FO Friday 17/15: Tragedy

Tarot of Durer

I thought I'd find the original rather than a cover for you - and just tell you that my kids sing it as 'Tragedy ... when your butt gets stuck in a monster truck it's Tragedy''.

You're welcome.






So anyway, let me explain why you're going to have that earworm all today. I'm not sure that I will even need any words:

So you want me to wallow in it and tell you the sad story ? 

That's mean, making me re-live the experience so soon - but seeing as how it's you ... this is what happens when Titch sits down on your knitting and then it gets caught on his great big fat banana fingers. This had been 46 rows of the Sirin Bird Shawl, approx. 500 stitches in this row, of which half are OFF the needle.

This is what it looks like now:

Yeah, that's what 47 grams of size 8/0 beads looks like when it's no longer threaded painstakingly on a few thousand individual stitches.

What's that ?

Yes, I agree, I did do a remarkable job cleaning up the blood - not a stain in sight. But there's a bump in the patio paving.

FO Friday: Stash Enhancement Tally

Fairytale Tarot (Hunt)

 ''It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a woman in possession of too much yarn, must be in want of more''. (with apologies to Jane Austen)


It IS a sad fact that one's stash is always in need of enhancement. Never mind that you have already achieved SABLE (Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy, ie. you will never live long enough to knit/crochet all the yarn you own) - although I myself am innocent of this crime, I know others who are not. One of them might be Eviller.

This year I had decided that as much as possible I was going to knit from my stash, buying new yarn only when unavoidable, for example, my Big 6 Project (more about this another time) or for a specific project for someone's birthday, say. That kinda thing.

However.

 What can you do when someone (Belo) gives you good folding cashmoney for your birthday and says, ''spend it on yourself'' ? It would have just been rude not to pop into Jenny Wren's, seeing as how she's lovely and her shop is full of yummy squishiness just as she had a sale on and buy a me-sized sweater's worth of this gorgeous peachy-coral Lanas Stop Baby Wool, wouldn't it ?

The pretty KnitPro crochet hooks kinda fell into my basket at the same time. Plus, they're tools, so don't count as stash at all.

And then my friend Dianne sent me 800m or so of lovely undyed silk and some Muga silk, towards my Big 6 Project:

So of course they don't count as they were an unsolicited gift. And the birthday vouchers my Good Twin gave me enabled the addition of the following, but they are also earmarked for the Big 6 Project:

I try not to look at the destashes on Ravelry when I'm trying to avoid temptation, but this happened to catch my eye, and it was just so vibrant I had to have it. Yes, had to, I tell you, it was meant to be mine, especially at the knockdown price it was:

And as if that wasn't enough - you're right, there is no such thing - I won a giveaway on JenACKnitwear's blog, a lovely kit of a stole pattern and 800m or so of Frog Tree Brushed Suri fingering weight to make it with:

Yes, you may gnash your teeth all you like while I lounge here cossetting all these piles of luscious yarn ...

MKAL Monday 2: Bling-a-Bling

Tarot of Durer

Remember I told you I had chosen to make the medium size of the Lily Go 'Lightning Thief' MKAL ?  Even that involves 1242 size 8/0 beads, apparently. After Clue 2, this is what it looks like:

And a close-up, just for effect ....

And since it's Monday, I should tell you of my rookie mistake - while I wait for the next clue, I can't start on the next in my special series of 6 shawls for 2015, because like a complete dodo I forgot that I'd need to ball the skein of Drops Laceweight I bought to replace the disappointing Violet Green Merino Lace which I shuffled off donated gifted to my Eviller Twin. Anyway, I have a ballwinder (oh yes, I've made ALL the jokes) but no swift, so I need another person to hold the skein, but there's only me and Sebastian here.

I'm also on the hunt for white or ivory laceweights available without hassles in the UK; silk and alpaca and/or blends thereof are most welcome as is anything else on the luxury end of the scale - if you have any suggestions or recommendations for yarn and websites, please let me know ....

FO Friday 175: It Ain't Easy ....

Victorian Flower Oracle

Well, all bar a few tiny grams of the Abstract Cat BFL Lace in 'Spring Greens' that Auntie Fashion gave me for my birthday is gone. But we have two nice crescent shawls to show for it; firstly, the SusannaIC Spring Fling MKAL, the actual name of the pattern is 'Fialka':

 There are seriously hundreds of beads, but you cannot see even one. Neither does the sunny day help in making the picture truly representative of the marvellous combination of blue- and lime- greens in this yarn.

