Its a Mystery... oh its a Mystery... I'm still searching... for a Clue

I think that's how it goes.  Toyah Willcox for those who aren't old like me.  :) 

Anyway, I do have a clue actually... a Clue Shawl and Clue sock to be precise.  Yes, the wonderful VeryBusyMonkey is running a mystery knitalong on Ravelry for these two patterns and I have joined up.   I can't wait.  I love mystery knitalongs.  I will check to make sure I can post the progress shots here as I guess they could be spoilers if I was further along than someone else. Though at the speed I knit, that seems rather unlikely to happen.  The quarterly knitalong that she runs will be for these two patterns only.  So of course, this means my Monkey a Month challenge must be adjusted.  So, June is a blanket section, and for July - September inclusive, it will be a pair of socks,. a shawl and another blanket section.  This will leave two blanket sections to do for October and November.  Or something else may have taken my eye in between since I have a trip to Woolfest coming up in about two weeks time and I have a desire to knit a cardigan all of a sudden. 

I've not got very far with this month's challenge as I was distracted by StyleArc patterns and mending and altering things.  Talking of which, here is my altered silk top, with its new cuffs.  This is a Marfy pattern which I am hoping to make again as I think it will look good with at least one of the new StyleArc skirt patterns I ordered.

Although I initially felt that both the sleeve and body length were too short, I decided not to lengthen it in the body after all, though I have altered the pattern pieces to lengthen those for next time.  I could take the elastic out of this version later if I wanted and it would tuck in, so that's another option.   

 I wore it today to a meeting with my people manager, and it was comfortable and I felt smart and together in it.  It was the right weight and level of warmth for the summer day we have had today.  I wore it with a flippy skirt in navy blue, and a pair of navy blue sandals trimmed in lime green and carried a fuchsia pink hand bag because I don't own a lime green one.  Had I thought, I should have carried my lovely navy Osprey bag.. but I am not good at remembering to swap handbags over. 

Anyway, back to the top.  I added a four inch deep cuff to replace the original elastic.  I unpicked the casing for the elastic and then gathered the fabric into the cuff, after making a small vent which I did a hand sewn turned in hem on.  The cuffs are two layers of the silk with cotton flannel inside, and quilted, exactly as the collar had been.  It took two evenings to sew in all the ends from the quilting... a taste of things to come with the bed quilt... and not a taste I relished.  :)

I didn't add the beads to the cuffs as I thought they would get broken easily.  I closed the cuffs with poppers rather than buttons as despite owning two tins of buttons, as usual I didn't have any the correct size or colour.  You can, if you look closely, see one row of holes from the unpicked casing stitching, but due to the sleeve being so full, its not all that obvious.  In any case, its made it wearable and it feels absolutely fabulous on.  I drove home with the windows open and my elbow resting on the open window.  The sun was shining and the silk fluttered pleasing around my arm and felt lovely.  I was wearing sunglasses for the first time this year, I didn't have a coat on... also for the first time this year.   Lovely.