Blue Curacao Shawl

Everytime that I use the Blue Curacao Shawl pattern by Doris Chan from tne Amazing Lace Book I promise myself that one day I will make one for myself. This version has been changed to add two more rows of pineapples as the wool was finer than the wool specified for the pattern. I used 6 x 40 grams of Patons Promise Brushed DK for this version, It is now in the post and I hope that Debra will get it on Monday or Tuesday.

I got a Tesco online food order today. I always seem to spend far more money when I shop online than I do when I visit the store so I hope to be out and about and doing my own shopping very soon.

I have spend a bit of today tidying up the plastic set of drawers that I keep my WIP in. Today I was ruthless and took back and rewound a couple of WIP that I just know that I will never finish. I decided to unravel the Tunisian crochet as it was working out rather thick in my sample so would have made a rather rigid baby cardigan. I have found the long jacket that I was part way through making before I went into hospital and found the rest of the wool so I am poised to crochet some more on that after dinner.

I have been feeling rather tired today so I doubt that much crochet will get done today. Oscar, next door's cat has been asleep on the spare bed for most of the day but has now decided to go home. He had his breakfast at my house and when I made no moves to feed him again he decided to go home! Hopefully I will get some crochet done tonight although unless there is something on the TV to grab my interest I will probably have a doze in the recliner. I hope that I don't do that as then I won't sleep all night through.

My dinner is pinging. My menu consists of very easy or ready to eat meals as I just don't feel like chopping and cooking at the moment. Another thing that will hopefully come back soon. It takes me all of my time to cook a bit of bacon for a breakfast sandwich. Today I just had a piece of toast. I would have stayed in bed for a little while longer but I knew that my niece was calling early as was Tesco Direct so no chance of that happening.

Second Blue Curacao Shawl

The second shawl is now finished and is wet blocking on the boards at the moment. I haven't taken any photos of the second shawl as apart from the colour splodges being in slightly different places it looks like the other shawl. I will take photos of the two shawls together when the second one is dry. The second shawl is slightly larger than the first as I decided to use a 6mm hook instead of the 5,50mm I had used previously.

I started the second shawl with the part ball of the previous shawl and so have managed to make both shawls from 900 grams of the unlabelled brushed chunky. Each shawl I make varies in content dependant on the brand , thickness and the wool content, I find it really difficult to know exactly how much each shawl will take unless I have used the wool before.

Buster is getting very bored with me now as we can't even play ball in the back garden today as it is raining hard. Typical Easter weather. Tempt people in the middle of the week with a bit of good weather and then after they have decided to go away for a break change the weather to rain. My knees don't like the rain and are waiting for some sunshine to warm the old bones.

I think that I am in a shawl mood as I still cannot return to my niece's crochet until Buster goes home on Tuesday. I have made several stash buster shawls from my stash and I always enjoy making them. I will probably made another couple as they always come in useful for myself or my friends to give to elderly friends and relatives. I think my next one might be shades of blue as I have a big bag full of different types of blues. Of course I may change my mind once I go into the box room and stash rummage. Watch this space.

Multi Coloured Blue Curacao Shawl

The first Blue Curacao Shawl is finished and I am part way through the second. I always feel that it sounds funny calling a shawl Blue Curacao when it is a different colour. It is, of course, the name of the beautiful shawl pattern by Doris Chan. Today the weather is quite sunny although it is still a bit cold so the shawl will soon dry. The shawl looks quite scrunched up until it is wet blocked. I am making the second shawl on a larger hook as I think that will open up the pattern better.

The shawl has taken 500 grams of the brushed chunky so I have enough to make the second shawl. I like making this pattern when I don't have to alter the pattern. Friends who I have made the shawl for have sometimes brought me Double Knit thickness wool and I have to juggle about making the shawl bigger and I tend to lose my enthusiasm for the pattern then. It works best of all in an aran thickness but it does make a very warm shawl when done in a brushed chunky as this one is.

Buster and I have been playing ball in the back garden today making the most of the wee bit of sunshine we are having. We haven't seen any of the snow that other parts of the country are experiencing. I can remember years ago my Mum and Dad went to Wales for Easter with their brand new red car and my Dad took photos of the car in the thick snow. I do hope that it doesn't snow again this year as a lot of my family and friends are going away for an Easter break.

