FO Friday 35/15: Scrumptious Stripes

Sacred Isle Tarot

So you may remember my forlorn aspiration of making an afghan for Destructo Boy in a week and a half. Of course, I didn't manage it, as you know real life things and especially people are so blimmin' selfish, wanting your attention, time, company and things like food and clean clothes.

I couldn't even use the approx. 5 hour round trip to pick the kids up effectively, as the deathgrip I had on the armrests meant I couldn't use a crochet hook. It also means Titch won't be able to sell the car on as the upholstery has been permanently dented ... And then I ran short of yarn.

Anyway, according to my Rav notes, it took me 18 days, which I don't think is too bad, considering; it's about 65 inches wide and maybe 72 inches long ? I should have measured the length I guess. It was 60'' wide before I added the border, that bit I did check.

The colors pick up the wallpaper quite nicely, I think. And more to the point, Destructo Boy is chuffed with it, and even though he's always too hot to need it, he sleeps under it.

I used 3660m of aran-weight yarn (none of which were scraps for a pattern named Scrumptious Scraps Afghan) - but that includes the border, which I took from Leisure Arts  #4531 '50 More Crocheted Borders'.

Having completed this large project means that I am also almost back in the mood to knit another shawl for my longterm Big 6 project ... but I can't choose which to do ...



 

FO Friday 116: I'll Sing You Five-Oh

Tarot of 78 Doors

    ... and Green Grow the Rushes Oh !

Yes, it's random but now you have the earworm too. No need to thank me so effusively.

I actually have 7 Finished Objects, but photos of only 5: Mini Diva and I chickened out of a modelling session this morning, as for some reason we found the notion of posing around under dark skies while heavy sleet was falling somewhat unappealing. Still, that means I'll definitely have something to post next Friday ! (cue apocalyptic downpours from now until then - that's what you get for calling Providence out).

 But I had managed to take some photos of some of the projects while it was dry earlier in the week:

               

The Serene Hat, made from Cygnet DK in the 'light mauve' colorway, which was chosen by Mini Diva for her BFF's Xmas gift; it has good yardage, at 325yds/297m per 100g, so there was plenty left over for these fabulous Victoria Fingerless Mittens:

The hat looks nothing like the pattern, but it looks pretty anyway, and we liked it, so it stayed; and the mittens ...I made an error with the picot cast on, doing it every 3 stitches not every 5, so the cuffs are frillier than they should be - but again, we like it so it stayed. The ribbing gives a nice, snug fit around the wrist that will prevent any draughty breezes going sleeves-ward. 

I have yet to discover a way of making this bright red look halfway decent in a photo, so you'll have to live with this one of Sirdar 2326 made from Stylecraft Special DK in 'Matador'; and here are the lovely buttons I found to make it a proper Xmas knit:

You'll need to soothe your eyes after that, so here are the Pretty Sisters of the Misbegotten Glove:

And since James C.Brett 'Moonlight Sonata' is the magically unending ball of yarn, there was plenty left over to make the Pudorosa Neckwarmer - something a little different than a scarf, I'm sure you'll agree:

I must go and thaw out my feet - but you can go check out Tami's Amis for lots more pretty things ....

WIP Wednesday 119: Bright Idea

Spiral Tarot

If I was a bear ... Well, OK. If I was a bear without kids, I would definitely hibernate: I don't like winter - the cold, the wet, the greyness, the dark. Since I have kids and have to stay awake, I think of the summer and remember its colors by adding to the SGGSB.

The count now stands at 56, up from 44. In the two tall stacks are 10 of each type of blue square - I've decided that I will make 10 of each color combination, and then re-assess to see how many squares there are and whether they will make anything worth joining them all together. You'll be glad to know - as proof that I still retain some shreds of sanity - that I am weaving in the ends as I go:

 

As it is getting to halfway through November, I thought it was about time to start on the obligatory Xmas knitting for my youngest nephew, the pitiful victim who is blissfully unaware of the psychological and emotional scarring that is heading his way (mind you, with the full encouragement of his mother); I've found this seemingly simple pattern for a hoodie from Sirdar:

And lookee ! enough seasonally festive Stylecraft Special DK of the colorway 'Matador' in my stash to make an immediate start:

Believe me, your eyes are not bleeding as much as mine.

