Been working.

 Went shopping for thread and buttons the other week. When I get to the shop, I find that I have forgotten to bring my snippet of fabric. Ah, well, I didn't do too badly then. I have always been able to carry a colour in my head. It is a useful ability, but can be a bit of a curse when I want to put two colours together and they are not close enough to be a match, but too close to be a contrast.

 This is what it was for - some fabric that has been in the stash for so long that I can't remember where I bought it. The pattern is even older, but I love it - roomy and comfortable, and so easy to work in. It came from the Burda magazine, back in the early '90s, and I have always thought of it as "The Hungarian Shirt" although to be truly authentic, I think it should not have the collar - just the band.

Meanwhile I have reached a crisis point with the Kauni Cardi - body finished, and ready to cut the steeks. Am I ready for this? I am going to let it have a little rest before I tackle the task. It has been a bit of a pig to work on lately anyway, it gets larger and the weather doesn't get any cooler. It is the wrong time of year to have a lapful of lovely rough wool!

Two photos of the same piece - it will be a Nearly-Guernsey for the grandaughter, but neither daylight not flash seem able to produce the intensity of the colour - it is the fullest deepest purple I have ever found. I remember there were dubious comments when I chose a fairly deep purple to knit a sweater, in my teens. It was not regarded as suitable for a young lady. What I really wanted was black. I was able to swing charcoal grey, a year or so later, and was much envied for it. There is a lot less dictating these days. Sometimes it is bad - you see some strange sights, and wonder if the wearers have actually looked in a mirror with honest eyes, but, in general, there is so much more freedom from censure.

Shades of brown

 Another project finished, and I like it. Lilleput by Lene Alve, and this one is knitted in King Cole Zigzag and Stylecraft acrylic 4 ply. Less wool than I usually like to use, but it has a nice soft feel, and will be very accommodating when it comes to laundry!

How about this for a monster!

Caterpillar of the Elephant Hawk Moth. Note the clothes peg as an indication of size. I would love to be around when the moth itself was around - I've never seen one of those.

Coming along nicely

 I am very pleased with the way the colours are turning out. The two blue balls were rather different - one dark and light, and the other much darker overall, and I had to do a bit of a manoeuvre to avoid losing the purple in the lower half. This has produced the much darker overall appearance of the top half of the body since I want to save the lighter ball for the sleeves, in order to prevent them looking too different from each other. (Does this make sense? It does to me)

One thing I shall not be doing is going back to correct the stitches where I picked the yarn up in the wrong order, back in the corrugated rib. It is on the inside. If Teacher is looking to mark me down I shall do up the buttons and stand at the back!

We have had a raptor day today. This morning there was a juvenile Hen Harrier cruising round the recently reaped field at the back. It didn't appear to be catching anything, and certainly had the look of a bird that wasn't quite sure how this hunting thing was supposed to go.

This afternoon I was sitting in the front room with the curtain across a little way to keep the sun from dazzling, when a sparrow hit the glass. When I pulled the curtain back, there was no sign of the sparrow, but the Sparrowhawk which had been chasing it was sitting on the garden fence. And it continued to sit there until my other half went out of the front door and told it that it's parents had never married.

Full story

I did get more than just the one prize; the one I have already boasted about. To be precise, two firsts, one second and two thirds. The item I am slightly disappointed about was the collection of doll's clothes - I thought I might have done well with those, especially when I had worked out how to display them to advantage.

Ah well, they were defeated by a bit of really exquisite knitting for dolls. (Or it might have been premature baby size)

I am still so pleased that Caller Herrin got a first, even if it does mean I have been, once again,  afflicted with the earworm. Only those of a certain age and over would remember "Singing Together" with William Appleby - a programme for junior schoolchildren. That is where I learned the song.

Now: what am I going to do for next year;s show?