Shh! Don't startle the UFOs...

...as I am stalking them with serious intent.

The reason behind my UFO busting is that I was not able to work on the Puss in Boots wrap template either last or this weekend - so I am still not at the point where I can cast it on.




It's very frustrating and lack of progress has threatened to leave me with nothing to work on during my commutes. As a result, I have been stalking old projects, trying to clear the decks a bit:

Striped Top: it might not be not striped but it is now knitted, blocked and dry, ready for me to sew a shoulder together and pick up the stitches to do the neckband. Sadly, it is also sizing up to be the most boring baby jumper known to humankind. I think that it needs a duplicate stitch motif of some description to cheer it up? I bought teddy bear buttons for it at K&S last weekend but actually, I don't like them - it was the desparate, random button buying act, of a desparate to have buttons, to finish a jumper woman. Yes, me.

Castle Couture Hat: Progress was bought to a swift halt on the hat because every time I tried to knit parts of its optional knitted accessory, little golden dog turds squeezed themselves off the ends of my needles. Foul. In the end, I gave up and the project hibernated over the summer. I am having another go as the weather is cooler and people might be interested in knocking themselves up a warm hat? It's okay - I know. My golden motifs do not look great but compared with the first batch I experimented with - they are improving slowly! I'll get them right in the end.

Ribbed Shrug: I tried to unpick across to my ribbing error but it all started to look hideous and I was afraid that I was going to make one mistake look several times worse. So I have quietly picked the stitches back up, woven in the ends and I am going to stitch up the sleeves so that I can pick up stitches for the centre part of the shrug. If the ribbing error stands out in an obvious way when the shrug is finished (I am hoping that it will end up under my arm), then I will try Kelli's suggestion of snipping and darning. Or maybe trying darning a duplicate stitch over the top of the error?

Otherwise, what's been going on this weekend?

1) Well, I picked up a copy of The Happy Hooker - I went through all of the 'learn how to crochet books' at Borders (I have a stitch reference/pattern book at home but I wasn't feeling inspired by either of them) and this book seemed to stand out as having beginner things to try that looked wearable and achievable in the-less-than-great-learning-environment-of-an-aircraft-cabin (in the event that my Denise interchangeable needle ends are confiscated by security).

2) I picked up some skeins/balls of these two yarns: Rowan Cocoon and Mirasol Sulka (which is John Lewis's new fairtrade type yarn - I think).

The colours are as requested by my gift recipients but I cannot say much more until the presents are handed over, as they read my blog!

So if I am a bit quiet in the coming days, it is just because I am working on the wrap template, UFO busting and sneaking out two small offline presents.

PS - I have had a few questions from people asking me what I plan to do with the Habu Textiles 100% Linen Paper that I bought last weekend.

Please see left for a small clue! (It is not socks.)

Sigh...now what is it about the colour aubergine, eggplant or purple (collective wisdom of team blokes) that makes it so bloomin' appealing to me, right now?! I cannot help it - I just love it!

22/10 Edit: Yikes! I think that I have just had an out of body experience - I just stopped by using my work computer (as I was having pagination problems with my post last night at home) and discovered that I have, in fact, posted a photo of myself with a skein of yarn balanced on my head.

What on earth am I doing?! This blogging thing - it's got to stop!