WIP Wednesday 156: Bobbing Along

Spiral Tarot

Firstly, a little reminder that today is the last date for entry into my free tarot deck giveaway - all you have to do is leave a comment on this post here.

I have to confess, I've been slacking a bit recently - I got caught up in all the excitement of finishing a couple of projects over the weekend, and have rested on my laurels somewhat this week. However, my work ethic is kind of uncomfortably prickly (the Devil finds work for idle hands), so I have started Destructo Boy's Grade 3 School Cardigan , using Cygnet DK in 'Navy':

I'm using a retro/vintage pattern I found, but of course am changing the buttons to the other side for him. The original stitch pattern is some type of eyelet cable, but I tried it a few times and it just didn't look right; having taken advice from Ravelry, I blew it out of the water and am using a simple 3x3 twisted rib stitch, which has thus far met with Destructo Boy's approval.

It seems that recently I have been using mainly retro/vintage patterns, and so far I can say that some of the things I have noticed is that they are reliant on design and stitch patterns for interest, as opposed to any particular 'fashion' yarn, ie. a DK pattern is a DK pattern and any ordinary DK can be used.

Therefore, the designs and stitch patterns seem to be far more unusual and interesting than most modern patterns; they also tend to use what to me are unusual sizes of needle - the pattern above requires 3.75mm needles for the body, when a more common size for DK weight yarn would be 4mm.

No, there's no point in whispering - or even shouting - 'swatch' at me. Like Ramon, 'Let me tell someting to joo' - it just ain't happening. 

I bet you can see other people who knit properly over at Tami's Amis ....

Tarot Blog Hop: Lammas 2013

HousewivesTarot

    
   Tarot Blog Hop: Lammas 2013



      
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You may have come from Joanna's blog, or fallen backwards from Chloe's - or even alighted here by random fate, how lucky for you. The theme chosen this time by Arwen, is:

''Lammas is a special time for me. It's the first harvest (generally fruits and grains) in many cultures. It's associated with baking bread among other things. I won't go into all that it is. Grin, you all have the ability to research for yourselves.

The first blog hop topic was "How can I be a better candle?" It was meant to spark the idea of how we can each light up ourselves and our community as a whole. Going off that theme, the question I have for us for the Lammas 2013 Tarot Blog Hop is:

"What can I share from my table to enrich my community?"

 Regular readers will already know that my table never looks like the one above, since I am not a cooker. I like to eat, of course, but I really dislike cooking - too many years doing it as part of my job, I think, has jaded me. In other words, if you want to get fat, it won't be in my house !

So, what I can I share to enrich my tarot community ?

This kind of reminds me of the Litha 2013 Tarot Blog Hop, when we had to tell people about how stupendously amazing we are. Of course, as a regular reader, you already knew how totes amazeballs I am, but it never hurts to remind of one's fabulousness, does it ? I feel I share with my tarot community as I am a teacher and mentor, as well as a founder member of TABI. But all that's kind of established and old hat and boring - which as you also know, is so not me.

Tarot of Durer

So I think I will add to my general overwhelming awesomeness by peaking with a plain and simple giveaway: all you have to do is leave a comment on this post. Next Wednesday I will use one of those random number generator thingies and a winner will be picked.

What's that ?

Winner of what, did you say ?

Oh yes, I forgot the really important bit - as it's a tarot blog hop, I think I shall give away a tarot deck. After a quick shuffle over to the bookshelves, I think the most appropriate deck on this occasion is the out of print I Tarocchi Del Buongustaio from Lo Scarabeo.

 Good to know I can still impress myself too.





Don't forget to check out all the other tarot Lammas offerings by clicking on the links below:
 
 

FO Friday 36: Mac's Cabled Scarf Free Pattern

So Mac's Scarf has been completed, washed, blocked, wrapped and posted ... and here is the free pattern.

Yarn: 4 x 50g Sublime Baby Cashmere Merino Silk DK, 464m/508yds. I used the colorway 'Button' 0051. Of course, you can substitute any DK yarn, as long as the yardage is about the same.

