FO Friday 61: Hat Trick

My title just goes to show how side-splittingly witty I am. Just in case you hadn't already realized. 

The first of today's Finished Objects is - FANFARE - that blimmin' Vintage Cabled Sweater that lasted for nearly ever:

I am so glad that I simplified the sleeves and just had one cable running down the centre; if I'd knitted it exactly to the pattern,. ie. cables everywhere right up to the edges,  I would still have been knitting this at the turn of the next century - and it's only for a 7 year old. It's made using the fabulously good value Stylecraft Life DK in the colorway 'Crocus'. It's washed, dried and awaiting Xmas wrapping paper.

A quick and easy yet impressive-looking knit was the Seriously Simple Shawl:

Made from one and a teeny jot balls of Regia Hand-dyed Effect by Kaffe Fassett in the colorway 'Rubin', to which the photo does no justice at all. This too is washed, blocked, dried and folded awaiting Xmas wrapping for my MIL.

And finally, the Hat of the Hat Trick:

Not my photo, so this time I'm not taking the blame for the fact that this too doesn't show the fabulous warm earthy colors of Patons UK Colourwork Aran in the colorway 'Terracotta'. The pattern was the Irish Hiking Hat; all I did different was to lengthen the ribbed section to make a turn-up brim. It was a birthday gift for my BIL, for when he walks this:

OK, there isn't any Irish involved with that. Or hiking, as it happens - apart from anything else, they live in the Fens, which is flatter than Holland. But there is Outdoors, so that counts, right ?

Over at Tami's Amis are lots of purty things to look at ......

WIP Wednesday 67: Oh My The Color !

Well, I'm back like I promised, in order to talk about my current WIPS - it was dry and not too overcast today, so I also managed to take a couple of photos:

This is the beginning of a baby blanket using Jarol New Arrivals Baby DK Randoms in the colorway 307 .... Bubblegum, on 4.5mm needles. They got the name spot on, I think; although I am calling it Raspberry Ice. I'm using the stitch pattern ''Tilting Block'' from Barbara Walker Vol.II .

And I have also started making a Christmas sweater for Destructo Boy, who stated his color preference as black. Oh how much those of us with poor eyesight to begin with love to knit with black on these long dark winter nights so badly lit by dull eco-bulbs. So anyway. I have a nice vintage pattern for a DK raglan sweater with a placket neck, and I found a lovely chart for a skull while I was roaming the interwebz. 

 I'm using Cygnet DK, which Ravelry has listed as a worsted weight for its recommended gauge, interestingly; it feels like a proper DK to me, not light and skinny like some can be - and nice and soft too.

I feel I must divulge to you that I've been looking at fingerless mitten patterns. I'm somewhat afeard that this may be sailing way too close to the lee shore that is sock knitting ....

You'll find lee shore survivors over at Tami's Amis ....

Is Meh Infectious ?

The 4 of Pentacles from the Bosch Tarot shows me picking up my pentacles and going home.

I'm still here. Just hunkering down, nothing much to say or share. Well, not anything that's socially acceptable, anyway. There must be a meh-bug going round - several of my favorite bloggers are also relatively silent right now. 

Meh-ness never usually affects me for long. I 'spect I might be back tomorrow with some WIPs .....

WIP Wednesday 66: Hiatus

I've two things to show you today, one of which will amaze you because it's so nearly done that it is surprising that I didn't stay up even later last night simply to be able to say ''it's done, at last'':

All that needs doing is the side and sleeve seams to be sewn up. I had to buy another ball of the yarn yesterday as I ran out with the collar yet to knit ....

And speaking of planning fails, another project came to a shuddering halt - halfway through a row, too ! Again, because I ran out of yarn in row 21 out of the final 26 rows .....

The internet is great for 24/7 shopping, and so yesterday morning another skein of this yarn dropped through my letterbox from the friendly and efficient Sheila's Wool Shop ....

As Mini Diva's school had a teachers' personal development day yesterday, we popped into town and amused ourselves by buying bits and bobs for her Operation Christmas Child box (which we couldn't have done if the kind lady in the Shuropody shop hadn't given us a shoe-box). It is a Christian organization, but for us, sharing and giving is non-denominational.

