Downton Abbey MKAL Update

One gauntlet down, one to go. Clue 4 saw us add the feather and fan lace border at the top and so finish the right hand gauntlet except for what is to be done with the eyelet holes running up the side. I guess that will be up to us to decide what we want to put there be it ribbon, icord, twisted cord or some other creative thread that laces up the side. For now I tried a silver maroon ribbon and a fine twisted cord from the same yarn running up the side.  I like both but for wearability I will use the twisted cord. For a mystery project I am very happy with the design. I would actually wear these.

 

 

 

 

 

I'm a little way into the second gauntlet and should have it finished soon. I'm loving everything grey so these will be a favourite when Winter rolls around.

 

Cheers,

Lynda 

MKAL

Would you believe I have been sucked into another mystery knit along. This time it is the Downton Abbey MKAL run by Jimmy Beans Wool. I am a huge fan of the Downton Abbey show so far and could not resist giving it a go. I was persuaded by the estimated 270 yards of yarn meaning a smallish project. Clue 1, 2 and 3 are out now and the mystery knit is gauntlets inspired by Lady Violet Dowager.

The gauntlets are coming along nicely. I'm further along than in this photo as I am working on Clue 3 now and I should be up to date for the 4th clue next Sunday.

That's not a greyscale photo. I'm using a sport weight light to medium grey yarn from my stash for this project. Although I love the suggested colour and yarn, Lorna's Laces Sportmate in Christmas at Downton, for these gauntlets I am not a fan of random striping and pooling that can occur and I'm a bit fastidious about things being even, well balanced and in proportion unless of course it is the complete opposite and it is oddly bizarre or eccentric but you can forget about the stuff that goes on in the middle. From some of the photographs popping up of these gauntlets my favourite ones are in plain colours which I think suit the gauntlets better than the stripey colour.

I took the quiz to see which character I would be from the show. As it turns out I am Lady Violet Dowager.

If you want to know what Downton Abbey character you are then take this quiz

"You are Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham. You’re the imperious, aristocratic head of your family who (almost) always gets her way, and you don’t suffer fools gladly. Though you’re often bossy and arrogant, you’re surprisingly adaptable and exceptionally loyal to the people you love. By the way, you also get all the best lines, so we hope you’re ready for immortality. But you should really look up the definition of “weekend.”

Cheers,
Lynda

 

Merry Christmas Everyone

After days of endless shopping, preparations for the big day and all the pandemonium associated with this time of year, Christmas Day finally arrived. As the hour nears midnight our tummies are still full to near bursting, our bodies exhausted, our minds dulled from a few too many drinks and we have certainly had our fill of Christmas music but we are happy and contented to have celebrated the day in fine form with family and friends. Thank you Marnie and Phill for hosting our day this year.

The days around Christmas are very special as we reflect on what was over the last year and we are filled with the promise of hope and peace for the coming new year. I wish all my family and friends a very happy festive time filled with all the good things, lots of love and cheer. Family and friends, near and far, are close to my heart at Christmas.

It's a time when we especially miss loved ones that we have lost this year and there have been a few. It's also a time when we are thrilled to have new little ones celebrating their very first Christmas for the little ones in our lives bring so much joy.

This quote is my inspiration this festive season -

"If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls but
do not show love, I’m just another decorator." It speaks volumes. 


."★ ° . .　　　　.　☾ °☆ 　. * ● ¸ .　　　★　° :.　 . • ○ ° ★　 .　 *　.　　　　　　. 　 ° 　. ● .　　　　° ☾ °☆ 　¸. ● .　　★　　★ ° ☾ ☆ ¸. ¸ 　★　 :.　 . • ○ ° ★　 .　 *　.　.　　¸ .　　 ° 　¸. * ● ¸ .　　　　° ☾ ° 　¸. ● ¸ .　　★　° :.　 . • ° 　 .　 *　:.　.　¸ . ● ¸ 　　　★　　★☾ °★ . 　　　　.　 °☆ 　. ● ¸ .　　　★　° .　 • ○ ° ★　 .　　　　　　　*　.　 ☾ ° 　¸. * ● ¸ 　　　　° ☾ °☆ 　. * ¸.　　　★　　You have been sprinkled with Peace, Love, & Happiness! Now go forth and sprinkle other people too !★ ° . .　　　　.　☾ °☆ 　. * ● ¸ .　　　★　° :.　 . • ○ ° ★　 .　 *　.　　　　　　. 　 ° 　. ● .　　　　° ☾ °☆ 　¸. ● .　　★　　★ ° ☾ ☆ ¸. ¸ 　★　 :.　 . • ○ ° ★　"


From my home to yours Merry Christmas,
Cheers!
Lynda  

Strange things are happening

Do you ever wonder what's going on with our food?

Ash brought home some strawberries the other day. He asked us to picture the largest strawberry we had seen and then he showed us his strawberries. Wow! I have never seen one as big as that before :)

The strawberries were the same size as apples.

Here it is compared to an average size strawberry.

And the monster weighed 95 grams. This one wasn't the largest one either. He'd already eaten that!

The photos here don't do the strawberry justice. It was a whopper. Four strawberries filled a punnet. They tasted every bit as good as the regular strawberry but you have to wonder what's going on with our food, don't you?

Cheers,
Lynda

When the cake gives you crumbs...

make rum balls.

 

Cake crumbs, cocoa powder, coconut, condensed milk and rum. Yum Yum!

Cheers,
Lynda

Rockefeller Shawl by Stephen West

I remember when I was so excited to start this mystery shawl. I bought beautiful yarn online and eagerly awaited the release of the clues. The yarn is Swans Island Merino Fingering in Oatmeal and Russet.  It all started so well and the first clue was striking with the short row striping.

Clue 2 got me wondering.

Clue 3 got me worried

 Clue 4 what the ....

I knew from the second clue onwards that this was a shawl that I wouldn't wear and I lost interest in knitting it. I would have given up on this but I am not a quitter and I was hopeful that the sum of the parts would be better than the individual parts. There are several mistakes in the knitting that I didn't bother to fix. I thought I would finish it and rip it out and keep the yarn for something else but there are so many ends in this shawl. Luckily someone else liked it so it is now going to a good home.

This was my first MKAL and it will be my last too. I think from now on I will wait and see what the pattern is like before I attempt another KAL. I've bought and knitted many of Stephen West's patterns and I am a big fan of his designs, just not this one! I do appreciate all the effort that he put into this design and there are many lovely elements in this shawl. I love the icord edge and the icord in the body of the shawl and the interesting construction is clever too.

One thing for sure this shawl will be light, soft, squishy and warm and Erin if you scrunch it up around your neck I hope you can't notice the mistakes or the design :) 

Cheers,
Lynda

No chance of snow!

It might be the beginning of Spring here but we still decorate with snow theme things for Christmas and this is my first decoration for this year. I might just have to make a family!

The idea and tutorial came from here

Cheers,
Lynda

Happy Birthday Katie

Thinking of you today and sending you warmest wishes for a very happy birthday and a spark-a-lark-a-lark-a-ling year to follow. Hope this year sees many of your dreams come true.

Love always,
Lynda