Woohoo, Kiri is done.

Yay, I cast off my Kiri last night and it's now blocking.

For the cast off it says to make sure you do it loose and to use a 5mm needle, to be on the safe side I used a 6mm needle.

Blocking is harder than it looks, I don't think I've done it right but it's close enough that I can live with it. I don't think it'll take that long to dry either.

I ended up doing 12 repeats of the pattern, that's equal to 132 rows with another 12 rows for the edging. I didn't count how many stitches there were as I was a little scared to find out LOL.

I can't wait to unblock it and see how it draps/looks, just hope my friend likes it now.

Shawl update (yes, again)

Yes, I know I did an update the other day but my new camera has arrived and I wanted to take pictures, look at that detail :-) Yup, I'm a kid in a candy store.

Behind on my crochet.

I joined a 12" block a month CAL on Ravelry, I've completed both January's block and February's block but as of yet I've not even started March or April's block...eek.

Just glad I've the next two weeks off work as I've so many things to catch up on. There's the shirts and trousers for work, the two blocks not to mention Kiri for my friend and I also need to do another Azure Allure (hopefully it'll fit) for myself.

Well I better get off my butt and actually move away from the computer if I wish to accomplish that much in my time off.

Doctor Who has a lot to answer for!

So, knitting Kiri whilst trying to watch the new series of Doctor Who is really not a good idea.

I completed row 57 thinking there was something that wasn't quite right and upon checking noticed a major fubar...gah!

Thank god that not only had I read about lifelines the other day but that I was also using them. Made it so much easier to frog back to row 52 and correct whatever mistake it was that I'd made.

So, my progress yesterday was to get back to the place I started. because life does get in the way and things are so easy to muck up I've decided I'm going to place a lifeline every ten rows, may increase this to every five as the shawl gets bigger.

As for Doctor Who, the jury's still out on whether Catherine Tate is going to diminish my enjoyment of the show every time I look at her all I hear is 'am I bovvered?'...grrr.

Update on the shawl

Yay, I figured out where I'd been going wrong and have now completed 32 rows.

I was doing the two pattern repeats and not knitting the center stitch, so of course had a gaping hole that wasn’t very pretty. In the pattern the repeats were in brackets and I just assumed the k1 came after the two repeats…d’oh!. After reading the chart (another new thing learned today, I can now read charts!) it all made sense and I'm storming along.

It really is a beautiful pattern and I'm just amazed at the beautiful things that can be made with a bit of yarn and some needles.

Kiri Shawl

Well I got to row 28 and I'd been feeling as if something wasn't quite right so had a look at the picture.

My Kiri didn't have the two obvious yarn overs down the center, it just had a large hole rather than two neat ones.

Now I followed the instructions so have no idea how it's happened, I've frogged it and will re-start it today, tip, mohair is a git to frog!

I know when I was doing the purl rows that the two yo's in the center were purled so why it looked as if I'd dropped the stitch I don't know, I was wondering if I twist the stitches this would give them more definition. Will find out in a couple of hours.

Friendship.

I've a friend I met via the net, we've been chatting for about 6/7 years now. We met in real life when she travelled up to help me celebrate my 30th birthday.

Her husband had been ill for a very long time and sadly passed away, as I've also had my own troubles these past couple of years I've let our friendship slip.

So as a little sorry for being basically a crap friend I've decided I'm going to send her a care package type of thing. She writes a lot at all times of the day and night so I thought I could make her the Kiri shawl to help keep her shoulders and back warm on chilly nights.

I'm also going to make her some fingerless gloves, her hands will stay warm but she'll still be able to type.

I'll also include some smellies for the bathroom, chocolate and some wine. Can't really think of anything else to add but hope those will bring her a small smile.