in which I Fail, Succeed, and Build a Robot
The Failure: I didn’t win that contest. I didn’t even make it into the semi-finals! Since I had waaaay more votes than everyone else (thanks, guys!), I can only assume this is because I didn’t follow the rules (big surprise). When one of the people organizing the contest sent me a Flickr message inviting me to submit my picture, I just did it. What I did not do was bother to read the terms of the contest, which apparently include a rule declaring that photos must be head-to-toe. Fail!
On a happier note, Laurynn (who just knit a thong, by the way) is the lucky winner of a $20 woolgirl.com gift certificate. Woo hoo!
The Success: The stripey/pooley Charade sock? Turned out gorgeous.
Just a tiny bit of pooling around the instep, which I think I can live with. In fact, I was so thrilled by how lovely Sandra’s pattern is in variegated yarn that, instead of knitting the second sock, I immediately cast on for another pair in a different variegated colorway.
The Robot: My niece Claire had her first birthday this week, and she obviously needed a wildly inappropriate gift from Cool Aunt Pam.
pattern: Bender Bending Rodriguez, by Soph Viklund
yarn: Plymouth Dreambaby DK and Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Baby
ravelry link (includes list of my mods to the original pattern)
If you aren’t familiar with Futurama, Bender is a foul-mouthed, cigar-smoking, poker-playing robot who bends metal and is fueled entirely by booze.
Perfect for an infant, no?
Fortunately, Claire’s parents are Futurama fans, and were thus superjazzed about the gift,
and her grandparents don’t watch the show, so they just saw a cute robot toy,
and Claire herself discovered immediately how flingable wee Bender is, with those long, grippable arms and legs.
So everyone wins. Happy Birthday, Claire!
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June 24th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Loving the robot. Futurama is a cool show–lucky niece! The colors on the sock look really nice, too.
June 24th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
futurama is my all-time favorite cartoon! bite my shiny metal ass!
i love that sock. it’s beautiful!
June 24th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Yaaaay! I won something! Thanks so much Pam, but sorry your dress didn’t make the cut. It should have won, hands down! Oh well, you’ve still got the cute dress and the mad knittin’ skills as consolation. Not bad.
June 24th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
What is up with people inviting photos to things that never qualified in the first place?? That’s too bad that you didn’t win. Also, the robot amigurumi is fantastic. I’m all about inappropriate baby gifts!
June 24th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Suck about the contest, but Bender ROCKS! =)
June 24th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Oh! I am so mad about that contest! If one of the organizers invites the photo, it should be qualified, especially since you had the popular vote! Does Al Gore know about this?
June 24th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
LOVE the Bender. Weird/cool baby gifts rock! Sorry about the contest - your dress absolutely deserved to win.
June 24th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Aww, too bad about not seeing the fine print.
Just when I think you won’t get anymore cool, you pull out a crocheted Bender. (Just in time for the new DVD release today, too.) If you pull out something like a Venture Brothers themed costume for Halloween this year, my head will explode from too much awesomeness.
June 24th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
That’s just wrong. You, rightfully so, should have won! Well know that the popular vote wanted you to win.
And the robot - what baby wouldn’t love that?
June 24th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Fuck that noise, you was robbed!!
June 24th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Ahhh, I was wondering what happened!! I checked in on the contest and didn’t see you. Never thought of a DQ!!!
Well you are a winner in my book, although I don’t have a Parisian trip in my back pocket :O)
June 24th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Aww - just think of how fun it’ll be when Claire’s 15. Hee hee. Charade looks so good with such a variety of yarns - it’s excellent with stripes.
June 24th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
rules shmules
June 24th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Bender ROCKS!!! And someday she’ll grow up and watch re-runs and be all, “did my awesome aunt Pam make me a doll of that guy?” And then, she’ll understand how cool you really are!
June 24th, 2008 at 11:29 pm
Aw, man! Sorry to hear about the contest. But you know what? OMG, your Bender doll rocks! Big time!
June 25th, 2008 at 5:11 am
That sucks about the contest…your dress was totally the best. But your sock is gorgeous, and the Bender is amazing!
June 25th, 2008 at 5:42 am
Stupid rules!!! At least you know you would have won with all the votes….oh well….(now I bet you will read rules explicitly from now on, huh?)
Cute socks - they look very snuggly!
June 25th, 2008 at 5:48 am
Happy Birthday from one Claire to another!!
June 25th, 2008 at 6:06 am
That totally sucks that they suggested you even enter a contest with a photo that wasn’t ever going to win - I think it’s a little perverse. Love the charades, ADORE the little bender.
June 25th, 2008 at 6:30 am
Rules? We don’t need no stinkin’ rules! No justice, no peace!!! Loving that Bender…”cute robot toy” heh heh heh.
June 25th, 2008 at 7:02 am
cute robot (i only watched futurama for a season but loved bender!) and baby
June 25th, 2008 at 7:07 am
Love, Love, Love your Bender!
Best to start the kids off right by turing up the cool in the toy sector!
Cheers!
June 25th, 2008 at 8:26 am
Oh my gosh….the photo was SOOO close to being a head to toe! sucks! But bender is adorable. love that show.
June 25th, 2008 at 8:31 am
I love Charade. Actually the pair I knit was for a swap, I should knit a pair for myself…
Bender is fucking awesome. Maybe you should be my auntie too.
June 25th, 2008 at 8:50 am
Rules… hmmmph
Adorable Robot!
June 25th, 2008 at 9:31 am
I think the sock looks fabulous! I now NEED to knit it because yours are so beautiful!
I don’t know why it needs to be head to toe. I mean if it shows the dress, who cares right? Dumb!
CUTE Bender!
June 25th, 2008 at 10:05 am
rules are lame.
i hope that awesome wet seal mess won.
bender is a-doorbell.
June 25th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
I can’t believe they wouldn’t let you be eligible for the contest!! As if the space between your knees and the floor in the photo would have made any difference! Ridiculous. Did you tell them that you have the 2nd most popular pattern on Ravelry right now?!
You’re handling it all very gracefully. I applaud you!
June 25th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Aw, I love the crocheted Bender! We just caught the episode in which he enters the olympics and gets turned into a fembot. Good times.
June 25th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
You are awesome and that’s a silly rule. I can’t believe how perfect you crocheted Bender is. Totally blown away by your skillz with the hook.
June 25th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
That Bender rocks! Especially being clutched by a cutie!
June 25th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
Too bad about the contest; but, you know what’s cool? You will always be the friend who knits boozy robots for babies. Heh.
June 26th, 2008 at 6:18 am
That is one kick-ass robot, yo.
June 27th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Freaking awesome Bender!!
June 28th, 2008 at 6:40 am
I hate rules. But the Charade socks really ARE gorgeous!! I’m drooling over them….
June 29th, 2008 at 11:07 am
Uh, hello? Did you realize that the FLS is now the MOST popular pattern on Ravelry?! Congrats!
June 30th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
How odd that you were disqualified when one of the girls currently in the running also does not have her feet showing. Who knows about these contests!
Love Bender and the socks are fantastic. I love that color!
July 2nd, 2008 at 5:52 pm
I love Futurama! I’m going to make that my next sock pattern. Wish I had some lovely green yarn like that. Yours is one of my favorite blogs by the way.
August 21st, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Your bender doll rocks!!!!Hugs Darcy
November 15th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
I <3 tiny robot! Tiny human is cute, too!
