Such Sweet Hands

I have a baby shower to attend later today. I don’t have a real present! I will also have to scramble to get together the dessert I promised to bring. I was going to make fudge, but discovered at midnight last night I had no evaporated milk! So today is all about getting resourceful so that my good friend gets the baby shower bits and trinkets that she deserves.

The new baby’s name will be Zoe.

The initial inspiration for this little scribble of embroidery came in the first few minutes of watching Ugly Betty (I adore Ugly Betty!!!! The show is so quirky and brightly colored that it has to bring out your crafty side. I think I may throw an Ugly Betty crafting party sometime in the nearish future). Ugly Betty wears a necklace with a proud goofy “B” on it. This jumped into my head alongside the dilemna of having nothing for this baby shower. Soon I had one of my favorite happy yarns thread into a tapestry needle and some teal craft felt in my hand. This is what came out:

The happy yarn in question is Noro’s Sakura, this stuff is like candy and it makes me tremendously happy. The Z and the E were made using a backstitch. The O was made using a section of the yarn that is wrapped with thread, too bulky to drag through fabric with a needle, but too cool looking to not use. Besides, I was freehanding this and an O shape would have taken a while to get right. So I shaped the O, pulled the ends through the felt and tied them in the back. Then I braced the O shape with orange embroidery floss. To brighten up the Z, I wove the same orange embroidery floss through the stitches. I crocheted a little circle to add to the piece, and Voila!

…. a piece of random craft felt with a name embroidered on it. As cute as I may think it is, hardly a finished item proper for a typical gift. I thought I’d give it to my friend in the form of a patch that she could attach to whatever she likes. On second thought I’ve decided to give it to her with a note saying I will make something of her choosing with it, that way she gets a choice of how this quirky little thing is used, but doesn’t have to do the work herself. She’s busy enough with being a Mom and all.

Of course I’m chomping at the bit for cooler, cozier weather myself. But, it’s past time to be working on designs for next spring. I’ve perused bits of the spring fashion week shows, thought about what we are wearing now and what that is likely to grow into next spring. Here is my question, (regardless of what may be in or not) what sort of loose, lightweight crocheted piece might you want to make and wear come springtime?

Edited to add:

Julie’s comment made a very good point that number one would make many of us look pregnant. I totally agree. It could also drown someone my size and make me look shorter than I already am. I’m toying with the shape in my mind though, because I just haven’t seen much done with it in a while ( or simply nothing to fascinate me). The two things mixing together to inspire me with that one are the photo below for the specific shape(forgive me I forget which designer..eep) and another friend Julie’s work for the general aesthetic and feel. In both cases the fabric is a fine weave with incredible drape. I can’t help it, when I see lines and shapes I like my mind sets to fitting my crochet style to the lines. In this instance I like the width of fabric on the shoulders and where it meets at the chest as well as how the majority of the fabric falls to the back. Then all this criteria spools through the idea, how to fit the crochet I make into this shape and can I get that same drape and can I make it look fresh and interesting and not like something from 1994. The particular design I’m working with today has a stitch pattern already picked out, sketch #2 hints at it a bit. Sketch # 1 is going to have to stew a bit more, I know it has potential, but it’s tricky.

We had one of those weekends packed full of food and friends. Though I drank very little alcohol, I feel hungover from food and socializing. I’m enjoying a pleasant, quiet day in my office. The cats have given the reorganized office their approval. After a weekend full of people, it’s nice to show up to “work” where my officemate is a cat…

This one usually will not sit still for photos, so the fact that I even got these photos is extraordinary.

We were standing on Main Street in Santa Monica when Rob said “I li-i-ike that.” I turned around and saw three cute little topiary bushes standing on the sidewalk. “Yeah! They are really cute aren’t they.” Rob laughed, “I was talking about the Porsche”.

Those little stickers on fruit really do beg to be stuck someplace. We’ve solved this problem in our home by starting Rob’s own craft project. He’s turning a magnet with a 2004 calendar on it into a work of fruit sticker fridge art.

I think I’ll put a layer of Modge Podge over it soon because some of the stickers are starting to peel a bit. In time the whole magnet will be covered in stickers! I love this about magnets, it’s so easy to make anything into a magnet.

I like watching this record of Rob’s fruit consumption as it grows.It makes me smile everyday when I see it on the fridge. Rob recently mentioned that I should blog about it and tell everyone it’s a great project for kids, because any project he’ll keep up with is also great for kids…