google image search gone wrong

**** Warning . . . may not be safe for the office *****

Oh my god.

How on earth did I find this picture.

I'm all for birth photos, but even this creeps me out.

My google search was "birth outfit". Because of the 7 pregnancy books I've read, not one said what I should wear to push this (not-yet-conceived, mind you) baby out. I'm sure I won't care when the time comes, but I would like to be comfortable and pretty during the whole process. I don't like hospital gowns, so I want something cute.

The above picture is not, however, and birth outfit. Google, fail.

Finished Notre Dame Baby Gifts

Baby Boy Curtin Gift Set -- DONE!

Letterman Jacket/Sweater

Pattern: "Top Down Raglan Baby Sweater" by Carole Barenys.

Yarn: Lionbrand Vanna's Choice (I LOVE this yarn!) in White, Navy, and Mustard.

Special additions:

Monogram logo intarsia pattern:

Shamrock Appliqué:

Football buttons from MJ Trimmings in NYC.

Golden Dome Hat

Pattern: "Baby Golden Dome Hat" by ME!

Yarn: Lionbrand Vanna's Choice (I LOVE this yarn!) in White, Navy, and Mustard.

Blue and Gold Socks

Pattern: Modified from Unisex Socks by Alyce Benevides & Jaqueline Miles

Special Additions:

Shipping out today!

Baby "Golden Dome" hat

Just finished my Golden Dome Hat.

The resemblance to the actual Notre Dame Golden Dome is uncanny, if I do say so myself.

This is a gift for new baby boy Curtin, due in August. Now, I know being born in August in Texas may make the hat a little unnecessary, I just couldn't help myself. It is to go with the Notre Dame Letterman Jacket, which is almost done (I just need to hit up the trimmings store for buttons tomorrow).

I originally was going to base the hat pattern on a fantastic ribbed hat I found online, but it just didn't decrease the way I wanted, so I guess this is an original pattern!

Materials:

Worsted Weight yarn in White, Navy Blue, and Gold/Mustard Yellow

5 Size #4 dpns

Cast on 72 White

Divide onto 4 dpns (18 on each) and join

For the Base:

Row 1: K1 P1 rib around

Row 2: Attach blue. K1P1 blue, K1P1 white for 13 stitches, carrying the blue behind. [K1P1 in blue for 5 stitches (carrying the white behind), K1P1 white for 13 stitches (carrying the blue behind)] X3, P1K1 blue 3 stitches. (* For a graph of these instructions, see the image at the bottom of the page.)

Row 3: K1P1 in white around (do not carry blue)

Row 4: K1 white. P1K1 blue for 5 stitches, K1P1 white for 5 stitches, P1K1 blue for 5 stitches. [K1P1 for 3 stitches, P1K1 blue for 5 stitches, K1P1 white for 5 stitches, P1K1 blue for 5 stitches]X3, K1P1 white.

Row 5: K1 white, P1K1 blue for 7 stitches, [K1 white, P1K1 blue for 7 stitches, K3 white, P1K1 blue for 7 stitches]X3, K1 white, P1K1 blue for 7 stitches, K2 white.

Row 6: Knit all blue.

For the Dome:

Row 7: Attach yellow. Knit all yellow.

Row 8: (all yellow) [K8, P1]X8.

Repeat Row 8 for about 4--5 inches.

Decreasing: [Knit until 2 stitches before the Purl row, K2tog, P1, SSK] until there are two knit stitches between each purl row. (24 st)

[K2tog, P] around. (16 st)

K2tog around. (8 st)

For "Statue" . . . (this may be one of the most blasphemous things I've ever knitted)

Attach white

K2tog around. (4 st)

Kfb around (8st)

On 4 needles (2 st on each needle), [Kfb, K1]around (12 st)

[K2tog, K1]around (8st)

K2tog around until 3 stitches remain

Change to Yellow

Make a 3-stitich i-cord for about 7 rows.

Cut and thread end through the stitches.

Embellishment of Base:

Using a crochet hook, do a chain stitch up and down the white triangles (are the gables? are they peaks? I have no idea). For this version, I threaded the yarn through the inside of the hat at the end of each gable.

I'm thinking the next one will have a folded bring with the embellishment on the "inside" -- we'll see.

* pattern graph (click for larger view)

Start at the bottom right; first white row indicates the cast-on row.

New Home Craftiness

So I've discovered Virtual Painting on BenjaminMoore.com. It's kind of amazing.

Upload a photo, mark off the different areas of the room -- wall, trim, accent, etc. -- and then drag and drop different colors and see what it looks like!

For example: My Living room now . . .

I marked off the ceiling, the top and bottom of the walls, and the trim of the shelves and the chair rain I want to put in,

I played with colors, and now I have the names and numbers of the colors I like for when I go to the store.

I can also contrast and compare different layouts. Like below, the radiator is brown, instead of blue.

I also want to paint all our random bookcases. We have these great built in shelves along one wall, and I'm hoping to use that space for my fancy yarn storage.