Things are Getting Done Around Here

I've managed several "finishes" this week...especially on the knitting front, to wit:

My tunic top...in purple-blue (periwinkle...to be a bit more romantic about it)...which I plan to wear with white flowing pants, for my son's wedding:

Pattern: "Asymmetry" by Jamie Thomas
Yarn: Louet Euroflax 14/2 Linen

Left side detail

Right side detail

When I washed it, it sloughed off an enormous amount of purple lint (!) and may have shrunk a bit (in length) -- though I followed the care directions on the yarn label, the lint took me completely by surprise.   Still, I think it will work well with the selected pants, and some heavy gold jewellry -- a necklace and hoop earrings that I love but don't often wear.  And there's a hat.  Yep; a hat.  A grand purple summer hat.  But that won't be revealed till the wedding.  Sorry!  ;-)

Then there's the "baby dress" I made in a 1-year size for the soon-to-be-one granddaughter of a cousin of mine.  Her name is Beatrice May and she's a dark-haired cutie I've never met.  Come to that, I've never met her parents.  Her father is the son of my third cousin...whom I haven't seen either since...well...I think he was in high school and I was at McGill U. in Montreal...about 45 years ago... but Third Cousin and his younger sister -- also a Third Cousin -- and I are FB friends...and he posted about sweet Bea May after a visit in January.  I was smitten, so knew I had to make her this...with yarn I had in my stash that was just the right colour:

Pattern: "Eli Baby Dress" by Leyla Alieva;
Yarn:  Micro Cable Color (discontinued)

Back neck detail

Front bodice detail

And the hat...a commission for my friend D.  I confess I had my doubts about this one.  Though produced by Rowan Yarns, the ball of Pure Wool Super-wash Worsted I used had several flawed sections and a tendency to split...and the product seemed to me over-sized and floppy.  That said, D really liked it and it fit her perfectly!

Shown: Back
Pattern: "Cloche Divine" by Meghan Jones
Yarn: Rowan Pure Wool Super-wash Worsted
in colour #152 - "Oats"

Front/side 

Bow detail

D likes it so well, in fact, that I've been asked to make another -- in black!  It will be later this summer, though, for first there is a Wedding Quilt (aka the Japanese Taupe Quilt) to finish...

The good news is that Sections 3 and 4 are both sandwiched -- and the machine quilting on Section 3 is about 75% finished (the rest will be done after this blog post).

Section 3 under the needle

Section 4, sandwiched and waiting

At the same time, I've begun knitting a shawl for myself for the wedding...

Pattern: "Sundae Shawl" by Lois Young
Yarn: Paton's Lace Sequin in "Crystal"

Though the self-striping Paton's Lace yarn is called for, I don't like the colours on offer...so I call my piece, "My Vanilla Sundae Shawl".  ;-)

And...I'm working on Sock #2 of a pair for my nephew George, who'll be 24 in early July...

Pattern: "Trekking Socks" - E.J. Slayton
Yarn: Zitron "Trekking XXL"

The above photo belies my progress, as I've finished one sock and am more than half-way down the leg of the second...And then there's the 'Feather and Fan' baby blanket I'm working on for a relatively new baby girl (3-4 months old now) in the family...no photos yet...so I guess I need to up-date my photos!

But a gal can only do so much...keeping up with the garden, mowing her lawn, making sure her cat doesn't interfere with the swallows raising a family in one of her birdhouses...

And letting the dishes pile up in the kitchen...

While I link in to Nina Marie's Off the Wall Friday... Why don't you pour another cuppa, pick up your latest WIP and go for it...  And while you're at it, have a great week!