I worked a bit more on the Bird's Nest Shawl (I am now 1/10 done with the last repeat of it.). But as it looks like just a big pile of light-brown knitting (and will until it's blocked), no photos.
I find myself torn between the desire to finish up the existing projects and to start something new. Among existing projects I have:
the afore-mentioned Bird's Nest Shawl
the Cobblestone pullover
two pairs of socks
the amigurumi cat
the quilt in the frame
the quilt I'm piecing right now
the embroidered pillowcases
the hand-piecing Grandmother's Flower Garden
the Color-bar blanket
the Airy Cardigan (yes, I still have that, and yes, it's not finished yet. I probably should take one of my weekend days, when I'm better-rested, and do the math to lengthen the sleeves on it, then start it up again...if I got it done this summer I'd have it to wear once it started to get cool in the fall)
the Feather-and-Fan scarf
The Crest O the Wave scarf
the no-longer-clandestine, "Supplying Angst to Crowned Heads" scarf (available for sale on Ravelry. Yeah, not so great as a test-knitter on this one...it's out for sale looooong before I finished it. Though I did pull it out a couple weeks ago and add a few more rows. It's slow going and I keep making #$&#@@ mistakes on it so I either have to rip back (which I HATE on laceweight, especially laceweight that's been "slip, slip, knit"-ted) or fudge it. I don't know how far I am - not far enough. I DO want to finish this but it requires a level of attention of me that I don't really have right now)
I'd love to be super-organized and super-disciplined and say, "I will start no new projects until I have finished these" (except, seeing as the Grandmother's Flower Garden might be a "lifespan" project, that seems too restrictive). And also, it just seems like - I don't know - I'm so disciplined in other areas of my life (hauling my butt out of bed at 5 am to work out when I'd really rather sleep that extra hour, eating spinach when I really want something yummier, doing all my classwork and grading before I can play, working an hour a day on research...) I think sometimes if I got any more disciplined, my head might explode. Or implode. I don't know which.
The good news is that it's Wednesday. Tomorrow is my Friday. If I make it through this afternoon's lab, the rest of the week will be easy.
Showing posts with label WIPs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WIPs. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Welcome fall.
(Fall is my favorite season of the year).
And I can welcome it with two new completed pairs of socks. (I spent my afternoon working to finish these up).
First, the Go with the Flow socks (these are from the Interweave Favorite Socks book)
I used ShibuiKnits Sock yarn in a color that the seller (Simply Sock Yarn) refers to as "Anime." (I have no idea if that's the real name; the ball band has a number. I don't remember what the color number is, I'm very bad at that).
I sized up the pattern to be 72 sts and made everything proportionally bigger because I was concerned that 60 sts would not fit my feet, especially knitting at the typical gauge I like for socks. I think the resizing was a good choice. The socks fit pretty well.
Oh, and these socks took nearly every bit of the yarn in both skeins. I think I had about four yards per skein left at the end. (I was really scared on the first sock I was going to run out, and have to either try to find a third skein in the same dyelot, or beg on Ravelry for someone who had leftovers of that). ShibuiKnits Sock is in a smaller put-up than many sock yarns, 192 yards per skein. Which is USUALLY enough for a pair of socks for me (with 2 skeins), but these socks were a bit longer in the cuff than usual.
I also finished the Kureyon socks (but it was a bit of a fight to do):
I like the color patterning but I really don't care for the over-spun-ness of the yarn; it kept twisting back on itself. (When I do the pi shawl out of some of this I'm definitely working from the outside of the ball; on these socks I made the mistake of doing it as a center-pull and that probably contributed to the twistiness of the yarn).
Yeah, the colors don't match up. I think it would have taken two balls of yarn to get that to work, at least with cuffs the length I made them.
I think I need to give these a good soaking in some kind of conditioning soap (and maybe a vinegar rinse) before I try wearing them, the yarn is very "hard" to the touch.
I still think the Kureyon "sock" yarn is probably better for things other than socks. I hope I get at least a few wearings out of these before the heels blow, but I'm fearful that the very loosely spun, 100% wool will not have good staying power. (They are knit to something like 11 sts to the inch, done on size 0 needles. Which made them not a particularly fun knit.)
I do want to finish a couple more things - I think at least two projects - before I start something new.
But I did pull out the Bird's Nest Shawl and contemplate re-starting it. (I'm only on row 30 and there are something like 150 rows in it).
