Stealth, schmealth...

monkeys for k

Yep, 'tis time for the uncovering of some more stealth projects!  This time it's the couple of knits I made for my sister's birthday.  Yes, um, which was last month... Why didn't I post about them at the time, I hear you ask...  That's a mighty fine question and the only excuse that I'll give you is that I was on tour and couldn't blog. 
Such a big, fat lie.  Okay, okay, the real reason is that I was still in the middle of knitting the socks and the other items (for which I will eventually stop writing long enough to post a picture) were sitting in a jewellery box intended for DS's birthday.  The box was in my suitcase and I had forgotten the items were there, too...

So yeah, as excuses go, they're pretty lame...  I must get to some more 'art of b*llsh*t' classes before I lose the knack entirely!

I should just say that I was too lazy to post, and leave it at that. I suspect you'd all be perfectly happy to believe that, anyway!

monkey sock pattern by cookie a

So.  The socks...  the marvellous Monkey pattern by Cookie A, that is, I suspect, on the queue of most folk on Ravelry.  Oh, and thanks to T who has reminded me to tell you that these socks are knitted with Angels & Elephants hand-dyed Shetland sock wool, in the Tintagel colourway (in shades of denim blue and green). These are my second attempt... the first are separated by an ocean and several hundred miles, but shall be reunited at the end of the month!  Huzzah for easyjet! (Whoa - oxymoron anyone?)

I made some changes to the pattern this time around: I made 5, instead of 6 repeats before the heel-flap; I knitted the heel-flap itself in the eye-of-partridge stitch that I adore; and I made a basic 2x2 ribbed cuff instead of the twisted rib cuff.  Because I could. So nyah!

To continue, may I present some icord wire jewellery:

bracelet and pendant in black wire with black beads

I have to say that the icord bracelet was a real bugger to make.  I think I need to invest in a french knitting dolly with a bigger hole.  (And I also think I need to rethink that last sentence.)  In my first few attempts, the wire just kept breaking when I tried to pull it a bit through the dolly.  In the end I had to re-inforce the icord with plastic thread to make sure it didn't break when it was pulled through.  I cheated with the pendant and knitted a long rectangle with the wire, adding the beads at irregular intervals, rolled it up and sewed the ends together to make a tube.  Cunning?  No, just trying not to waste too much wire.  Scottish?  Why yes, yes I am... What gave it away?!

  the bluffers guide to icord...

Ach well, the socks fit, the pendant has already been worn, and the bracelet has been admired (although it's still a little fragile for everyday use...) so I think that entitles me to an element of happy-bunniness!  Yay!