Purlewe Knits

I couldn’t post about these earlier, cause I wanted a fighting chance at finishing them. I don’t think I did a bad job …

a hat a mittens for Hubby

The hat is the Stress Ball Hat found here it still needs ear flaps and the ball on top, but it is wearable. The mittens are a LYS pattern.

Trying on Daddy’s hat 
  fish for the girls.

These a pattern from Blue Sky Alpacas. I’m not finished with the purple one (or the pink one for that matter), it needs fins, but we like it like this. I might add some eyes and try out the fins in different positions, but we like it in the gold fish orientation instead of the bottom feeder orientation. The girls love to chew on the fins … they are a success!

A stupid sock creature for my niece. These appear to be all the rage and there are several books on making creatures from socks. I really like one called Sock and Glove, but those animals are actually supposed to look like animals; bear, dog, elephant, and so on. I had creativity going for me on this one.

Just another cute kid picture.

This week (cause we took a little break and because we were fortunate enough to get four of Tomie’s books this week!) I’m going to talk about an author/illustrator and not just a kids book. Great home page too, here.
This week we got Now One Foot, Now the Other; Haircuts for the Woolseys, The Legend of Indian Paintbrush, and Charlie Needs a Cloak. AND Tomie illustrated I Love You Mouse

Charlie Needs a Cloak is the first story we read. If you are a fiber person you’ll love it. Charlie has it own flock (oh, the envy!) he shears them, spins the wool, dyes it, weaves it, and sews his own cloak. Sheep to shawl (cloak) at it’s best! We read this one yesterday and I was thoroughly delighted with it!

Imagine my surprise when I pick up a book today and it is Haircuts for the Woolseys. In this story the lambs get their spring haircuts to early, a spring storm comes through and leaves them cold, so Granny knits the sweaters – from their own fleece of course – so they can go out and build a snowman. Ahhhh!

Now One Foot, Now the Other isn’t about sheep (bummer really), but it was a great story. Bobby and his grandfather Bob learn and grow together. It is touching.

We haven’t read The Legend of Indian Paintbrush yet – tomorrow.

The reason I find it so amazing that we got four of Tomie’s books is that I’m a browser. I wander and pick and choose somewhat randomly. I might go with the title of the book (Woolsey’s, hummm …) or the illustrations (which would come close to explaining why I got the books I did), but how did I randomly choose them and what the heck is our libary using to organize children’s books? Maybe we choose books like we choose people and the ones we like smell better to us??

I’ve finished up two projects lately, but I think I should get credit for four.

The pink overalls are done and the striped sweaters are done!

Pictures you ask? Where are the pictures?

There won’t be pictures of the pink overalls – they don’t fit. Seriously what a waste of time. The pattern was all sorts of screwy. They were supposed to be the six month size. There’s no freakin’ way they would have fit, length wise, at six months. The legs are to long and the body to short. I had to add seven (yes, 7!!!) inches to the over the shoulder straps to get the body to fit and after doing this I decided the arm holes were too large. The width is still too ginormous! If anything my babies are round, so this is where the issue should be. So there will be no pictures of these – unless I get really bored and take some of how bad they fit.

The sweaters – there will be pictures of these!! We got professional pictures taken yesterday and used the sweaters. I pick them up today – so I’ll scan and get a picture up soonish. I had to stay up until midnight to get the sleeves and collars done and I was frantically tucking in the ends the might show and sewing the bits of the collar and sleeves together while Hubby got the girls dressed to go to the pictures, but we made it! AND – they fit!

What now?? That was exactly my question … I’ve had the stupid pink overalls on the burner for SO long I feel a bit empty and need something to knit. I’ve considered starting a blanket, working on my dream sweater (Breezy Cables) that I shamefully haven’t touched in over a year(!), the sampler thing from this so I can finally make my OWN sweater, but there are always holiday gifts and since it is December (seriously what happened to June through November?!?) I should probably get started on those. I have three large projects to sew, two smaller ones to knit, and a medium one to knit. Ugh – guess how many are not going to probably get done! Does it count if I get them all started at least??

Off to ponder.