And then, because I thought I would have enough yarn, a little crescent with the leftovers, 'Promise Me' from Boo Knits. I learned my lesson, and didn't bother with beads on this one:

I'm not 100% sure about the Boo Knits patterns - they look fabulous, in other people's projects. Mine ? Not so much. The lace looks like lots of holes, I find it difficult to see the pattern. But they are very light, delicate and airy looking shawls; ethereal might be the educated word to use.





Pop over to Tami's Amis to see more seasonal works ....

FO Friday 168: Ultraviolet

                                                      

Phantomwise Tarot

                

I kind of feel like Hippomenes, but instead of golden apples, I am casting previously made but undisplayed FOs at you instead: can you believe I have been paralyzed all week ? I have been unable to progress with the Summer Garden Granny Square Blankey as I have been sitting gazing it at contemplating the Color Conundrum.

But I am unaccustomedly merciful, and shall not make you suffer my agonies. Rather, you may gaze in admiration at the completed Forest Pansy Shawl:

The pattern is by Linda Choo, and the yarn is Jamieson & Smith 2ply Laceweight in the exciting colors of 'L20' and 'L49', or 'purple' and 'lilac'. My MIL had sent me 3 balls of each color from Shetland, and I have a little less than a ball left of each - and the shawl has turned out a goodly size. Yes, you'll gave to take my word for it, as I forgot to measure it again, and can't be bothered to move right now.

This yarn come in a great palette of colors and is easy to work with, if perhaps a tad ... harsh ... for us poor sensitive wussy southerners - but it is much softer after a gentle wash and lots of fabric conditioner.

 While I unresistingly sink back into the mental lethargy induced by too much pondering, you could pop over to Tami's Amis to see everything else that has been finished this week .....

FO Friday 165: Autumn Leaves

Shadowscapes Tarot

 


It's OK, it's OK - I can't swim, but I didn't need to; fortunately we live halfway up a big hill (yes, East Anglia is flat, just not this bit) and the flooded parts down by the Quay are about 10 minutes' walk away. Hmm. How to define what 'walk' is to my American readers ? 

Too difficult - let's just put it down to 'weird foreign idiosyncrasies', shall we ?

Anyway. You'll be glad to hear the 2 hats are pretty much done, just a bit of primping left and some posing later if I can capture a victim bribe an offspring to stand still long enough. But, still at least one Xmas gift to go; I  have bought what I think I need today, so I'm about to rush off and start that.

In the meanwhile, you may gaze admiringly on the SusannaIC Autumn Mystery Knit-A-Long, for which I had somehow forgotten to post pictures:

 

 

 

You'll remember, of course, that this is the large version without beads, made using the fabulous BFL Lace yarn in the 'Caramello' colorway from Kirsty over at Wharfedale Woolworks - she currently has a sale on, but please leave some for me. I think this shawl definitely looks very autumn-y and leafy-ish because of the combination of pattern and yarn.

When you have finished drooling, you may visit my friend Hestia's blog - which is almost all about me, too ! I know, I know, how much more of my magnificence can you take ? 

Well, go find out.

And after that, there are more pretty things to aaah over at Tami's Amis .....

WIP Wednesday 164: A Golden Moustache

Fantastic Menagerie Tarot

At last ! We seem to have forward motion - not only is the Infidelity project blocked and done, but a hat destined for my MIL only took me a day or so.

And that was just to occupy me until the new SusannaIC Mystery Knit-A-Long (MKAL) started on the weekend, the spontaneous addition to the head of my queue:

Yes, it looks astonishingly like a moustache right now, after the completion of Clue 1; but I am sure it will not stay that way for long; the shaping is done through wrap&turns - I was glad to be using my Addi Turbos with the lovely sharp points, I can tell you.

The gorgeous lace-weight yarn is hand-dyed BFL from Kirsty over at Wharfedale Woolworks; the colorway is 'Caramello', a perfect name for all the rich golden yellow, amber and brown shades. She definitely has a gift for color.

But what to do now ? The next clue is released at the weekend, and I surely can't sit doing nothing til then. I could get on with the sleeves for Titch's Old Man Cardigan, but the siren call of Linda Choo's Forest Pansy Shawl combined with a new set of KnitPro Symfonie fixed circulars AND the Jamieson&Smith lace yarn my MIL sent me ....  well, it is deafeningly irresistible.

There are people with way more WIPs than me over at Tami's Amis .....

FO Friday 156: Grumps

Tarot of the Magical Forest

Between my ISP and Blogger, I shall have pulled out all my hair strand by painful strand before I manage to complete this post. Yes, I am feeling grumpy, how did you guess ?