Over at Tami's Amis, you will find other progress reports - I'll have to catch up with you all after my guests have left and I have quit panicking about the broken washing machine ....

WIP Wednesday 65: :Better Late

.... than never.

So all my plans yesterday fell apart and on top of that, the washing machine broke: the drum does not go round. I just ran out of time, energy and will to blog yesterday. So I'll make up for it today instead.

As you'll recall, I have been working on the Vintage Cabled Sweater for at least a century, and at the last check, only had about maybe 3/4 of the second sleeve to go. Now I have about 5/8 of it to go:

It has progressed so little because I have been led astray by this:

I found this at Wibbling Wools in Bury St.Edmunds when we were there at the weekend: Regia Hand-dye Effect by Kaffe Fassett. It is being turned into the Seriously Simple Shawl pattern, another lovely creation of Wendy D.Johnson.   

I think this is a far more enjoyable photo even though you see a lot less of it :

                                                           Moonheart in Dr.Jekyll mode

Less tardy and less lazy people's work can be seen at Tami's Amis ......

FO Friday 58: Twofer

So it's here at last: FO Friday and the weekend. I am crazy drunk with the thought of freedom and liberation, as Mini Diva and Destructo Boy are staying at their Belo's for the weekend, so that DH and I can celebrate our wedding anniversary (better late than never): we are going to Bury St.Edmunds, walking the dog, and DH is cooking me a special dinner - I love having married a chef. Add wine, knitting and plenty of sleep, and that's pretty much my idea of a perfect weekend. Let nobody say that I am high maintenance or difficult to please.

Onwards and upwards with today's Twofer: firstly, the scarf for my eldest BIL:

To recap: this used 3 balls of the discontinued RYC Classic Silk Wool DK in the colorway 'Bramble', and the pattern is the 'Twin Leaf Lace Panel' from BW Vol.2. Eldest BIL has proved himself Knitworthy by the warm reception he gave this birthday scarf.

Secondly, I am proud to present Mini Diva's Sky Shawl, which will be hidden away until Xmas. This is the Summer Mystery Shawlette pattern of Wendy D.Johnson, and it is most definitely a shawlette; I was quite worried at how small it seemed - barely a neckerchief; but rather than frog it back and start again casting on a minimum of an extra 48 stitches, I blocked it really aggressively. I ought to have read more fully about it on Ravelry and her blog: I would have made it larger from the start. Lesson learned - use  Pentacles attributes ie. pay attention to detail and be thorough.

 It used about 1 and a bit balls of Cygnet Truly Wool Rich 4ply in the colorway 'Baby Blue'; the slight scratchiness went after soaking and fabric conditioner, and it was easy to knit with - a very slight halo, but no splittiness or snagging. I'd use it again, especially as they have some pretty shades and are excellennt value for money at 205m/224yds per ball.

Do pop over to Tami's Amis to see lots more pretty finished things .....

WIP Wednesday 64: Canine Caper

You already know that I don't really do cooking - so why the Whimsical Tarot card illustrating the Knave of Hearts ? This:

This used to be about 1 lb. of lambs' livers; the bowl is my seasoned flour ready to coat it before pan-frying, and then casseroling in yummy gravy gently with smoked bacon and sliced onions. I had walked through to the front room to see how Mini Diva was doing with her homework, and returned to find a thief had been and gone. A tidy thief who had left not even a blood trail.

 sleeping off the aftereffects of the heinous crime ?

Hmm. Let's line up the usual suspects for a food robbery. Three cats and a dog, you say ? Jewel and Inky never get on the counter under any circumstances, as they are rescue cats and thus are careful of their manners. Moonheart, Mini Diva's mercurial cat, both wanders the counters, sleeps on top of the microwave and kitchen cupboards, and has been known to steal before (whisker-prints in the butter); however, her alibi is granite solid, seeing as how she was outside prowling the neighborhood at the time.

Which leaves this laughing larcenist:

So anyway, I can't show you pics of my BIL's scarf until Friday, but I can show you this kind of odd picture of Mini Diva's Xmas shawl:

Go me ! But makes for a kind of empty WIP Wednesday, as I'm back to this: only the sleeve, sewing up and neckline to do ...this last bit just seems to drag on forever....

Don't forget to hit up Tami's Amis to see Art and Craft rather than crime scenes .....