Huzzah! I've done it!!

They are finished, oh happy day, they are done! Well, as far as the knitting is concerned any way. I love how they look! These cardigans were a real trial for me since I am very uncomfortable with intarsia. But look how nice they look! And they're both the same size!
The only bit I really was disappointed with was running out of the original blue and green. Since they yarn had been gifted there was no way I could just buy more. In the end I had to plunder the stash for the closest contender. The blue was almost right but you can definitely tell where the change over is an the top of the arms. The green...wasn't even close but was the best I could do. All my other acrylic greens were too dark. So I changed the edging to orange because I wasn't having the lime green instead. Now all I'm waiting for are the green zippers I ordered to arrive and the whole project will be 100% finished! Oh joy!!

I will Prevail!!

I'm really happy with the first cardigan. It was SUCH a relief to have one finished! So when I started the second one I thought I'd try to do it in a slightly different construction in an attempt to get around having to do intarsia on a purl row.
I decided to do the whole thing in the round with an extra 8sts for a steek at the front. Seemed a good idea. So off I went.
But I began to have doubts as the number of strands having to be held at the back increased from the 2 that I'm used to to sometimes 4! As I struggled on however, I began to look at the nearly completed chart section quietly mulling over how thick the fabric of the knitted garment felt and then a horrible realization came to me. I was still knitting on 3.25mm needles. I'd forgotten to change to 4mm needles. The two cardigan's would be different sizes and since they're for a set of twins this is a bit of an issue.
Oh. My. G....
There was only one thing to do. Only one thing that could be done to rectify this problem...
I was going to have to rip it all out.
Yep!
RIP. IT. ALL. OUT!
So, after accepting that, I reduced my work of a day and a half into a collection of yarn balls. Sigh.
I started again and this time I didn't do it in the round but I did knit the two sides and the back all at the same time since it seemed silly to knit them each seperately only to then seaming them together later. I did the intarsia like you're supposed to.
So now I finally finished the bottom of the cardigan. I'm still not that in love with intarsia but I think we've reached an amicable truse :-)
Sleeves are coming!

I should have thought this through...

I think I might have bitten off more than I can chew. I'm knitting 2 cardigans for my friend Kay for her twin grandkids. I'd forgotten how fiddly intarsia can be! The cardigan isn't difficult so I'm just going to push on. It really does look good :-)

Still here!

I'm really slack at keeping this up. Maybe that's why I don't keep a diary!

But I have not been idle!!

I have been slowly restocking my etsy store  http://www.etsy.com/shop/danie17  and it's starting to look pretty good. Haven't sold a damn thing but a lot of people have had a look and favourited things so, can't complain.

I've been doing some commission work for a lady in Geraldton who wanted two of those thread-through scarves with the leaf-like ends for gifts and a beaded cuff like one of the ones I have but in a different colour. After we went through the frustration of trying to settle on colours for the scarves she kindly sent me the wool so all I had to do was knit it up. Easy!

I was so pleased when these were finished. But the yarn was lovely and soft!!

So now they're done and she's received them, all I have to do is the cuff. A little more tricky since I was entirely out of my beading and jewellery findings. So after ordering it all from etsy, I've finally got enough to start.

Still waiting on beads for fringe where loops are.

There are elements I'm not 100% happy with, like the loops at the bottom aren't as neat as I'd like but that's just me. I'm seriously thinking I need to buy a brass extender chain to use as a fastening for it but I think I'll try and find an Australian supplier. I'm waiting on the dangling beads for the fringe on the cuff so it's not finished yet! But at least started, finally!!!

But my biggest achievement to date is finally finishing the light cardigan I was going to wear when I thought I'd have to wear formal attire at my pseudo-son-in-law's  graduation. Soon found I didn't but now I have this lovely crochet cotton thread cardi that goes so well with the dress and spares everyone from having to view my flabby arms since I think I'm a bit old to be able to wear spaghetti straps in public. 

I wish the light had been a bit better but no one here in the wheatbelt is going to complain about rain!

The little buttons were a spur of the moment purchase that has turned out to just suit this project.

I may not get to wear it with this dress but I'll be taking it to Canberra when I go in a couple of days and see if it goes with the dress Dear Daughter will be wearing because she does need to go to the formal ball. I think that would more than make up for me not wearing it.

So there I am so far. No doubt I'll update when I come back from Canberra.

Happy Knitting :)

Okay, I have actually been busy...

I have just been a little preoccupied. I have actually finished stuff.
My Auty Dot's cardigan for one.
I wish it had been lighter so she could get some wear out of it now but hopefully it'll serve for this autumn and winter. It looks and feels lovely :)

Christmas and new years were interesting. Dear Daughter and her Beloved were down from Canberra for a month off so we saw quite a bit of her. Saw him on Christmas day and in passing as I picked Madam up and dropped her back. He exemplified his status as one of the rudest persons of my aquaintance when he took a slogan I'd found, liked and put on facebook...

...and he thought it would be funny to alter it to show me the errors of my delusional beliefs

Thank you so much :(
Sometimes it doesn't seem to matter how nice you are to someone they still find it entertaining to slap you in the face and when you complain point out that you've taken it totally the wrong way. And if you get upset tell you that you're not behaving in a very christian manner.
But I digress....
While she was down Madam saw a hat I'd knitted and asked if I could knit her one. Which of course I agreed to immediately :) My hat was done with some very old acrylic that I love the colour of.

Madam decided she wanted hers in a wool I'd dyed in a range of blues and strawberry reds. It looks lovely but it's hardly the sort of thing you'd wear for more than a minute in the middle of an Australian summer! And God help her if she puts it in the wash on a normal cycle. It'd probably shrink to the size of a coin purse! But it does look sweet. Had to post it to her since it wasn't quite ready.

So Daughter and the Athiest she lives with have returned to Canberra and Hubbie has been in New Zealand for 10 days attending a family reunion . I hope he's been having fun because he jolly well needs to! He'll be home tomorrow with Eldest Boy so that'll be nice...once I've tidied the house up a bit :)
I'm trying to get a project off my queue, the Blush Vest but the first attempt ended up WAY too big. The yarn I'm using has tencel in it and has very little memory to speak of. I like the drapiness of it but I'm a little worried that it might hamper this vest actually working as it should. But we'll see.
I've also started another Celtic Tote since my brother's Fiancee admired mine and I'd love to do something nice for her. I keep getting sidetracked with the vest since with that I can read and mindlessly knit whereas the tote requires concentration to follow the chart.
So there you have it. I certainly have not been idle although I probably haven't used my time as well as I should but I've had fun. And in the end that's what I'm most interested in!
Happy Knitting :)