Finishing

I have a couple of new knit designs that I’m really excited about. Working on them has been making me feel guilty about the things that I haven’t finished though. So today has been all about the finishing.

I re-did (again, and again) a much too loose crochet border on something you haven’t seen even a peek of until now. Might as well wait until it’s really done (aka had the ends woven in) before posting it properly now. 1.5 sts to the inch goes by too quickly for the blog to catch. Don’t worry about my using crochet in a knitting pattern if you’ve never tried it, it’s a really easy edging and I even found a video tutorial to make it clear to non-crocheters. If you’ve done even a little crochet before it will be a breeze. And then you will be able to say that if you needed to you could add picot edgings to all of your household linens.
The smocked bamboo cardigan still isn’t finished though, because I’ve lost the buttons (a box of 50 of them!). Maybe I’ll raid my mum’s button box and see what that turns up. Still living at home, which has great benefits like button boxes to raid and chocolate cake but I’m looking forward to moving back into my flat. Hopefully my dad will have finished working on it next week. I’m looking forward to enjoying all the improvements – but most of all to having a shower with a temperature control.

Finishing is much more fun with cute accessories. The pouch was made by me a while ago, I sold a few and I’m not averse to making more little batches of this sort of thing so let me know if you’re interested. The little tin was a gift from my friend Sheena ages ago. (Incidentally Sheena makes adorable kitschy jewelry and accessories which you can purchase here if you are so inclined). The illustration is by Elizabeth McGrath and the tin is by Nook Art but is probably long since unavailable. I love it, even though the pin holding the hinge together has disappeared so it’s constantly falling apart. Wish I could find more similar little tins, because it’s so useful for needles and stitch markers and things but the only ones I’ve seen have been for smokers and kind of tacky, or mint tins. Anyone have any suggestions? A while ago I even looked into having a whole bunch of tins printed up with a by me illustration because I couldn’t find what I wanted and figured others might like them too. I certainly can’t afford to do that at the moment, but maybe one day. For now there must be someone out there making well illustrated little tins, no?

In fact the only things that were completely finished on my finishing day were these cabley berets. Even did a photo shoot for the pattern, which I’m hoping to finish up tomorrow.

Poor things need a name though. Suggestions are most welcome, especially if they’re in the story bookish vein of my other patterns. Ooh lets make it a contest – if I pick the name you suggest I’ll send you a free copy of the pattern. Not guaranteeing there will be a winner though, they may suggest a name to me themselves. But suggest away :)

Here’s one modeled photo to inspire your naming: