Progress report, sampler, scarf, and fairy

Time for the weekly progress report.

I still haven't done anything on the sampler. I think I'm going to let it slide until I get the fairy done since the fairy is intended as a gift and the sampler is just something I'm making for myself. Stitching the moon on the fairy is going to be a pain since the yellows and creams blend right into the white fabric which is why I'm going to be working on it at work instead of the sampler. I'm hoping the bright light in my office will make it easier to see the difference.

I did spend a few hours working (and un-working) on the scarf this week. I didn't take pictures because there really isn't much difference, other than length, since the last photo I took.

But there's been significant progress on the fairy since I had a four day weekend to spend on it. I'm really confident I can get it done by Christmas.

Progress report, sampler, scarf, and fairy

I've not worked on the fantasy sampler in three weeks. Still too busy at work to tackle it. The projects I'm involved in at work are both nearer the end, so I should have time to start working on the sampler again soon.

I've only spent about three hours working on the scarf for my stepdaughter this last week. There were just too many penultimate and ultimate episodes of shows I watch regularly on television to knit. With everything winding down this week, there will be lots more time to knit. As you can see, it has gotten a little longer and I think photographing it on the white sheet shows off its blue color better.



(Pattern)

I only work on Night on the weekends, but I usually spend almost all the daylight hours both days stitching on it. This is a picture of the progress as of yesterday evening when I put it away.



As you can see, despite the bad lighting, I've gotten the one wing done.

Tati's Weblog - Little To Report

Karen has finally put up a picture of the scarf she's making based on the pattern I'm using for my stepdaughter's scarf. Hers is a lovely bright pink. I rather like it.

And the new project

I've mentioned several times I'm working on a new cross stitch project. I'm ready to reveal what it is. I am stitching the Butterfly Fairies, by Maria van Scharrenburg, for Lanarte. The leaflet I'm using is the Lanarte by Leisure Arts one (#3698) that has both the Day and Night fairies in it. I am stitching Night for my granddaughter. I hope to get it and Day done by Christmas so I can give them to her as a gift.

This is my third weekend of stitching on Night and this is as far as I've gotten:

Progress report, sampler and scarf

I have not worked on the fantasy sampler for two weeks. I've just been too busy at work to tackle it. The projects I'm involved in at work are both near the end, so I should have time to start working on the sampler again soon.

I also haven't spent a lot of time working on the scarf for my stepdaughter though I have managed to do a hair more than double its length.



This is a close-up of the feather and fan pattern. The funny hills and valleys come from the crumpled afghan I spread the scarf out on to photograph. It really doesn't have all those strange distortions.



(Pattern)

Pattern for stepdaughter's scarf

The scarf is a variation of a feather and fan pattern. If I give an instruction that is incomprehensible, post a comment and I'll try to clear things up. I'm going to put up the instructions for the pattern and not the scarf which is just five side by side iterations of the pattern.

k# - knit specified number of stitches
p# - purl specified number of stitches
k2tog - knit two together
yo - yarn over
R - Randmacshe (first / last stitch)

NOTE: The feather and fan pattern is worked over 17 + 2 stitches. This means the pattern covers 17 stitches plus one beginning stitch and one ending stitch. In German, the first and last stitches are called Randmaschen and that is how I always think of them. The Randmaschen are never part of the pattern.

Row 1: R, * p17 *, R

Row 2: R, * k17 *, R

Row 3: R, * k17 *, R

Row 4: R, * k2tog, k2tog, k2tog, yo, K1, yo, K1, yo, k1, yo, k1, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, k2tog, k2tog *, R

This completes the 4 rows that make up one iteration of the feather and fan pattern. The asterisks (*) in the pattern rows indicate the 17 stitches of the pattern.

(Photo)

I had to take a break

I took this week off from doing anything crafty. I spent all of last weekend, and I do mean all, stitching on a new project and that sent me into meltdown mode. Aches, pains, and a desire to torch every project I had going.

So I took a break and finished the book I was reading (Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood) and started a new one (The Darkness That Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker). I think I've recovered so I'll be working on stuff again and posting the odd update every whenever I feel inspired to.