I've got gauge

... or at least I hope to do so with my new gauge measure made by KaraStix which I received today as my SOTSIII prize. In addition I will also be getting one of the Nautical Knitter's fabulous patterns. Thank you DK!



Isn't it gorgeous and don't you just love the snowflakes (part of the stole's theme)?

I think for the first time ever I'm actually looking forward to knitting my next gauge swatch!

The company of friends

I had a great day on Saturday. Everything worked out perfectly - the weather was lovely, the food was good and the company was great. We set our tiny hall all a buzz with all the chat.



Cute hall hey? The guests arrived at 12 pm and we partied on until evening. We came home tired but happy. Being able to share with our friends in this way was very special to us. The warmth and good wishes we received from everybody was very heartwarming.

Because I've been so unwell the last week I haven't touched my needles for seven days. Yes, I've been counting. Last night I finally picked them up again and knew that I was back to normal. So poor old Henley has been neglected and I'm still short a sleeve.

The garden remains a feast of colour. Here again a little taste of a glorious rhododendron...



and a divine tulip.

Half a century

By Sunday I will have been on this earth for half a century! I can't quite believe it. Normally birthdays don't phase me much but this one seems a bit different. I came to realise that I have now been longer on this earth than the time that remains for me. Perhaps now I have to finally admit that I'm middle aged.

To make the event more palatable Bruce and I are having a combined 110th birthday party on Saturday. We've invited all our friends and intend to celebrate with gusto.

I had hoped to wear my Henley on the weekend but I've been laid low by a virus and so no knitting has taken place the last couple of days. I still have one sleeve to knit. With any luck I'll have it done by next Thursday when our neighbours are taking me out for a Peking Duck dinner and a night in the city (and it will probably include a little yarn shopping?).

The other delightful news I had was to find that I had won one of the grand completion prizes for my SOSTIII. The theme has been revealed and here are a few excerpts from Nautical Knitter's description: "The Estes Park Stole was inspired by our son’s recent wedding which was held in Estes Park, Colorado. ... The rounded edges are symbols of the cyclical nature of life and the circle having no end, once formed, is everlasting. This was intended to be a reminder, much like the rings they exchanged represented the same reality and are constant, visible reminders of their union. The motifs you see in the stole are representative of snowflakes and the surrounding tiny motifs symbolize snow."

I'll leave you with a splash of colour. The garden is looking good at the moment and the rhododendrons have started to flower.

The best of times

This is a great time in the garden. Things are flowering or about to flower and the amount of colour in the garden increases almost daily.

This Blackwood at the side of our house is heavy with blossom at the moment. Walking past the tree with the full sun on it is a heady experience - the tree seems to ooze honey.



The tulips have started to flower and provide a delightful splash of colour.





I'm enjoying this while I can because all too soon the summer will be with us and the garden will shrivel due to the heat and lack of rain.

FO: Secret of the Stole III

This wonderful knit has sadly come to the end. But I'm very pleased with the end product.









I knitted this in Bendigo Woollen Mills Classic 2 ply called Vanilla. I used 3.75 mm circular needles and size 8 clear crystal beads.

I had a moment of panic when I went to block the stole because several pink blotches appeared on the stole. Fortunately they washed out but I have no idea what caused the colouring.

I also have no idea of the name of the stole! It makes me think of starry nights when I see the beads glinting in the light but at the same time I think of snowflakes, clouds and flowers and funnily enough, brides! Whatever it is I like it and I want to thank the designer Nautical Knitter for a great stole.

This stole is going to go to my neighbour for her 70th birthday. I hope she enjoys wearing it as much as I enjoyed knitting it.

Henley Revisited

I have not lost my desire to knit Henley Perfected but I've been waiting to find the right yarn. I think my new ColourMart DK silk 32/120NM is the answer.

Last night I finished the back.



The yarn is slightly splitty but it only really bothered me when I did the 2 divisional pattern rows where you have to knit 2 together through the back loops of a yarn over and a slipped stitch. In fact, it was a real pain. But the rest has gone smoothly. I even think I might be able to finish it in time for our big party later this month (more of that later).

And here is the evidence - I have completed my second mystery slipper from the Holiday Mystery Gifts.



A quick and fun knit. I can see myself making more of these in the future.

Sometime tonight my time the final SOTSIII hint will appear. I'm hoping for a clear run tomorrow to get some knitting done. I'm really looking forward to blocking this stole. I think a good hard blocking is going to bring the detail of the pattern to the fore. But as for a guess at the theme? Well, I'm still stuck on snowflakes and flowers. Perhaps blocking will enlighten me.

SOTSIII Hint 8

We are now fast approaching the end. Only one more clue to go. This stole has become a part of life and once its done and blocked I'm going to miss it! The photos aren't too good. I became impatient waiting for the sun to shine and just took them any way. (And yes, we have had a bit of rain, not much considering how dull and gloomy it has been the last three days).





I've also finished my No Sheep for You swap projects. I used alpaca and made a pair of Cabled Fingerless gloves for my pal. I made the gloves a little too big for my hands because I know my pal has larger hands. I hope they fit her!



And with the yarn left over I managed to squeeze in a Crofter's cowl for my pal. The alpaca is lovely and soft against the skin and I'm sure will be warm as well.

Mystery solved!

I downloaded the final clues for the mystery knit over at Holiday Mystery Gifts today. And of course I had to sit down and complete the knit as soon as possible.





Slippers! Or, more accurately, a slipper. I still have to knit the second one. This was such a fun way to knit something. I've decided that in order to insure I knit the second slipper I will follow the daily clues again. That way it only takes a little bit of time each day and by the end of the week I have a completed product.

Thanks to Terry for a very enjoyable knit.