Needles: 4mm/US size 6

Legend:

T3F: twist 3 front (slip next 2st onto cable n

eedle in front of work, P1 from Left-hand needle, K2 st from cable needle)

T3B: twist 3 back (slip next st onto cable needle at back of work, K2 st from Left-hand needle,P 1st from cable needle)

C4F: cable 4 front (slip next 2st onto cable needle

at front of work, K2 st from Left-hand needle,K2 st from cable needle)

T4F: twist 4 front (slip next 2 st onto cable needle at front of work, P2 st from Left-hand needle, K2 st from cable needle)

T4B: twist 4 back (slip next 2 st onto cable needle at back of work, K2 st from Left-hand needle, P2 st from cable needle)

T5L: twist 5 left(slip next 2 st onto the cable needle in front of work, K2,P1 from Left-hand needle, then K2 off the cable needle)

The first and last 3 stitches in each row create a garter stitch edging.

Cast on 58 stitches.

Knit 3 rows.

Row 1 (RS): K3,P1 [P5,T5L,P5] P2 [P2,C4F,P4,C4F,P2] P2 [P5,T5L,P5] P1,K3

Row 2: K4 [K5,P2,K1,P2,K5] K2 [K2,P4,K4,P4,K2] K2 [K5,P2,K1,P2,K5] K4

Row 3: K3,P1 [P4,T3B,K1,T3F,P4] P2 [P2,K4,P4,K4,P2] P2 [P4,T3B,K1,T3F,P4] P1,K3

Row 4: K4 [K4,P2,K1,P1,K1,P2,K4] K2 [K2,P4,K4,P4,K2] K2 [K4,P2,K1,P1,K1,P2,K4] K4

Row 5:K3,P1 [P3,T3B,K1,P1,K1,T3F,P3] P2 [P2,C4F,P4,C4F,P2] P2 [P3,T3B,K1,P1,K1,T3F,P3] P1,K3

Row 6: K4 [K3,P2(K1,P1 twice)K1,P2,K3] K2 [K2,P4,K4,P4,K2] K2 [K3,P2 (K1,P1 twice) K1,P2,K3] K4

Row 7: K3,P1 [P3,T3B,(K1,P1 twice)K1,T3F,P2] P2 [(T4B,T4F twice)] P2 [P2,T3B,(K1,P1 twice) K1,T3F,P2] P1,K3

Row 8:K4 [K2,P2(K1,P1 three times) K1,P2,K2] K2 [P2,K4,P4,K4,P2] K2 [K2,P2(K1,P1 three times)K1,P2,K2] K4

Row 9: K3,P1 [P1,T3B(K1,P1 three times)K1,T3F,P1] P2 [K2,P4,C4F,P4,K2] P2 [P1,T3B(K1,P1 three times) K1,T3F,P1] P1,K3

Row 10: K4 [K1,P2,(K1,P1 four times)K1,P2,K1] K2 [P2,K4,P4,K4,P2] K2 [K1,P2(K1,P1 four times) K1,P2,K1] K4

Row 11: K3,P1 [T3B(K1,P1 four times) K1,T3F] P2 [K2,P4,K4,P4,K2] P2 [T3B (K1,P1 four times) K1,T3F] P1,K3

Row 12: K4 [P2(K1,P1 five times)K1,P2] K2 [P2,K4,P4,K4,P2] K2 [P2(K1,P1 five times) K1,P2] K4

Row 13: K3,P1 [P5,T5L,P5] P2 [K2,P4,C4F,P4,K2] P2 [ P5,T5L,P5] P1,K3

Row 14: K4 [K5,P2,K1,P2,K5] K2 [ P2,K4,P4,K4,P2] K2 [K5,P2,K1,P2,K5] K4

Row 15: K3 ,P1[P4,T3B,K1,T3F,P4] P2 [ K2,P4,K4,P4,K2] P2 [P4,T3B,K1,T3F,P4] P1,K3

Row 16: K4 [K4,P2,K1,P1,

K1,P2,K4] K2 [P2,K4,P4,K4,P2] K2 [K4,P2,K1,P1,K1,P2,K4] K4

Row 17: K3,P1 [P3,T3B,K1,P1,K1,T3F,P3] P2 [K2,P4,C4F,P4,K2] P2 [P3,T3B,K1,P1,K1,T3F,P3] P1,K3

Row 18: K4 [K3,P2(K1,P1 twice)K1,P2,K3] K2 [P2,K4,P4,K4,P2] K2 [K3,P2(K1,P1 twice) K1,P2,K3] K4

Row 19: K3,P1 [P2,T3B(K1,P1 twice)K1,T3F,P2] P2 [K2,P4,K4,P4,K2] P2 [P2,T3B(K1,P1 twice) K1,T3F,P2] P1,K3

