Quarterly Progress

At the turn of the year I had this notion to keep a better handle on my Works in Progress and to prevent startitis getting out of hand.

It's the 20-40-60-80 Challenge, and I had thought to do it monthly, ha ha, but quarterly seems to be the option on the table at the moment!

The idea is I assess how far along a project is, then use the wee table as motivation to keep my projects afloat. A bit of motivation to stop me feeling bogged down, without taking away all the fun.

And knitting is spose to be fun. Who said that, Mason-Dixon?

So, log for 2009 (although the cast-on dates of some of these projects goes way back when) -

0%
Doomed Girasole. Attempt at Girasole in OMA laceweight- frogged. Good yarn, good pattern, Kathleen is the dodgy element.
(Next time, newly cast-ons can go here too.)

20%
Lacy Waves Top
Boatman Jumper
Brier Cardigan

40%
Baby Jumper
Chocolate Strawberry Fondant Socks
Green and Lilac bamboo top

60%
Mohair Shawl with Eyelet Spines (was Icarus)
Fat Girasole
Shaped Shoulder Shawl

80%
Crochet Cushion Cover 3 rounds, plus assembly to go
Eva Jumper Surface embroidery, plus assembly to go
Shetland Hap Shawl Blue section, Oatmeal Section, Edging to go; edging may be the killer

100%
Fan Neckwarmer
Camo Loom Hat


In theory, when I update this at the end of June, loads of the items will have moved up a category or two. There you are, I've said all my WIPs aloud, now all I have to do is play with them. :-)

All out of green

I can't ever remember making so many posts about the same project before, but then again, it is a bit of a magnum opus.
Well, the bad news is that I've run out of green at 16 rows. There should've been 20 rows at this stage. I guess these are the perils of stashing and making decisions on the hoof. I wouldn't have it any other way though!
The problem is that yes, I did leave more than half of the green yarn after the first big green section to take into account that the rows get bigger all the time, but I didn't leave *enough*.
No biggie - I have a plan! If anyone comments that the second green stripe looks thinner, I'll imply it's an optical illusion- maybe it looks thinner because it's longer? That should flummox 'em! If it was the difference between eight rows and twenty rows or whatever, I'd sweat it more but the difference between 20 and 16 rows will hopefully not be too offensive to the eye.
Also the tone and saturation of the green and blue are very similar, hopefully the eye won't read a big difference if those two are fuzzing together.
I'm not about to send to Shilasdair for more green and even if I did there would be colour variance because they use natural dyes, many of which are foraged locally. Who's to say 2009's pigment's like 2005's pigment.
One thing I have sent for right enough, is the pink cable you see peeking through in some of the shots. It's the 100cm supplementary needle for the Denise Interchangeable pink set. This baby's going to be about the size of a small village by the time it's blocked.
Don't panic if you think my ends are really scrappy, they're only tucked under out the wind for the time being.
Now, off to knit lots and lots of lovely blue.
Happy crafting. x K

Sunshine in a pot

Here's a look at the lovely Spring plant arrangement I was given as a present from my in-laws. Instant sunshine and smiles in a pot!
More crafty stuff soon, hopefully even later today. x K

Homecoming 2009

Thanks for the kind comments about the Fan Neckwarmer- if anything, it's getting nicer as the yarn gets used to be in the rib pattern and it's lovely and springy if you stretch it a bit.

Anyway, up until very recently all the Scotland Homecoming 2009 venture really meant to me was a cheesy advert on TV with Lulu and Sean Connery etc blue screened onto Scottish scenes, safely tucked away in LA or Marbella or whatever.

Well now it finally means something to me as I have treated myself to some Old Maiden Aunt yarn from the Homecoming range by my friend Tigerlilith.

I wasn't able to get through to her trunk show at K1 yarns Edinburgh so I selected some yummy things from her own online shop.

Suri Alpaca Merino Silk Laceweight in two shades: Fraoch (Heather) and Lon-dubh (Blackbird). I'm delighted with them and I mentally have them used up about a dozen times each for various lace shawls which are circling round my mind.

Aren't they luscious?!




The Lon-dubh looks largely grey in that sunny picture, but there's much more subtlety in the shade if you hold it in your hand. Grey>Black>Blue-black with a lovely sheen like the bird's feathers.

Acquiring these lovely wools was one of the reasons why I didn't go to the SECC show this year. x K

Very factual post

Here's the Fan Neckwarmer by Tania Marshall I made for one of my sisters. I bought the pattern for $5 from the Bonita Knitting Store.
It's a lovely pattern and an easy way to add a bit of colour to a plain coat, and being warm and smart at the same time.
I used nearly two hanks of Mirasol Hacho shade 302, Peacock Purple, bought from John Lewis in Glasgow last autumn.
The knitting is finished but the ends aren't sewn in yet, just tucked under, and it's not washed and blocked yet.
My sister's birthday was at the end of January so I've been wondering if I should just give it to her for her Easter? x K

Slow and steady

Firstly, thank-you for all your kind birthday greetings.

I had a lovely birthday overall and it was nice and restful compared to the work days before and after, so an oasis in the middle of two hectic weeks.

I received some beautiful cards and nice gifts and they are still trickling in, so maybe in a few days I can show you the crafty related ones.


So, slow and steady?

Yes, the Hap Shawl.



It's going to be beautiful and I'm going to love it, (repeat ad lib) but I'm getting into the hard work stage. The stage where every 450+ st row takes 5g of yarn and ages to finish. Weighing the oatmeal coloured yarn frequently in the hope that the Skye fairy has flown down and added a few grammes so I'll have enough for the edging, but it hasn't happened yet.

I never have been and I never will be a monogamous knitter, but even I know I have too much on the needles at the moment and thanks to our Crochet Special at Glasgow Knit and Stitch this Tuesday, on the hooks as well. I'm spreading myself too thinly and not really seeing massive progress on anything. I think I'll try and buckle down to the Hap Shawl this week and make discernable progress. (Even as I'm typing this Girasole is calling my name!!!)


Here are some progress shots of the soft, lovely and quite likely massive, Hap-like shawl. x K