Wipdown No. 1

I'm off to a good start on my WipDown. Wip No. 1 complete!
I'm calling this my Myrtle Leaf Shawl (abridged) as I made it shorter and left out the border.
Embarrassingly, I started this on February 12 this year. For shame, for shame.



It measures 52" long and 15" wide. Plenty long for a scarf I think!
Here's a close-up of the stitch pattern:



Isn't it pretty? I know it's hard to see on the blocking board, I promise to take some nicer action shots once it's dry.
Blocking this took ages, almost an hour. It's definitely worth it, though, lace seems to emerge from a woolly cocoon when you stretch the living daylights out of it and pin it. Thank goodness for my lace blocking kit!

I love it. I'm really pleased I went back to it and finished it. Now the dilemma, do I keep it, or gift it?

Pattern: Myrtle Leaf Shawl from Victorian Lace Today (Ravlink)
Yarn: Unknown Laceweight yarn that hubby bought me in Maria's Garn in Stockholm, Sweden in May 2009. I think there was 100g in the skein, and I've about 18-20g left. I'm pretty sure it's a wool/mohair mix, it certainly feels like it.
Needles: 3.75mm KnitPicks Options

For my next trick, I shall attempt to complete the Summit Shawl. Can I do it? (Bob the Builder voice required here) YES, I CAN! (hopefully)

Good knitting!

Wip-Down

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope Santa brought what you wanted. I did very well, I think. I got the anniversary edition of EZs Almanac, the EZ Knitting Glossary DVD, Knitting Pattern- a-day calendar for 2011, Epic Mickey on the Wii, Lord Alan Sugar's autobiography and Stephen Frys latest autobiography installment. A fantastic haul.
John loves his jumper and Alice was thrilled with her Santa goodies and her Snowball Scarf.

We had a great day yesterday. My brother surprised Mam & Dad and came up yesterday morning for a few days. It was lovely to have the whole family round the table for dinner.
I also brought Alice to midnight mass on Christmas Eve for the first time this year, just so she could see Grandad and his choir for their biggest performance of the year. It was beautiful.

Last night, while I was digesting my enormous dinner beautifully cooked by hubby, I got to thinking. Wouldn't it be great if I could finish all my wips and have a clean knitty slate to start 2011 with? I mentioned this on Twitter and a few others agreed. So, it looks like there's going to be a group effort to clear the decks for the New Year.
I cast on a pair of Spiral Boot Socks on Christmas Eve, here's my progress so far:



These are being done toe-up so I can try as I go, as I need to make them wider in the leg for my chubby stumps.
I'm not going to include these in the wip-down ( I know, making excuses straight away) as they are new & shiny & I know I'm going to want to knit them.

So, I have 3 projects to get done. My Myrtle Leaf lace shawl, my Summit Shawl and a cardigan for Alice.
Here's the first one, the Myrtle Leaf Shawl. This has hibernated since the Ravelympics (gasp) as I lost the will to continue on the border. I got stuck. I hadn't made it the recommended length in the pattern as I was running out of yarn, so I didn't know how to turn the corners on the border. With the result that it languished.
Looking at it this morning, I think I can get away without the border. What do you think?



The border is on the right. It looks fine without it, doesn't it? I'm going to rip out the border and continue on until I run out of yarn. It's going to be a scarf instead of a shawl. Still looks good though, huh?

Right, I have 5 days do finish 3 wips. Can I do it? The clock is ticking....

Good knitting!

Done and Dusted

It's done! It's finally done! And with 3 days to spare.
I'm really happy with this jumper, I think it's the best Christmas jumper I've made for hubby yet. It fits him really well (no boobies!):



Pattern: Square Dance (my own design!) but using EZs Seamless Raglan Sweater for guidance
Yarn: Grey Acrylic DK (hubbys choice)
Needles: 3.5mm & 4mm KnitPicks options

Here's a gratuitous Christmas shot. He didn't have it on for long, just to see if it fit ok. Then I whipped it off until Christmas Day!



I think I might write up the pattern for this and of course the sooper seekrit vest I made Dad over the Christmas holidays.

Speaking of holidays, mine came early! We had another belt of snow, almost as soon as the previous one had melted. I think we had more this time too. It snowed for 14 hrs straight yesterday so I left work early and we headed home. Good job too! The previous night it took hubby 4 1/2 hrs to travel home from work, a distance of 14km. Shocking. This country just falls apart when it snows.
So, schools were closed today and we worked from home. I was due to start my holidays tomorrow anyway, so yay! I'm off now until January 10. So excited! I plan to do lots of crafty things.

