Cast Adrift

I feel like Peter Pan, I'm missing my shadow.  I've had an appendage removed and have phantom limb syndrome.  My sole purpose for the last six years has disappeared.  I feel lost and lonely.  I wander around the house not quite sure of what I'm supposed to be doing.    Bella Bee has gone on holiday with her Dad.  To Italy.  For 12 days.  I well up just thinking about it.  12 WHOLE days.  What do I do without my little mini me?  She stays at her dads' for weekends regularly and I appreciate the break.  She's even stayed there for a week a couple of times, but I'd still see her every couple of days.  Never for this long, and never in a whole different country.  I feel happy and excited for her getting to have her first 'proper' holiday.  Her first ride on a plane.  A lot of exciting adventures and experiences in a foreign country.  But she's doing it all without me and that makes me feel incredibly sad.  So while waiting for my daily evening calls from my little Italian bambino, which I treasure so much, but for her are an inconvenience, keeping her from important play, I try not to mope, I try to keep busy, doing something productive.  Trying to appreciate this child free time I've been given, making the most of it. 

So lets move on, to a Ta-dah.  I've finally finished my first circular needles knit.  The Honey Cowl pattern from Ravelry.

This took a little longer than I would of liked to knit up.  It's basically taken 3 weeks.  It was my only project on the go, I wasn't intensively knitting but I was doing it every day.  I had a couple of false starts and the finishing off took a couple of attempts.  So that added time, plus as a beginner I'm not the speediest of knitters.  I made a few mistakes, but I guess it's all part of the learning curve.  The perfectionist in me isn't completely satisfied, but I'm getting better at making allowances for being a beginner (for now).  It is a very easy pattern to knit, and ideal for a first circular project.  Over all I'm happy.

How hard is it to take pictures of yourself!  Trying to do that AND smiling? Out of the question!  And please ignore the decor.  It's horrendous.  Maybe picking up a paintbrush during this free time wouldn't go amiss!

I would have liked it a little looser when it's doubled over, but it keeps it nice and snug and very warm.  The colour is a little murky, but it'll be a good autumn shade, and as I got it in a sale there weren't many options.

Details:
Yarn used: Sirdar Click (30% wool) in Fern. 
Cost: On sale for £1.49 (50g) with just over 2 balls used is approx £3.50 total.

I already have another cowl cast on.  A different pattern.  It seems to be a much quicker knit as I'm already half way through.  I'm still not happy with the join in the first round though, it's too obviously the join to me.  I tried adding an extra stitch then knitting that and slipping the next over it, but I didn't like that one.  For this one I simply kept it tight when joining, but the first stitch has made, in my eyes, an obvious loop in the bottom ring.  Ideally I'd like it not to be noticeable at all.  Am I being too picky?  Is this possible?  Any tips or links to a good tutorial?

I'm going to tackle DPNs next and make a pair of fingerless gloves to match next.

With all this free time I'm sure it won't be as long to my next post as it was to this one.

Peace out x