Quick fixes, a damp squib and a surprise

Ok, so here is the damp squib first. This is the Vogue Knitting Lace Trim Bolero, not yet pressed, and without trim. I’m really not sure what I think of it. I know it will be a good inch longer when I make the trim, but is it too baggy and boxy for me? I know I’m not very svelt exactly, but I have tried boleros on before and looked ok, so I’m not sure what it is about this one that is missing the target… And please note, the pic is taken from a slight angle, so looks a bit odd. And the mirror needs cleaning (but I have evidence to show that I am on that already!).

I can’t believe I posted that pic. Yuck. 🙂
Ok, so here is the much nicer image of a quick fix 😀 This is Eowyn, from Rowan 39. Dead easy, and super quick. It is made of Kid Classic doubled up, so I’ve used the left over stuff from Fern. The only problem I have with this is that the pic shows a thumb hole (or a really bad mistake) at the non-lacey side of the warmer, but the pattern doesn’t include one, and I can see this looking lovely both ways on. It would be pretty easy to add a thumb hole, but because of the desire to just get something done quickly, I just did what I was told 🙂 The first pic is better for the colour, and length, but the second is better for the detail. You can’t really see the lace cuff very well, but it is very pretty. And a bugger to photograph while wearing it.
Glove goes on

Glove comes off

Sorry – couldn’t resist that Simpsons reference then 🙂
Finally the surprise. I may have mentioned couple of weeks ago that I was expecting a parcel from my friend, and went to collect one thinking it was hers, only to get my secret pal one. Well, it never appeared, and my friend was rather cheesed off to say the least. Today, I was cleaning up a little in preparation for my mum and gran possibly visiting tomorrow. I took the rubbish out to the bin in the garden, and saw that DB had left the last bag on top of the bin instead of putting it inside, so I took it off, getting covered in stale rainwater, lifted the lid on the bin, and saw something. On top of a pile of bin bags sitting in rainwater at the bottom, there was a brown paper mess. Dry, but ripped, with a big white plastic bag coming out of it. Guess what it was 😉 The binmen come on Thursday, so it must have arrived after that to be on top of the bags and not in the dustcart, but we haven’t had anything put through the door to say it has been left there, and it was posted two weeks last Thursday. Either way, the postie has been rather slack to say the least. But it is here, and still, I hope, fully intact 😀
So here is what it looked like when I opened the bin.

And here is the lovely wooly goodness inside!

There is one hank of Colinette Point 5 in yummy greens and yellows and little minty blue, one hank of aran weight in Tartan Green from Coldharbour Mill in Devon (a working wool museum Sue visited), and one hank of what looks to be some DK yarn in a lovely turquoisy greeny blue. YUM. I also suspect that Sue has been talking to my Secret Pal. Given that they posted the parcels at nearly the same time (although of course that might be to do with the major stress and stroppy knickers I was wearing at the time), and have selected colours go perfectly together, even if they aren’t the same weight, they are either very sneaky, or I am extremely lucky and have pals who know what I like and when 😀 I have visions of knitting the DK and aran yarns together as one, and using them with the SP bulky yarn. Don’t know what I’d make with them, but they go too well together to miss out on that serendipity 🙂 Yay! As for the Point 5, I was eyeing up a hat and stuff in the fall release of either FCEK or VK (can’t remember which, but I think it was the former), but didn’t know if I’d have enough left over from the herrinbone scarf. Now I can make up lovely things 😀 Yay!
So in summary, life sometimes sucks, but friends and SPs are always there to work their magic, and remind you that they are there while things are bab. Thank goodness for your timing, and your general fabness. Cheers guys 🙂