Posted by Stitchy McYarnpants On September - 6 - 2007   ShareThis

I think Blogger Bingo is going to be crazy this year. There are already about 40 people signed up and I just announced it a few days ago. Awesome! Just a reminder that you can use last year’s t-shirts and buttons for identification this year, as well as printouts of the Dolores logo. I will also be reopening the Cafe Press shop in case anyone wants anything. Also, before I forget, if you want me to include your Ravelry name on the list of players, let me know when you sign up! (I’m “yarnpants” over there, by the way.)

I’ll be posting the list of players this weekend so everyone can keep track of the competition. I’m also going to start up a page for sponsors and prize donors. If anyone is interested in donating a prize of any sort, just let me know. Our Official Sponsors will once again be A Craftsman’s Touch and RedMaple Sportswear. I’ll be using David and Mel’s booth as a headquarters of sorts, and I may actually have a few spare books to sign if anyone needs one.

Speaking of Mel, he recently lost a furry friend. I never know what to say besides I’m sorry, but for what it’s worth, I’m sorry, Mel. That’s the big down side of pets. I like to pretend we’ve somehow found four immortals (even though we all know there can be only one), but it’s one of those terrible inevitabilities. They all enjoy the extra hugs I give them when a friend looses a pet, so they don’t seem too worried about it.

On to happier things. So I’ve been neglecting the blog terribly lately, and it’s because I’ve been making stuff. All kinds of stuff. Just call me lil’ Miss Busy Bee. And what have I been making? See for yourself, I’ve done gone an opened an Etsy shop! It started because of an orgiastic eBay binge involving vintage fabric and a now-full pair of dressers. Seriously, Caligula would have been embarrassed by my self-indulgent self-indulgence. Whoopsie. I somehow managed to amass an impressive stash in just two months.

So, because I’ve been smitten with the sewing machine lately, I thought I’d try to earn my keep a little and made some really cute baby dresses for the shop. I also made a bunch of cards using vintage magazine and craft pattern books. It’s been a load of obsessive fun! Check out the Distasteful Gourmet cards, I wrote little funny-ha-has for all of them. You can see some of the items on the right sidebar, below the “Email Me” button.

And believe it or not, I have been knitting, though not very much. I finished one of these and started another:

I love this yarn. A lot. In an almost unnatural way. It’s Dorchester Farms, they’re usually at Rhinebeck. Just sayin’. I mean, look at those stripes winding up the leg. And the stripes within the pink sections? Brilliance. It almost looks like torn strips of striped paper wrapped around the sock. I started the second one and it should be ready for sock weather.

I’ve also been working on this baby blanket for ages. The pattern is from a stitch dictionary that I can’t find at the moment, so I can’t tell you what it is.

It’s kind of what drove me to the sewing machine. The yarn is Debbie Bliss wool/cotton, which I actually really like, but I was using size 5 Denise needles and it was torture. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Denise needles, it’s pretty much all I use for non-sock knitting. But the cords are pretty thick, so when you work with the size 5’s, the difference between the needle and the cord isn’t all that huge. Add that to pinch of cotton and a dash of plastic needles and you’ve got a recipe for despair. I spent so much time forcing the stitches back and forth along the cord, I couldn’t take it any more.

So I was lunching with Miss Kellee one day and telling her of my woes and she said “Sister, get yourself some Knit Picks Options. Seriously.” Then, using the hand without the baby in it, she whipped out a laptop and before I knew it, I was actually purchasing them. She’s good, that Kellee. Dangerous, but good.

And you know what else is good? Knit Picks Options. I made the switch and holy crap, it’s like a whole new blanket. It still doesn’t look like it’s growing, but I fed it almost an entire skein over the weekend and it was a dream to knit. I caught the join unscrewing once, so I need to keep my eye on that, but otherwise, smoooooth.

Also, because I’m all about pimping myself out today, I reduced the prices of the t-shirts and tote bags in my shop, so check €˜em out!

4 Responses

  1. maryse says:

    holy crap girl! you could have spread this post over three or 4!

    i want to buy one of your t-shirts. the XXL (the biggest one) of the one with the girls on it.

  2. Sstring says:

    OMG – you are so right about the Denise, size 5 (or 6) and cotton. I’ve been doing a cotton sweater and it’s killing me. I sense a shopping spree in my immediate future!

    btw, good to have you back – thanx for the etsy link.

  3. mehitabel says:

    I started Birch on Denise needles…and hated them. So then I tried them on something else. Disaster! Went back to my cheapie bamboos and sent the Denises to a friend who loves them–hey, we all have different tastes! But I love me the Knitpicks, all the way! NAYY

  4. melanie says:

    me want the tough girl baby dress. save me one. k?

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