Where IS that lottery win?!

Okay then, now that all that work has been taken care of (and before it starts again--love that freelance roller coaster), a new blog post!

When I win the lottery, I will write for fun. And I will play with yarn as much as I want to without ever feeling guilty for playing with yarn because I think I should be doing something more productive else.

In the meantime, I write to pay the bills. And I play with yarn as often as I can, usually while I'm watching television in the evening when I'm too tired to be doing something more productive else.

Plus, since it has turned into a mind and body-numbing arctic tundra out there, firmly planting myself on the couch after dark, although perhaps not the healthiest choice--says my seizing joints and expanding waistline--is the warmest and coziest option. Add yarn, a fire, a couple of cats, and a husband and you have all the ingredients for one of my most favourite ways to pass the time on a cold, wintery night.

So while I haven't been blogging about it, I have actually managed to complete a few projects in between the work I wish a lottery win meant I didn't actually ever have to do.

First, there was the companion hat for the shimmery hearts scarf:

I have to admit, I fudged my way through part of this pattern from Annie's Attic Chemo Caps & Wraps. I managed to get almost all the way to the band without a problem, but I got mixed up right after the two rows of shells and just kind of guessed for a little while. It was really just a matter of trying to figure out how many hdcs to add after the shell row. Nothing too serious.

I love it paired with the scarf, and I'll be donating them both to my local hospital's cancer centre as a set.


Then there was this "Ugly Ducking" a friend requested as a shower gift for her friend:

I've made this a couple of times before and wasn't particularly excited about making it again (I despise repeating things, which is why slippers are such a chore and why I've never even attempted socks. If you ever get either from me it means I love you--a lot), but I'd forgotten how quick this little duckie works up. I made him over the course of two or three days and actually enjoyed it.

Although to be clear,  I have no interest in making him again anytime soon.

The only change I made was to skip the lower part of his bill. To me the poor duck looks like Rocky after being pummeled by Apollo Creed when you add the the lower part of the bill, so I just omit it and slightly curve the part of the bill I do make. I think he looks cute and a little pouty like this. Way better than beaten up and slightly swollen.

I also put together a comfort blankie for a local little girl battling cancer. A few members of my chemo cap & infant loss item group submitted the squares and I sewed them together and added a border.

I have no idea where they got the patterns for the squares so I can't link to them, but I can say that I'm amazed at the magic that went into this blanket. There was no planning or coordination beyond deciding upon a rough size for each square--and yet it works. A perfect hodgepodge of colours, patterns, styles and yarns combined to create what I think is an absolutely adorable blanket that I hope will give its intended recipient some much-needed comfort and warmth while she continues her valiant fight.

I still haven't finished the cardigan I blogged about back on January 1st. It's a WIP that has found itself buried under quicker, more colourful projects, poor thing. I'll drag it out again eventually, but from the looks of things (and by that I mean at least four inches of fresh snow), I needn't be concerned that it's going to warm up and make sweater-wearing unpleasant anytime soon.

Alas.