Etsy Series on CBW

Hey all, I have been working on a series of blogs for Crazi Beautiful Women about Etsy. Check it out and leave a comment! I would love to know what you think and what you want to read about.

The Future of two-oh-oh-eight

Hi all! I have been meaning to address the future of our blog for a while. At first, I only meant for this to be a yearly project, hence the title. Kathbot (Azurerocket) and I have decided that we are going to keep it up and keep the name. 2008 was just our starting point! Look forward to more of our crafty postings!

Recent Stuff: Socks, Booties, Plastic Jewelry

First of all, I have been working on these socks:

The pattern is from Lion Brand (need to register for a free account to view), but I'm really not in love with it. I'm pretty sure I'm going to frog it and knit Baby Jays instead, since I found a friendlier (read: less advanced) pattern than the first one I queued. To be honest, I really didn't even know what the pattern looked like, since there are only a few entries on Ravelry for it, most of them heavily modified (including the picture representing the pattern). I was just going for a sock that will fit my two-year-old without having to re-figure the number of stitches here and there. I did get a little further than this picture - I finished the heel flap. I just don't have the heart to finish something I don't love even though I have enough yarn for two pairs of toddler socks (the yarn is Knit Picks Imagination in Unicorn). I just have so little crafting time right now with a new baby right now.

Speaking of the baby, here are some booties I knit for his blessing:

Another pattern I'm not 100% fond of (I can't really complain as it was free and from a site that advocates charity knitting - Becky's Booties at Knit4Children). The booties look really cute flat, but don't fit well at all. Plus, the pattern doesn't mention gauge. I liked the tension of the fabric, but the first bootie I knit turned out way too small. I re-figured the number of stitches and made two more, but they still won't stay on. I may knit another to match the first teeny one and give it to my daughter for her dolls.

Back to my daughter, I finally managed to make her some jewelry. I used plastic beads for safety, and she seems to love it. Here are a couple of fun photos of her wearing it (I made a bracelet and necklace set):

New Wooden Decorating Blocks

The newest product from Audzipan Design is here! Get excited!! These cute little blocks can be purchased as single blocks- basil, fern, and poppy- or as a set of three. Hurry before they are all gone!

Striped Crochet Bear

This is a teddy bear that I crocheted for my daughter. I got the pattern online from DMC for free. It turned out a lot bigger than I thought, and I had a hard time finding the right colors of yarn in the right sizes and textures. Overall, though, I was pleased with the finished product.

New Gocco Project

There is a new product in the works at Mann Creative Studios for Audzipan Design. We are hoping to have it done in the next week or so, but here is a little spoiler. . . (sorry, no pics yet). Audrey designed three new Gocco designs, depicting a fern, basil leaves, and poppy flowers. They have been printed on tea-stained muslin and are ready to be nailed to wood blocks. The blocks still need to be cut, sanded, and stained. They will be listed on Etsy as soon as they are done!