I DID IT!

It's finished! The Lace Tunic cover up is completed, ready to wear, available for the cruise. It even fits! I can't believe it. Actually, I finished it 2 days ago. Just took me some time to get it photographed. Here it is lying on the floor.


Pattern: Lacy Hooded Tunic from the Spring/Summer 2007 issue of Vogue Knitting Magazine.

Yarn: Tatamy Tweed DK in Oatmeal.

Needles: Size 6 circular.

Comments: This was a time consuming garment to make. Way more time consuming than I expected. The pattern is fraught with errors. The VK web site has corrections for some of them, but not all.

For instance, you are told to bind off all the stitches when you get to the end of the back piece. Later, when you're finishing the front, you are told to 3-needle bind off the front and back shoulder stitches together. Except, you have bound off the back. I had to undo the bind off, put the shoulder stitches on needles, bind off the center neck sts, then do the 3-needle bind off. Not hard, but a pain in the arse, if you know what I mean. A beginner would get to that part and wonder 'what the heck'?

I would not recommend this pattern for beginners for that reason. But experienced knitters should have no problems figuring out things along the way.

I changed the way the hood is constructed. Instead of picking up stitches around the neck, I knit it separate and attached it. I also used a needle 2 sizes larger for the band around the neck/hood and the edging on the side slits, mostly because I really blocked out the garment to open the lace.

Another finished project. I completed one of the bead crochet rope necklaces I've been working on. It goes with a bracelet I made last September. While I was digging in the stash for something I found a large yellow turquoise bead that I'd bought at a thrift store for a quarter, or something like that. Anyway, I was amazed at how well it went with the bracelet and decided to make a necklace to go with it using that turquoise bead.

Yellow Turquoise Necklace

Rope: Bead Crochet, 26 inches long, Size 8 seed beads in matte olive, matte silver lined pale yellow, matte iris green/brown
Bail: Peyote stitch, size 11 Japanese seed beads in matte olive and matte silver lined pale yellow
Fringe: Branch fringe using size 8 seed beads in matte olive, matte silver lined pale yellow, matte iris green/brown, size 11 seed beads in matte olive and matte silver lined pale yellow, 4mm crystals in topaz and olive green, 6mm crystals in topaz and olive green.

Yet another finished project. I had no time to knit socks this month for the SAM4KAL, or at least, I didn't think I did. I was lamenting about this on Ravelry cos I really want that D (for December) next to my name. Someone suggested I make baby socks. Now what a great idea. So after I finished up the lace tunic, I dug out some books and came up with Booty Socks. It's a combination of a booty pattern and a baby sock pattern. My own creation, if you will. I used some of the leftover Tatamy Tweed DK and some size 3 needles. They're actually knit flat, with a short row heel, then seamed up one side. (The last time I made socks that way was a Christmas stocking.) I put in a row of eyelets to string ribbon through so they can be tied on. Less chance of losing them off the little feet that way. I'm going to donate them to Knit Wits cos I don't know anyone who is preggers right now.


I am done with all the 'obligatory' knitting for this month. I can do whatever I want now. Margaret Tudor is calling me, and some socks I started for this month and never got to finish, and then there's the Honey Bee stole, and the Baby Pinwheel Sweater, and all those cable sweaters I'm dying to make ........

Have a great day.