Easter always makes me think of my Dad. Up to him becoming very ill he never failed to buy me an Easter Egg as to him I was still his little girl. He took great delight in buying eggs for the kids and members of staff. I don't buy any eggs as my great grand daughters get a lot bought for them and their parents aren't that keen on them having too much chocolate and sweets. When my son was small my family thought that I was awful when I said don't buy him any eggs - buy him a toy instead. He was born without a coating on his baby teeth so I was doubly aware of tooth decay and limiting his sweet treats. When his second teeth came through I paid to have each tooth coated and he has only lost one tooth to tooth decay and that was because he neglected a broken tooth.

It's washing day today as I don't like doing housework on an Easter Holiday weekend unless it is necessary. I have to hoover daily, of course, because of the dog hair.

Blue Curacao Shawl ----------- yes another one

I am crocheting my favourite shawl pattern again. It is the Blue Curacao Shawl by Doris Chan from her Amazing Lace Book. My friend Sylvia bought the wool when we went up to Bury Market together the other week. It is a chunky variegated. Mostly acrylic but with 10% wool and 10% Mohair. The colour is Autumn but the wool was sold as a pack with a plain white label on it. When I had my wool shop I used to get offered lines like this. They can be discontinued lines from a big spinner. slight seconds or slight mis dyes. There is nothing wrong with the quality but the manufacturer will only sell it as unlabelled. I think that I will have enough with this pack to make a couple of shawls. Sylvia has commissioned me to make them as gifts for her friends.I think that as the wool is quite thick that I will put the second shawl on a larger hook as it could stand being a looser tension. The shawl will block out a lot larger once it is finished. At the moment it looks quite small and the pattern close together but as I have made a few in the past I know that they block out really well and look all the better for a good wet blocking which allows the pattern to spread and reveal the pineapple stitch..

Buster is a lot better today. He was going to be walked by a neighbour (if he will go) today but as the rain is absolutely beating down I think that his walk will be delayed to another day.She has a harness and a retractable lead as Buster can't wear his collar again until his neck wounds heal completely. They are still a bit tender if I try to inspect them but I am no longer bathing them as they are healing nicely now.

Last night I went to the Kings Arms Knit Club and on the way back I asked my niece if we would call into Tesco as I needed some more tins of dog food. I bought Buster a new ball. They always squeak when I buy them but usually within a day or so they will be chewed so that the squeaker falls out. So far it is still intact and he has driven me crazy last night and today playing with his new ball. He will entertain himself for hours with a ball that squeaks. The photo was taken yesterday afternoon with his old battered green tennis ball. As you can see he is looking a lot brighter and is no longer hanging his head on one side.

I haven't mentioned my knees for a few days as there is no change and I don't want my blog to be a constant whine. If I don't mention them then just presume that nothing has changed.

More photos of Blue Curacao

Here are some more photos of Deb's Blue Curacao shawl. It is so hard taking photos in between the rain showers and with my web cam indoors which alters all the colour. I am pleased with the way this shawl has turned out mostly because I loved working with Rowan Cashsoft aran and because I managed to get a single point, well fan, on this shawl for the first time.

I have another shawl wet blocking outside at the moment. Wet being the operative word as I have to keep an eye on the rain or it will be wetter than when it went outside. I will post photos of it tomorrow. It is just a triangle shape shawl that I ran up yesterday (sign of an idle day or what?)

I am still thinking of small items to crochet for the Knitting Noras raffle and have come up with a few thoughts but nothing on the hook so far. Planning takes much longer than the crochet sometimes.

I have had an e mail today from a friend who has just come back from a holiday in Tenerife and said it was hard coming back to all this rain after wall to wall sunshine out there. I wish that he could have brought me some sun back in his suitcase and I am getting really fed up with this wet weather.

I haven't spoken of my knee in the last couple of posts. Let's just say nothing has changed which is why I am in the house 24/7. I think this is why I am feeling so miserable about the weather. When the sun shines I feel better inside no matter what ails me.

I am the same age as Cher

Today is Cher's birthday. She is 63 - the same age as me. I know, I know you can't quite believe it as obviously I look so much younger. Pause here while you to fall on the floor laughing. OK so I don't look younger than her but at least all of my bits (lots) are my own and I haven't had inches of skin removed by a scalpel. It's just pure jealousy on my part although I doubt if I would be brave enough to go under the knife for vanity even if I had all of her money. I will just stick to slapping on the wrinkle cream that we all know doesn't really work but we keep on buying it just in case. I might get tempted into having at least 16 pints liposuctioned from by belly and thighs if I could afford it.

