Almost FO - Baldee as Milton Waddams

When I got a chance to test for Anna, I jumped at it, and I was lucky enough to get it this time! Normally, I'm super late to the party! Anyhoo, this one is a cute toy named Baldee. Knit in the round with minimal seaming make him a super quick knit, plus I got to use up a bunch of leftover (worsted) for this, which I love!

After I decided I was making him up as Milton, I knew I'd need to add the stapler, but unfortunately a sprained wrist has sidelined my knitting plans for the last couple weeks. I can do basic stuff like stockinette, but tiny needles and winging my own pattern are too much.

"I believe you have my stapler?" Hehe.

Soon, he will have a tiny Red Swingline Stapler. Yes, yes. Grin.

Specs - see him on Ravelry!

• Pattern: Baldee By Anna Hrachovec of Mochimochiland - 5$
  
• Yarns: MC-Elann Peruvian Highland Wool in natural, CC Lion Brand Cotton Ease in berry
• Needles: sz4 DPN's (Brittany Birch wood)
• Cast on: Monday, August 17th 2009
• Cast off: Sunday, August 23rd, 2009
• Completed: ...not quite, need to add the glasses and embroider the eyes on.
  

Cupcake Pops to match...

... my brand new stand mixer!!!

My mom was kind enough to send this to my husband and me, for our 4th wedding anniversary. Well... sort of. Hehe. Okay, so the story goes she sent the boysenberry color, and I had DH lug the huge heavy thing back to our local JC Penney; then we ordered the right color off the internet, (and hoped it'd end up the right color, not a single store in my area carries these colors in stock, so I could see it first! How lame!)

Anyhoo, I've wanted one for years, just hadn't decided if I wanted the Cuisinart version (it has a timed shut off, the KA doesn't.) Apparently the balloon whisk is awesome, but because of a surprise trip to Las Vegas, I haven't gotten the chance to use it yet.

I did get a chance to dip some cupcake pops to match my new mixer, though - how cute?!?!?!

Did I mention I'm headed to Las Vegas this week?!?! Any crafty tips? I'll have a little bit of crafty time, but I'm planning on staying on/near the strip. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

WIP Wednesday - Cashmere Ruffles Scarf

I just had to buy this cashmere yarn on sale from Elann. It's normally about 19$ a ball, and I got them all for less than 50$!!! Woohoo! The only questions were how much to buy, and what to make with it? I was leafing through Scarf Style by Pam Allen, and found this super cute scarf, that just happened to call for the same weight yarn (DK.)

Doing the math, the pattern called for 432 yds, which was dangerously close to the 440 I would get if I'd have bought 5 balls, so I added one more in (I call this my coverage ball, you know... just in case!) The cashmere only had 88 yds per ball, so I really can't fathom how people afforded this yarn not on sale! Hahaha!

I had a really tough time wrapping my brain around the construction of this one, so I just jumped in and started knitting. After I'd gotten about 4 repeats of the short rows done, I finally "got" how the ruffles are constructed, and where the center spine is, to measure for total length.

The first ball knit up fairly quickly after I taught myself to purl backwards, saving all those turns, from the "wrap & turn" direction of short rows. It's not hard, and my hands took to it much quicker than I'd expected. I only turn the work around once every fourth row! Yeay!

(Please forgive my total hack job in trying to photo-shop the over-exposed-ness on the second photo. It's bad, I know. I really wanted to post this one today, and couldn't do a second shoot to fix it! Whoops!)

Ruffles Scarf by Amanda Blair Brown, see mine on Ravelry!