getting by

I posted recently on the virtues of frugal comfort. This fortnight some things popped up which meant my income dropped by 30% and I suddenly found I had live totally by those ideals.

The really frightening thing is that it has been possible. I couldn't sustain it for a long time, cause that means not enough wine!, but I could definitely manage it much more often than I have been.

And it has come at one of my peak birthday gift times. Which is rather good as it has given me the opportunity to practice my handmade pledge using all kinds of things from the stash.



firstly I made the pinni for Edie



Then the 2 days, which turned into 2 week, scarf for Jo

and yesterday the handwarmers for Karen

And now for the details.

The Pinni is taken from the wonderful 'Absolutetly A-line' book. It is a little shorter than planned, which happens when you are using left overs.

The scarf for Jo was knitted using Cascade Heritage Yarns -a totally divine soft yarn.
The pattern is a simple one I made up. I like the body of it, but the edges are very wonky, even after blocking, and it hasn't held any shape at all. In fact blocking for two days seems to have been a complete waste of time. But having said that I think it will be lovely to wear.

The pattern is
1st row k*yo, k2tog* repeat to end
2nd row Purl
continue with row one and two till it is long enough. Though I threw in an additional purl row a couple of repeats in at either end for effect. I am wondering if I had a k2 at either end I might have ended up with something more stable, or if I had used smaller needles, or....? Any suggestions are very welcome.

Finally the handwarmers are the easiest thing I have ever made and look totally lovely. They are made from Bendigo Rustic 8 ply in Red Currant - an old favourite. Pattern can be found here.

I really want to make so many more things than handwarmers to comfort my lovely sister. I may have mentioned before she has MS. This week she found out that it is worsening even with the wonder drugs she has been on. So now her only option for keeping or improving her mobility, and keeping out of a wheelchair in the next short while, is a bone marrow transplant. We are all scared. I have this need to make her shawls and wraps and things to snuggle into. I would love some suggestions for easy but beautiful ones I can complete in weeks rather than months.

dreamy sunday

On a beautiful frosty and brilliantly sunny Sunday morning
the pirate is away visiting his first mate
the 2 day scarf is finally ready to cast off
blogs are being read
tea is being drunk
my house is being tended to
with cleaning and washing and painting
my soul is being tended to
with meditation and gardening and then
a whole evening and morning alone with my beautiful partner

I am satisfied

scarf

Now I know it isn't complicated, or radical or completely amazing, but I made up a pattern and I am feeling a little pleased with myself.

You see, I had a dilemma. My sister suggested at 9pm last night that I make her partner a scarf as a 40th birthday present. I wish I had thought of this sooner. The party is tomorrow.

Then I had a yarn crisis - I just don't have anything at all in a colour that will suit.

Zip.

So I put in an emergency call to my friend just around the corner. She has a magnificent stash. Lucky for me we are both home sick with a cold - perfect for stash raiding and knitting. We greeted each other in beanies and woollens this morning, looking not very glam at all. But she did have the perfect yarn.


It is a Cascade Heritage sock yarn in colour 9872.

Now for the pattern. I only recently made a scarf that would have perfect, but this was for someone special and has already gone. Making another scarf in similar shades with a similarly easy and simple pattern didn't sound like much fun. And repeating a pattern feels a little impersonal. So I decided to waste time and devise a different pattern based on a scarf a friend bought.

I will let you know how it goes. I particularly like the bottom - which was a mistake to begin with. I just have to work out exactly how I managed it when I get to the other end. I estimate I have at least 10 hours of knitting time and only 3 hours till school pick up, a couple of hours tonight when kids are settled and then, provided I can convince someone to drive, 3 hours in the car to Sydney tomorrow.

I had better get off the computer and back to it!