Row 20: K4 [K2,P2(K1,P1 three times)K1,P2,K2] K2 [P2,K4,P4,K4,P2] K2 [K2,P2(K1,P1 three times) K1,P2,K2] K4

Row 21: K3,P1 [P1,T3B(K1,P1 three times)K1,T3F,P1] P2 [K2,P4,C4F,P4,K2] P2 [P1,T3B(K1,P1 three times)K1,T3F,P1] P1,K3

Row 22: K4 [K1,P2(K1,P1 four times)K1,P2,K1] K2 [P2,K4,P4,K4,P2] K2 [K1,P2(K1,P1 four times)K1,P2,K1] K4

Row 23: K3,P1 [T3B(K1,P1 four times)K1,T3F] P2 [(T4F,T4B) twice] P2 [T3B(K1,P1 four times) K1,P2,K1] P1,K3

Row 24: K4 [P2(K1,P1 five times)K1,P2] K2 [K2,P4,K4,P4,K2] K2 [P2(K1,P1 five times)K1,P2] K4

Repeat the above 24 pattern rows as many times as you like until the scarf has reached your desired length; tension/gauge is not particularly important - I found 1 ball did about 102 rows, or just over 4 pattern repeats.

Knit 3 rows.

Cast off. Wash and block gently.

As ever - if you knit this and find any errors, please do let me know so I can correct them; and a little reminder that today's FOs can be found over at Tami's Amis.

At First I Was Afraid

... I was petrified. But actually, it turned out to be not so bad as I thought. Last week I happened to be listening to our local independent radio station, Town 102, when they had a phone-in competition for some tickets; all you had to do was name the other half of a comedy duo, and then have your name picked out of a hat.



Naming Large as the other half of Little wasn't a problem for someone my age; and it was my lucky day to be picked out of a hat.
The tickets turned out to be for this:



For the uninitiated, the Chuckle Brothers (Paul and Barry) are a comedy duo whose target audience is children the age of mine; of course, I'd won two tickets, so needed to buy one so that they could both go. Absolutely fizzing with excitement - well, the two of them at least - we trickled down to the Regent Theatre (that many still refer to as The Gaumont) last night to catch the show. At £15 per ticket, still the theatre was almost full.

The very thin story revolved around Jack Frost being Santa's wicked brother, who stole all the presents, which were only retrieved with the help of the Chuckle Brothers. There were magic tricks, there were odd fluorescent puppet things doing random skits, there were parents from the audience getting custard-pied, there was ''it's behind you'' for George the Abominable Snowman, there was lots of '' 'ulloooo'' and ''to me, to you, to me'', there were toilet rolls being flung into the audience along with sweets and crisps, there were songs to shout along to, and - perhaps best of all - there was a pantomime reindeer named Nuts that peed on the audience anytime anyone said 'pea'. Or 'pee'. Or 'p'. You get the idea.


My kids had a ball, saucer-eyed and open-mouthed at the magic tricks, hoarse with shouting at wicked Jack Frost, and trying to drown each other out on the Christmas songs, nearly wetting themselves with laughter when Nuts the reindeer peed on the front rows - so much so that Destructo Boy cried when it ended. I had a ball watching them.

Free Pattern: Cabled Hot Water Bottle Cover

Isn't it a crying shame that through the etheric medium of the interwebs you cannot distinguish exactly quite how incredibly pleased and satisfied with myself I am ? Which, on a scale of 1 to 10, today is about eleventy-twelve.

I took a notion that I wanted to knit a hot water bottle cover/cozy for my MIL for Xmas from the lovely yarn I picked up from Twist recently .... however, do you think I could find a pattern for what I wanted ?

Well, as it goes, I could - in some Patons booklet that I could not work out how to buy/download since it didn't like that I am not American. I believe most of the world, indeed, is not American. Google informs me that only 7% of the world's population lives in America. I do love some individual Americans, but as a nation, sometimes they frustrate me beyond belief with their egocentricity, and apparent insistence way past rational, that nothing 'real' exists beyond their borders.

Still, let's abandon that somewhat grumpy digression and return to the fun stuff: a new pattern by Me, an example of necessity being the mother of invention.

It's for Aran weight yarn, knitted on 5.5mm (US size 9) needles; I think I used approximately 210 yards/ 192 meters. Gauge is not awfully important, as long as your pieces when sewed together, fit over the hot water bottle - and remember that blocking can be your friend here.



