Friday 18 March 2011

FO Catch up

I've missed out on a couple of FO Friday link-ups now, mostly due to bad timing and being horrendously busy. So time for a catch up.

Secret Birthday Project is first up. I've been holding this one in reserve for an FO Friday for weeks, but I couldn't dare share until I had gifted it. Well, it was a birthday present for my mother, who turned 60 this week. I sent it last week, and spent days eagerly awaiting confirmation that it had been received, but of course, she didn't open it till her actual birthday, which was on Monday!


Pattern: Carisbrooke Stole by Deborah E. Burger (rav link)
Yarn: King Cole Zig Zag 4ply in lilac (749)
Hook: 5mm
Started: 10th February
Finished: 1st March

I really enjoyed making this. The pattern was great, the yarn was lovely to work with. It worked up quickly, and striped beautifully. The only modification I made to the pattern was to edge the whole piece with a basic sc border.


This was the first time I tried my hand at blocking. I pinned the ends out on my ironing board, sprayed them with water till they were fairly damp, and left them for two days or so. In terms of growth, it didn't have much impact, just a few inches wider and longer at each end. But it neatened everything up wonderfully, which you can see here:


Unfortunately I don't have the space to even consider blocking the entire piece, so this one just got the ends only. My next lace project is likely to be a shawl, so I should have more luck blocking a whole project in one go.

Avalon Top is another eagerly anticipated FO! Last time this featured, it was awaiting sleeves. Well, as I said last week, I started on the sleeve and decided about six rounds in that I didn't like them. Who wants a top they don't like? So I ripped back, and finished off the sleeves with a round of 9sc in each ch5 loop.


Of course, once the sleeves were done, all it needed was the ends weaving in and perhaps blocking. This is where we hit the real stumbling blocks to me finishing anything. I hate weaving in ends. So it sat for a while, all forlorn on my dressmaker's dummy in the corner of the living room. I swear it was looking sad on purpose, to make me feel guilty. I succumbed this weekend, and wove in all my ends on Sunday. I was so pleased, I decided to ignore the curling of the bottom border and sleeves, and wore it to work on Monday!


I'm very pleased with it.

Pattern: Avalon Top by Doris Chan (rav link)
Yarn: Wendy Mode DK in Vanilla
Hook: 5mm
Started: 6th February
Finished: 13th March

Fontana Scarf Mark II was a quick and easy project. I am so pleased with it. Almost as soon as it was off the hook, it was claimed by Jamie.





Pattern: Simple Textured Crochet Scarf by Andrea Lyn Van Benschoten (rav link)
Yarn: Zettl Fontana
Hook: 8mm
Started: 3rd March
Finished: 5th March


That's my FO's caught up with, time to catch up with everyone else! Lets see what Tami and the gang have on offer today...

Also, this week I'm hooking up with Fibers on Friday, another linky party hosted by Beth over at Visions of Sugar Plums.

13 comments:

  1. Wow a bumper edition of finished objects. I really love that stole. It looks like an awful lot of work. I think blocking the ends was a good idea, even if you couldn't manage the whole thing. It never ceases to amaze me at how much stuff grows and changed when it is blocked. Thank heavens for foam interlocking tiles, that's all I can say, you can lean it up against the wall while it dries!

    By the way I'm having a giveaway to help raise money for Japan. I'd be really grateful if you have a look and see if you want to help: http://craftycripple.blogspot.com/2011/03/something-different.html

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  2. It was a real wrench, giving it away! It turned out better than I thought it would. It really didn't take that much work though, the crocheting was done in 9 days, it just took me a while to get around to blocking the ends! I think I will have to get my hands on some of those foam tiles for next time though.

    Read your post earlier, will sort out my donation at lunchtime.

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  3. Whoa! You have a very lucky mom!
    And, I totally love your tank top! So beautiful!

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  4. oo I really love that orange scarf and the shawl for your mums birthday! really really lovely!!

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  5. Love the shawl, both the colors and the design/stitches. Very nice. Think you'll get lots of wear out of that. Those colors will compliment lots of outfits.
    Happy FOFriday
    Sandy
    http://4ccccs.blogspot.com/

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  6. Wow, that shawl is awesome! I'm sure your mother LOVED it. Was she totally excited about it?

    I love the way your shirt came out! I'm sure you'll get a ton of compliments on it (if you haven't already).

    The scarf looks so warm and soft. I'd want to cuddle in it as well. I can see why Jaime claimed it so quickly. LOL

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  7. I haven't actually spoken to her about it yet! She went away for the week for her birthday, so I won't hear from her till she's back. I just got a brief text on Monday to say thanks.

    That scarf - I've never seen anything grabbed so quickly! I'd literally just finished weaving in the ends, held it out for inspection and it was around his neck and he's saying "mine!".

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  8. You have done an absolutely amazing job. The Avalon top is fantastic. The shawl is beyond stunning. Good job!

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  9. I had to play catch up this week, too. I posted tons of FOs, at least it felt like a lot. The stole is beautiful!

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  10. Not one, but three beautiful things finished! The striped shawl is lovely, I bet your mother was thrilled to have it and will be showing it off everywhere she goes. Your Avalon top is fabulous too - wear it with pride! You deserved to have a quick and easy scarf after all that dedication on finishing the other two projects.

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  11. Paula @ KnitandSeek18 March 2011 at 21:18

    That's a monster amount of work! And it all looks lovely. I'm especially smitten with the Avalon Top. I'm always slightly suspicious of very hole-y patterns like that, but it looks fantastic on you! Nicely done.

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  12. Wow, you got loads done! All three look beautiful! The top has lived up to all the promise of it's WIP entries. ;)

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  13. Go you, your week of FO's is amazing. That stole is just gorgeous, the colour-change and beautiful open pattern of it make my eyes so happy, and I like the magic the blocking worked on the ends. The Avalon top looks really sweet without the sleeves, I think, and sits wonderfully on you. (I often get stuck at the weaving-in-ends part of things, too.) And the scarf looks perfectly snuggly.

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