The End.

The end of the competition. The end of Socktoberfest. The end of studying. The end of no holidays. The end of projects.
Let’s take these one at a time.
The end of the competition – well done to all of you 😀 Lots of lovely suggestions, with some very apt ones, and some completely giddy ace ones too 😀 I made a big list of suggestions with links to patterns for my mate Cherry, who spent far more than she should have looking through them and going ‘I want that one! Oooo I want that one too!’ She is a very slowly learning knitter, who while excited by fibre and needles and funky SnB books, tends to just squash the yarn a lot and admire it without getting round to knitting. She made a scarf. But she frogged it 🙂 She wants to sock knit too, but isn’t quite ready for it. She’s coming the the Knitting show too – hoorah! Only a few weeks to go! She has requested a couple of days to go through all the entries and pick out some goodens, and also requested to not just have to pick one, thanks to the fabbyness of them all. I have agreed, and there will be a second and third prize (don’t get too excited -something small from me, rather than yarns from lovely shops). You should hear about the winners by the end of the week 😀
The end of studying has brought about the end of no holidays. Tonight we booked to go on a last minute escapade to Europe in just less than 3 weeks 🙂 And spent a great deal of time doing it too. We got cheap flights to, and booked a hotel in Rome, near the Colloseum. The hotel is Tamara’s Suites in Trastavere, and looks stunning (yet is only 3 stars. I think it might be down to the size and thus the level of service they offer), with 5 rooms based around an artist’s works. There isn’t a restaurant or anything like that – just breakfast delivered to the room, and the beauty of Italy outside. I really hope it lives up to the reviews we saw (basic brekkie but fantastic accomodation). I’m so excited I could, well, perhaps I shouldn’t say 🙂
The end of Socktoberfest saddens me. I haven’t had enough time to do much more than make a dent however small in the stash, and then increase said stash by a good 4 hanks. But the are good ones 🙂 And one pair of socks and 2.5 inches of a second pair isn’t bad…
I made sicky socks:

Ok, ok, they don’t look sicky at all now. But they did before the brown and purple kicked in. The yarn is Regia Bamboo in the colourway Driving the Porcelein Bus Passion in the fabby lovely Amelia Raitte’s Nautilus pattern (which as usual is super fast and easy to make and is ace). The pic below should demonstrate why they had such a potential for puke – see that orange/red/yellow patch in the middle?

That bit that looks like beans and carrots and sweetcorn? Yuck. Thank goodness for that splash of purple and blue near it… The yarn, in spite of all my colour moaning, is lovely. Cool and soft yet warm and cosy and forgiving, if occasionally splitty thanks to the fibre blend. It has a sturdy feel to it that implies it will last a good few washes yet 🙂 I’m happy with them after all that fuss 😀
Next up, some gloves.

Ok, you can only see one. But the second is there too! They will be a gift for a friend, along with perhaps a couple more pairs, and some for me. Who’d have thought that something so loosely knit in such a fine yarn (KSH) would make something so warm. ME! I did 😀 I’m well pleased 🙂
Last up, the Knitting Pure and Simple top down raglan shaped cardi, in Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk DK (9 balls).

Yarn=gorgeous. Pattern=sometimes stupidly cryptic for a simple pattern. It’s the Brit in me – I can’t understand anything in US patterns really 😉

I love the yarn. I’ve worn it a few times now, and there is a little pilling in the armpits and near the cuff, but nothing serious. And it gains such gorgeous drape with blocking. Warm, soft and silky, like a cocoon. I’d probably make the pattern again too, but maybe change the tie for a button hole loop and leave it at that.
Ok, so now I’m tired. Need bed. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.