I had been feeling as if I was trudging through treacle recently, as I seemed to be doing lots of knitting, but not finishing anything. The sweater for Titch ie. DH is on a hiatus while I sulk about not having enough yarn to complete a pullover for a giant ogre and I sulk about him being an ogre. Then I shall sulk some more, as I completed Destructo Boy's school cardigan this week, the second one this year as the first was too small despite my squeezing him in my anaconda coils, only for him to tell me it was too big and puffy. Grump.

 

 

 It does look a lot better now that it has been washed (after this photo) but the photo of the apres-wash cardigan was way more rubbish than this one. Grumpety grumble. It is Sirdar 2363, in Supersoft Aran: I modified it by adding the pockets, clever me - that way I have somewhere to put the bricks with which I shall weight him down before hurling him from the bridge. Grump.

 And then this morning I finished my Infidelity project. It looks like a dish-rag as it is not yet blocked:

 

I love Malabrigo Lace Yarn - so soft ! so squooshy ! - but it is the skein that never ends. I did lots of repeats of various parts of the pattern, AND a picot bind-off, and I still have 5 or 7 grams left. Grump.

 So it is just as well for the bodily safety all in my near vicinity that the postman showed up with this:

Jamieson & Smith 2ply Laceweight sent by my lovely MIL from her recent visit to Shetland. Such fabulous depth of color, and these skeins contrast so brilliantly, don't they ? I say nothing about the texture as yet, I'm trying to improve myself and make less snap judgments. Grump.

Yes, I do have a plan in mind for them, as it goes, just it won't be happening right this minute as another plan has swept in like a tsunami. Oh yes, I am spontaneity personified. But you already knew that ....

While I spend the next hours or so blocking my Infidelity project and drinking Ceylon tea because I have run out of Assam - grump - why not go see what's happening over at Tami's Amis ?

FO Friday 82: Quick, Quick, Slow

Well, not only is it the Easter holidays coming to an end - boo, hiss and boo again because I have really enjoyed having the kids at home - but I have two proper FOs to share today while they are boogying, grooving and generally getting on down with their bad selves to the UK Top 40.

Firstly, I finally finished the Candleflame Shawl, which I started ... umm ... an embarrassingly long time ago (July 2011, can you believe it ?!) but then again, there was no deadline for it. I will replace this rubbish photo if I can find someone to take a decent one for me:

And to show the detail of the flames with beads:

I altered the top edging to moss stitch from ribbing because I wanted something a little  firmer. This was made using BFL Laceweight in the colorway 'Fire Festival' from Laura at the Abstract Cat, on 3.25mm needles; I used about 600m, and have approximately 210m left for something. Dunno what the something is yet, though ...

And recently I had a request to make something specific; I was wary to start with, because who knows what an incautious 'yes' might have committed me to. But it turned out to be a hat for my young nephew, as his original had fallen into Dover Harbor and, when last seen, it was floating its way to France; the deal was sealed when I was told that my hat was the only one he'd wear - well played indeed, clever SIL. So here it is, another 3am Cable Hat, modelled by Mini Diva:

I even had enough of the original yarn left to complete it, Stylecraft Extra Special DK in 'blue marl': soft, machine washable, easy to knit with. And whilst searching for this half-ball in the yarn tub, I came across another yarn I'd forgotten about which I think will be just right for my next project ... more of  which another time.

Don't forget to check out all the other lovely FOs today over at Tami's Amis ...

FO Friday 56: The Seekrit is Out

Well, this is the least I can show you:


A tiny ball about the size of a large marble, which is what's left over after the completion of the Seekrit Projekt.

'Course, that really is the least I can show you. But since I'm in an expansive, friendly and generous mood (let's not say exhibitionist or proud), I will reveal the Seekrit Projekt in it's entirety:




































Posed over a recently painted wall just up the road - I needed a light background to show the shawl at its best; I had to wait til the kids were at school to do this in case my eccentricity embarrassed them ...

As for the Madeline Tosh laceweight 'Prairie', colorway 'Briar'. Hmm. Yes, it's nice. 840 yards/768 metres, which is good. But it is still only merino wool - and not especially soft, at that. The color is lovely, but again, I don't find it to be jaw-dropping. So I don't think that it justifies its price tag of £25.00 (approx. $40US) when in the USA it retails for $25 (approx. £16) , a considerable difference that I do not believe is due to merely the shipping costs.

Don't forget to check out Tami's Amis for other beautiful creations ....