Wednesday, February 23, 2011

The Effect of Social Knitting on My Project List

Otherwise known as, How I Got Into This Mess. This WIP report brought to you by peer pressure. If you can call it peer pressure when really it's just that you can't stand to see other people have fun without you.

1. Taygete

I have dropped everything every time one of the 7 Small shawls series was released, and this one is no exception. I don't mind so much, as these are mostly quick knits in sock weight yarn and are a great relief from lots of big lace projects. But, let's face it, I started it because I didn't want to be left out. If you're knitting these shawls and you're not on the @Romi's Studio group on Ravelry, you're missing out. We're having so much fun.

2. Umaro blanket

I'm knitting this one because the yarn was a great deal and one of the few knitters I know IRL is knitting it too. I've been neglecting it for some of the other things, so she is now way ahead of me. Since she intends to knit two, I figure I am still ahead if you look at percentage complete. Not that anyone's counting.

3. Fiori di Sole

I've been planning to knit this one for ages, but I started it because others in the Romi group were working on it, and as they've left me far behind, it's languished in favor of projects that I could giggle over with others.

4. Galadriel's Mirror

Okay, I have no one to blame for this one but myself. I knew I was too busy to knit it but I cast on anyway. Now it's sitting there with cable caps on because I needed the needle tips for Taygete.

5. Prayers of Love Shawl

Started for charity knitting group. Had immense fun at the group. Group only meets once a month. Therefore, it languishes. Bad knitter.

6. Simone

Poor Simone. It's a lovely sweater, not hard, enjoyable to work on. And I've dropped it like a hot rock for all these lacy shawls and social projects. It's going to be totally useless within the next month, as it will be far too warm for spring wear. Hopefully I can finish it in time for next year.

7 & 8. Socks

I have two pairs of socks OTN, one for me and one for my honey. Unfortunately I hate the yarn I'm using for his and I'm not sure I will ever finish them. I may frog them and hide the yarn in the corner of my closet that I hope the moths go for first.

9. #2 of the matching set, the scarf.

Slowly but steadily making progress on this one. It's my carry-around project. It grows at an impressive speed when I work on it, but given that it's a scarf, it still takes forever.

10. Cotton Towel
I could finish this in a day if I could find it. I just knit it as a little something to try out my new stitch dictionaries, and then I got to where I needed to put the second end edging on it, and put it down, and I just haven't gotten back to it. If I can find the stupid thing I may just go ahead and cast off without edging the other side. It'll make me feel good to mark it as done.

11. Follow the Leader Shawl

Does anybody even remember this?

Tour de Fleece 2010 - 047

I marked it as frogged, though I haven't actually done it yet. I need to just face it up and admit that I hate the color of this yarn. Anybody want to take it off my hands? It's Rio de la Plata sock yarn in Paris Rain from the Yarn Market Impressionist series. I have two skeins (one obviously already wound and partially knit from, the other in the skein). I'll send it to anybody who wants it, so for the love of wool, please liberate me from it. I would much rather see it go to a good home than have it hanging around my house like the proverbial albatross. In fact, I should really cull my closet and find a way to foist all my other bad decisions on others.

12. Sea Turtle Shawl Design

My design class shawl is obviously going to be a longer-term project since I have to do more than, you know, knit it. Right now, I am having issues because I'm just not enjoying the yarn. I'm trying to decide what I should use instead, and nothing is really striking me. I like the sandy color of the yarn, rather than the more traditional green color that everyone seems to like for turtles (if you look at the pictures - they're not really all that green), but I guess I'm open to more tropical colors. I want something that's not too dark or too variegated so that the lace will show up. I don't think I want to use 100% silk. I'd love to use Handmaiden Seasilk or something similar, but I haven't really found a Handmaiden color that I like (plus, $$$) and it seems like not that many people carry seacell blends. I was thinking maybe about Schaefer Audrey, I really enjoyed knitting with that, but I'd like to have two skeins just in case I needed the second, and that makes it a little pricey, though I do like their Almond color. I'm open to suggestions if anyone has them.

That's TWELVE active projects (Well, 11, since I have decided to frog the one, but as I will be casting on Bitterroot for my CLASS WITH ROMI on Satuday, we might as well stick with twelve). And I haven't even started the In Dreams shawl. That is a huge number of WIPs for me. And I do not like it. Clearly I need to quit my job and become a knitting hermit so that I can accomplish all that is set before me. I will wall myself up in a little cell and you can pass me yarn and pizza through a tiny window.