WIP Wednesday 172: Pre-WIP

Housewives Tarot

 So I don't seem to have a WIP. Well, OK, there might be one that technically counts somewhere covered in dust. But real live active ones ? Nope.

But I do have all the bits and bobs gathered together to cast on this lovely little baby sweater for a friend of mine who is due in June:

Yes, I've made it before - but it's such a charming and unusual pattern that I'm doing it again - this time hopefully without the unintentional 'design elements'.

For now, I must go cook posh sausages for Belo's birthday ....while you recover from the shock, pop over to Tami's Amis to see what's happening there ....

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 ....

WIP Wednesday: Disguise Fair Nature ....

Tarot of the Northern Shadows

 








.... with hard favour'd rage (Henry V, III.1)

Why, no, this is not a post about any hormonal or medication-al issues I might have.

No, it isn't a post about the gory Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire - although I'm so annoyed with Martin I'm not going to read any more of the story, even if he actually manages to keep going and complete the next stage/book - me not buying it, will of course make all the difference in the world to him.

Oh I SEE. The wolf.

Well, that's because of this:

Cascade Alpaca Lace in the colorway 'Peony Pink'. Perfectly innocuous, even when pictured on a chair as the big piece of white card I usually use for pics is somehow covered in muddy paw prints, and you'd think, a good match for the Boo Knits pattern 'Sweet Dreams'.

You'd think wrong. 

I had to rip back the stockinette section to the beginning 3 times - I don't know why it kept going so wrong, it's not like it was a challenging part of the pattern. And then once more, just as I reached the final chart for the border - I'd made a huge error somewhere which resulted in the stitch count being wildly out, and the lace pattern being decidedly on the huh. So now it sits in splendid solitude while I stomp and huff around the house, with the dog avoiding my gaze.

Well, OK, so it might actually have something to do with hormones and meds as well, then. Pop over to Tami's Amis and see what balanced people are achieving .....

Made It !

Fantastic Menagerie Tarot

  Well, we made it through the Fire Swamp Easter holidays - lots of sleepovers, bright but cold weather, and I still have the cold that Mini Diva gave me, which seems to be hanging on forever - and today Destructo Boy went back to school dressed in colorful shorts, a T-shirt and a warm jacket for 'Beachwear Day'. It is somehow connected to this term's Topic, the World Cup, and Brazil; as is their visit to the cinema on Thursday during class-time to see Rio 2. We are sure that this has some kind of educational benefit, aren't we ?

Mini Diva, on the other hand, sits her SATs next month, and the revision pressure seems to be on - they don't appear to be learning anything new, just re-doing lots of old stuff. Of course, this emphasis would have nothing to do with the school being in Special Measures, about to convert to Academy status, and desperate to improve its standing .... I need to just take a deep breath and get her through this final term of primary school without her totally stressing out. Yes, she is only 11 years old. So wrong ....

On a more cheerful note, I managed to finish the Deadline Item by the Deadline - my youngest niece's 18th birthday. She had requested a blankey, so a blankey is what she got:

You may possibly recognize that this used to be the WIP formerly known as the Summer Garden Granny Square Blanket:

At a very early stage

 Except I got bored with the granny squares, and time was racing on, so I made strips of the squares, added a couple of rounds of treble stitch round each strip, and then joined the strips together before adding a great big couple of border rounds around the whole thing. I forgot to count how many squares ended up being involved ....

Now, on this grey and damp morning, with my second optimistic wash of the day in the machine, I feel the overwhelming impulse for a lil nap to recoup my energies. It has nothing to do with the fact that I just inhaled the last bit of Mini Diva's homemade red velvet cake, nothing at all ....

Wittering

Shadowscapes Tarot

Almost one week into the holidays, and Mini Diva has kindly donated me her sore throat and snotty cold. I guess I can't complain too much, as I haven't had a cold for the longest time. Unfortunately I am out of rum, and Lemsip just doesn't taste the same (or have the same effect) without it.

In the quiet times I am hooking like a crazy person, and entertain some hopes of finishing the Deadline Item by the deadline. Next week. My nose is so blocked up it's almost the same as holding my breath, wouldn't you agree ?

Just because, here is a picture of someone who clearly knows he should not be where he is:

As usual, I have been able to count on the Eviller Twin and the Good Twin:

  

And inside was - no, not a herbal cure, if I used this I would die (and not from fluffiness) - but a housewarming present of two brugmansias (which the conservative amongst us might call daturas) :

They are presently being cossetted (but we're not telling them that, as you know what results) in the conservatory while they recover from their journey. Plus, I need to find some nice pots for them to go out on the patio ....I imagine sultry summer evenings of purple shadows and tropical fragrance, gin, tonic, lime and ice in hand ....

OK, so maybe the Lemsip is having some kind of hallucinatory effect ....

WIP Wednesday: Non-Stop

Housewives Tarot

Well, I almost posted on Monday, but I was so grumpy I didn't: someone who I thought was a decent human being turned out not to be. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me to find out that they were a puppy-kicker. Anyway.

On to more cheerful things: a dawn raid on our old house resulted in the quick and easy capture of the Inky cat, who seems to have settled down nicely, appearing nonchalant about the increase in number of dogs in the new neighborhood while at the same time seeing off intruders into his new territory:

Yes, he really is that mehusive.

What with the mega-sleepover the kids had at the weekend (7 children altogether), Mini Diva's parents' evening (yes, she continues to overachieve, is on all the sports teams, be socially delightful yadda-yadda) and planting my patio roses retrieved from the old house, plus clue 5 of the Spring Fling MKAL seemed to be about three times the size of the normal clue, I have only managed to get 2/3 of the way through it, although clue 6 was released last Sunday - a quick glance shows we are nearing the end, as it is the short row section ....

There are a squillion beads in there. Not that you can see even one, of course.

But it's all on hold, I have 2 weeks to complete a massive Very Important Project. Crochet, too.

Yes, yes, you're totally right, what AM I doing here chatting with you when I should be hooking my way to glory ?

See what everyone else is up to over at Tami's Amis ....