Christmas FOs

Finished the commissioned scarf, plus a multi-directional one in Rowan Tapestry, in case the secret Santa visits a man.

I've spent a lot of time this week thinking what to do with the knitting. I can produce rather faster than I can find recipients. I really wanted to find a market, but this begins to seem unrealistic. This week I've been thinking about knitting for charity. Since I retired, I've been thinking I should do something for charity, but couldn't think what I had to offer. Well, I can knit! Perhaps baby blankets, or blankets in general: there always seems to be a need for them. I'd like to find a charity I would really like to support, but that's not easy; I don't have particularly strong feelings for premature babies, for example. Perhaps I should just get together some things and wait for a need to become known?

Meanwhile, of course, there's still Christmas knitting to complete. I read a post from a forum member saying that she wanted to start a new project on the first day of the new year, and that seemed a particularly good idea. I'll brood about which shawl I will start then!

Since I retired, my brain seems like smush; I can't remember what used to be important to me. I guess I'm still reacting to being free after all those years of workaholism. I know I'm sleeping more than I think reasonable! It's a disgrace really that there was no preparation for retirement offered. All those years of working for an LEA and not so much as a well done at the end of it. When I think of the years of abuse and stress and fear I endured, cheerfully, I do feel angry that there was clearly no sense of a job well and willingly done. I imagine they will begin to get the servants they deserve!

Rant over. Knitting waits. Hope this piece will be well received!

Comes but once a year

I've actually managed to get the photo up this week!

This is a scarf (surprise!) - a commission for DD, though she may change her mind about it. It's the scarf from the Christmas 'Knitting', weighted with 3 rows ofbeaded stocking stitch, instead of beads on the fringe.

The yarn is Kidsilk Haze from my stash. Think it's looking rather pretty, though very PINK.

The last week has been spent knitting, with lots of false starts. After Christmas I really am going to try and stick to making my own things, rather than choosing someone else's pattern for the sake of speed. I want to make a pi shawl, if my copy of E Zimmerman's book ever arrives from Amazon. I get the general construction idea, but I'm not at all sure what patterns to put in each tier, and I don't want to waste nice yarn on something that ends up looking silly.

Christmas fever seems to be all bound up in knitting this year, partly because I've retired, and partly because of the knitting forums, where everyone is frantic to finish presents. But this week end I went to 'Dick Whittington' in Oxford, and got a full dose of magic. The actors were good (mostly) with a surprisingly young and totally infectious dame, but the real pleasure was the audience. Having had an overdose of other people's children for 30 plus years, I don't much like children in the mass, but this lot were amazing! They were quite young - one even had to be taken out, terrified by the good fairy's flash! (Reminded me of Gareth's fear of the Demon King when we first took him to the pantomime) But their faces, and their total absorption in the story! The cast were brilliant, going along with their versions, and it was two hours' total pleasure.

Current reading includes 'Hogfather', put into my head by the fact that it's on the television at Christmas. I can't imagine how they are going to do it justice. All those little jokes which depend on words must be lost, I suppose. And the ironies, and the footnotes. I shall watch it - or some of it - hoping that they bring it off.

Meanwhile, there are films to see: haven't seen the James Bond yet, and then there's 'Happy Feet', and others with pretty men to enjoy.

Back to the scarf!

Another FO

I've been working on another tank for DD - trying to match her hair which is petrol blue with pink and black highlights. I think I've failed to get the colour!

I've also struggled with the pattern - was trying to create an off-the-shoulder effect so went for a wide neck, and a panel of moss stitch paralleling the shape of the neck, which I emphasised with a row of double crochet. The intention was to use an i-cord, but the yarn was too stretchy for that - and the dc didn't need any sewing on. I also wanted some shine to highlight, so have painstakingly stripped all the fluffy stuff and used just the ribbon for the edgings.

I haven't managed to upload the photo, and in any case I despair of getting good photos - my hand shakes so much that you don't even get a clear image, let alone an artistic composition!

Back to presents - oh, this was for DD's birthday, which is why the tribulations weren't catalogued before now.