FO Friday 171: Failure

Durer Tarot

Well, I'm here to confess and admit to a bit of an aberration - a startling lack of perfectionism. You'll remember I was doing another test knit for Emily Ross, a stockinette version of her popular Haruni shawl.

I can hear you wondering how I could make a mess of something that is stockinette. But wait !

It wasn't the stockinette that defeated me.

It wasn't the tulip/leaf-shaped lace border.

It wasn't the somewhat finicky pinning and blocking.
 
It wasn't even the 312 (yes, I counted) size 6/0 beads placed individually with a 0.6mm steel crochet hook.

It was the loopy edging:
 

I didn't find the chart for it simple, and the written  instructions did not mention the difference in the number of chains per section that make up the loops. Having looked at other people's finished shawls, I could see what the chart meant, but by then it was too late for me - I did not contemplate for longer than a millisecond the idea of unpinning the blocked shawl and undoing the edging with it's 116 beads (yes, I counted) and howevermany stitches, and then having to re-block it.

I think if I had made the original Haruni, or even looked at it, I would have had a far better understanding of this border - but then, that's the point of a test knit: to find the things that people trip over and fix them so that even a fool like me can make it.

On the plus side, the yarn - Regia Hand-dyed Effect in 'Amethyst' (purple shades) - was nice and soft, and the shawl still turned out really pretty. And I've learned that the agony sting of imperfection fades a little if you give it time.

Pop over to Tami's Amis for pretty pictures without any self-pity ....

 

WIP Wednesday 180: Circles

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 ....

FO Friday 168: Ultraviolet

                                                      

Phantomwise Tarot

                

I kind of feel like Hippomenes, but instead of golden apples, I am casting previously made but undisplayed FOs at you instead: can you believe I have been paralyzed all week ? I have been unable to progress with the Summer Garden Granny Square Blankey as I have been sitting gazing it at contemplating the Color Conundrum.

But I am unaccustomedly merciful, and shall not make you suffer my agonies. Rather, you may gaze in admiration at the completed Forest Pansy Shawl:

The pattern is by Linda Choo, and the yarn is Jamieson & Smith 2ply Laceweight in the exciting colors of 'L20' and 'L49', or 'purple' and 'lilac'. My MIL had sent me 3 balls of each color from Shetland, and I have a little less than a ball left of each - and the shawl has turned out a goodly size. Yes, you'll gave to take my word for it, as I forgot to measure it again, and can't be bothered to move right now.

This yarn come in a great palette of colors and is easy to work with, if perhaps a tad ... harsh ... for us poor sensitive wussy southerners - but it is much softer after a gentle wash and lots of fabric conditioner.

 While I unresistingly sink back into the mental lethargy induced by too much pondering, you could pop over to Tami's Amis to see everything else that has been finished this week .....

FO Friday 156: Grumps

Tarot of the Magical Forest

Between my ISP and Blogger, I shall have pulled out all my hair strand by painful strand before I manage to complete this post. Yes, I am feeling grumpy, how did you guess ?

I had been feeling as if I was trudging through treacle recently, as I seemed to be doing lots of knitting, but not finishing anything. The sweater for Titch ie. DH is on a hiatus while I sulk about not having enough yarn to complete a pullover for a giant ogre and I sulk about him being an ogre. Then I shall sulk some more, as I completed Destructo Boy's school cardigan this week, the second one this year as the first was too small despite my squeezing him in my anaconda coils, only for him to tell me it was too big and puffy. Grump.

 

 

 It does look a lot better now that it has been washed (after this photo) but the photo of the apres-wash cardigan was way more rubbish than this one. Grumpety grumble. It is Sirdar 2363, in Supersoft Aran: I modified it by adding the pockets, clever me - that way I have somewhere to put the bricks with which I shall weight him down before hurling him from the bridge. Grump.

 And then this morning I finished my Infidelity project. It looks like a dish-rag as it is not yet blocked:

 

I love Malabrigo Lace Yarn - so soft ! so squooshy ! - but it is the skein that never ends. I did lots of repeats of various parts of the pattern, AND a picot bind-off, and I still have 5 or 7 grams left. Grump.

 So it is just as well for the bodily safety all in my near vicinity that the postman showed up with this:

Jamieson & Smith 2ply Laceweight sent by my lovely MIL from her recent visit to Shetland. Such fabulous depth of color, and these skeins contrast so brilliantly, don't they ? I say nothing about the texture as yet, I'm trying to improve myself and make less snap judgments. Grump.

Yes, I do have a plan in mind for them, as it goes, just it won't be happening right this minute as another plan has swept in like a tsunami. Oh yes, I am spontaneity personified. But you already knew that ....

While I spend the next hours or so blocking my Infidelity project and drinking Ceylon tea because I have run out of Assam - grump - why not go see what's happening over at Tami's Amis ?

FO Friday 127: Frankenwabbit 3, The Final Sequel

Alice Tarot

Here we are, another week done. And after a recent dearth of FOs the size of the Sahara, today we have two. 

Well, one and a half really, because mitts come in pairs and I have completed only one, which makes the half: But I will take any crumb.

Cafe au Lait mitt

Not washed or blocked yet, which I'm hoping will have a beneficial effect on the curly top edge: I used the Miraculous Elastic Bind-off, and not only is it miraculously elastic (as promised) but somewhat bulky, giving the mitt that kind of almost frilled look ...

And here we have him, the pièce de résistance: I present to you, Frankenwabbit.

