SAL Wednesday 36/15: Scratching the Itch

Gendron Tarot

Well, I've been having a bit of a lull. That's what we'll call it, anyway, because it sounds so much more normal than admitting I'm jonesing for a fix since I hadn't knitted or crocheted from Friday until yesterday. It's just as well you couldn't see me, because I was having trouble concealing the itch:





So having tried a couple of stitch patterns and motifs in the King Cole Flash DK, I didn't like any of them - the colors were pooling in blotches that didn't suit the pattern - I gave up and found some random turquoise yarn (it might be Robin DK) and a pretty pattern which I thought I'd downsize for the back of a cushion cover ... this is what we have so far:

The pattern, yarn and my tension are combining to make me pay attention as if I'm not careful I'll have wavy or ruffley edges ... now if I could just work out how to do this in a rectangle rather than a square ...

WIP Wednesday 122: Just the One

Crystal Visions Tarot

A week and a half left to go, and I am just beginning to allow myself to contemplate the idea that all the last-minute Xmas knitting might just maybe possibly get done in time for the last mail. Unless I sit here tempting Providence again by even permitting the germ of that thought to enter my head.

I am being very disciplined, and really truly have only 1 WIP on my needles - Susie Rogers' Reading Mitts:

As you can see, I am well on my way to not just mastering, but thoroughly trouncing the Magic Loop technique for small diameter knitting; and I am still loving the James C.Brett Aria yarn.

No, I am not listening. I cannot see you gesticulating. I refuse to hear your sneaky whispers of sock passion.

I will confess instead that to make the above mitts, I need a pair of 3.75mm circular needles; I found the empty packet, so I knew they must be lying around somewhere. The somewhere turned out to be in another long-term WIP, Lily's Slice of Pi Shawl, which I started on the 6th March this year (oh the shame) and has been hibernating for a while. So I signed the 'fession and admit to us both that this will not get made, in this yarn anyway, and pulled the needles out to use for the mitts.

I can almost see a New Year's resolution taking shape as I type ....

Pop on over to Tami's Amis to see how everyone else is faring ...

FO Friday 96: Shawla-Palooza

Whimsical Tarot

So while I have been quiet, I have also been industrious, and completed 3 shawls. I have been experimenting with half-circle shawls, and either I have got way quicker at knitting, or the patterns are very easy, or half-circles are quicker than triangular shawls, or there has been a rift in the space-time continuum. Or perhaps a combination of all of the above. 

Anyway, here are the results:

The Celestial Shawl, using Crazy Zauberball in the colorway 'Cloud 7'.

And the 'Slice of Autumn/Spring' Shawl, which I re-named 'A Slice of Summer' as this olive colorway of Crazy Zauberball reminds me of leaves in high summer:

And last, but certainly not least, my 'Summer Flies' made from the YarnAddict Supreme Sock Yarn (50%merino, 50% silk) in the colorway 'Dream Blue' gifted to me by my friend Steph, modelled by it's recipient, my niece on her 21st birthday:

You may remember having seen this yarn before; now it's unrecognizable as the same one. Thank goodness. 

I am really pleased with all of them, and am very likely to make them again: quick, easy, pretty knits. Hop on over to Tami's Amis to see more loveliness ....

Learn From My Fail No.1

Legacy of the Divine Tarot

So there I was, mojo-lessly and therefore aimlessly mooching around Ravelry, when - Lo ! I saw a reference to a shawl; clicking on the link reminded me that I had seen it before and liked it - so why it wasn't in my queue I don't know: 'Summer Flies Shawl'. That is flies as in 'time flies' not 'buzzbuzz flies', obviously. And - bonus ! - I have two, that is at least two, yarns that are just right for it in color, and I think in yardage.

Yes, Dear Reader, you may rejoice, as I did, that the mojo had come home to Mama after a mere week or so; clapping my hands and skipping in glee, I tra-la-la-ed as I set up my ballwinder.

Light of heart and mind, and warbling tunelessly, I selected the yarn, the lovely turquoise sock-yarn given to me by the even lovelier stephcuddles on her recent visit. Mini Diva inveigled me into letting her help (it was almost her bedtime) by winding the winder. So far, so good, right ?

                                                             Wrong.

I didn't swear. I didn't scream. I didn't shout. I didn't fulminate. I didn't gnash my teeth or wail at the shock of Mini Diva suddenly exhibiting signs of being related to Destructo Boy. I sent her to bed in a far more terrifying silence.

Four and three quarter hours later, I had this:

Actually, since it was after 1am by that time, it looked more like this:

So, learn from my fail: do not allow a 9 year old to cozen you into helping wind yarn when the TV is on, she is watching it as well as winding, she should be in bed, and you are not paying 100% attention to what she is doing.

Gambled and Won

Morgan Greer

So I'm celebrating a few things today: the bathroom is finished, the builders have gone ... for the time being; they'll be back to insulate the bathroom roof. The plaster dust and mud has been vacuumed and mopped away, the layer of dust on the furniture has been polished away. Even I, with my high tolerance threshold for mess (read: slatternly ways) was finding it all irritating by the end.

My friend Steph of stephcuddles, who makes amazing stitchmarkers, is staying with me for a day or so while she attends an interview (she wore a hoodie in the most eye-wateringly acid yellow I've ever seen so that I could identify her at the train station)  - so the card is inaccurate as far as numbers go, as there's only two of us. 

But best of all, though, we all woke up alive in our beds this morning: she isn't a perverted axe-murderer, as we are warned that internet friends infallibly are. Yaay, internet and Ravelry win !

The hostess gifts she brought with her were wine, yarn, and chocolate; while I was out at hip-hop class with the children, she washed up; she likes cats and doesn't mind the dog, even though he is moulting; she has no odd dietary needs. As you can see, she is the perfect guest. 

 Look at the beautiful yarn she brought me:

It is Yarn Addict Supreme Sock, 400m of yummy merino and silk, in the colorway 'Dream Blue'. It is very soft.

You may be thinking you have seen a similar color on my blog before: well done ! You have.

This is also Yarn Addict, but Silk Lace in the colorway 'Jewel'. Also a gift from Steph. She's not really living up to her 'Queen of Green' title with these beautiful turquoises, is she ? She may have to abdicate.

 If she ever wants to stay with you, have her.