village idiocy and other weekend frivolities

Well, here are the fruits of my weekend labours, starting from worst (but since improved) to bad to good to knock on wood!!

1. Village Idiocy

This is the end result of a disastrous attempt of a beret I tried to make this morning - perfectly good pattern by Monahan on Knittyboard. It was supposed to look like this:
Flemish beret and I'm not sure how I managed to make my version look like something that some old rummy troubadour was strolling around with in the 1400s. It is at least 51 sizes too big for me. Made using perfectly good Jo Sharp Desert Cotton. Time spent - 2.5 hours approx.

I'm in the midst of trying some controlled shrinking right now - I have washed it on hot in the machine and it's now in the dryer (not recommended). In the worst case scenario, I now have an idea for my Hallowe'en costume!!

ETA: here is the post-shrinkage result... a lot better.

Now I just look as though I work at Michel Baguette. ;-) I suspect part of the issue is that I just cannot carry off berets with any panache.

It is a very cool pattern (thank, monahan!). Think I'll try it again with a stiffer yarn. Ideas?


2. Another experiment gone, er - so so


This is a pair of felted slippers I made for myself using a pattern out of Knit One, Felt Two. You will see what the original pattern looked like below. I tried slip stitch straight lines on this version realising that this would make the pattern narrower - but I was hardly able to get them on! I have managed to stretch them somewhat - the other problem is that the heel didn't felt for some reason! SIGH. Made with Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride - main colours Limeade and Blue Boy, 8mm needles.
Time spent - 3 hours approx.
3. Moral of the story: be less selfish

The slippers I knitted for JJ, by contrast, have turned out quite well (they're still drying in this photo):

His shoe form fits in them so I'm hoping they will be as cozy as they look! This was the original pattern from Knit One Felt Too - I think they were called "vintage chequerboard slippers". Yarn: Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted, 8 mm needles. Colours are Red Hot Passion and Loden Leaf. Time spent - 3 hours approx.

4. Onset of River Rock Scarf!!

Finally I've managed to start the River Rock Scarf, my September project for the Do Something New KAL. The fancy necklace is actually all the required beads strung onto the two skeins of yarn. Maybe I should just leave it like this!! Will start knitting this evening after finishing a bit of work I brought home. One week to go...!

And - another photo of the very fancy beads!!!

After this is done, it's back to the sadly neglected Intoxicating - 1 1/2 sleeves to go on that, then I'm not sure what quite lies ahead.