One at a time

So I've finished the bear from Clare Garland's Knitted Bears. I used a larger cotton yarn instead of mohair and the bear seems a little more sturdy than the ragdollish ones in the book, but I'm fine with that. If it's going to be a baby gift it's got to be sturdy. Unless the baby never likes it and it's just packed away for years and years before it's finally sold in a garage sale or given to Goodwill in a fitful spring cleaning.

Alright, that was just me worrying that my homemade doll will not be seen as a heirloom labor of love but as a floppy-legged, pointy nosed, beady eyed attempt at making a REAL stuffed animal. I'm sure it will be loved and I'm getting overly worked up. It's hard for me to give run of the mill gifts. I always want to give a gift that says it's 'definitely from Amanda, but just what I needed'. And sometimes that turns into something way over the top that is just weird.

Back to the knitting aspects of Bear. It took way longer than I expected. When I used one of the patterns out of Knitted Babes by the same author, it knit up almost overnight. This toy has more substantial body parts, but it still took much longer than I'd thought it would. ESPECIALLY the assembly. I spent almost as much time seaming as I did knitting the pieces in the first place. But I think once the entire thing is done it will have some of the charm I was hoping for.

Her dress is coming along rather quickly, but it's WAY bigger than I thought it would be. I mean it'll fit the doll and everything, but I never thought it would have such long rows or take up so much yarn for a doll dress. I'm probably going to have to pick up another skein, because I think the dress will take more yarn than the doll itself. Either way, it's coming along rather well without any hitches (knock on wood).

I have put the legwarmer by the wayside. But only because I have a deadline for the bear (the shower is this weekend). I still plan on finishing it when I'm done. Hopefully it will be a quick finish though because I'm getting really ambitious at this point. I started the sari silk i-cord to make the rag rug style sun hat to wear with a gypsy theme to the Ren Faire this summer. I crocheted a few bulky yarn cylinders to hold needles and hooks while I was waiting for materials for the bear. And lots of other projects that I make plans in my head to start. I will have to force myself to take one at a time. And I supposed that is my goal for the time being.