Or Monday
OK, so last post I promised cake pictures on Saturday or Sunday, but Monday’s close, right?
It was a basic all-in-one sponge mix with 3 oz wholemeal flour and 1 oz of cocoa powder which made it more like a brownie than a cake (yum). The topping was a coffee-based fluffy-thingy (technical term) topped with walnuts. I can not stand walnuts (I think it’s because they look like brains) but my mum loves them, so I endured! 
I’ve not done a lot of knitting over the last few days, but I have kicked on with the Psychedelic Blanket.
Medium (500 x 335)/Original (1050 x 704)
Medium (500 x 266)/Original (1154 x 614)
I wanted to see how each of the "blocks" would look when it was all done and I really like the overall effect.
Oh, and I am chilling out. A lot more. About everything. Mostly. 
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Knitting 0 Cooking 1
I almost made this a 1-1 draw, but since the only knitting I’ve done in the last few days has been 6 rows on the Swan Lake Stole and a pair of Fetching mittens, I didn’t think that really counted!
I’ll post photos of my cooking adventures tomorrow (Saturday) or Sunday, but in the mean time I can give you just the third finished item of 2008 (I’m a slacker!)
Medium (415 x 500)/ Original (800 x 963)
Name: Birthday Fetchings
Pattern: (name, author, source) Fetching by Cheryl Niamath from Summer 2006 issue of knitty.com
Size(s): (to fit, finished size) they came out quite small (see yarn substitution)
Yarn: (name, fibre, weight, colour) Stylecraft Renaissance DK, wool/acrylic, DK, green
Needles: (size, material, style) 2 x 4 mm circular needles
Knitting style: (for stitch patterns) Combination throughout
Modifications: Substituted yarn (it was what I had to hand) and as a result they came out smaller than prescribed.
Notes: I cast these on when I was in the Lake District and they were then somewhat abandoned until I realised my mum’s birthday was screaming up on me! I think the world and their mother have knit these, but they were my first pair. My comments? Nice simple pattern, but could do with one-or-two tweaks to make them fit better (e.g. a thumb gusset).
Personal what-nots:
My Wisdom teeth have decided to … well, I don’t know, but they’re not making me whimper in pain anymore. [shrug]
My brother is very tired, feels a bit "weird" but is basically OK. He’ll be home in 9 weeks and 2 days. I’m not counting. Much.
The most terrifying few hours in my life where those from when he sent a text at 4 p.m. my time to say he’d landed and 11 p.m. to say he’d got to his friend’s house. I don’t think I’d've slept if he hadn’t got in touch!
I’m off to have a bath to hopefully get rid of this headache I’ve had since this morning. Maybe it had something to do with no breakfast, 3 cups of coffee and "testing" a cake filling I was making. Hmmm….. 
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Changes/WIP Wednesday
Knitting content below, but a brief interlude first.
I made a vague reference to an event and a person causing me stress. Well, the beginning of a period of worry started today. My baby brother, my little TweedleDee, is over 3000 miles away in America. For 9 weeks and three days. Everyone keeps saying he’ll be fine, but I can’t help but worry.
I umm-ed and ahh-ed about whether or not to write about this in a public forum but I am stressed and it’s affecting my health (mouth ulcers and skin problems a-go-go). There were tears and arguments in the lead up to this, and he’ll be missing both my parent’s birthdays for the first time since he was born.
We’re a very close family and it’s going to be really weird without him and his smelly feet hanging around. I’ll cope. I think!
WIP Wednesday 26/03/2008:
Thanks to Wanda’s comment to my last post I remembered that I’d forgotten (!) about my dad’s cardigan in my WIP/UFO list. Ooops! I still haven’t done anything on it, but for a couple of very good reasons (the commissioned piece and a little something for my mum’s birthday).
Fetching for my mum:
Medium (369 x 500)/Large (800 x 1085)
I started these when I was in the Lake District but I’m only just finishing them. I need to have them finished for the weekend, so I should be OK.
Swan Lake:
Medium (335 x 500)/Large (800 x 1194)
I’m going quite steadily on the "wing", but as each row is longer than the last, I’m slowing down!
Strawberry Joe:
Medium (471 x 500)/Large (800 x 850)
Another item I left off my list is this hat. I need to concentrate on it so I’ve not been working on it a lot. I’m 2 pattern repeats from finishing it and I’m sure I could complete it in a day if I applied myself – stay tuned!
I’m feeling very out of it anyway, regardless of where my brother is, because the Wisdom teeth on the right-hand side have decided to try and come through. I was told that it was unlikely they would ever come through because I inherited my dad’s tiny jaw and I have too many teeth for the space available!
I have an "owie". 
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The Plan
Maybe I shouldn’t call it "The" plan. Maybe just "A" plan?
Anyway, Some Kind of Plan I’ve hatched is to go through all the hibernating works in progress and finish them or recycle them. I’ll compile a precise list in a moment, but in this vein I give you the 1-row 1-year Scarf:
1. 1 row scarf 3, 2. 1 row scarf 4, 3. 1 row scarf 1, 4. 1 row scarf 3 Created with fd’s Flickr Toys.
Pattern: Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s 1-row Handspun Scarf. I cast on 14 stitches for a narrow scarf.
Yarn: Odds and ends of King Cole Magnum Chunky wool/acrylic mix in cream and beige multi.
I cast this sucker on in March of 2007.
I know.
I used up the yarn left over from my Pirate Fisherman’s Hat so I’d have something approaching a matching set (something I don’t normally do – matching is for wimps – but I thought it would be a good way to use up the leftover yarn).
It wound up at about 60 inches/150 cm long when gentle persuaded, and I think it’s the longest scarf I’ve ever knit. I was a very impatient learner-knitter and I ended up with neck warmers, not scarves!
Anyway, on to the quick round-up, in no particular order (links are to small-ish photos of the most recent activity on the projects, hosted by Flickr):
1. Mystery Shawl/Moss/Mystic Waters/Whatever
I still haven’t finished the border on this bloody thing (started in 2005), but it’s up next after I’ve completed the Swan Lake stole.
2. Austin Power’s Psychedelic Blanket
I planned on knitting squares while I was watching TV/had nothing else to knit, but that hasn’t really happened. I think I’ll move its small project bag to somewhere more prominent and just knit on it.
This were originally for my mum, but I made them too big (subconsciously?), so I’ll use them instead. Knit as far as the rib on the second one.
I was quite enthusiastic about this when I cast on but, despite some good progress, I seem to have gone off it. I quite fancy the U-Neck Vest/Back-to-School Vest by Stef Japel. I might try and frog it and re-use the yarn, or I’ll see how far I can get with the unused skeins I have.
For my mum (again). 1st sock "finished", except I made it about 2 cm too short by mistake. Need to rip the toe out, lengthen it and then make the second sock. Preferably before next Winter!
A bit unfair to put her here, because the only reason she’s here is because I nicked her needles to cheat on her with another pair of socks! 1st sock done.
Oh, not too bad, really. There may be other things I forgotten about, but they don’t count, do they?
Tags: 1 row handspun scarf, finished object, scarf, ufos, knitting
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Not many works in progress
But one finished item.
Oh, yeah, that’s all you’re getting. Sorry! You’ll just have to wait, I’m afraid. I’m very pleased with how it’s turned out (10 days to design and knit it, which I’m also very pleased with). I just hope the person/people I’ve created it for like it as much as I do!
There is one active work in progress at the moment, my Swan Lake/Mystery Stole:
Medium (500 x 313)/Large (800 x 500)
The photo on the left was taken with the flash and the one on the right taken without. The right-hand photo shows the texture of the lace, but the left-hand one actually shows the lace!
I was just admiring my handiwork when I noticed this:
Medium (500 x 375)/Large (1024 x 768)
HELP!!!!
It looks to me like I’ve forgotten to knit a yarnover at some point, because it’s not unraveled or anything. What do I do? Should I leave it be, try and fasten it down, scream? I’ve stuck a safety pin through the loop for now, just in case it decides to wander somewhere, but I need advice. Stat!
And finally …
You may not be able to share my joy for this final piece of news, but, I have bathroom flooring!
Remember the plastered ceiling because of the burst pipe? Well, this is the finally piece in the very large puzzle.
I very nearly cried when I saw it for the first time. I’m quite pleased with how it looks.
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