Not “Hope”. Not “Charity”. Definitely not “Joy”.

Solemn as an owl, this one. The only virtue which seems to fit, is “Temperance”.



Her wig was lighter and redder than I expected, though I am certainly not disappointed. Now I have three black-haired beauties and three dark-chestnut beauties. And her wig is wavier than Honor’s but far less sproingy than Chutzpah’s.

Nekokoi had a pair of lilac glass eyes which are, purely and simply, enchanting. To the point that I can see I will need to invest in glass eyes for her sisters. And the faceup is perfect.

Like the Jessica which was [briefly] mine, the Iplehouse girls are more solidly built than their counterparts from other companies, and more realistically proportioned. She is approximately the same height as Faith, but see how much larger her head is in comparison.

She is currently wearing a T-shirt and bermuda shorts made for a Ken. I think this one is going to be a tomboy, which explains why I felt a distinct no! when I briefly contemplated the little schoolgirl outfit on the website. I might be able to wheedle her into a corduroy jumper, but I think she is going to want to hang out in jeans, cowboy boots, and T-shirts. Though she will happily wear the family tartan if she can also have a claymore.

I wish I still had the letter opener that was Dad’s. It was modeled after a cavalry sword.



She does not have Blessing’s austere beauty, but she is a very pretty (if resolute) little one, and most welcome to the tribe.

Photos from the doll meetup on Saturday.

Panning left to right.



We’re walking, we’re walking.



We’re walking, we’re walking.



And we’re stopping.



We’re walking, we’re walking.



And we’re done.

We gots no eyes?

Nekokoi texted me to say that there were no eyes in the box with my Naias. I had missed that small fact. I have emailed the manufacturer but probably won’t hear anything until Monday. Nekokoi has some loaner eyes. Failing that, it’s either pirate patches x 2, or a pair of Ray Charles shades.

Had a blast at the doll meetup yesterday. The doll owners are every bit as interesting and varied as their dolls.

She’s here!

Although, technically, she’s at Nekokoi’s, waiting for the humidity to please go away so that Doll Enabler #1 my gifted, intuitive daughter can figure out what her face is supposed to look like. And then I can figure out if she is “Hope” or “Charity” or some other virtue I haven’t considered.

I spent the better part of an hour wrangling Celeste into the finery I bought from Nekokoi. I have a doll meetup at lunch, after I spend the morning doing things of greater eternal significance.

Closer.

She successfully navigated the customs office yesterday. Box opening later today?

She’s still in customs.

(Note the absence of an exclamation point in today’s title.) I figure that they are still digging out from the storms of the last two weeks, even though in Chicago they are probably pretty used to that.

I got all the stitches on the new prototype sweater transferred from DP’s to a short, pointier circular needle yesterday. No actual knitting done, as I am working on a project in human scale.

Maybe tomorrow I will have a new doll in hand; I am hoping that she will arrive before the weekend.

She’s in customs!

I’d better get busy at my sewing machine!

On shipping.

I checked my order status at Iplehouse this morning. I have a tracking number for my Naias. She may be here as early as tomorrow, depending upon how long she spends at customs.

No idea when I can get her to Nekokoi for her face-up, as this is looking like a particularly busy week. But pictures soon, I promise!

Out of dolly debt.

(Originally published this morning on my spinning blog. Oye.)

My Iplehouse Naias is paid off. I am just getting the basic doll, a wig, and a black turtleneck T-shirt. The fairy/naiad bits are cute, but they don’t suit the character I have in mind for her.



I also paid off this outfit I bought from Fourthborn. Pictures of the petticoat, crinoline and shoes are on my primary blog today. The blouse:



The crinoline, which I wanted as a pattern for future ones of my own design:



And the petticoat, pretty in its own right (although the commercial lace does not thrill me excessively), and also useful as a pattern.



I’ll try to remember to photograph the vest and the overskirt in the near future.

I bought more yarn for doll hats last night on my way home from work. Progress is slow but I think steady toward opening my Etsy shop.

Neglected blog.

There has been way too much going on in non-doll life. I did finish the sweater for Chutzpah.



It has buttonholes on each side of the button band and laces up with silk ribbon from my stash.

I bought a DOC Bee-A from Nekokoi, who sent all sorts of clothing and shoes home with her. That’s Honor, in the red.



I have one payment remaining on an Iplehouse Naias, who will either be Hope or Charity when she arrives sometime after my birthday in mid-April. I am also severely tempted by both Erzulie (love that ladybug on her dress!) and Efreet, although I would like Efreet better if she were not so pouty.

And I am opening up an Etsy shop (soon). This is some of the yarn I ordered last week, when I was snowed/iced in.



Right now I have a dozen hats in three sizes, all knitted up from Noro Kureyon Sock in four colorways. And I need to reconstruct the pattern for Chutzpah’s sweater, because I’m not finding it in any of the usual places in Word. One of my friends in the doll world has suggested that I offer some items in non-wool fibers, hence the silk tweed (beige) and bamboo (lime green) you see above. The fuchsia is laceweight cashmere, because I couldn’t resist.

And now if you will all excuse me, I’m off to do some serious swatching.