Since I cannot leave well enough alone, I have modified the pattern by using a straightforward checkerboard stitch pattern rather than - yawn - stocking stitch.

But I can tell you are wondering - no Scandinavian colorwork of white snowflakes, no applique of a reindeer, no sparkly fun fur, no jingly bells even: what's so damaging about this ?

Wait til you see the buttons I have found.

Hop on over to Tami's Amis to see what other evil plots gifts of love are in the works ....

FO Friday 110: Bloody Vlad Lives !

Victorian Flower Oracle

 Many apologies for the return to rubbish photos - it is dark, grey and raining today, and the Bloody Vlad turned out to be so large it wouldn't quite fit on the table how I wanted it to.

You can see very clearly that there are no points - when the designer says 'bind off loosely', she means 'bind off like knickers without elastic'. But hey, it still looks fine, a non-knitter would never know.

 

You might be able to see the beads if you squint and use a magnifying glass  ...

Detail of the 'wing'

 The yarn - 'Mistoffeles' merino/nylon 3ply sock yarn from Black Cat Fibres was lovely to work with: soft with a very slight stretch, washed and blocked easily (although it bled a little, I forgive it, since this is a vampire shawl it seemed appropriate).

And here is my other creative work for this week, completed at Destructo Boy's Savannah Sharing Day: 

 

 

Which inexorably reminded me of this:

Hop on over to Tami's Amis - hopefully any music will be less dodgy than my selection remembered from childhood.

WIP Wednesday 115: A Seasonal Knit

So Auntie Fashion's Blankey is finished and awaiting collection this weekend. Thus, my needles were once again free, which was a good thing as I had an Urge. 

I find it almost impossible to resist Urges when I get them - and at least this one is harmless, as it was the Urge to knit another shawl.

It's not like I even wear shawls, but I love to knit them: so lacy, so pretty, delicate, feminine, old-fashioned yet modern; I love to see them grow and then the full blossoming of the pattern that occurs with blocking ... The only shawls I don't like and won't knit are the solid, chunky ones that involve garter stitch and/or colorwork, ie. the ones that seem to be on trend right now.

Wow, sorry about that - it's been a while since I exercised my mad soap-box skillz and the tendency momentarily escaped me.

So. I knew that I wanted to knit Vlad, right this minute, even though it wasn't in my queue and there are plenty of other shawls which are; and I thought I had the perfect yarn for it:

                                                          Drops Lace in Black

It's very luxurious at 70% baby alpaca and 30% silk. And of course, who could resist knitting a big lacy shawl with 800 metres of this mournful black color during the dark winter months using eco-lightbulbs ? The perfect recipe for going blind and insane, although I'm not sure which would occur first.

But - and here is where I am glad that I checked the projects page and the pattern more closely, although (naturellement) it was not until after said skein of yarn had been wound - it turns out that the Vlad pattern is written for 4-ply/fingering.

Drama ! I have no black 4-ply.  

Crisis ! It's Sunday, no yarn shops open. 

Dilemma ! What to do ? 

As you already know, I am not only quite obsessive very focussed, but also I'm an Instant Gratification kinda gal, so you can see that things were really serious - no way could I alter my plans and cast on something else (heavens forfend !), yet how could I make the highly anticipated Vlad without the proper yarn ?

Phew ! I could hear your sigh of relief almost as loudly as my own: buried in my stash was 'Mistoffeles' a 425m. skein of semi-solid merino/nylon superwash red 3-ply from Black Cat Fibres, that has been awaiting the right project for the longest time - since 2010 actually.

So I have named this shawl Bloody Vlad: perfectly appropriate for an October knit, I feel. Go see if there are more seasonal projects over at Tami's Amis ...