Random Wednesday

Spotted in the centre of Blackrock Village, Co Dublin, Ireland.

Has a nice ring to it, eh? 'Nic's Place'. (Cue the Casablanca music.)

Actually the name of the bar is 'Tonic' and some of the neon is missing.

S'funny, eh?

There's a lot of knitting going on at Nic's Place I can tell you, but I can't show you as some is for design submission and some for a gift.

Looks like I'd better cast on something else as well so we have something to talk about.

Oh goodie. Any excuse.

Good thing I've a Howth Vest in my future. Just waiting for the yarn!

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A Little Bit Bohemian

Hi there. Don't mind me. I'm just busy drooling over styling my new scarf.

This is A Little Bit Bohemian, (or ALBB to it's close friends) designed by my pal Knitswithpenguins over on Ravelry. It's a classic design with an easy lace repeat and beautiful shaping. It really has the 'wow' factor - check out some of the other projects in finer yarns. Lovely.

How's this for a lovely smile?

Doesn't it go so nicely with my long winter coat?

So nicely in fact that I was inspired to make something else to match.

Patience now. Wait and see.

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Rising Numbers Update I

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NINETY SEVEN!

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Itty Bitty

Normally, folks, the thought of knitting a toy gives me the heebie jeebies.

Let's face it. All that teeny tiny knitting, complicated shaping and (gasp!) sewing up just makes me want to go find a large garter-stitch-something to knit.


Not to mention the sourcing of itty bitty scraps of yarn in the right colours. And besides, there's only so much cuteness one person can stand.

However. There's a change in the air.

Look thee here.

Itty Bitty Toys (Amazon link)

I might just have to do this.

And my goodness.

I'm even thinking about SOCKS! and Elvish ones at that.

Rivendell (Rav link)

What is my world coming to?

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Rising Numbers

What rising numbers are those?

The numbers of unemployed people? (Sad)

The numbers of inches of snow? (Deep)

The numbers of times that I forget to decrease 4 stitches on Row 8 of my current pattern repeat? That's a rising number for sure.

Nope! It's the numbers of Ashford Cowl projects in Ravelry. For a long time the number floated around the 60-something, then it crept up through the 70s and 80s and suddenly I noticed it had passed 90.

Now I'm watching it like a hawk. Don't want to miss that magic 100 number.

Exciting innit!? Well, as we say in our house, it's kinda-a-little-bit exciting anyway.

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More gift knitting, this time for the Knitting Mama.


A pincushion for the Sewing Table in the Tower. Literally, in a tower. So cool.


Details: Posey, a free pattern from Kris Knits.


Yarn: scraps of Debbie Bliss Fez. Pretty much any yarn would do I'm thinkin' so long as it's knit dense enough to hold the filling (which was in this case scrap yarn ends in many colours.)




It was a little bit fiddly to put together but worth it. The smallest section was puzzling me for a while wondering what it reminded me of.


Garlic. Wouldn'tja say?

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Ta Da!

Well, the Creamy Delight was a delight indeed. It was a last-minute hassle but I'm really thrilled with the finished item.

Modified slightly from the previous version by adding a 3 stitch garter stitch edging to counteract the minor rolling. Next time I'll make it 4 stitches. I'll also go up a needle size, it's a teeny tiny fraction too dense for my liking. Me likes drape.





LOVE the buttons. These were purchased a year or two back when the Wicklow Knitters gathered in Avoca for their annual fabric and supplies orgy sale.


Just goes to show that the perfect project for your favourite buttons is out there somewhere, even if it takes several years to find it.


(Stash Justification is my thing. Don't take it away from me.)

And BTW, yes I DID get a phone call when the recipient was 3 miles away to say they were coming early. Yikes!

Fortunately the project was ready.

Can't say the same for the housework.





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