Reorganizing

Today was time for reorganizing. I took all of my projects, each in its own bag, emptied every bag, and looked at it all. Make 3 small zippered pouches of tools and implements - markers, tape measures, stitch holders, sewing needles etc. and put them in 3 bags. Then realized that 7 on-going projects is too many. And, almost all of them are blue/black/green/purple or some slight variation.
So I decided I have to realign my priorities, and stick to the list or nothing will ever get done.
1. My Sherlock sweater - only 1 sleeve left to do from the armhole down, front bands, and then figure out what to do about a collar.
2. Jim's Seaweed vest -in case I get into Knitting Camp I want to have it almost done so I can secure the steek and cut it there. I got 8 rows done in about an hour, slow but steady and lots of fun. I decided that, unlike Medrith, I like being able to memorize the pattern so I am not offsetting the strands of seaweed .
3. Anna's beaded sweater from Classic Knits For Real Women. I strung about half the 2500 beads. We're talking real tedium here. And then I got the first sleeve done to the armhole. It's in Brown Sheep cotton fleece, and trying to keep the knitting even is hard because even the slightest variation in tension shows. I love the look of the cotton fleece and know it will be great to wear but I don't care for working on it.
4. Laurel - the back and one sleeve is done, the front is about 5 inches up. Again, I love the way it looks but the cotton is hard on my hands. I want to wear it this summer so I better get moving on it.
5. Malabrigo - 2 sleeves (not matching) are done. One with Joan Schrouder's idea of the decreases down the outside looks great, the other will have to visit the frog pond. One front panel is almost done and now I'm not sure I like the twisted rib stright up the front. It's heavy and very dense. Maybe I'll try again with some plain ribs in between the twisted ones.
6. Socks, more for Jim and some for me, (actually, mine aren't on the needles yet but the needles are ready with the yarn to start)
7. My second Hoxbro Kimono - knit cuff to cuff I'm at the middle of the first shoulder. I like working on this but I'm afraid at this point it's a UFO. Never gets picked up.

So that's the list and here's the plan. I'll alternate a cotton project with a wool one, one day cotton, one day wool, until at least 3 are done.

Poor Frosty, his leg got torn on something outside during his five minute stalk through the back yard, a week ago. He has stitches on his leg and he is shaved in 3 places. Sitches come out Monday or Tuesday. He's getting a lot of extra lap time and for the first 6 days we followed him around to prevent him from chewing off the stitches. He hated the little plastic collar the vet gave us to keep him from licking the stitches and he couldn't navigate in it. Bumped into things and couldn't eat or drink so we mostly kept it off.

Well, that's all for now.

WIPS May 12, 2006

Feeling overwhelmed by the number of things occupying needle space I have decided to cataglogue everything in progress, and try to prioritize/organize what I work on. So, in order of closest to being finished first I have:

Jim's mystery socks-mystery fiber - from the Adella for whom Adella's yarn shop is named. I'm about to turn the heel on the second sock. Part of his holiday present, these are the May socks. On the right - Body of my Sherlock cardigan and a closeup of the pattern. I'm using Carol Hurt's a-lining system of using a larger needle for a-lining the bottom. The bottom finishing is an open question - hem? I-cord? The pattern is a k3 p1 diagonal rib - I thought that no additional bottom treatment would be needed but this curls as if it were all stockinette.

And the next group: On the left, 2 pictures of my Laurel which has become a pullover. The back and a closeup of the pattern. Back and 1 sleeve are done, front is started. And on the right, a neck scarf pattern from Hand Jive Knits in camel, hand spun and hand dyed by a collective in Mongolia. This is another sample for Carolina Homespun. Size 8 needles, the largest in a while!











Next up, a cardigan in Malabrigo, kettle dyed merino from Uruguay. Softest wool I've ever work on. The color is actually deep blues with some blud/grey. I'm doing the sleeve increases in the middle of the sleeve and not at the seam line - a decorative twisted rib up the middle. Joan Schrouder's idea, really, to have the sleeve curve at the outside where the arm it will cover curves. My first time trying this, and I'll keep you posted on how it goes. This is the project I pick up when my hands get tired or sore; working on this spectacular yarn is soothing and calming physically and mentally.


This is the beginning of the Mermaid vest, a Medrith Glover design in Sweaters from Camp. The yarn is Jamieson and Smith, actual Shetland yarn. I think I'm postponing working on this because the rib is easy in comparison to the body. The plan was to have this done to bring to show and tell at Meg Swansen's knitting camp in July but now that I'm on the waiting list the incentive to get it done isn't as great. Once I get into the pattern it will be closed door knitting.


And the last WIP is the Bead Trellis Jacket for daughter Anna. The pattern is from Classic Knits for Real Women. Changed the pattern, of course, to a smaller gauge yarn (Brown Sheep Cotton Classic) and reworked it so the shoulders are narrower. The beads are sort of clear/irridescent, 1000s of them. The first sleeve is close to being done, and this I think I'm putting off because it means I have to start stringing the beads for the fronts and back.

I also have one UFO. The poor Kimono jacket from Vivian Hoxbro. A picture of this is on an earlier blog; it doesn't get much attention, probably because it is the second one I'm making and I have learned from this that I don't like to do the same pattern twice.

Finally, the next project up: (right afater I said I don't like to do the same pattern twice) is the stitch pattern from my Laurel sweater in Jo Sharp orange classic wool in a knit-in-the-round pullover for Jim. I'm justifying this because
1. I have the yarn and it's different than the cotton Laurel I'm using in my sweater;
2. It is in SF Giants' colors for the first Pitch and Stitch day at Willie Mays Field (correct name: AT&T Park);
3. this one will be done in the round.
So there you have it. TOO MANY PROJECTS!