The prize yarn arrived, and I’d like to say that this is yum!
Here it is being modelled by the monkey-to-be-named.

That’s the pattern, beside the monkey. There are three different lace scarves to choose from in the pattern, and the skein of yarn is enough to make any one of the scarves. Here’s a close up of the colours, as shown by Emily (Gameshow model of the future? 😉

Em is taking this all very seriously. She is considering all the suggestions very carefully. She would also like me to tell you all that she wanted me to give away a skein of Artisan to everyone who enters. She didn’t believe me when I told her I couldn’t afford it. (“But it’s just a tiny little ball of yarn!”) So she’s thinking very hard, but she’s enjoying it immensely 🙂
Onto the knitting!
The mystery shawl grows daily. I’m partway into Clue 3 now, and enjoying it immensely.

As usual, it doesn’t look like much unblocked. Here is a close up, sorta stretched out.

I’m not sure about the variegated yarn, although I’m happier with this than with the Morning Mist Shimmer. One minute I love it, the next I’m undecided.
I’m looking forward to blocking it. I love blocking lace 🙂
This is all I’ve worked on lately, so that’s all the news.
Don’t forget that the competition close Sunday night local time, check the previous entry for the competition details!

The monkey is a hit 🙂

This is how I found them last night when I went to turn out the light.

And this is how I found the monkey this morning after Em had left for school.
I had a few requests for specs and such.
Pattern: From the new UK magazine, “Simply Knitting”, Issue 3, but it can also be found in Fiona McTague’s “Knitted Toys”.
Yarn: Rowan Kid Classic in “Bear” and “Wild”.
A relatively easy knit, lots of little bits, but they’re pretty easy to make.
And now, we’re going to have the first ever Random Knits Blog Contest. Yay!! Em can’t decide what to name the monkey. He is very definitely being referred to as “He”, however.
So, it’s up to you guys. All suggestions welcome, and Em will decide the winner. The winner will receive a lovely, lovely tiny skein of Margaret Stove’s Artisan Lace yarn in “Paua”, and a Lace Scarf Pattern, also by Artisan.
The skein is heavenly soft, hand dyed laceweight merino. It’s the cutest tiny little skein, but it has 300 metres (328 yards), which is enough for a lace scarf, I’m told. The yarn is still on it’s way to me, the colour was chosen by Em, and I’ll show you the actual skein as soon as it arrives, but here’s one picture of the colour.

All you have to do is suggest a name for the monkey, and Em will pick the one she likes best.
Entries close at 8.30pm local time on Sunday 21st August, which is early hours of Sunday morning in the US, and late morning/midday in the UK and Europe.
So what are you waiting for? There’s gorgeous yarn to be won! 🙂
You can leave a comment, or email me. Email is over there in the sidebar, under the photo of me 🙂 –>

And then there was a monkey.

Em hasn’t seen him yet (she’s at school), so he has no name until this afternoon. He is a little wonky, and I took off the tail because I didn’t like it, but apart from that, he’s done. I might knit him a scarf or something, I think he looks a little cold 😉

I started the Mystery Shawl again, this time with the Knit Picks Shimmer in Happy Dance that Cathy sent to me. This seems to be working much better than the Morning Mist. I’ve finished Clue 1 of the shawl.

The variegation is bothering me a little, but not so much as the other did. I think with blocking it will improve immensely – here it is all stretched out.

I will persist with it. No other knitting to report. The monkey is no longer blocking, he is all dry and awaiting surgery. All those ends are putting me off though.

Oh, anybody want to buy a fundraising chocolate? 😉 Giant Freddo frogs and Caramello Koalas, only $1 each! Really, I’d like to sell them a little more quickly – I’m eating far too many of them 🙂

Horror Week is over, and I can have a few hours (I hope) to myself now 🙂
Not much in the way of knitting has happened this week, but there has been a little.
Who can guess what this is?

A+ to anyone who guessed that it is a monkey. Indeedly doodly, it is a monkey. Believe it or not 🙂 Here is how he looks this very minute.

Laying on a beach towel on the dining table. Mind you, I don’t envy him, it is freezing here right now. Today is a little warmer, but still far too cold for me. It’s been cold for the past three days or so, and they tell me it has even been snowing in Melbourne and Hobart. It doesn’t snow in Australian capital cities, only in the mountains. Well, it doesn’t usually! I’ve never, ever seen snow in my life, and if it has to be this cold to get snow, I’ll happily live without it.
The only other knitting I have managed this week is swatches. I recieved some Knit Picks Shimmer in “Morning Mist” as part of a swap, and I was going to use it for the Mystery Shawl Knitalong. But, as you can see, it ain’t happening.

The striping is obscuring the lace pattern. So, does anyone know of a good pattern using variegated laceweight? I have around 1200 yards of this, and I’ll need a pattern that won’t be overrun by the colours.
That’s it, for the whole week! Hopefully I shall get a little more done in the next few days 🙂