FallingBooks hasn't figured out how to fit a sheep into her apartment.

No, not me. It appears that I am to be an auntie.

Once I picked my jaw up off the floor, (An auntie? Really? ALREADY? I'm only...mumbletymumble... Huh.) I started digging through Ravelry for patterns.

At the moment I'm working with the specifications of 1.) it's a girl, 2.) no pink, and 3.) don't even think about skully hoodies. I am somewhat saddened by the last point, but at least the sibling said nothing about space invaders. (Mind, I didn't exactly ask, either. What she doesn't know...will possibly hurt me in the end, but will totally be worth it.)

ANYWAY. The only thing I know I'm making right now are duck feet. Yarn has been ordered, pattern has been printed, and Auntie Sarah is at the ready with her needles. But what the hell else should I make? Sweaters? Dresses? Socks? I'm kind of stumped, especially as we'll be getting into spring when she's born (which is still cold, so not a total loss, but.) I used to babysit. I remember how fast kids grow. She'll probably be wearing 6x by the fall, knowing my family.

Anyone have any favorite patterns or pattern books they can recommend?

I belong to a couple of yarn/fiber clubs. The idea being that you pay a set amount (I prefer the monthly pay-as-you-go ones, but most of them tend to be lump sum payments for spans of anywhere from three months to a year,) and you get a surprise package of yarn/fiber and accessories that are valued at x percent of your payment. Right now I'm in two sock yarn clubs and a fiber club.

I think they are in concept great things. Good for stash building, wonderful monthly surprises (if you don't know what you signed up for,) usually a decent bang for your buck, but they're also something of an 'I have money to burn' or 'I am extreeeeeeeeemely flexible about my knitting' kind of luxury. I don't know that I fall quite in either category at the moment.

For example, I love that my fiber club uses all kinds of different wools to send things out on. I probably wouldn't have tried Shetland as readily and I quite love it thanks to the club. But I don't know if I've just hit a bum run or what, but the last 3 our of four shipments just have not appealed to me. They were on fibers I already know (and have too much of) or they were colors that were decidedly not me, or both. I think that's a sign I need to drop that club, at least for the time being. I'm also getting a little control freak about my spinning and have very decided ideas about what I want to spend my time creating right now.

One sock club ends this month so while it's been fun, I'm glad I don't have to worry about re-upping. The other sock club I quite like as there's always at least two color options to pick from and the bases are delightful, except it's a little expensive because we get a pattern every month for socks. They're LOVELY patterns. Very intricate, very pretty. HOWEVER. I am pretty sure, based on my socky experiences, that they're are not going to fit my feet as written, and the really figural ones will not be (easily) adaptable. I'm not sure what I want to do about this one. There are sister clubs I can slip into to get the same colorways, but they're not quite the same with regard to yarn bases. I'm still mulling it over. I've only recently join and am still trying out their different bases, so I may hang in a little while longer before making any major moves. The club colors have been delightful the last few months, and I can always use the patterns for socks for other people.

---

I'm currently in a knitting phase at the moment with a couple shawls, a pair of socks, and a sweater on the needles at the moment. I'll post up pictures and pattern links when I get a bit further along.