Polk, The Puppy

Project #3 in the '50 in 2008' challenge - Polk, the Mood Boosting knitted puppy

I could wait no longer to share him. Look how cute he looks in this picture…Come On!

My partner should be receiving my Hot Cocoa Swap package in the next day or two, so I'm sharing. I don't think she's figured out who I am yet, so I'm pretty safe. Normally I would have waited until she got the package, but I'm beginning to get a backlog of things to post. I'm getting anxious. If I wait too long, I may not post about them at all, right?

Polk here is what you would call a Mood Booster Buddy. And he's quite a technical feat. His limbs move without any sort of joints. I've had the pattern since October 2006 (I got the magazine for the train trip home from our anniversary day in Chicago). It's from 'Simply Knitting,' a British magazine. And I had a heck of a time figuring out what the pattern meant. Lucky for me, Ravelry was invented and a super nice person interpreted the parts I was having trouble with.

He's a pretty quick knit, but I would recommend not using black. Use white like is suggested. That way you can't see his stuffing and you don't have to give him an eye patch or blue eye or a maroon nose! Despite all that, I think he's pretty cute. Especially in that top picture.

I didn't make all the little accessories that were listed in the pattern (like a dog bed, bone, rope toy & blanket), but I did make him a little knitted coat. I only had black in baby weight, so I improvised with a different weight and smaller needles. The coat fits fine, it's just bulky so there is no belt to keep it on. I figure he can't move anyways. It's not like the coat will go flying in the wind while he runs after the mailman.

I'm a bit nervous on how my package will be received. The Hot Cocoa Swap is my first of it's nature, not organized through Craftster or Swap-bot and not based entirely on crafted good based on a theme. I spent well over the minimum required amount and hit all the necessary items, but not having crafted things makes it feel less valuable. Wait and see, shall I? I'm kinda nervous about the package I'll be receiving as well. You just never know how into it your partner will be.

I sent my partner, Carly, some pretty good stuff. A pattern off her Ravelry queue (Twinkle Toes) as well as plenty (I hope) of green (one of her favorite colors) Wool Bam Boo yarn and Fiber Trends slipper soles. Her favorite candy, Haribo gummi bears and some Belgian chocolate curls to make her favorite type of hot cocoa, shaved chocolate. Polk, the mood booster, also went into the package along with some locking stitch markers that she needed. There's a lot of hers and favorites in that description, so I'm really hoping it will go over well. Swap anxiety is normal, I guess. I usually do get it.

Now that I spilled the beans a few days early, you'll have to wait a few more until you hear from me again. I knocked out another project (#4) in my challenge to do 50 projects in 2008 (Polk here was #3) during the Superbowl.