FO Friday 152: Discounts and Done

New Palladini Tarot

Last year I booked Destructo Boy's birthday party at a football centre because a friend had pointed me in the direction of a discount website, which meant we got a 50% discount on the cost.





More recently, I am discovering just why couponing is both popular and addictive - we paid 25% of the going rate for 2 games of bowling because of a discount voucher I had, and for the cinema I had a 20% discount, one free adult ticket and a voucher for free popcorn, so we have seen Despicable Me 2 (not as good as the first film, I am sorry to say). I had a voucher for 25% off in the store where I bought Destructo Boy's uniform, and a £10 off voucher for the the store where I bought some of Mini Diva's uniform. I have had lots of discount vouchers for my weekly online grocery shop this summer, and lots of discount vouchers for petrol. And I still have a £5 voucher for Morrisons, which I am saving for a blue day when I really need their Secret Surprise Centre Lemon Muffins to heal my soul.

This is kind of new to me, as couponing has not been big in the UK - so I am keeping my eyes peeled for more exciting discounts and deals, although I would like to reassure you that I am some way off yet from dumpster diving in a frantic hunt for coupons.

And in the same vein, ie. success that makes me happy, I completed all my self-imposed crafting tasks for August: 1 baby cardigan, Mini Diva's school cardigan,1 baby hat, 1 patchwork cot quilt, and Destructo Boy's school cardigan:

I think I should have made it a size bigger, but hey, I can squeeze him tightly to make him smaller ....

All this also means that when a forlorn and neglected DH asked me if I'd started his old man cardigan yet, I could truthfully say 'yes'. I'm on a roll .....

See who else is rolled up over at Tami's Amis .....

FO Friday 150: The Home Stretch

Inner Child Tarot

 

 This week's FO Friday post shows what can be achieved when one sits down and totally ignores one's children and chores really tries to get something done. Being able to tune out loud squabbles and desperate pleas for food and clean clothes (I find earplugs helpful in this regard) allowed me to practice my concentrational skills, and thus I have a trio of finished projects to show off to you today.

First, I turned this vintage Lee Target Baby Cardigan

 

Into this:

 

I used skinny needles (2.75mm and 3.00mm) and 1 ball of skinny King Cole ZigZag sock yarn in Burgundy; in spite of its generous meterage (448m/493yds) you may recall that I ran out with about 1 inch of neck border to go; an appeal for leftovers on Ravelry was unsuccessful within the required time frame, so I caved and bought a whole new ball. If I recover from my sulk, I may turn the remaining 99% into a shawl. Or something.

While the baby cardigan was in its Time Out, I sprinted on with Mini Diva's School Cardigan for Grade 6; I have since gathered that this is a Retro rather than a Vintage pattern (it isn't old enough to be vintage yet):

 

Four balls of nameless black acrylic later (don't judge me, I know how hard she is on her clothes, and Winter is Coming, Jon Snow, when it is difficult to get heavy woolly clothes dry; even if you are kind and give me the benefit of the non-existent doubt, of course, that I would also be hand-washing such an item) and we have this practical and toasty tunic/cardigan:

 
 Because I'm good at full disclousre, here is the bottom half showing the crookedyish pockets:

I promise, they do not look quite as wonky in real life and normal light. Really.

 And then I figured I'd better get round to making a baby hat for the Nephew (August 2013 Edition) with the leftover yarn from the Striped and Cabled Baby Sweater:

 It was lovely to work with the King Cole Baby Comfort DK again, it is so smooth and soft. It took me an afternoon and evening to make this, so it genuinely deserves its name: Emergency 1 Day Hat. A great, simple, free pattern that looks way better in all the other project photos.

Yes, yes, yes, all right, I get it - don't skimp quite as much on the yarn for Mini Diva's next sweater. A mistake is only a mistake if you don't learn from it, right ?

There is one more thing that has been completed just this morning, but it is not mine to share yet. Yes, I am rather good at tantalizing, aren't I ?

 

Hanson-Roberts Tarot

Pop over to Tami's Amis to see the round-up of good stuff ....

WIP Wednesday 155: Pretence of Normality

Fenestra Tarot

As you can tell by the fact that I'm posting, I am feeling MUCH better - I am still totally aware of the dodgy tooth, but there is no pain right now - and please may it stay that way right through my next dental visit too. Oddly enough, I have somewhat lost my appetite for food that needs chewing, and the weather is far too hot for soup, so the plus side to all these shenanigans might be a little weight loss.

I was so discombobulated by the drama, lack of sleep and pain that I couldn't even knit, so I made up for lost time yesterday, with Mini Diva's Grade 6 School Cardigan. She is worried that by the time I finish it, it will no longer fit her as she is growing like a proverbial weed, but I have anticipated this, and added a bit of extra length to the body and sleeves.

Another vintage pattern from the charity shop, it looks a bit dated I think mainly because of the photography and the spot-on length of the sleeves at the wrist:

Sirdar DK 4122 says it is a 'tunic' but I call it a nice bum-warming winter cardigan; and it has the huge advantage of pockets. The cabling detail, which is also on the back, stops this from becoming a totally boring project to make. Grade 6 get to wear cool black instead of ooky jade, which is a little hard on my eyes for totally different reasons:

This is a cheap  inexpensive no-name acrylic (£1.00/approx. $1.52 for 100g, no yardage given on the label), but it is knitting up quite nicely, and will of course be better for a soothing wash; I bought 4 balls, and with one complete ball and a bit left, have only the right front, button bands and sewing up to go, so I am pretty hopeful I have enough yarn to complete it. 

Pop over to Tami's Amis where I am sure there are no worrisome toothaches slowing things down .....

WIP Wednesday 67: Oh My The Color !

Well, I'm back like I promised, in order to talk about my current WIPS - it was dry and not too overcast today, so I also managed to take a couple of photos:

This is the beginning of a baby blanket using Jarol New Arrivals Baby DK Randoms in the colorway 307 .... Bubblegum, on 4.5mm needles. They got the name spot on, I think; although I am calling it Raspberry Ice. I'm using the stitch pattern ''Tilting Block'' from Barbara Walker Vol.II .

And I have also started making a Christmas sweater for Destructo Boy, who stated his color preference as black. Oh how much those of us with poor eyesight to begin with love to knit with black on these long dark winter nights so badly lit by dull eco-bulbs. So anyway. I have a nice vintage pattern for a DK raglan sweater with a placket neck, and I found a lovely chart for a skull while I was roaming the interwebz. 

 I'm using Cygnet DK, which Ravelry has listed as a worsted weight for its recommended gauge, interestingly; it feels like a proper DK to me, not light and skinny like some can be - and nice and soft too.

I feel I must divulge to you that I've been looking at fingerless mitten patterns. I'm somewhat afeard that this may be sailing way too close to the lee shore that is sock knitting ....

You'll find lee shore survivors over at Tami's Amis ....