Purple Panda

Finished the Purple Panda I was knitting ((A Fuzzy Mitten pattern)). It's my first actually commissioned knit, and I'm pretty pleased with it. Since it was for a baby shower and therefore obviously for a very SMALL recipient, it had to have yarn only detailing, and I used mostly "Moon and Stars" yarn.

Red Heart yarn tends to come with a hefty bad rap, it's super saver yarn is unpleasant to the touch, though is, by all reports, very sturdy and softens up eventually, and most of it's available colors are stark and a bit gawdy, especially once you've become a bit spoiled by the affordable luxury yarns of KnitPix or the fantastic arrays many Local Yarn Stores carry.

For Kids toys though it's hard to beat Moon and Stars for quick and plushy soft, and importantly, very washable and not that pricey.

Mini Monster absolutely loved the feel of it, and when we let him handle the partially finished Panda, it was a small battle to get it back again. As you can see in the photos, I replaced the original head design with the Intarsia version provided by the lovely FuzzyMitten blog. It came out much much better, and I'm going to be much happier making a couple others, including one for Mini Himself.

He got to see both Grandmothers again today, Grandma S and Auntie Roo came by to drop off stuff, including the footie-PJ's that Grandma S got for him. The most amusing of the set was a gray pair with earth moving equipment stitched on the front. I joked that it was cement colored to keep him in one place at night. ((he was unimpressed by the joke.))

Nana J also came by, while we were waiting for Grandma S and Roo. Her's was an unexpected drop by, but it did let me send off Purple Panda and his care card. ((I included washing instructions as well as what he was made of, and a mention of where the design came from.))

Baby it's Cold Inside: pt 2

Well it was actually fairly chilly indoors last night, more so if you're eight months old and have a mile wide stubborn streak, and a tendency to go wandering out from under your blankets the second Mommy and Daddy aren't looking, so the two champions of sniffles ((Me and Mini Monster)) ended up snuggled up together for the night, because that's the only way he stays under the blankets.

I could have lived without the ice cold fingers grabbing my nose and lips... or the ice cold feet jammed into my chest area, seeking warmth. ((He has Mommy's tendency to shed heat from his hands and feet, even when he's bundled up in his fluffy warm footies, he's been known to make Tilmani fly into the air by wrapping chilly little fingers around his toes.))

Anyway it worked out fairly well, he got bored investigating my nose eventually and went to sleep, and everyone was warmer and happier for it. We conceded to cranking up the heat a bit this morning.

It was however awesome weather to be trying out some nice rich soups though, so yesterday, well before Mini demonstrated that he had inherited Mom's "Toes from The Crypt", we made Hungarian Goulash Soup.

I found the recipe in this months "Taste of Home" magazine, and decided to try it. I don't have a subscription to the magazine, but I got their fall baking collection and there was pretty much nothing in there that we -wouldn't- try, so I figured it was a safe gamble.

The soup collection wasn't quite as much of a bonanza but we found five our six recipes we think we'd like to try, and to be adventuresome, we went with the Goulash first.

Aside from me accidentally blackening the bacon, ((I replaced it)) it came out pretty damn good! Next time I'll actually let the potatoes cook a little longer than recommended, because they weren't tenderized to our taste in the recommended time, but otherwise I had no complaints at all, not even about the green peppers, and, well. I'm not exactly first in line as a Green Pepper supporter.

Otherwise Mini's Christmas Stocking is going fine, although it's been put on hold temporarily to make a Panda for a Baby Shower gift. Unfortunately I didn't have the copy with the Intarsia face, so I stitched it from yarn instead. I'll get the Intarsia version ASAP though I think. Having the extra layer of knitting makes the poor panda's face look slightly... alien. I would have gone with the recommended felt, but it's for a newborn, and I wanted to make sure it was good and solid.

Capricorn the Frankenknit

I've been trying really hard to put pictures of this on Ravelry, but neither it nor photobucket seem to be terribly inclined to agree with me at the moment.
These are pictures of the 'long awaited' Capricorn Knit, of which I'm rather proud. I don't have pictures of the white lion I made for his Grandmother, but at some point I'll bring the camera over and see if I can get a photoshoot done.

He's knit with small needles out of some of KnitPix yarn, and his most complicated peice is his tail fin, which is one piece. Mostly he's straight 'Fuzzy Lamb' from Fuzzy Mitten Designs, but his horns and from the 'waist' down he's all franken-knit.

Mixed Luck, Glitter Sheep and Technobunny

I've had some pretty mixed luck lately, won a couple raffles on GaiaOnline for 'pets' ((basically read: cute animal art for your signature if you've never been on the site.)) Which was pretty cool. Generaly speaking, the laws of probability tend to be against me, no matter how short the raffle list, so winning two in one day was pretty cool.
And it was almost enough to make up for me walking into a metal folding chair in our kitchen. I bruised my toe fairly impressively. It still hurts, but from the look of it it could be lots worse. ((And No I don't think I broke it.))