He has been washed and dried, although unfortunately not in a tumble dryer which I think would have benefited the fluffiness of the yarn. Washing him I knew had a high-risk element to it for other reasons, namely, since I sewed it together, maybe Frankenwabbit would come apart and then clog the filters with his guts ... but no, that gory scenario was just a worrisome wraith of imagination. 

What it did do was re-distribute his bowels and intestines within his body - I had put more stuffing in that recommended, plus a small bag of polypellets in his bum to weight him which after the wash ended up closer to his neck; and if he had had less stuffing, he would not have been so easy to pull and manipulate back into some kind of normal shape. Yes, I know I have called him Frankenwabbit, but that was supposed to be humorous, not an actual description of his actual appearance.

I shall not be making him again. But say I were to fall victim to total memory loss combined with creative insanity, then next time I would be looking to knit lots of him in the round, to avoid all that seaming. This is also definitely not a pattern that would work in a plain, non-fuzzy or non-furry yarn: the end result relies on that for not only the cuddly look, but the actual cuddliness.

The final touches were his fluffy tail, which, since he is sitting on it, you cannot see, but which although invisible I promise you - like gravity - is there, and the pretty ribbon round his lack of a neck. Now all I need to do is work out how to package and/or wrap him ....

 Hop on over (oh how they all laughed at the pun) to Tami's Amis  to see more prideful objects ....

WIP Wednesday 133: Frankenwabbit 2 or, Igor Gets to Work

Victorian Romantic Tarot

Well, I survived half-term, and in fact I would have really enjoyed it if only the kids hadn't been hell-bent on squabbling every living moment of every day. I was dutifully maternal, enough so that I didn't get to knit very much; so today I was looking at the WIP I'm supposed to be rushing through, but thinking ''Meh'' and just not feeling the love for it:

Cafe au Lait Mitts, left hand, Sirdar Country Style DK

 And at the back of my mind was this itch, the really irritating kind of itch where you have forgotten something vitally important, but you haven't forgotten that you forgot. After Herculean efforts in the old brainbox, I remembered the FrankenWabbit, which MUST be completed for Mini Diva's birthday next week. 

So today may now be told in pictures:
 

Right, Igor, find me the body parts

 

2 rabbit's feet must be extra lucky. Except not for the rabbit

we're not too fussy about sourcing our body parts, are we, Igor ?

only missing 1 limb, does it really need all four, Igor ?

sitting before we can lie down, are we, Frankenwabbit ?

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Wabbit

Igor, where is his neck ??

 

Quick Igor, hide him, I can hear the villagers coming ...

Igor, coffins are for vampires, not Frankenwabbits

                                    “...learn from my miseries, and do not seek to increase your own.” 
                                                               ― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein



Pop over to Tami's Amis for things of far more beauty ....

Captain Oates

Housewives Tarot

Like the good Captain, ''I am just going outside, and I may be some time''. 

I just popped in to quickly let you know that it is half-term, and because I know no fear, not only is Mini Diva's BFF here for the day and to sleep over, this afternoon we are going to collect one of Destructo Boy's friends and his little sister, and all head over to the park.

Wednesday the children are going out with Belo for the day, Thursday Mini Diva is out at a friend's house, Friday Destructo Boy is at a 5 hour football coaching session, during which time I have Secret Plans for Mini Diva before she goes to a friend's disco party in the evening.

How this all fits in with MIL's (so far) present-less birthday tomorrow, I don't know  - I have the pattern, the yarn and, to DH's utter disbelief, some new circular knitting needles. 

What he didn't believe was that I have so many pairs already yet still lacked this particular size (3.50mm). All I have to do is sit down with no other distractions and nothing else to do and knit like a fiend. Uh-huh, that's so gonna happen.

Oh, and I have signed up for a KAL for eskimimi's latest pattern, Mrs.Tumnus; fortunately, that won't start until half-term is over, thus giving me time not only to wind the yarn, but to catch my breath ....

Pop by later in the week and see how - or if - I'm surviving ....

FO Friday 123: Twilight Time

Whimsical Tarot

Just the quickest of quick posts today - just look at the photo !

 No, not the shawl - the clear BLUE sky ! As in, not grey. As in, not cloudy. As in, not raining.

So I abandoned all thoughts of housework, grabbed this shawl that has been washed and blocked for over 2 weeks, and ran outside to drape it artistically over the fence for you, and then take a rubbish photo.

It is the Summer Flies Shawl, which I have called Twilight Time on this occasion because of the lovely purple Adriafil Azzurra that it is made with:

,

And the soundtrack is, of course:




While you hum along, pop over to Tami's Amis for lots more finished items ....

FO Friday 107: Just Say No

Inner Child Cards

I can't say 'no', apparently, when it comes to making these granny square cushions - they're totally addictive; so much so that I made a further two this week.

Firstly, for Mini Diva - she prefers the pink & red side vs. the purple & pink side; I just like that it perfectly fits the duck feather cushion pad:

And this one - the color of which is the subject of my last blog post - is for my youngest niece, who has a purple-themed bedroom:

I was rattling away, and did 16 rounds (I thought) exactly as I did for Mini Diva's cushion - and the result just shows that me and Gauge are just SO not friends. It seems we're not even mere acquaintances: it's too large for the duck feather cushion pad, and even generous on the 18'' man-made one.

But now I really must try to say no to any more cushions for the time being, as yarn has arrived for me to complete Auntie Fashion's Blankey. And the habit these granny square cushions have of proliferating reminds me of the famous 'Trouble with Tribbles' ...

I doubt you'll see any Tribbles over at Tami's Amis ....