Hoh, Hoh, FO !

The universe laughs. Finished the cowl just in time for the return of hazy, hot, and humid. No guarantee that such weather will continue, of course, so I'm sure I'll wear it before too much longer, even if only to defend against excess AC.


One side:                                   The other side:

I prefer the first, with the strong vertical lines. 











Details: Over the Helix Cowl by by Terry Ann Hagerman
         Noro Taiyo, Color#2 1 skein, Color#13 1 skein
         24 in circumference, 18 in height

An easy linen stitch pattern using alternating skeins. The Taiyo contains more yardage than the Noro Aya called for in the pattern, so I was able to knit an additional 6 inches in height before I pulled the plug. Still had lots of yarn left over.

To see this week's bumper crop of Finished Objects, visit Tami's Amis.

WIPster

Some knitting progress in spite of the excessively humid weather and the press of other projects, including a long-overdue update to my patterns on ravelry, and some new designs in progress.

The Lady Is A Ninja Cowl KAL

Creeping up the neck a few inches on this one. And there will be an FO here on Friday.

For more lovely WIPsters, visit the Tami's Amis.

FFO Friday

Too bad there's not an extra "F" in FO Friday.

Frustrating Finished Object. 

Former Finished Object. 

Future Finished Object. 

Need to steam the kinks out of the yarn and shake the kinks out of my brain. Then knit again.

Don't linger here, go look at the true FO's linked to Tami's Ami's FO Friday post.

Luck & Pluck

With any luck six skeins of this:

Plucky Sweater 90%Merino/10% Nylon
"Wooden Shoe"

Will become one of these:

Aislinn by Amy Herzog

Before the end of the summer.

WIP X 2

Progress on two fronts.

The Lady Is A Ninja Cowl KAL:

Finished the yoke.

Over the Helix Cowl:

A few inches finished. 

Weather is so changeable. Hot, sunny, summery for a few hours, then cool, damp, raw for a few hours. Still good cowl weather.

Visit Tami's Ami's WIP Wednesday for links to a world of WIP's.

Succumbed

to the colors. No surprise.

My favorite Little Golden Book was The Color Kittens. Especially this page:

They got so pouncy they knocked over the

buckets and all the colors ran out together.

There were all the colors in the world and

the color kittens had made them.

All the colors in the world. Eisaku Noro is a color kitten. Who knew?

And 64 years after it's publication, The Color Kittens by Margaret Wise Brown is still in print. 

Noro No No

or Noro Yes Yes?

Cold spring. Noro cowl is just the thing. Would like it in a different colorway combo. Already have the yarn. And the needles. And the pattern print-out.

Terribly Tempting Taiyo
Cotton/Silk/Wool/Nylon
Colors 2 & 13

Don't need something else on the needles right now. 

We know how this one's gonna end, don't we? 

100% FO...

100% cashmere. What else do I need to say?

Unembellished and abbreviated version of my Ms. Prynne design.  Mods are detailed on my ravelry project page.

A lot more crafters have 100%F projects this week--you can find links to them at Tami's Amis Blog.

Cool Tool, 3

The Sewing Bird. Seen in a local museum, Pilgrim Monument/Provincetown Museum.

Clamped to a table to hold fabric taut in the days before the sewing machine. Squeezing the bird's tail opened the jaws.

Often given to a bride months before the wedding, so she could sew, sew, sew all those household and personal items she would need to set up house.

Had never seen one before, but found lots of listings on the internet. Quite the collectible.

WIP Around

Hope by the time this post is out that a few more rounds will be knit.

My knitting dilemma:
look at the knitting or look at the view.

Would have liked to be farther ahead on this KAL, but life intervenes. Houseful of company. Weather distractions, both sunny and rainy. Not complaining. It's all about the trade-offs.

To see a lot more work in progress from a lot of talented crafters visit Tami's Amis WIP Wednesday.

"Fare thee well

Titanic, fare thee well."

Old song running around in my head as this shawl heads for Davey Jones' Locker. Started in August, 2008. Never got any traction on it. Time to put the yarn out of its misery, and mine.

From this:

To this:

in three easy steps. Shame about the Kid Silk Haze. Doesn't frog very well. Wonder if yarn can be put into the compost pile.

Knit Ink

Look At Your Knitting!  Need to ink it on my knucks.

Or maybe in this direction so I can see them when the needles are in my hands.

Maybe then I wouldn't have to cast on three times and frog a thousand stitches.

6/11 The management would like to issue a correction, because after a day of niggling anxiety, a revisit to the post was in order. Mumble, mumble, mutter. Find the blue pencil.

Well, of course I have trouble with letters and numbers and knitting. That should be LAYK! Good thing it was only eyeliner.

No excuse now.

Friday, Friday

Actual FO this week.

Another elderly WIP becomes an FO.
Three-color Tunisian Crochet Cushion Cover

Pretty happy with the way these turned out. Good back support in my knitting chair. Looks nice on the stairway as well. Unhappy that it took me two years to get around to finishing them. Now on a crusade to finish up or abandon the antique works in progress.

Please visit Tami's Ami's today to see a cornucopia of craft.

Half a Swatch

is better than none, right? Two halves make a whole, right?
Pretty cheesy knitting math, right?

Top: Crystal Palace Panda Silk
Bottom: Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere

Swatching for my Lady Is A Ninja Cowl KAL over in the ravelry What Would Madame Defarge Knit? group.

Still want to swatch the two yarns again with a larger needle, then wash and block them before deciding. Trying to be a good role model

Wee WIP

The annual pollen storm ended, so the past few days have been spent cleaning windows, putting up screens, moving deck furniture from the garage, and cleaning and oiling the teak tables and chairs. Little enough time to knit, but there will be an FO on Friday.

Finished a new pattern and cast on for a sample. Summer is slow in coming this year, but at least the yarn is tomato red and the furniture looks good.

For more WIP's on Wednesday visit Tami's Ami's. Admire and be inspired.

Testing, Testing

1-2-3. If only it were that quick.

Berroco Lustra, 50-50 Wool & Tencel

Simple new design. Want to see it in another yarn. Takes more than a snap of the fingers. Yarn just jumped out of stash pile, though. Why wouldn't it on a gray day of constant rain? 

Knit Along

June is here. The month for the third What Else Would Madame Defarge Knit KAL: The Lady Is A Ninja (Cowl).

Join me in the WWMDFK group on ravelry for a low-key, quick knit.
It's a one-skein project, easy to modify as to length, and makes a nice gift for the gift shelf. 

I have the fantasy that everyone but me has a lovely shelf, or basket, or box full of great little knit and crocheted items for gifts. I have the fantasy that someday I'll have one, too, so I'll be knitting up that Panda Silk for somebody or other.