SURPRISE!!

I love this thing. From this thing here, to an actual sweater (see below) in one day! The yarn is Artyarns Handpaint Stripes, color 130, needles were a size US4. Time from start to finish: Scathingly brief. Obsession is healthy. Call it a mental health break. It was not a sock, therefore I love it. At about the mid-point I could see where it was going. I loooove it. Fast, simple, only two seams. I ran out of yarn 10 stitches from the end of the final bind off. I took out three rows and reworked them at slightly tighter gauge, and managed to bind off with what I had on hand. Don't get me wrong, I love that baby. But $22 a skein for 12 inches of yarn?? I have since considered that since I need something for seaming, and after all there should be a matching hat, so I might need another skein... I am not certain of actual yarn amount here. The original yarn was donated to me and I have no idea how much was on the ball when I got it, nor did I bother to weigh it (bad, bad knitter!). I did buy one skein, so I know it's more than one, but less than two. Now it needs stellar buttons - I lean toward bears of some kind - and I do think matching socks and hat. And it needs a mate in a spring pea green to match her other little pair of RoBeez shoes, but something fun with cables and other excitement, probably in Valley Yarns Superwash. These little birthday gifts provide
excellent diversion from the whole "Now I think I will write a book..." thing. Oh, and I found this, which is OshKosh - if anyone remembers, I have a long-standing obsession with OshKosh. OshKosh was available at Rich's Department Store, and with careful calculation you could easily obtain enough 75% off clearance outfits to last a year or more. Then Girl wore her brother's outgrown OshKosh overalls in a variety of colors, denim, corduroy, and cotton duck, and some of them are still in circulation on other babies. That makes them around 20 years old. This thing has matching panties! It is too painfully cute. The only thing lacking are ruffles on the butt. I love ruffle butts. We still need the Carhart overalls, and a couple of matching jerseys. And a REAL chatterphone, and colorforms, and a doll's house, and fairy bower and play silks. And a horse swing, and a secret garden, and a playhouse with running water, and a pony. And it's a darn good thing we didn't have another Girl-Child.