Too busy for photos!

Here is Sunny making it quite clear she was not going to pose - or even stay still enough for photos!

Valentina Hat

This is the start of the inner lining of the very pretty Orenberg lace hat pattern Valentina. I have made one big change to the pattern - I am working it in the round to save sewing up the seam. My eyes not being very good these days I was worried the seam would come out clumsy.

The yarn is Manos del Uruguay lace. I am using two strands together for the lining.



Tigger



Tigger doesn't often pose for photos. He's a shy, retiring kind of cat, but he was in a good mood recently and I was lucky.

Daughter's Cardigan - finally finished!

At long last I have got the cardigan for my daughter finished. The bottom photo is nearer to the actual colour - it is very dark. It was an interesting knit and one that I may repeat some day - but not in such a dark colour - though my daughter will like it - I hope!



Maples

I am particularly proud of the Japanese maples (acers) at the end of our garden because I grew them from seed myself. They are about 25 years old now.



Sunny darling!

Isn't she pretty!

Poor Sunny had her big girl surgery yesterday. That doesn't seem to be worrying her but she hates the head cone she has to wear at least until Friday like poison and is very sorry for herself as a result!



The blanket

This project got put aside for the warm weather - which, in fact, we didn't have! The lower basket is mostly full of the wool for it - a daunting amount of wool. I'm not sure if I really have the patience to make this double bed sized - it may end up as a lap rug.



Black scarf

This black scarf  in Toft Alpaca Dk is a gift for a family friend. Being black yarn - which was the colour he chose - I couldn't see it well enough to do a pattern so it is plain garter stitch. As he wants it long I thought I might need 3 balls, but 2 seems to have made it long enough - and I have a spare ball to make something else with!

Good pals!

Tigger was very scared and suspicious of Sunny when we got her, but as you can see, they get along just fine now.



No mistake about it - autumn is here!

The view from my window just before sunset.



Knitted dress

Having knit one long-sleeved, high-necked, black cashmere dress on 2mm needles, I am daft enough to have started another! It is so very much more comfortable than anything I can buy - after all, it is shaped to fit my odd figure. This is the bottom of the skirt - so a long way to go here too.!



Needlepoint cushion

About a year ago I looked at my cushions, decided they all needed replacing, and bought three of this kit and another 4 four different kits. I got the first cushion done and half the next one. I'm not sure what happened then, but this has been sitting looking reproachfully at me for far too long!



We don't like being shut in!

This door is not meant to be shut!

And we haven't had our breakfast!

We are not amused!

What's all the fuss about?

Oh dear! It's the dreaded vet visit!



Poor neglected shawl

This poor shawl got started early in the year - and then life got in the way of it. But once I finish the endless cardigan I will try to get back to it. At least Sunny is old enough that I will be able to work on it reasonably safely now.



More knitting projects

Part-knitted scarf. Not for anyone in particular so not urgent.

Beekeepers - yarn, needles and finished hexiflats (unstuffed). These are great for when I am tired or short of time as each one is so quick to make.



The top knitting basket

Here is the top knitting basket, full to the brim and above as you can see.

I begin to feel as if this cardigan for my daughter is going on for ever - it is such slow going. It is a good thing I am sure it is just her style!



Puncetto started

I've started the big piece of puncetto but the bottom strip is long, long, long! The red thread is me marking every ten stitches to make it easier to tell when I have enough - I've got a very long way to go!



Tatting projects

So here are the works in progress from the tatting box. A small doily.

A ridiculous bit of work in fine silk which may just be too much effort to finish - it's from one of the old Dover books.

A rings only doily. I like rings only patterns but this one has got me a bit bored as it is so much of the same thing. However it will be nice once I make the effort to finish it.

A doily that, at this stage, involves lots of small motifs. I'm bored! But it will be nice once I get it finished.

As you can see, when I am going to work a pattern from one of my books - I have a large selection of tatting books! - I make a working copy. That way, I can fold up the sheet and keep it in the box, and I can write notes on it, mark where I am up to etc. without damaging my copy of the book.



Copycat!

Sunny likes a hard surface to lie on, but Ginger was always one for a soft spot. But cats really do copy each other - Ginger has taken to sleeping in Sunny's tray. It looks very uncomfortable! And Tigger, who has spent 8 years of his life adamantly refusing to eat chicken and pumpkin, is happy to eat it now he sees Sunny enjoying it.



Tatting in progress

Here is the box I keep my tatting stuff in.

There are too many works in progress here too.



Work in progress

My work in progress seems to have got somewhat out of hand of late. The knitting projects are in these two baskets and both are full.

The problem is these two ereaders - which cause me to spend good knitting time reading instead!



6 months old today!

Sunny is 6 months old today - but still such a very little kitty compared to Tigger. Look at her fine whiskers next to Tigger's. She is so pretty and so happy. I'm partially sighted these days but always know where she is before I look because she purrs so much. It is lovely to watch her playing happily all by herself and purring loudly to herself as she does so.



Cardigan - sleeve finished

I've got the first sleeve finished at last. Now I have to go back and work the second side and sleeve. This is the view from the back - you can see the back at the right of the picture.



Places to hide

Sunny has found herself some new places to hide. Here she is on the shelf under the computer desk.

And can you spot her here?

Blurred action shot just to show that really is her under there. We didn't think she would fit - and it was a bit of a struggle - but she managed it. And she got out afterwards - I had been wondering if I would have to move the chest of drawers to retrieve her.



October

Speaks for itself, doesn't it!



The next puncetto project

This is what I hope to make in puncetto next. The pattern is from Dover's Filet Crochet Projects and Charted Designs Edited by Mrs F W Kettelle. This is a great resource, full of charts and ideas, many of which could be adapted for ideas other than filet crochet. Now I just have to decide whether to do it in the rich blue thread I have or whether to stick to white. Since it will obviously work well in both I am still in two minds about it. Anyway I must first get at least one sleeve done on my daughter's cardigan (which she is probably now getting for Christmas.)



Cardigan - sleeve shaping finished

I've finally made it to the end of the sleeve shaping. Now for a long section of working straight and then the deep cuff.

As you can see, Tigger apparently approves. I laid the cardigan out to photograph, turned to get the camera, turned back - and this is what I got!



Garlic chives

Garlic chives have really pretty flowers (and they are edible too).

And the michaelmas daisies are good this year.