I'm also most of the way through knitting what I called "Glittersheep", an Fuzzy Mitten Lamb with black yarn and a black and silver strand of Lion Brand's "Midnight Mohair", and a very technicolor bunny made out of Noro Yarn. Given the interruptions I'll probably be done in a couple days.

Hair Club for Stuffed Lions

So last night I finished doing my first attempt at FuzzyMittens "Scraps Chaps" pattern. I did the lion. ((out of a possible three animals that are featured parts of this pattern.))
I gotta say, out of all of it, the mane took the longest to do, and watching the bald spot on it's head decrease earned a few "Hair club" jokes. And mop jokes.

He was somewhat improved by getting a partial hair cut, so that the top part of his mane is shorter so it won't flop into his face.
I was originally going to do him all in black, but changed my mind to try the color swap for his nose, and then continued it with his mane, which is dark brown, black, tan, and dusky purple. His eyes are two white buttons, and his feet (but not 'hands') are embroidered (badly) to have paw pads.

...Clearly I kinda suck at embroidery. I also did use some more black yarn to draw tight and make his 'toes' more definite, and cheezily, did a outlined heart in embroidery floss on his chest but there's no good photo of that.

I'm not sure Mini Monster knows what to make of him (and can't really have him yet because of the button eyes) but he does still seem to like his original Lamb (Frankensheep).

And the towel we had him swaddled in the other night. Instead of Moose and Squirrel he has Sheep and Towel. And two hollow legs to judge by how much he can put away when he feels like it.

Who Needs Sleep

Well I was going to include a link to a you-tube of BNL performing the song in the title, but my browser is being funky so I won't.

Although apparently the answer is: "I do."

The other might Mini Monster was up every couple hours, and I think I'm still paying for that. Last night he woke up around 4, and I fortunately started feeding him -in bed- because I fell asleep without returning the bottle to the kitchen. So the bottle ended up loose in the bed... and so did my glasses. *facepalm*
When he woke us up again for a diaper change, my husband recovered my glasses and I recovered the bottle, ((which had made it down around my knee under the blanket.)) and we went on with parenting duties, including taking the old bottle to the kitchen to get washed.

The modified seal is mostly done, I need to finish sewing up and detailing the head, and then I can take some pictures. I'm still debating how to deal with my desire to do the Luck Dragon, because I don't have the specific yarns on hand, and I'm not sure if I want to order them. *fret* I do really want to do the project though.

The Seal of ,,, someplace other than Suleskerry

I'm doing my second major mod of the toy pattern and knitting a seal. I used the basic body of the Lamb and then changed the bottom halfs decrease, completely winged it for flippers, and I'm working on the head. I think I'm going to use the head shape for the lamb, though I recently picked up the horse, and I'm seriously considering picking up the tiger.
I still really want to do the Luck Dragon mod I've got in my head, but I don't have the yarn for it yet, and for that one I do really really want a good pair of toy-eyes. I'll probably have to order some.

Mini Monster is cool, he's sitting in his swing as I watch the last available episode of the remade "V" on the playstation. I think they must have canceled it, which really kinda sucks. I mean they keep produsing stuff like 'Sex and the City'... but not GOOD stuff? Bah. Damn you networks!

Fuzzys Labrynth

I finally completed the "Pan" doll I was making based on "Fuzzy Mittens" lamb pattern. I think the hair was actually the most tedious part. I'm sure a week or so down the road I'll want to re-do the entire thing, but right now it's cool. Needless to say I took a number of photos, because this is a gift for someone so I might not readily have the chance again.

Mini Monster is fine, he just fell asleep in his swing after having a huge meal and then engaging in diaper warfare, to the exhaustion of his father, who happened to field that particular episode.

I'm also working out the details and some hooks for an RPG I hope to run, table top. I'm going to probably have to modify the setting a bit, since the book is a little bit goofier than my planned setting, but I think it's pretty doable. Hopefully fun, anyway. It's going to be based in the "Adventure" system, which is, as far as I'm aware, out of print, but it's a modification of the old Whitewolf System, so all D10 dice, which for me at least will make the rolling easier. Should be interesting though since one of our potential players has only ever played in the D and D setting.

Wish us all luck!!

Knitting updates

Although you'll have to bear with me for pictures; I have finished the Yvonne sweater for my mom, and she loves it. She did think the back was a little narrow (It is a bit narrow seeming, but thats the pattern.) But does otherwise adore it.

I also made my first (and second) attempt at making a 'Fuzzy Mitten' toy. I made their lamb, first in white and black for Mini Monster.

It came out..... alright. Pretty good for a first attempt, but I overstuffed it, so I'll probably make him a new one.

The second one was in oatmeal and black "Wool Ease" and has button eyes ((So Mini Monster can't have it.)), but is looking a lot better, all it needs now is eyes. I'm planning a third that will get some modifications and will hopefully come out -really cool-. So knock on wood, it's for my Sister.