The joy of finishing!

Occasionally you just want to cast something on RIGHT THEN!!  That means finding yarn that isn't skeined and then choosing a pattern to go with it.  Oddly, for me that usually ends up being a shawl or scarf, because a girl with only one neck needs an unlimited number of shawls and scarves!

So between procrastination about how to finish some of the WIPs that have been haunting this place I decided to cast on a Multnomah with some Knitpicks Stroll Multi that was sitting about.  I nearly got the whole shawl out of 50g but unfortunately not quite so I had to start a second ball.  Having started the ball I decided to finish it and made the feather and fan border quite a bit wider than the pattern asked for.

I also managed to finish off this little tige and it has come out nicely I think.  I love Pear Tree Merino and the pattern (Topside Cardi) was quick and easy.  My only modification was to do a ribbed button band rather than the garter called for in the pattern.  I just felt that it was more cohesive with the rest of the design. 

Apologies for the crappy photography, sometimes the only time to take a photo is 10 o'clock at night!

Fugly?

It's done! But here is the funny bit, it isn't nearly as fugly as I thought it was. Finished and laid out to block it is really quite charming n it's own mismatched kind of way. Isn't that odd. All this time I thought it was going to be an atrocious mess and now I quite like it.

In all it is about 130cm square (that is a little over 4 foot for the rest of you) and a lovely size for a good lap blanket. Rohan has given it the snuggly stamp of approval and thus it has been adopted by the family.

The next project is to finish this little cardi. I put it away after doing the front band in rib, something I was not sure I liked once it was done. Bringing it out again today I think it actually looks okay. I might do the other band and then see how I feel about it. The pattern actually called for garter stitch but that just felt a bit mismatched for me with the 1x1 rib and the 2x2 rib and then garter as well. Oh well, as I always say, one of two things will happen - I will either like it or I will redo it.

Beeroramafest II

Just feeling a trifle weary this morning, maybe as a result of the running of Beeroramafest II at our place last night. So much home brew (the craft of the male member of the household) and so little time, not to mention nearly $400 raised for the local dementia respite centre in town.

School holidays are here at last and hopefully I might get some time to work on Fugly. That ugly little blanket and I have bonded and it is making steady progress. I also hope/plan/desire to clean out the huge array of toys that reside here. The problem with having three boys is that by number 3 you own pretty much every boy's toy know to modern civilisation and a few other random ones unearthed from the nether regions.

Stay tuned, hopefully these things will happen!

It's funny how this happens.

After finding this unfinished blanket the other day I have taken a new shine to it and added several inches. It's funny how that happens. Projects take your complete attention for a while and then, often for no reason, get turfed aside for something else. Sometimes all it takes is another look to make a project attractive again.

Bring on the fugliness I say!

Why yes, there has been things going on. Why do you ask?

Yep, there have been many things going on. You know, this and that and a little of the other, followed quickly by stuff and ending with things. Life, it has a nasty way of getting in the way of other stuff. Just as well it is punctuated by good fun, good friends and good times.

Yes, there has been crafting going on at my place. There was much Christmas knitting that came off the needles and was wrapped so speedily that none of it was photographed. Sorry, but you will just have to believe me that the kids' teachers liked there hand-knitted hats (for the gents) and Ishbel (for Mary). As for everyone else, no knitted gifts last year (well except for Sam, but I did start her socks about 400 years ago), maybe this year they will have more luck.

At the moment I seem to have started much and finished little. I did do a few knitted things for my friend Lucy's little baby Tom. Lucy is a mad keen Geelong Cats fan so I made her a little hat and matching socks, designed to fit come the football season. Yet again I forgot to take a finished shot but here they are minus finishing. Sorry, dodgy phone shot, but I really only took it to show a friend what I was up to!

Lucy also got a baby kimono and matching hat when Tom actually arrived (the others were baby shower gifts) but again no photo. Are you detecting a trend?

Other than those I have so many things unfinished. There is this....

I love it. I love the cabling, I love the colour but alas I don't have enough of the Bendigo melody to do full sleeves and I just can't decide whether to finish it as a vest, finish it as a tee or just frog it and find something else for the yarn. Thoughts?

I have started this too...

I like to call it "Fugly but Snuggly". It is just using up the bazillions of left over yarn scraps about the place. It is not the prettiest thing in the world but it is warm and it will get finished and probably donated to charity unless

someone claims it earlier.

I have also knitted a kimono jumper and hat about the same time as I did Tom's kimono but both are waiting for finishing and for a little girl to wear them I really do like them and I am hoping that another friend of mine produces the aforementioned bambino.

So just incase I didn't have enough WIPs lying around the place I decided that I should just start something else!

This is the Topside Cardi by Vickie Howell knit in the most glorious Pear Tree Merino in a colour not nearly done justice here. If you can believe me, it is a gorgeous apple green that is just as soft as butter. It only has the bands and sleeves to go so maybe it has half a chance of getting finished some time soon.

Well, that was cathartic! I feel all up to date now and way less neglectful!

It's Hip to Knit Sqaures

My knitting time of late has been taken up with knitting blanket squares for the Save the Children Fund's Born to Knit campaign. Basically, you knit 20cm x 20cm (44sts x 88 rows) squares in 8ply (dk) pure wool and join 16 together to make a baby blanket. I have done some squares for the boy's school and have also vowed to make a whole blanket myself.

I am up to square 8, nearly halfway, and it has been really enjoyable. I think that charity knitting is great for the soul. Giving your time to create something for someone you will never meet is an interesting concept. I like to think that the item will be a cherished item that will be immensely handy to its recipient.

You know what I think would be cool? If some of the readers of this blog joined me in my charity knitting. You might want to knit one square and post it to me (email me for the address) to join squares made by others or do your own blanket and hand it in yourself. I will give a random, yarny prize to someone who joins me on the quest by either knitting a square and sending it to me or knitting their own blanket and posting a link in the comments.

Come on knitters, lets cover the world in wool!

Okay.....

Maybe I do have a small problem....

But I mean, aren't they pretty?