FO Friday 136: Irish Glam Shells

Whimsical Tarot

So, continuing with the spring theme of green, here is my Irish Glam Shells; Irish because of the brilliant emerald shades of the Jawoll Magic Degrade yarn in the colorway 'Parakeet' :

Please to note the artistically placed drainpipe, almost skillfully hidden. Cobwebs ? Not so much ...

I had more yarn than the pattern specified (437yds vs 400yds), so I did an extra repeat of the trellis lace pattern. However, this left me short when I arrived halfway through the shells border, so I bound off on Row 22 with 6 rows of the shell pattern remaining unknitted.

You'll be happy and relieved to hear that this little run of green has come to a temporary halt - on my needles are a cream WIP and a blue WIP; the blue one commissioned by Destructo Boy for his teacher's end of term present ....

Do remember to pop over to Tami's Amis to see lots more yarny goodness ...

WIP Wednesday 140: More Amphibian Color

Housewives Tarot

I am turning my back firmly on all the bad news out there this week, and using a birthday deadline as a cattle prod to focus me on completing 2 items this week - one is actually done, and in the washing machine as we speak. The other one ? Well, I have today and tomorrow to start and finish it. We do loves us a challenge, don't we ?


Sleep is only a luxury, right ? I am a big girl and I can stay up all night and still deal with the kids without melting down. Right ?

Well, lessee how we do. Let's not dwell too much about how we have done ...

I had completed all eight pattern repeats and was admiring my handiwork, when my pride wenteth before a fall, and my haughty spirit. ie. the shawl, wenteth before destruction: progress on the Irish Glam Shells is back to square one. Well, OK, actually square two really, but you get the idea. I found a glaring error that I could neither ignore nor fudge, so I had to rip it all out and start again:

This is the Jawoll Magic Degrade in the colorway 85.0075, which is far more interestingly and creatively known as 'Parakeet'. No, I don't know why I am on such a green kick at the moment either, it's weird and perhaps a tad unsettling.

And I keep meaning to remind you that Knit and Crochet Blog Week is back for the 4th year, starting next Monday 22nd April, 2013 ! Woo hoo !

All the introductory posts and instructions are at Mimi's blog. And to enable facilitate make things easier for you because, really, I am a nice person, here are the direct links you will need:

To find out about the Knit & Crochet Blog Week concept.

The daily topics.

To choose a House. 

How the Tag system works:

 It's a great opportunity not only to get into blogging regularly (and frequently !) but also a great way to discover a whole bunch of new blogs you had yet to discover: I have made some great friends through the last 3 Knit & Crochet Blog Weeks, too. There is a Ravelry community which will be discussing it as it happens here, too, if you are interested.

I am hoping to take part myself, and so I simply must prop my eyelids open with matchsticks and go read those links myself, so I know what to do on Monday ....

Meanwhile, I'm checking out Tami's Amis to see what everyone else is up to this week ....

Swag

Victorian Romantic Tarot

So OK, the muses have abandoned me - even Melpomene, for which one must be appropriately grateful - and so I have been very, very quiet.

But I know you are as nosey curious as me, so you'll be wanting to know what I received for my birthday last week; and if you're a tarot person, look away now, because nobody gave me anything to do with tarot at all. I know, right ?

But, my other obsession has been generously catered for, as you can see below, although my Twins appear to have swapped roles ...

My Eviller Twin gifted me with the pattern for the Blackberry Cabled Cardigan, and Belo gave me cash to buy yarn with, so I bought a cardigan's worth of Stylecraft Life DK in Rose (even though the Eviller Twin curls her lip at pink as being suitable only for little girls up to the age of six ... which is not me). But I think it will look lovely, and the lighter color will show the pattern to better advantage:

Belo's generosity stretched to these as well:

400m of 'Parakeet 17' Jawoll Magic Degrade

600m of 100% 4 ply lambswool in 'sky blue'

And somehow I managed to find a Raveller who was destashing some marvellous Fyberspates Scrumptious Lace in 'Gold' for the absolutely bargain irresistible price of only £10 (approx.$15) ! So that was my birthday present to myself ....

So that's the yarn part of my birthday swag, and I hope you'll notice my adventurousness in terms of colors chosen ... not my usual kind of palette at all, I think.

Good Twin obviously revelled in being more evil, as see what she has sent to me:

 

It is very pretty, and is on my bedside table to be dwelled on before sleep. But dwelled on in a kind of theoretical, distanced way. You know, like, wow that's totes amazing and I will never make anything from this book in this lifetime or any other but I really enjoy the eye candy. But in a parallel universe somewhere there is a Me that has already completed at least one of these patterns. Probably the same universe in which there is a Me that is six foot tall who does not have panic attacks when getting into a car.

The SIL who is thoughtfully providing a baby in August just for me to knit some pretty things for, sent me this book. I am not saying that there is any kind of point or agenda, oh no. But I used to think she was a gentle, kind person.

And therefore it is also directly her fault that I spent the Amazon vouchers sent by my lovely MIL on a book of Baby Afghan patterns. 

Crochet patterns, because we like a laugh realistic goal, don't we ?

I might have more to say later this week: but you'll never know unless you come back to see, will you ?