Here's a few snowy pics I took this evening:



The depth of snow on the back of my car. Bear in mind this is nearest the front door, so it wasn't the deepest snow! I love the sparkles on the roof.



This is the path outside my back door. I reckon there's about 6" of snow.



This beauty (among many others) is hanging from my gutter right over the back door. I've watched it grow all day. It's fairly impressive! I think it's gorgeous.

I also put out food and water for the poor birds. They must have been starving, they landed and started eating & drinking straight away! Although the water didn't last long before it froze over.

So now I can start my new project! Remember I said I'd love some knee high socks? Well Tara had a great idea, make legwarmers instead! I think I might expand on that cleverness and do some boot toppers, so it looks like I've amazingly fabulous hand knit knee high socks on, but they're not! Muhahaha.

Think I can finish them by Christmas Day? Nah. Me either, but it'll be fun to try.

Good knitting!

Plodding along nicely

After my previous frustration, I'm in a very positive spot at the moment. Things are progressing swimmingly on my Sqaure Dance jumper.

I'm about half way through the raglan decreases:



I'm very pleased with how the pattern on the sleeves has melded into the body. Here's a close-up of the raglan decreases, if you can make them out:



Hopefully the neck won't be too wide at the end, I've a feeling it might. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it I guess!

Only 4 more days to get it finished, looks like it's going to be another last minute finish!

Not helped at all by my burning desire to cast on for a pair of these: Spiral Boot Socks (Ravlink). I have the same pink Reynolds Soft Sea Wool in my stash for ages specially for these. My desire now is coz of the faboolous knee high boots I got in the States recently. I desperately want to wear them on Christmas Day, but I know deep down I've no chance in hell of getting them done!

Ah well. Back to the jumper I go!

Good Knitting!

Frustration

Warning:


I finished the sleeves of the square dance jumper and joined them to the body. I painstainkingly counted the stitches to make sure they were evenly balanced. Or so I thought...



Fail. I have 50 more stitches on the front than the back. AAAAAH.
I've knit about an inch of 330 stitches that I now have to rip back. AAAAAH.
I'll have to make sure I don't drop any stitches and get the sleeves back onto the other needles to join them again. AAAAAH.
I have a week to get this finished. AAAAAH.

I think a stiff drink is in order.

Oops, I almost forgot to mention, the hospice craft sale was on last weekend, and they raised €5,500! Well done to all involved!

Happy Happy Happy

Yipee!



Dad got the all clear today. What they thought was the cancer back was scar tissue from his hernia operations. I'm so happy, I could dance!

Hospice Goodies and a slip up

I know, I know, I'm posting far too much. I seem to be very chatty this week.

I had to post this though. Feast you eyes upon the loveliness!

The super wonderful SheKnitUpThatBall made these gorgeous cowls for the Hospice fair this weekend. I collected them today from ThisIsKnit on my lunch break.
Now, fair warning, these pictures in NO way do these works of fabulousness justice. You really should head over to her blog to see better ones.

First up, Wham Bam Thank You Lamb:



I love this one, so soft and cozy!

Next up, the Collar Cowl:



This pattern was made up out of her head. She's so clever!

Thirdly we have, Leaving On The Edge:



I think this one is probably my favourite. I'll have to get some bulky yarn and make one for myself.

Lastly we have Here Comes Treble:



This one drapes beautifully. And the colour is much nicer than this burnt out photo, it's a gorgeous mossy green.

Thanks so much, R! I know they're going to sell like hotcakes!

While I was in This Is Knit, I had a lovely chat with D and J. I've forgotten how nice it is to have a chat with knitty people. I loved it, and wish I could have stayed longer.
Alas, I had an accident while I was there. Things fell into my bag. Fell, I tells ya!
The first item to slip was a set of 4mm dpns. I did need these for the sleeves of hubbys jumper, so I suppose I can get away with that. They're KnitPicks Harmony dpns, yum.

Then this happened. I saw them and it was colour love at first sight.





Spud & Chloe sweater in the most gorgeous, spring like, two fingers to wintry darkness shades of yellow and turquoise. How could I leave them there? I think I'll make a hat, maybe, or a scarf? Hmm. All I know is it'll be nice to knit with to chase away the winter fugness.

Dads hospital appointment is tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed I'm just panicking and it's not bad news.

Good knitting!