Lammas 2013 Tarot Giveaway Winner

Animalis Arcanum

So today I get to use the beautiful Wheel of Fortune card from my talented friend Oephebia's Animalis Arcanum tarot deck to symbolize the workings of random fate.

It suddenly occurred to me that not only had I not announced the winner for my Lammas 2013 Tarot Blog Hop giveaway, I hadn't even done the draw ! Such are the perils of blondeness and advancing age.

So I scooted over to random.org, plugged in the numbers, and this is the result:

 

Not counting my own response, that means that the lucky winner is Cassandra Santori !

Congratulations !

And thank you to all who read and those of you who also participated.

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 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:
 
 

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 .....

Gloria Gaynor Iz Me

Hanson-Roberts Tarot

I don't know if I can make a coherent sentence right  now, but just for you, I'll give it a go: I had little if any sleep last night, as the intermittent toothache that has been grumbling recently returned in such whacking great force that I was sucking down any and all painkillers that I could find in the house by the handful. Yes, that includes the kids' Calpol - I was that desperate.

First thing this morning I was on the phone to the dentist where I thought I was registered and where I regularly take the kids for their checkups; the receptionist who has retained her job for quite a while in spite of her total lack of any people skills whatsoever told me that since I had not visited for myself since 2006 (I know, I know) that I no longer counted as registered, and would have to call the NHS 111 number for an emergency dentist.

I did that, and having answered all the 111 lady's questions - which incidentally and happily for me showed that I was not having either a heart attack, stroke or bleeding to death - I obtained yet another phone number, this time for some kind of emergency dental portal thingy.

I explained my piteous story again to the dental lady, who promptly gave me a special secret squirrel code, which magically granted me access to an emergency appointment, safely past Cerberus, Hell's Receptionist .... to my own old dentist.

No, I have no idea how that works.

I actually got there like a grown-up, unaccompanied and under my own steam (as opposed to being dragged kicking and screaming, like usual) and in time. The dentist and his assistant were lovely and friendly even though I was wide-eyed with panic, sweating and shaking like an over-raced horse; he took one look and said that I would most likely have to have the tooth removed, but for now he would put some special stuff on it that would hold everything including the pain at bay until I could return for a regular appointment. 

I begged and implored, I wailed and emphatically did NOT gnash my teeth asking him to remove it now this minute please .... No, you're right, I didn't, actually - the pain was only 9.9 out of 10, still not quite enough for me to request any kind of treatment involving needles. He said this paste would be working within 3 hours.

It didn't feel like it to me, so a quick trip to the pharmacy up the road where I got lots of sympathy, massive doses of ibuprofen and some topical stuff containing actual Lidocaine (OH WHAT JOY) greatly improved things so that I was able to doze off for a nap on the sofa with the cat.

What ?  

Yes, Moonheart - the cat whose attack resulted in a pus-filled A&E date night for DH and me. She loves me, though, with lots of purrs and cuddles. I guess like goes to like.

And now I have a return visit to the dentist scheduled which will weigh over me as heavy as an elephant hanging by a frazzled old little piece of fraying string. I have focussed on my goal, which I hope will give me the inner fortitude to survive the coming oral traumas:

Big Girl Pants will be mine again soon.

FO Friday 148: Colorful Chores

Spiral Tarot

School was finally out for summer on Tuesday. I spent Wednesday blitzing the house and laundry; the kids did an excellent job of mucking out their rooms (I am not ashamed to admit that bribery was key in getting this done). Thursday I spent in the sauna created by lots of steam ironing, rewarded by a trip to the library, and Friday involved a treat trip to Morrisons' bakery department - I have a thing about their 'secret centre' muffins, especially the lemon variety. It is hot and sunny, we have stayed up late and got up late. I love it.

And with all the ooky chores about done (in spite of the couple of thunderstorms, the ground is still too hard and dry to weed, don't you think ? Yes, I thought so too), today I have a job that I am looking forward to:

This is my stash of fat quarters. I was just going to put them into tidier piles and put them back into the shoe  storage boxes. However, Mini Diva has informed me that I have no taste whatsoever, and that she will be in charge of putting them into some kind of color family order, and some may simply have to go, as what was I thinking even buying that color ?!

Speaking of what was I thinking (answer: nothing, of course) I was privately gloating recently over a score of Malabrigo Lace at a superb price from someone's destash. On my monitor, it looked blue, and the colorway is called 'Sky' - so I snapped it up, knowing what fabulously soft and amazing yarn Malabrigo is, after making this shawl in the 'Jewel' colorway a couple of years ago:

Waves of Leaves Shawl, 2011

This is what arrived:

The colorway name 'Sky' must have been referring to an overcast winter sky. In remotest Scotland. On the coldest day of the year, just before a nasty freezing sleet starts to soak you from above. Gray is simply one of those colors that is too subtle and classy for me to fully appreciate as it no doubt deserves.

So wasn't it lucky that in the same destash I also obtained this ?

 

I can totally see why these yarns were in a destash ! For the same but different/opposing color reasons, if you see what I mean.

Perhaps Mini Diva may have a point about my taste ..... so go and see some lovely examples over at Tami's Amis.