Finishing frenzy...

Well, I've decided to turn over a new leaf and get over my fear of seaming/finishing.

So, in this regard, I have put off procrastinating on the Intoxicating... the sleeves are blocking and in the process of being dried with a space heater and I have finished the body:


(the fact that it looks pretty good as a vest may not aid my anti-seaming stance any, but hey...). Goal is to finish it tonight if the sleeves are dry enough.

And - in my true waffling spirit I am again changing my Do Something New project for October for the Do Something New KAL - lining not one, but two, knitted bags!! Without an operational sewing machine this is a real chore and between that and my hatred of sewing I have been putting this off... er, for well over a year. So - high time to get to it.

Here are the "before" pictures:

Bag from Big Girl Knits
(can't remember the name of the bag... sorry - it's been too long. Yarn= Super 10, doubled)


(b) Denim KB Bag


This was my adaptation of a denim bag from Weekend Knits. Yarn: some horrendous stiff German denim cotton which I will never use again (my hands were stained for almost six months... er, a few days after knitting this):


These will be complete and ready to use by the end of October. Since I have never lined a bag before, I don't know how great they will be. However, both of these bags really need lining to have any structure, as they are heavy.

And, finally, here are some outdoor pics of the Tuscany in progress - close to the real colours:



Happy Monday!

dereliction of blogging duties...

I have been unusually slack about blogging this week. Lots to do at work ;-) and didn't have any FOs to show off.

Still don't. However, I thought I'd show off perhaps the worst ID photo taken:



I dare you to find and send me a worse one! All the coworkers and colleagues are in agreement that it is the worst of this (typically bad) genre of photos ever. Some think that I will not be allowed to leave the country with this on my passport.

This is what happens when I try to grow out my hair!!

And now for something (hopefully) prettier: I am pleased to announce that I am almost finished the second sleeve of Intoxicating (in SWTC Oasis bamboo):



This is pre-blocking and the sleeves will require some intensive blocking according to the pattern. I have also learned that I am not as much an expert at lace as I had decided... the usual legend in my own mind after 3 past tries! Lots of frogging went into the first sleeve. The second (touch wood) is fairly uneventful.

Although this has been a great project it is suffering my lack of attention for some reason... maybe because I'm mentally preoccupied with this fabulous Alchemy yarn:



After I finish Intoxicating (hopefully today), I'm going to start the Oriel Lace blouse from the Summer 2007 IK mag.

And now, in parting, for a blast from the past. My mother is visiting us for the Thansgiving weekend and brought this sweater I had made her many years ago with her:





I am quite impressed that I managed to pull this off so long ago... I don't know I'd have the patience today.

So - happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends, and "nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah I get to pig out all weekend on chicken, ham and salt and vinegar ruffles" to those from south of the border! ;-)

Intoxicating - and close fitting

I did say that I wouldn't post in progress pics... but Evil and Shameless Self Promoting Kristina has intervened.

Front

Back


Whole


But even the Gods have had to face hubris at some point or another! The yarns (SWTC Bamboo and Oasis, Handmaiden Sea Silk and Ella Rae Silkience) have all worked very well together.

What has not worked so well, perhaps, is Your Ever So Humble knitter trying out 4.5mm needles and 4.00mm needles, deciding on the 4.5mm and then putting those away by mistake and using the 4.0mm instead!

Oops.

Having said that, a rather long bout of blocking this morning has yielded the correct length (more or...er, well, less!) and 1 inch off the body width only. So hopefully the end effect of my wearing it will not wind up somewhat less than Intoxicating due to the overt display of my...ahem... worldly goods! Or maybe I can just crank Aphrodite down a notch and schlep her wearing it around with me instead (I have seen stranger things in the public transit system of Toronto, and I doubt that the co-workers would be shocked at this point).

(I'm also not certain about the "stripe" effect in the maze pattern. However, it was the necessary result of attempting to ensure enough of all colours for the pattern, so I'll try not to bang my head against the wall too much).

Or, maybe this is just the fates intervening and whispering - nay, shouting - to me "It's time to make something for someone else for a change, you shameless hussy."

So - off I trot to the LYS over the next couple of days to pick up some felting yarn for a pair of slippers for Mr. Door Decoration Designer 2007 (and 2006, and 2005!), JJ. Expected cost: $20 or so. Anticipated Time in Progress: 6 hours plus several trips to the laundry room, effing and blinding as usual when in the laundry room. Potential for slapping oneself on the back and feeling virtuous and selfless, and corresponding justification for the next two years for only thinking of myself while knitting: priceless.

Let's not mention that if I were planning a trot over to the LYS for yarn intended for a project for Her Royal Majesty Kristina of Valleyview, the trot would most certainly not be scheduled "over the next couple of days". Instead, HRM K would be scheming how to leave late for work today to hit the LYS when it opens and still leaving by 5.

Let's also not mention that HRM Kristina was royally peeved last night when learning that the fuzzy yarn she had scored at the yarn swap for this purpose was actually 60% mohair and 40% acrylic. Have you ever tried to felt a mohair/acrylic blend? No? Don't bother, unless you're planning to dress up as an ultra-camp knight for Hallowe'en. The end result, for me, resembled electric blue chainmail. Where was I when they were designing costumers for Blackadder first series?!? Yet another missed opportunity... but I digress (quelle surprise!). Unfortunately I don't have a photo for you as the offending swatch was tossed over the balcony into the ravine last night, where some raccoon may well choke on it, causing more bad yarn-related karma).

Oh well. Rome wasn't built in a day, they say.

Intoxicating update!

Have finished the front and part of the back.

I'm posting this in progress as I wanted to show a colour modification I made within the front of the top:


I'm not sure how clearly it comes out in the photos. However, I reversed the colour patterning midway through the top, so that colour A (brown) became colour B (teal) and vice versa. This was borne out of practical necessity because otherwise I was going to end up running out of the brown!

Partway through the back as well, which introduces colour D (the mystery colour).

I'm really enjoying knitting this one. The various patterns will keep it from becoming boring, I think!