The Messy Part....

Poor thing.

It was almost finished - speed knitted in about a week, almost through the process of being a Real Jumper.....

Then I cut the poor thing in half.



Steeking done, stitches picked up all over the place, live stitches waiting patiently to be dealt with..... she looks like a hot mess, no?

Cardigans are born in a complicated way, friends......

Finished pics to come soon, hopefully.....

xxx

ps:
Welcome back, Shu - I missed you.......xxx

Favourites 22/01/10

1. Bird Conversation, 2. Happy Wedding dear Twiggy&Brad, 3. the observer, 4. Untitled, 5. mad as a cut snake, 6. doll parts, 7. Untitled, 8. King D, 9. the letting go, 10. Giant Dwarf // Update Tomorrow

Finished.

I was talking to my sister the other day, and she was lamenting the fact that I never post photos of my finished projects, which is something that I truly am terrible at doing.... Mostly because of the difficulties in taking photos of your own self without looking either a) like you're a truly egotistical knobhead, or b) like a headless/armless wonky person who can't stand up straight, pulling a stupid expression like you just smelled something truly hideous.....

Anyway, after much ado, I roped The Man into documentation duty, and here are the results from this project:

I knit the sleeves extra long so I can pull them over my hands. The cast on rows were done in a contrasting colour, which add just a tiny bit of interest....



The body of the jumper has raglan shaping, and a wide boat neck.



Of course, the cat loves it. It's made out of stupidly rare and luxurious German yarn, after all.....



And finally, photoshoot mostly over; a typical night in the Hyena Household:



Wearing the completed jumper whilst knitting the sleeve of the next......

There we are. Finished.

xxxx

And so it begins....

A new year, eh?

Before we get onto that - the last thing from 2009 to share - Christmas presents!

It was a quiet one for me this year - just me, my sister and her darling family, all of who are heavily entrenched in the handmade....

This year, my sister sewed the motherlode for me:



An incredible patchwork quilt, plus a new knitting bag, and a GIANT pincushion - all made with her own two hands..... She is one clever lady.....

Of course, the cat, (who can sniff out Irish linen from fifty feet, only plays with the high end wool when I'm knitting, and has snaffled not only a mohair blanket, but a vintage quilt for her basket), gave the quilt the Puzz seal of approval:



Now she insists that we sit with it on the couch at night, so she can snuggle under it, purring her head off like a madman. I never met a cat with such snobby taste in textiles!

As for the new year - I've taken delivery of a couple of parcels that form part of my plans for the next few weeks..

First up, eight skeins of Cascade 200 Heathers, for a winter cardigan, in which I will learn how to steek... (eek!)



I cast on for the cardigan two days ago, and after quite a bit of this:



in front of this:



I've finished the body up to the underarms, and have cast on for the sleeves. I'm hoping this will be a quick knit, so I can get some warm things put away for the Winter to come....

And yes, I know it's crazy to be planning winter clothes in the midst of our third heatwave this year, but I'm sure you all know that I am crazy by now!

And I was going to leave this post there, but just as I was typing this, the cat and I saw this out the loungeroom window:



Can you see our little friend there in the middle? No? Here's a close up:



Yup - a fox. In the middle of the big city. Does that mean I'm in for a crafty new year?

ha ha - sorry.....xxx

Favourites 03/01/10

********

I'm feeling a little poorly today - so I'm back in my pyjamas, and about to make a pot of tea and retire to the couch for the afternoon....

Looking at these photographs makes me feel better though - perhaps the one resolution I may make this year is to learn to use my camera better?

Have a good weekend, lovelies.... xxx