Saturday, June 13, 2009

Wrap-up

well the shoulder thingie is finished - such a quick knit on those biggish needles
I'm going to have to keep this pattern in mind as a future present giving possibility in addition to my usual berets, cowls and fingerless gloves

and the specs are:
pattern:
Ribbed Decrease Capelet by Amber Daniels-Cook [ I got it as a free PDF download at Ravelry but the link will take any non-Ravellers to Amber's blog. ]

yarn:
Arcoboleno by Moda Vera [ S*******t's in-house brand ] - 6 balls x 55m per ball. I bought 10 balls a couple of years ago, because Nadie loved the colour combo, and it was on special, but then we discovered that she couldn't bear it near her skin. Her loss, my gain I guess.

needles:
9mm KnitPicks Harmony

I knitted the second size because I was playing with needle size and gauge but really, if you're using anything approaching the right gauge, the smallest size will fit almost anyone. The ribbing is extremely compressed when unworn and has a HUGE amount of stretch when it's on.
The pattern gives directions for a long and a short version but only one lot of yarn requirements, so I'm assuming that is for the short version. I made mine a whole inch longer at the base and had to break into the seventh ball just to bind off the last 8 stitches at the neck ... of course if I hadn't had the extra ball I could've just frogged it back a row. [ but I did, so I didn't have to ... if you get my drift ]

overnight temp - 4 degrees
yesterday and Thursday - minus 2.9
and here we have exhibits a] and b]
this birdbath always freezes exactly at zero


but the big concrete low to the ground one only freezes below minus 2


The Yellow Honeyeaters were not happy

Sorry about the fuzzy pic but I was c-o-l-d and s-h-i-v-e-r-i-n-g in my dressing gown and pjs after the 7am [minus 2 degrees] goat-and-guinea-fowl breakfasting. As it turned out I could've waited because the ice was there until about 11 am.we may not get snow but we certainly know what frost is all about. Plants up here have to be able to cope with both severe frost AND scorching drought conditions in summer

12 comments:

Blessings each day said...

Love that shoulder thingie you knitted and it sounds as if it was fast to knit. I found some slippers that use three yarns and large needles and are super fast to knit (in just hours as opposed to my regular ones which take a few days!)

I'm amazed to see the frozen (by the way a gorgeous birdbath you have there) water and beside it lots of very green plants...will they stay green and what are they?

blessings and hugs,

marcy

catsmum said...

hi Marcy
they're succulents, lavenders, and the grass-like thing is [ I think ] Liriope
We don't get snow, have been in drought for about 14 years and get weeks of savage frosts up until september and even october, then straight, and I DO mean straight, into the torrid aussie summer heat, so a very short time for establishing new plants and everything has to be both drought tolerant and frost hardy at the same time.
Not at all an easy environment to have a garden in but we manage.

Bernie said...

I really love the shoulder warmer, I think it's the neckline that I'm drawn too, gorgeous.
WOW, so cold already, although it has been cold here as well until a few days ago, we are suppose to have a very hot weekend which I so welcome. I keep forgetting we have opposite seasons. I always watch the Australian Open in January and it seems to be scorching hot every year. You do have a beautiful country my friend.....:-) Hugs

ozjane said...

it is cold....I wore a woollen cardigan taday..as in this has not happened in years. it is a light one. Came home last night...did not even switch on computer and died...woke at 3.30 am and checked that all that should be in the fridge and freezer was, grabed the milk and brandy and then tossed and turned between heat and freezing till about 6.30 AM when I temperature stabilized perfectly and slept as a babe til around 8.30. Got to patchwork today and it was a gadget day....lol I took a rather large bag. But I stopped at supermarket on route home. made lamb shank broth soup and put sausages and stuff in oven. I really think I am starting to emerge from the wilderness of the last few years....am tired but it is different.
So hope for any chronic fatigue peoples out there.
That shoulder thingy would be good. I could see kids in school wearing it. Would be a good arms by side manacle (gentle variety)
But you keep'a that frost up there.
Jackie Frost no welcome here.

Fee said...

I had to smile when i read your message. At the moment i have over 20°C and a cup of coffee in the garden. Not the time for a warm shoulder warmer. But i like it. Perhaps i should start such a nice project too? Than i dont't have to freeze next winter ;-))

Lots of greetings

Sabine

Alwen said...

Boy, you do get the extremes! We don't get as cold as some places, because the big lake (Lake Michigan) moderates the temperatures even in winter and ups the snowfall, so the ground stays mostly snow-insulated. Stuff here has to be able to withstand fungi.

Sarah said...

ice... it's been in the 90s here...

Lynne said...

Similar temps here though maybe two or three degrees warmer. But the frost was trhick on the ground these past few days.
We get more rain in summer. Being close to the east coast we have a temperate climate not the mediterranean climate of the south.

Pretty colours in your shoulder wrap.

Sheepish Annie said...

Oooohh! Pretty shoulder thingie! I suppose that is the sort of thing that will come in handy soon. I could probably use one, now that I think of it. It may be "summer" here, but I still have the flannel sheets on the bed and we've even had a few frost warnings over the last couple of weeks.

Guess I need to check that Ravelry link...

Nadie said...

brrr!
I've been wearing the red matching mini neck scarf (pinned with the dragon broach you got me yonks ago from Daylesford) and gloves alot lately. Helps keep the cold- exacerbated aches to a minimum and I've been getting heaps of compliments on them :)

Don't know if you got my sms a few days ago, Wendy wants details for the AIDS orphan blocks project.

catsmum said...

Nadie I've emailed you the link for wendy
and I've gone blank on the scarf and gloves - bought ones or ones I made ?

catsmum said...

Nadie
just checked my projects on ravelry - d'oh - how could I forget the Frothy Gothy Wristwarmers and Scarf - They're my own damn patterns even!