs. Fun, quick knits despite my slow turn around time.

Since then I have made some progress on my ribbon-edged baby cardigan, but no new pictures for it yet either.

I'll see if I can't cook up some more photogenic craftiness for you soon.

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Thursday, May 24, 2007

I knew this was going to happen...

Good news:

Baby Aubrey was born earlier this week.

Also, I made a sock! (a very small, duck foot shaped sock) My past attempts at booties involved seams. This was my first crack at turning a heel and the like.






Less good news:

At present, the ratio of Baby Aubrey feet to just ducky socks is 2:1. I better get cracking on the other one before her little toes get cold.

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Monday, May 21, 2007

Dagnabit!

I've been cooking along on the back of my baby sweater. Realistically, it should be done by now, but since the back panel is the largest expanse of uninterupted knitting, it got a little repetitive. I mean c'mon, give a girl an increase or a K2Tog now and then! It is unfortunate that aesthetically, I like very simple patterning but in practice I want a little more action in my knitting.

So I decided to take a break and work on my ducky feet baby socks. Naturally, I didn't actually have the pattern with me when I stopped by The Knit Nook to buy some smaller DPNs. I had swatched my yarn on size 4's and I knew that was too big, so I bought 3's.

Now had I checked my pattern, I would have seen that not only were 4's too big, but they were far enough off that I'd need to go down to 2's. But instead I thought I'd breeze in on my way home from work, buy whatever size DPN's strucky my fancy and be on my way. Which is a pretty good way to guarantee that you buy the wrong size. Which means it will be another day before you can actually get to work on your ducky feet.

(The Knit Nook graciously offered to swap out my needles if I got home and found out I needed a smaller size, but I figure I'll need the 3's sooner or later) More than anything, I'm annoyed that I had to knit 3 gauge swatches for the darn things. Gauge swatches aren't any fun. I really don't want to have to do more than 2.

I finally got things sorted out and should have been able to finish at least one ducky foot last night. In retrospect, I decided I did the increases on the web footing wrong. I was sort of okay with my modified version and was just going to go with it for this pair.

I was all set to bind off last night towards the end of Brothers and Sisters, but then they jumped in the pool and I guess I got distracted and ended up knitting across my cast off row, without actually casting anything off.

I started to back up, but apprently I can't be trusted to tink stitches past my bedtime. I dropped two stitches before I finally went to bed. Hopefully this evening's attempt at the repair will go a bit more smoothly.

Sigh, so much weekend knitting and I don't have a darn thing to show for it. So help me I will have a finished object to show you all soon!

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Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Out of the Closet


So...I did fall off of the planet and did notice Sarah's subtle chiding to post. BUT...it was for good reason. I am a volunteer for Hope Closet. Hope Closet is a charity that gives young women free prom dresses so that they may attend their prom regardless of financial constraints. This year we set up our prom boutique for eight days and sent over 400 girls from Metro Detroit to the prom!
By the time we have set up, run the boutique, and packed it all back up...I had quite the prom dress hangover! I thought I might have a few days "off" before began working for 2008, but thankfully no, donations keep coming in, volunteers need to be thanked, bills paid, thank you notes need to be sent...

If you have prom or bridesmaid dresses still in your closet...look and see if their is a similar project in your area. Don't forget those dyed to match shoes and costume jewelry!!!

C'mon....you aren't wearing lilac again???? But someone else will...and you can make her sparkly taffeta dreams come true!
Are you in Michigan??? Here is our mailing address:
Hope Closet
PO Box 530413
Livonia, MI 48153




Friday, May 11, 2007

More baby knitting...

Baby gift production continues...only now with buttons and scary deadlines.

Buttons first:
I found these little black and white oval buttons the other day that were just begging to be ducky eyes. Apparently, I live near the world's largest button and fabric store. Despite their "world's largest" claims, the number of buttons with ducky eye potential was less than you might think. The staff wasn't particularly helpful when I went in, so I'm not going to post a link. (That'll show 'em)


Anyway...This hat still cracks me up. I need to buy some smaller DPNs before I start on the little matching duck feet, so they are on hold until I get my act together and go to the store.





Which brings us to scary deadlines...

I just got an invitation in the mail for a baby shower next weekend. I knew said baby was coming and fully intended to make something for the new arrival, but I didn't know there would be a baby shower. (It's not their first kid - I'll spare you my Emily Post rant)





So now instead of having about 6 weeks, I've got a week and a half to finish this up. I'm about 6 inches into the back of the ribbon-edged cardigan from Debbie Bliss' Special Knits. Think I'll get it done in time? Think I'll be able to seam it up well enough that I'm willing to give it to an actual baby? Think my dog will end up wearing a little blue cardigan? Stay tuned.

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Thursday, May 03, 2007

Just in time for Mother's Day!

New styles and sizes! Great gifts for crafty moms or your own crafty self.

New designs for knitters:

Image reads: plays nice with others, except at yarn sales

More colors and styles for our most popular designs:



Image reads: Not now kids, Mommy's scrapbooking.


Plus sizes now available:


Image reads: I sent my kid to college so I could store fabric in her room.


Visit the craftfetish store today!

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

And now back to our regular scheduled craftiness...

I survived the mini-marathon! Now back to knitting...



Sure, that little tiny baby is sweet and innocent and perfect in every way...now. But sooner or later, s/he is going to be a teenager. At which point s/he's going to start dating.


At which point, Mom and Dad are going to need some embarassing photos of the aforementioned tiny baby wearing stupid hats. Or at least that is my understanding of how the system works.


Voila! The Just Ducky hat from p2designs. It's so fantastically adorable and humiliating all at the same time. I just love it.

I still need to add some little eyes, but I finished up the loopy i-cord featheredness at the top last night and had to share.


The pattern calls for a worsted weight yarn, but I used 2 strands of Bernat Softee baby yarn (a sport weight) held together. Would you believe that there are matching duck feet? The sock pattern calls for a DK weight, but I'm hoping I can find a way to make a single strand of the Softee yarn work so that they'll be nice and matchy.


I'll keep you posted.

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