I made mine stripey, because I could: each wide stripe is 16 rows, each narrow stripe ie. at the bottom and top, is 8 rows. I used 2 and a teeny bit skeins of Rooster Almerino Aran in shade 303 (rose pink - Strawberry Cream) and shade 301 (cream - Cornish). This Peruvian yarn is 50% baby alpaca and 50% merino wool, which equals 100% soft and squooshy; I paid £4.35 per skein, which I thought was reasonable value. The yardage is 103 yds/ 94m per 50grm skein.

The other side has alternating stripes to the first side - again, simply because I felt like it.



There is one other, minor, difference, that I improved for the second side (1st photo).

So without further ado:

Abbreviations:
C6F : place 3 st on cable needle to front, knit 3 st, knit 3 st from cable needle
C6B : place 3 st on cable needle to back, knit 3 st, knit 3 st from cable needle
T5F : place 3 st on cable needle to front, purl 2 st, knit 3 st from cable needle
T5B : place 2 st on cable needle to back, knit 3st, purl 2 st from cable needle
WS : wrong side
RS : right side

Materials: approx 210 yds/ 192 m aran/worsted weight yarn
1 pair 5.5 mm (US size 9) knitting needles
and do not forget, the hot water bottle itself


Cast on 55 stitches.

Foundation Row 1: P4, K6, P2, K1, P2 [ K3, P4, K6, P4, K6, P2] P2, K1, P2, K6, P4
Foundation Row 2: K4, P6, K3, P1, K3[ K2, P6, K4, P6, K4, P3] P2, K1, P2, K6, P4

Row 1: P4, K6, P2, K1, P2, [ K3, P4, C6F, P4, C6F, P2] P2, K1, P2, K6, P4
Row 2: K4, P6, K2, P1, K2, [ K2, P6, K4, P6, K4, P3] K2, P1, K2, P6, K4
Row 3: P4, C6B, P2, K1, P2 [ T5F, T5B, T5F, T5B, T5F] P2, K1, P2, C6F, P4
Row 4: K4, P6, K2, P1, K2 [ P3, K4, P6, K4, P6, K2] K2, P1, K2, P6, K4
Row 5: P4, K6, P2, K1, P2 [ P2, C6B, P4, C6B, P4, K3] P2, K1, P2, K6, P4
Row 6: K4, P6, K2, P1, P2 [ P3, K4, P6, K4, P6, K2] K2, P1, K2, P6, K4
Row 7: P4, C6B, P2, K1, P2 [ T5B, T5F, T5B, T5F, T5B] P2, K1, P2, C6F, P4
Row 8: K4, P6, K2, P1, K2, [ K2, P6, K4, P6, K4, P3] K2, P1, K2, P6, K4

Rows 1 - 8 set pattern.
Repeat rows 1- 8 a further 7 times (8 repeats altogether) or until length required. End on WS.

RS facing. Cast off 15 stitches.
Commence 2 x 2 rib: [P2, K2] for 24 stitches.
K or P as required in pattern until end.
WS facing, cast off 14 stitches. 2 x 2 rib as set on previous row for remaining 24 stitches. Continue until long enough to cover hot water bottle neck, approx. 12 - 14 rows or 6cm/ 2.5ins
Cast off in rib.

Repeat instructions to make 2nd side.

Weave in ends.
Wash gently and block gently to size.
When dry, sew bottoms and sides together; fit over hot water bottle, oversew shoulders and neck sides.



I feel that, in my ignorance, I may not have used some standard knitting patterns terms/conventions etc - do please feel free to comment below and educate me ...

Yaay

I really enjoyed Tarot Hands Across the World, celebrating what used to be World Tarot Day before it was apparently trademarked and no-one can use the term any more ....

All five readings that I offered through this blog were taken up - I'm just waiting for a question from LizzieK8 - and the feedback I've had was not only good, but helpful.

I did a few readings via Twitter, and found that the 140 character limit was just not going to work - there's just too much information to relay in such a limited message; so to deal with that issue, multiple DMs were sent .

I really must say again, thanks to Mimi, for her most helpful suggestion for how to handle the storm in a teacup - it worked.

Tarot Hands Across the World

Today, to celebrate Tarot Hands Across the World, I am offering a free 1 card tarot reading to the first 5 commenters on this post.

In addition, I'll be offering free 1 card readings on Twitter - and trying to do them in 140 characters ! Just DM me ....

You can find more people who are involved here.