OH NO!

It's a dilemma.....How will I part with her?

Beret and Scarf are knit.  Pleated skirt and jacket are sewn.  What fun this was!  Although she doesn't look like the same doll in the previous post, she is.  I didn't like her hair, nope, not at all.  So, she got a buzz cut and a new wig.  Much better!

All Dressed Up and Ready to Go!

This eighteen inch doll (not the 18 inch doll, but one that can actually be played with by a little girl!) is ready for my niece's daughter, Nicole, who has just started kindergarten.  The knitted coat and hat is from a pattern readily available online, http://www.abc-knitting-patterns.com/1013.html but I had to make numerous adjustments to the pattern.  I used the recommended sport yarn, but went down a size in needles, and shortened the length of the coat, and the length of the sleeves.  And, I didn't crochet the 'fur' edging, cuz I didn't like the way it looked.  So, I used a circular needle to pick up the stitches and knit it in the round.  All in all, I'm happy with the end result.  And I know Nicole will be as well.

I Still Don't Know

 

This is Michael, aka, Buster, my niece's son.  He's SWEET.  No, really he is.  This is Michael showing me his little electronic game, which he can maneuver and manipulate like crazy.  Michael patiently spent at least 30 minutes explaining all the ins and outs of this little game to me.  It was probably 30 of the best minutes spent on my vacation this summer (other than the minutes spent relaxing with my dd).  I loved listening to his teeny-tiny little child-like voice, watching his face become all serious and instructive-like.  I loved getting to put my arm around his soft little boy shoulders and spend 30 wonderful minutes with him all by myself.

However, I still don't know what this game is, or how to play it.  No offense to Michael's tutoring ability.  I think it's more a case of me being in love for 30 uninterrupted minutes.  My mind couldn't absorb anything other than the pure joy of it all!

Vacation Knitting

The Milkweed Shawl is done (scroll down for yarn details), but I warn you (should you decide to make one of these) the term "shawl" is an overstatement on this one. It's really a scarf, and would look good over a lightweight turtleneck sweater, or tossed loosely over a coat, but a shawl? Nope, not when it's made from sock weight yarn. If you want a real shawl, up the yarn weight and you'll have one!



See? NOT a shawl.
That being said, the work was enjoyable and relatively easy to work on while riding in a car that was going cross-country. The hardest part was trying to find something to use for a lifeline. Little towns do not, as a rule, contain local yarn shops. Went to two places in some small town in some state (they are all blurred in my memory right now) and found nothing. Next small town, nothing. Next small town, a dollar store, where I did finally find a ball of crochet thread. Bingo. Thanks, dollar store!