Under the Wire

Happy New Year! DH and I went to First Night revelry last night. We enjoyed flamenco dancing and singing and guitar (great stuff), zydeco (a treat for us, especially since we were in New Orleans in early November and heard live zydeco there), and a ventiloquist act (I'm a sucker for those things). The Tahiti scarf came with us and at 11:32 pm, just under the wire, it was finished. I made it with no one in mind; someone will get a surprise gift from me.

Rummaging through the cedar closet again (it's cold and turning colder), I found a sweater I made for DD#1 when she was in high school in upstate NY; she had forgotten it and thought she lost it (imagine my thoughts on that score). Here it is: Well DD#2 took one glance at it and claimed it. She plans to wear it as often as she can in fact. It's made of Brunswick La Laine (washable Merino wool in DK weight with great yardage and an easy price), and the pattern is Suzann Thompson's Diagonal Diamonds from the February 1993 issue of McCall's Needlework and Crafts.

DD#1 isn't the only one guilty of forgetting what's I've made that gets stored in the cedar closet. DH forgot about this Tahki Donegal tweed vest: DH is happy I was thoughtful enough to bring it upstairs for him so he can now wear it.With 2 vests out of commission, and Rugged not finished (I started the front! I'm already on the second pattern repeat!), he needs his vests.

And I have to plead mea culpa as well. I found this sweater I made for myself: The pattern is Classic Elite #369 by Norah Gaughan and the yarn is Classic Elite Willough. That was a silk and cotton blend, DK-weight, and very nice to work with. Classic Elite didn't offer it very long (my LYS couldn't get it for me in ecru to knit a DKNY top featured in the Spring 1994 issue of Vogue Knitting) that required it. Guess waxing nostalgic for great yarns that are no longer is part of a New Year's theme: should auld yarns be forgot and all that.

Rogue is DONE

DONE DONE DONE!
Rogue is done!
I was so frustrated by the cables on the hood I did my own variation on traveling Aran cables. I always was bad at grafting, I admit it. I attribute it to being left-handed and having to follow right-handed directions. But Daughter loves it, loves it sleeveless, and all I have left to do is to steam the hem and the armholes. I'm not even going to put ribbing at the armholes, just leave them as is. If they show wear, I'll blanket stitch them. For now, they'll be au naturel.

In going through the back of the cedar closet, I came across this top I made over 10 years ago: I designed it to wear to a friend's son's bar-mitzvah back when grey was the rage. It's charcoal Filatura de Crosa Sera, with center panels of FdC No Smoking in pewter. It fits me even better now.

Something else from the cedar closet: This vest was made years ago for 1 daughter, both deny it for some reason. The pattern is from a 1960's Spinnerin book and the yarn is Rowan Magpie. It doesn't fit me (too small); what shall I do with this lovely homeless vest?

Last bit of my older knitting for today: This lace shawl, done I think in Madil Kid Seta, is found in the 1996 Spring Knitter's issue #42 dedicated to lace and reprinted in The Best of Knitter's Magazine Scarves and Shawls. It's Eugen Beugler's Lace Dreams shawl. I made it according to directions, in 2 halves, with a provisional cast-on first, then picking up the sts for the second half. I used a size 4 needle. I normally don't like yellow, but this banana ice color is quite nice.