This is a four-ply version of “Here is the news”…
First strand…. The Wisteria Way Shawl…
I did finish it… Almost!!! I completed the crochet, playing yarn chicken with the edging but winning, and then I blocked it. I have fallen at the final hurdle though because it needs tassels and beads adding to the corners and I know there isn’t enough yarn for that. So I need to find some very similar yarn and some suitable beads so I can totally finish it.
Second Strand… Granny Stitch Cowls…
I started one of these when I had nothing to do (or was I avoiding the shawl??!!). I have completed three now… One as a gift for a colleague’s birthday, one as a gift for Thing 1’s girlfriend (yes… we have girlfriends now!!! Eeek!!), and one random, currently homeless one. Super-simple and super-quick (if you are not practicing your procrastination skills like I seem to be right now!!) but also attractive.
Third Strand… Colour Pooling Cowl…
I bought this specially designed yarn as a treat for myself when I was recovering from the flu in January. It took a few attempts to get the tension correct so that the colour pooling effect could be seen. But I persevered and before long I was flying along. Then I discovered a knot in the yarn. Knowing that the colour repeat was everything, I undid the knot and rejoined it correctly so that the repeat, and therefore the colour pooling, would continue correctly. Hurrah, it worked…
But then a few rows later the colour repeat went completely wrong with one of the colours being totally absent. You can see the effect this had on the colour pooling in the photo.
But then Thing 2 had a project at school about writing letters of complaint. He couldn’t think of someone to write to, so I suggested he write to Stylecraft about my yarn problem. He must have written an excellent letter because he received a big parcel at school with replacement yarn and lots of other Stylecraft goodies. He has requested an owl cushion from the book as a reward.
Sadly the cowl has languished in the pile of unloved things until now. But I am determined to do some finishing before I do anymore starting and it’s next on my list.
Fourth Strand… Yarny plans… I have an urge to start some more socks but I have also recently found the Joes Toes website which sells kits for making felt slippers including kits for slippers with knitted or crocheted tops. I am quite keen to have a go at some. Look out family… you might all get handmade slippers for Christmas this year!!!
And there you have it, that’s the news for now. What’s your news???
madebypatch 
The colour pooling looks good as does shawl and cowls. I too hate knots in yarn, never thought of complaining though! I see Joes Toes sell soles for socks/slippers this could be handy if I want to make some more.
Yes, I never knew where to get soles before… but now I do. Apparently one knot is acceptable and complies with British Standards. More than that and Stylecraft would consider it faulty. The knot wasn’t really the problem, it was the incorrect colour repeat in a yarn where the colour repeat is so important.
Yes I did understand about the colour repeat being the greater problem just being brief. Interesting to learn that one knot is acceptable but not more. I will bear that in mind.
Socks? Well, you do have a very lovely ball of sock yarn to use!
Yeah…. There’s a sock yarn queue!!