Chicken Dinner

There is something about this time of year that makes everyone want chicken drumsticks with their custom orders! I've crocheted more of them in the past month and a half than I did all summer.

This particular customer asked for a chicken dinner, with mashed potatoes and green beans. I'm a big fan of mashed potatoes myself. I love them made with lots and lots of garlic and butter, and it's even better to leave the skin on, in my opinion. Not everyone shares my point of view, though...like Tim (my husband) who prefers that mashed potatoes be peeled. Of course, he doesn't like meatloaf or cooked onion either, so we already know he's wierd.

My youngest daughter, Susannah, is a major fan of Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! (For those of you who don't know what that is, it's a cartoon show starring a yellow creature named Wubbzy. He's a cheerful little guy, and likes nothing bettery than playing kickity-kick ball with his pals Walden and Widget.) So, for Christmas I thought it would be nice to get her a stuffed Wubbzy, but at thirty bucks a pop, the idea was looking a little less good to me. Luckily, I stumbled upon a Wubbzy pattern book!
I should have good old Wubbzter done in time for Christmas morning so that Susannah can be delighted by a tangible version of her 'friend'!

Also on the hook, in addition to a custom play food order, is an adorable little skirt (once again, for my little Susannah Banana) from Lucinda Guy's lovely book Crochet Designs for Kids : 20 Projects to Make for Girls & Boys. I'm about halfway through, but that's fine since it isn't a Christmas gift.
I recommend Lucinda Guy's book to any crocheters out there who balk at most clothing patterns because they tend to have that bulky, less finished look. The styles and color choices are adorable, and the combinations of stitches and yarn give the pieces a lovely drape that totally avoids the boxy look that a lot of crochet clothing can have.

Non-Update

Hmmm, not much of an update today. We've had a lovely virus making its rounds of our house, annd it seems that today is my day to have it. I'm feeling much better this evening, though, for which I am very grateful.

I've spent the last several days working on personal projects...a scarf for Tim, a new scrunnie for the kitchen, a skirt for Susannah. And I've finally found my Ravelry legs! I've been having a blast just browsing around and exploring!

A New Friend

I came home today after dropping my oldest daughter off at preschool. I walked in the door, baby Benny in one hand, a white chocolate mocha in the other, and Susannah trailing behind. I immediately knew something was different. It took me a few moments, but I soon discovered a little visitor checking out my yarn stash.



It seems that my Secret Sister for November managed to lift this little guy right out of my imagination and sneak him into my house. My new friend is cute as can be, loves yarn, small children, and his favorite color is blue. He was perfectly happy to share some basmati rice and mater paneer with me for lunch, and he promised to guard my precious wool from Benjamin's mischievous little fingers! I have a feeling that this is the start of something beautiful.

Thank you so much, dear Secret Sister! I love my new friend. Now I just need some suggestions for a name :)

Pants for the Benny

I've been busy working on custom orders, but I managed to squeeze in a few pairs of longies to prepare my lttle guy for the cold weather. The first pair is made of Licorice Twist yarn dyed by Trish of CandyPants Yarn. I think they turned out quite well.






The next pair I made using undyed BlackBerry Ridge yarn. That stuff is wonderfully springy and sturdy - just perfect for a crawler! It's not as soft as merino, but the roughness does ease out after a few washes. Benny is modeling them here with my Dad.



I can't remember what kind of yarn this last pair was made of. I got this yarn in a 'Secret Sister' swap through my favorite forum. Anna, my secret sister, dyed this yarn in colors similar to some Gaia organic merino of mine that met with a tragic fate.

Kentucky Wool Fest

Earlier the month, we decided to follow some friends of ours to the Kentucky Wool Fest in Falmouth, KY. I was expecting a dinky little fair with some old guys and some sheep, but little did I know that it is the event of the year down in Pendleton County.



Traffic was horrible...we spent about 45 minutes either stopped or just barely crawling down the road. I also learned that if one wants to park sooner, one should not complain to the officer directing traffic. Luckily, that lesson was one I learned from the woman a couple of cars behind us. Said officer decided to go and give her a little talk after she yelled some not so sweet sentiments at him from her car.




It honestly wasn't so much a wool festival as a craft show. There were two really long tents devoted to animals which are raised primarily for their fibers, and yarn spun from said fibers. All of the other tents were set up with multi-media crafts. Some were really cool, and some were mass produced stuff, just like any other craft show. We did some shopping and found some really neat hand made Christmas gifts while we were there ;)



We did get to see a ram lamb shearing, which was pretty neat. The poor little guy most definitely didn't want to participate in the exhibition, but once he realized that he didn't have a choice he settled down pretty well. The gentleman explaining the shearing gave us a brief history of the methods and the tools used. I was impressed with the old hand-cranked shears...that really called for some teamwork!


I only bought one skein of yarn (and it wasn't even handspun, sadly), but I do plan on saving up to go again next year. The kids had a great time, especially Benny who got to have a Daddy-ride practically the whole time!

Another Hat

I couldn't resist the lure of the Nashua Ecologie Cotton that I've had squirreled away for a year. I had to make something pretty with it! So I crocheted up this sweet little baby hat. It's sized to fit 3-6 months, and has the most precious flower with a faux pearl button right in the center! I used a textured stitch pattern to make it a bit more feminine, and a crab stitch (reverse single crochet) edging to give it that polished look. I really love how classy and simple this hat looks!

It almost makes me want to have another baby girl. Almost.
I think instead of having baby #5, though, I'll just have to order more of this gorgeous yarn and make a couple for my two older daughters. I may try it in one of the other colors...I love how this one crocheted up with a very faint marbling, and I'd love to see what the other colors do!

Bitty Baby Hat

I took a break from making play food for an evening, and made this precious little hat. It's for a sweet mama who is expecting a very special girl in a few months. I made it with cotton yarn from my own pattern.

Sunspot Babywear Goes (even more) Natural!

For those who request it, I am now stuffing my wool and cotton playfood with fibers from the Great Kapok Tree. It is a wonderful alternative to the polyfil that I usually use, and it means that cotton playfood can be not only vegan, but all-natural as well!

These two lovely strawberries nestled in with their organic (edible) counterparts are cotton stuffed with kapok. They are available in my etsy store now!

School's IN!

Well, school has started and things have been a little quieter around here now that my oldest is in the 5th grade! We're working on getting into a new rhythm for our days.

I'm really looking forward to Autumn, my favorite season. I love it when the days are cool enough for long sleeves and everyone starts anticipating Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and all of the other cold weather holidays.

In other news, I'll be reopening for customs soon! I'm still going to limit my customs list each time to three people, so you'll have to be quick to get a spot! Stay tuned for more updates.

New customs

I've been working on some customs for some great mamas:


A bagel with cream cheese, two maki-zushi (carrot and avocado) and a watermelon wedge!


Longies made with Cristal 100Purewool.


Yummy fruits and veg for a special boy's 2nd birthday.

Springtime Means Change

Lots of fun and exciting things are happening around here! I've been crocheting my little fingers off lately, and my lovely customers and friends will reap the benefits.

Get ready for a huge playfood stocking within the next month, as well as custom slots for woolies at the end of April, or the early part of May. I've got some gorgeous new yarns coming my way that I'm very excited about.

You'll also see some new items, as well as the last of my tie-dye stock in the next few weeks.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog! I've started this blog to keep my customers at Sunspotbabywear.com up to date on happenings with the store and custom orders.