Shedir, She's Done!

I present, without further ado, the completed Shedir:

Yarn: Rowan Calmer in Laurel, purchased at Knit Happens
Needles: US3 Clover Bamboo Circular and Crystal Palace 6" double-points (also from KH)
Comments: This is a wonderfully clever pattern. I confess I was somewhat addicted to it, and stayed up late into the night to finish it. Part of the addiction comes from the suspense: Will there be enough yarn? When I prepared to start the decreases, I was convinced that I would run out of yarn. So I started knitting tighter. Then I switched to dp needles that were oh-my-god so sticky that I had to seriously loosen up in order to do the dreaded p2tog tbl. Once you hit row 65, the decreases come fast and furious, so I started to feel better about my yarn supply. And, here's what I had left at the end:

This hat, I confess, is not destined for someone recovering from chemo. (I've been fortunate that the only person I know with cancer is just now finishing his chemo ((YAY!)) and he didn't even lose his hair). This hat is for a very dear friend of mine, to keep her noggin warm this winter. The editor's note on the pattern is right: it's very stretchy. It fits me fine, and I have a ton of hair. (big hair, at that!)

Overall, I give this pattern two big honkin' thumbs up. It was my first time knitting from a chart, and I found it much easier than I expected it. And the cables. Oooh, the cables. Jenna, you rock!

[Other Shedir sightings: Claudia made a beautiful blue one--check out her top-down shot! And Liz finished hers in variegated Mountain Colors -- lovely! C'mon, Jo, you know you want to....]

Mail Call!

It's been a busy week, postal-wise, in Casa de Fidget. First, I received this parcel from Becky, filled with Phildary goodness!

That would be Phildar Tendances, plus some wool-cashmere to play around with, plus enough Frimas to make this, the cover sweater from last year's Automne. Should it bother me that I'm a year behind?

And then, I received this lovely little satchel from Margene, who was my SP2. Margene, silly girl, don't you know that gifts were supposed to go the other way?!? I adore the vibrant colors on this and am putting it to use as a carrier for my car-knitting. That would be the project I keep on hand in the car for when I find myself 5 or 10 minutes early somewhere. No knitting while driving, don't worry! Thanks, Margene!

Finally, my order from Inspirations Yarn arrived. It's 10 oz. of merino (the "regular" -- I love any shop that names yarns after coffee drinks) in the colorway "Casual Friday." This is going to turn into a Clapotis for my grandmother. (Yes, Allison, I plan to start this weekend.)

Finally, a request: Is there anyone in the UK or Canada (or anywhere else) who can help me find this Colinette mahjong cushion kit? I really want to give one to my sister for Christmas, but they're not available in the U.S. Anyone? Anyone? I promise I'll make it worth your while....