Mad Caterpillar

Urban decomposition.

Posted by Danielle at 02:59 PM | | Comments (0)

My first finished object of 2006! Here are the details:

Pattern: Minnowknits Orangini

Yarn: Blue Sky Organic Cotton, colors 80 and 83.

Buttons: Purchased from my LYS.

I cast on the number of stitches specified for the smallest size using size 5 bamboo needles. My gauge was a little off (the pattern is written for Manos Cotton Stria) but it worked out well because the resulting width of each piece measured out to the next size up. So I just knit the length of the pieces to match that specified for the larger size. I used one skein of each color and had enough left to make matching bootees using the "chunky ankle-strap shoes" pattern from Zoe Mellor's 50 Baby Bootees to Knit.

I chose this sleeveless pattern because the recipient will live in Los Angeles, and I figured a warmer wool or cotton sweater with sleeves probably wouldn't get much use. This is a fun, quick pattern to knit and the jumper is quite versatile – it can be worn alone over a diaper, or layered over a t-shirt and leggings for those air-conditioned spaces. I'm really happy with how this one turned out. I don’t normally enjoy knitting with cotton, but this yarn was actually quite nice to work with. The Blue Sky cotton is sooooo soft, and I loved the fact that it was organic and a natural undyed color.

The baby this was knit for has not actually been born yet, but she's due any day now. I'm so excited for the parents, this will be their first baby and they are in for a great adventure! The ensemble above will ship as soon as the wee one arrives, along with this CD, which I love.

Posted by Danielle at 07:48 PM | | Comments (1)

Feiser pharmaceutical announced today the release of a new drug said to enhance the ability of parents everywhere to keep their children safe, happy, and even tempered, even in the most trying of circumstances.

The drug - Aquisitionex (generic name of Iwantital) is said to target the greed center of the child's brain, which takes up approximately 98% of the gray matter of a pre-adult human.

Noted researcher Dr. Ivan T Tall, and his assistants at the Human Education Learning Platform and Management Education Generalization Organization of Development for parental research, or HELP ME GOD, were assisted over the past 10 years by huge grants from both the Aaron Spelling Foundation, and the Hilton Foundation for Getting Our Brats Off Our Backs and Out Of Our Pockets (HFGOBOOBOOOP).

Dr. Tall said that "HFGOBOOBOOOP was instrumental in the last three years with huge amounts of money literally pouring in to our center, even when we said we had enough, usually with pleading, heart wrenching notes attached. It really motivated us to get this drug working."

And work it does. With a single dose, the child gets a feeling of acquisition that lasts the whole day through, without the slightest bit of whining and tantrums. There are no noticeable side effects other than angelic smiles and the occasional realization by the parent that he/she has tinnitus from the constant whining that was occurring, now that there are periods of silence.

The FDA approved the drug in a record 2 hours, after a clinical trial showing Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie sitting and chatting in the heart of Rodeo Drive, without a single package or purchase, and then leaving and going home for a quiet evening of light reading and cocoa.

"I am truly in awe of this dramatic development, and I herald it as a new dawn for parenting." said FDA chief Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D..

The drug will be available for OTC sales February 1st, and pre-orders have already topped $1Billion.

Posted by tom at 09:43 PM | | Comments (0)

One of the reasons I wanted to start a weblog is because I knit and spin, and few of my friends or family members share my interest in these activities. So for the past year or so I’ve found myself reading all of the great knitting weblogs out there for inspiration and ideas, to learn new techniques, and to enjoy (albeit passively) the camaraderie in this online community. Perhaps in this manner I’ll be able to become a more active participant.

So I thought I’d start the new year by sharing some of my current projects. (I tend to keep several projects on the needles at any given time.)

Clockwise, starting from upper-left, these are:

-- Two socks-in-progress. The green one is Fleece Artist (I think the colorway is called "rainforest) and the striped one is Austermann Step in color 06

-- Fiber Trends "Braid and Bobble" hat in Lamb's Pride Worsted

-- Minnowknits "Orangini" jumper in Blue Sky Organic cotton

-- Minnowknits "Plain Jane" cardigan in Schoeller & Stahl Portofino

-- Stripey Bootee from "50 Baby Bootees to Knit" in Rowan Cashsoft DK

-- Double Crossing Diamonds Aran Pullover from "Men in Knits" in Cotton Fleece

As you might be able to tell from three of these, a few of my friends are having babies in 2006. And I just love to knit for babies. I'll provide more details on the individual projects as they are finished, and hope to have several more to share over time as well.

Happy New Year!

Posted by Danielle at 01:22 PM | | Comments (0)