Making the to-do list smaller

I got this accomplished today - it's the last of the midwife gifts. It had all been knitted and the ends woven in for a while, I just needed to block it.

Blocking:

Closeup:

If only the rest of the stuff on my list was so easy to cross off. I'm soooo hoping the baby stays put for at least a week...

Whew

The cardigan was indeed completed on time.

Front:

Back:

The recipient loved it, and it received many compliments from other shower guests. Hooray! :)

If you like it too, I've made the pattern available as a free download. You can get more information by following the link for it in the "My Designs" section on the left, or just go right ahead and...

So now...what to do next?

Well, before the cardigan panic occurred, I had cast on for the Colonnade shawl I was talking about. This is how it looked last Monday:

However, by this point it's all done except for the weaving in of ends. I shamelessly copied the way Croline finished hers off and used this border instead of the garter stitch one specified in the pattern. It looks very nice - I'll post pictures once all the ends are woven in and it's done.

And speaking of midwife gifts, I started casting on for the Brambles Beret yesterday evening. However, I was about halfway through the cast-on when my husband called me for supper, so that's as far as I've gotten. :) I'm using the leftover red Cascade 220 from my Quadrat sweater, and I think there will be enough.

I've also been futzing around with a new pattern idea. Swatch is coming along nicely, but that's about all I can say at this point.

What I really need to be concentrating on right now, however, is doing a formal write-up of another pattern which has been accepted, because I believe yarn support is on its way to me as we speak! (Although I am concerned that it will fall into the black hole that is our current postal strike over here.) All very exciting stuff. Again, I can't say more than that yet.

Stay tuned!

Motoring along at a good pace

Lots of good knitting progress going on these days.

Maria Sings for DD1

Finished!

from the front:


from the back:
being worn, from the front:


being worn, from the back: (the peace signs were totally her idea)


endearing photoshoot outtake:

Parfait for Shoshana

Went to my LYS this weekend and picked up the yarn, and got started:

Midwife gifts

I think I have made some decisions.

For the woman I think is going to end up being the primary midwife present at the birth, I will be making Frilly Scarf by Tove Backhammar, out of some of my light brown Elsebeth Lavold Silky Tweed from the stash, which I picked up at a super sale a few years back from The Studio's online store (which is staffed by unbelievably nice people, if my shopping experience was any indication):



For the other member of my primary care team, I will be making the Colonnade Shawl by Stephen West, out of some more yarn picked up at that same sale from The Studio, this time Louisa Harding Kashmir Aran:


(the colour there is unfortunately not too accurate - it's actually lighter and less pinkish)

And finally, whoever shows up as my backup midwife at the birth will be receiving the Brambles Beret by Amanda Muscha, in I-don't-know-what-still-need-to-figure-that-one-out. I'll probably go stash-diving once again because I'm getting a real "wow, I'm being so responsible" kick these days about working through the stash.