Cold Shoulders

I decided recently to make a little present for my grandmother (nobody else appreciates hand-made presents quite as much), and had fixed on the idea of some sort of shawl or wrap.  So I began my quest for a pattern, and had lined up a few things that I liked and would be quite quick for me to knit.  Then I realised that this was the perfect opportunity to tackle one of my crafting new year’s resolutions – to crochet something other than a granny square.  I reset the filters on ravelry and went off on another search, where I eventually came up with Cold Shoulders. The pattern is a little cape, with lots of rows of shell stitch. My version is made in Wendy Mode DK, which has to be my favourite low budget yarn – it is a 50/50 merino/acrylic blend, and available from my LYS for £2 a ball.

As you can see, I’ve got a few rows of shells left to do, but I’m really enjoying crocheting something a bit more substantial.

Socks and a solitary square

I was going to take some pictures of my finished scarf to share with you today, but once again the weather had other plans.  Right now I’m not convinced that it will ever stop raining, although at least my immediate area hasn’t been flooded.  Instead, I’ve taken a picture of a pair of socks that I started just before Christmas, and are now well on their way.  The pattern is Slip-Stitch Cable Socks by Charlene Schurch, but I have made mine in a fingering weight yarn with 2.75mm needles, as opposed to the worsted called for in the pattern.  I know you can’t see it that well, but the yarn is incredibly bright, and I’m calling them my neon socks.  At least, to myself I am – it’s surprising how rarely other people ask me what I’m calling any given project!  I’ve made them once before using the same weight yarn, and they turned out just the size I was hoping for (I cast on 56 stitches, and wear a UK size 6).  I also have a bonus picture of the granny square that I made on the bus today, which, as you might be able to see, I made using the leftover yarn from my first neon sock.

Sorry, I know the photos are awful.

A very nearly finished scarf

The knitting part of my multidirectional scarf is all done.  I only just had enough yarn left to finish it – that little pile you can see at the end there is literally it.  The length is nearly perfect for me anyway (I like a scarf to be as long as I am tall), so I don’t suppose it matters that I ran out then.  Knitting the final section was a little bit heart in mouth though!  I still need to actually weave the end in, as well as wash and block it, so my scarf remains a work in progress for a little bit longer.

Multidirectional Scarf

Residing near the top of my admittedly quite small stash, I had a hank of Casablanca by Cascade Yarns.  It is a wool/silk/mohair blend, that would normally be way out of my price range, but I managed to pick mine up in a sale bin, so my project will actually be quite economical indeed.  I got the yarn with the intention of making a drop stitch scarf, but when I was winding my yarn into a ball I realised that the colours had quite big sections, so I thought that a multidirectional scarf would work an awful lot better.  So I went ahead and cast one on.

As you can see I’ve still got a ways to go, but I’m pretty pleased with my choice of pattern, and hopefully I’ll get it done while it’s still cold enough to wear it!