I have finished Deb's Blue Curacao shawl by Doris Chan. It is made in Rowan Classic Cashsoft Aran which is lovely to work with. It has 57% extra fine merino and 10% cashmere. She has the honour of having the first shawl that I managed to make absolutely to the pattern. Doris Chan was kind enough to point out to me where I was going wrong when I asked for advice on Ravelry. Thanks to her explanation and following the close up photo of the bottom fan, showing it from it's start to the edge, that she sent to me I managed this one just fine. Yeah for Doris! At the moment the shawl is outside drying from it's wet blocking. There isn't a mistake on the shawl edging on the bottom left hand side by the way. It was just me I put a pin into the wrong place on the edging which I have now rectified. More photos tomorrow.

Another dreary day but at least it is not raining. I really wish that the summer would arrive and bring some sun and warmth with it.

I am off to think about which crochet project to start next.

More Sambuca photos

More photos of the Sambuca. The strangely coloured ones are ones taken with my web cam which alters the colour quite a lot. Whenever I put garments onto Flickr I invariably get asked for photos with me modelling the garment which is a bit tricky as usually the garments are for other people who are far smaller than I am. I haven't made the Sambuca too small for me. It is for my niece who is a good couple of sizes slimmer than I. If I made it for myself I would make a larger size of course. I am not showing the jacket off to it's best. I will try to take a photo of my niece wearing it when she picks it up.

The first photo is of a hat I started last night for Chris ( my soon to be nephew in law). I made him a doubled hat last Christmas but although he loves it as it is so warm it was a bit on the large side. I have restarted it using pure wool double knit this time instead of aran thickness. It will be very slow progress as you can see. I have to knit 2 rounds for every round that it grows in height. I think it is fascinating how it is grey on one side and black on the other and yet knitted at the same time. It is from a free pattern from the net. I will try to find the link tomorrow when hopefully I will have done another couple of inches on the hat so you can see the technique better. If you know anyone who hikes then this is the warm hat for them.

I found my last year WIP sock yesterday and attempted to do a few rounds on it but I found myself lacking in enthusiasm. The wool splits badly and I have to keep retracing my stitches. I don't know what else it is about that sock but I just can't seem to get on with it. I have made 2 other pairs since I started that sock so it isn't that I have lost my sock mojo altogether.

My brother is coming back today to see if the hinge for the top oven door has stuck properly overnight. We tried yesterday but didn't leave the epoxy glue long enough time to set so let's hope second time lucky.

The snow of yesterday has vanished and today we have sunshine although there is no warmth in it. It makes me think about Spring and whether to try once again with vegetables in pots this year. I started the year before last and was marginally successful but my back pain limited me somewhat. Last year I didn't bother as I knew I was going into hospital and would be unable to tend them properly. Unfortunately my little plastic greenhouses that I left outside have developed tiny holes in their covers with the cold weather. I think I can buy new covers so I will have to search online otherwise I will have to line the holey tops (sides are OK) with some clear plastic.

Sambuca is finished

Sambuca is finished - well almost. I call it finished when I have finished crocheting. As you can see it is now blocking a wee bit to flatten down the pattern and pull the bands into shape. My niece didn't want the wrist bands putting on the sleeves or the bottom bands on the jacket so I left it with the scalloped edge. The pattern is Sambuca from Doris Chan's Amazing Crochet Lace book. As my niece is smaller than I am I will try it on tomorrow and see if I can take photos of it in wear. The wool is Patons Diploma Aran and is actually more of a deeper red and not the scarlet as it appears on the photo.

This morning I have been busy scrubbing the oven out. I HATE that job. I don't know of anyone who does. My top oven outer door fell off some weeks ago and I have been waiting for some glue to stick the clip back on the door so it can be replaced.My brother rang to say he had some resin glue that should be suitable and is coming this afternoon to try to fix it for me. He has a beautiful home and they never have a thing out of place. I have therefore been doing a blitz on the kitchen as anyone who knows me knows I am a bit on the untidy side. I am not dirty but I do tend to leave things on worktops instead of putting them away in the cupboards. I hope that I can tidy the lounge and whizz around with the Hoover before he arrives. Whew.

It's Dolly Partons's birthday today. She is the same age as me. Not that we resemble each other much apart from both being bottle blondes! I used to have a decent pair of boobs at one time but they have got lost in the rest of my body fat these days.

I must decide what to make next. I think I will make the cream hat to match my Christmas present scarf. I am hoping to go to Knit Club at the Kings Arms tonight and much as I love going there I have to admit that I find the lighting a bit dim and have to work with light colours.