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| Paulina Tarot |
Well, the test knit is blocking, and looks pretty in spite of where it went wrong. I am not one to sit idle, as you know. At least when it comes to knitting - housework is a whole 'nother story. But as I say, February is a heavy-duty month for birthdays - I have one gift made, and have just started another, in a beautiful rich shade of Stylecraft Special DK called 'Emperor':
Yes, that is a Magic Loop, and my 'spensive KnitPro Symfonie fixed circulars. I luffs them. They are wood, they feel good, they are pretty, and the cable is nice and flexible. I do worry though that maybe some of the patterns I do which may involve things like P3tbl (purl 3 through the back of the loop) may end up either dulling or ruining the points.
And here is more knitting-in-a-circle, but it is too large to count as Magic Loop, it is just a plain old circle, the beginning of a summer top, Fluidity, for Mini Diva, using Wendy Happy 4ply in 'Prussian Blue' that I had frogged from a previous project that I lost enthusiasm for:
I have way more things to share with you, but I'm hanging on to those for a little while to make you come back. Meanwhile, go check out all the projects at Tami's Amis ....
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| Robin Wood Tarot |
Wow, it has been one of those weeks: Belo was in hospital for an angiogram, and they kept him overnight; then the next day they told him he could walk home and didn't bother telling any of his family that he'd been discharged. Auntie Fashion goes into hospital today for a Campath treatment for her Behcets. DH has promised me on pain of being gutted slowly with a teaspoon that he is heading for an A&E when he finishes work today - Moonheart bit his arm at the weekend, and now it is hugely infected and goopy. Plus he needs a tetanus shot.
And today there has also been a visit to the dentist.
Not, not a snowball's chance in hell was it me.
Mini Diva had a cracked tooth which then broke. Today at her emergency appointment, the dentist injected anaesthetic and whipped the remainder of it out in like 3 seconds. She is a lovely - and good - dentist. Mini Diva was a little sweaty afterwards, but didn't make even the tiniest of squeaks during the whole experience. If I hadn't given birth to her, I'd be seriously doubting she was mine.
Unless there was one of those terrible mistakes you read about, where babies are accidentally switched ? What do you think ?
In spite of all the drama, I have managed a little progress on the Vintage Lee Target Baby Cardigan:
I am thinking that maybe the thin little lines of twisted stitches that create the simple pattern is actually too simple and plain. I decided that a project requiring a cable needle was not one I wanted to work on in hospital, which also ruled out the stripey cabled baby sweater, and the crocheted baby blankey is complete. So, what to do ?
The first few items in my queue are not small, and probably aren't straightforward. I don't have the yarn yet for the kids' school sweaters, which are the next thing on my timeline to do.
Yes, I guess I could have taken a book, but I find it impossible to read and chat at the same time; not so with knitting and chat. I recalled I recently found this pattern in one of the charity shops:
Patons Kismet is discontinued (of course) but I had recently added another ball of Wendy Happy in 'Prussian' to my stash. For some reason, it seemed a good and practical idea to substitute this 4ply nylon/bamboo blend yarn for the Kismet yarn, which was a mohair/acrylic blend DK.
No, I have no idea what my train of thought was. Or even if there was one at all, if the truth be known.
The gauge given in the pattern is 24 stitches and 30 rows to 4 inches/10cm, stocking stitch on 3.75mm needles. Of course, the pattern doesn't actually use stocking stitch. Many rational and normal people might have knitted a swatch at this point; but I have have never claimed to be rational, and certainly any claim to normality would be a big fat old lie. Plus, where would be the adventure if I knew beforehand how it would work out ?
While I continue down this literally uncharted path of adrenaline-filled excitement, why not pop over to Tami's Amis to see the progress of others ?
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| Housewives Tarot |
Oh my, how time flies !
We made it to the end of term - just. And an odd weekend it was, too - with both snow falling at the coldest Easter for 50 years, the clocks changing to British Summer Time and DH home for all four days ....
In addition, Belo had the kids on Saturday, for their requested sleepover, and took them to Auntie Fashion's on Sunday in order to OD on Easter chocolate, so we luxuriated in most unusual child-free silence and too many hours of sleep.
But that was after our little foray to Franklins in Colchester; and we had a little venture out to Twist in Woodbridge a couple of weeks ago for their sale: all totally justified as one trip was my Xmas present, and one was for my birthday. You'd think I'd be replete with yarn. But .... no. I am confident we can convert the Mushroom Incident into yarn too ....
My secret birthday present to myself, I bought 800m of this most amazing merino/tencel laceweight in the colorway 'Pumpkin Spice' from the lovely Kirsty at Wharfedale Woolworks; great yarns, great colors, great service. No, it wasn't the first time I've bought from her ....
From our trip to Woodbridge, I managed to snaffle a NDS Dazzling 4ply (55% Blue-Faced Leicester wool, 45% silk) in the colorway 'Apple' from Karen's sale bin; unfortunately the photo on this sunny sunny day does not do it justice - it is a far more lively limey/yellow green.
And oops, look what else accidentally fell into my stash (color chosen by DH) - Schoeller&Stahl Shadow Fortissima Color:
And Franklins in Colchester had Sirdar Softspun DK on sale, so I bought approx 600m of these two colorways, having in mind some kind of end-of-term gift for the kids' teachers:
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| Faded Jade |
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| Duskie |
This was not in the sale, but Mini Diva has requested a shawl in something softer than the Cygnet 4ply I used; so Wendy Happy is a blend of bamboo and acrylic, and was chosen by DH in a blind fondle test as the softest, beating two merino blends:
I am so sorry, I have no more time to sit and chat, there is serious fondling and gloating to be done ....
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