But it is a nice project, and I think the finished shawl will be very pretty. I'm knitting it out of camel's hair yarn (which is somewhat geographically-appropriate given it's a Tibetan-inspired shawl). The one in the book was made of cashmere, which I'm sure is very nice, but I don't quite have a cashmere budget. (The camel's hair yarn was an Elann purchase several years ago, specifically for this shawl).
All of my stitch markers are tied up in this project. I wondered where they had gone until I pulled it out of the bag and realized that I'd marked every repeat (which is a smart thing to do with lace that has a regular repeat; it's a lot easier to avoid getting lost or making a bad mistake).
(Heh...and now I realized, if I HAD wanted to do a Ravelympics project [but meh, I am just not that much of a joiner, rah-rah type], I could have gone all political and done the TIBETAN style shawl pattern. I probably would have peeved some people off, though, and I'm not big on peeving people off.)
(Fall is my favorite season of the year).
And I can welcome it with two new completed pairs of socks. (I spent my afternoon working to finish these up).
First, the Go with the Flow socks (these are from the Interweave Favorite Socks book)
I used ShibuiKnits Sock yarn in a color that the seller (Simply Sock Yarn) refers to as "Anime." (I have no idea if that's the real name; the ball band has a number. I don't remember what the color number is, I'm very bad at that).
I sized up the pattern to be 72 sts and made everything proportionally bigger because I was concerned that 60 sts would not fit my feet, especially knitting at the typical gauge I like for socks. I think the resizing was a good choice. The socks fit pretty well.
Oh, and these socks took nearly every bit of the yarn in both skeins. I think I had about four yards per skein left at the end. (I was really scared on the first sock I was going to run out, and have to either try to find a third skein in the same dyelot, or beg on Ravelry for someone who had leftovers of that). ShibuiKnits Sock is in a smaller put-up than many sock yarns, 192 yards per skein. Which is USUALLY enough for a pair of socks for me (with 2 skeins), but these socks were a bit longer in the cuff than usual.
I also finished the Kureyon socks (but it was a bit of a fight to do):
I like the color patterning but I really don't care for the over-spun-ness of the yarn; it kept twisting back on itself. (When I do the pi shawl out of some of this I'm definitely working from the outside of the ball; on these socks I made the mistake of doing it as a center-pull and that probably contributed to the twistiness of the yarn).
Yeah, the colors don't match up. I think it would have taken two balls of yarn to get that to work, at least with cuffs the length I made them.
I think I need to give these a good soaking in some kind of conditioning soap (and maybe a vinegar rinse) before I try wearing them, the yarn is very "hard" to the touch.
I still think the Kureyon "sock" yarn is probably better for things other than socks. I hope I get at least a few wearings out of these before the heels blow, but I'm fearful that the very loosely spun, 100% wool will not have good staying power. (They are knit to something like 11 sts to the inch, done on size 0 needles. Which made them not a particularly fun knit.)
I do want to finish a couple more things - I think at least two projects - before I start something new.
But I did pull out the Bird's Nest Shawl and contemplate re-starting it. (I'm only on row 30 and there are something like 150 rows in it).
But it is a nice project, and I think the finished shawl will be very pretty. I'm knitting it out of camel's hair yarn (which is somewhat geographically-appropriate given it's a Tibetan-inspired shawl). The one in the book was made of cashmere, which I'm sure is very nice, but I don't quite have a cashmere budget. (The camel's hair yarn was an Elann purchase several years ago, specifically for this shawl).
All of my stitch markers are tied up in this project. I wondered where they had gone until I pulled it out of the bag and realized that I'd marked every repeat (which is a smart thing to do with lace that has a regular repeat; it's a lot easier to avoid getting lost or making a bad mistake).
(Heh...and now I realized, if I HAD wanted to do a Ravelympics project [but meh, I am just not that much of a joiner, rah-rah type], I could have gone all political and done the TIBETAN style shawl pattern. I probably would have peeved some people off, though, and I'm not big on peeving people off.)
Dangit, I just wish I could finish SOMETHING. I have a whole bunch of stuff close to completion, but it seems nothing ever quite gets there:
The Kuryeon socks - maybe another inch (80 sts on size 0 needles...) and then the toe
The Go with the Flow socks - 20 more rows and then the toe
The plain socks out of the green and pink yarn - working on the cuff of the second sock
The SitCom Chic - probably about 5 more rows before the "yoke detailing," then all the shaping of the neckline, then doing the front bands and neck band
Three scarves ("my so-called scarf," the Ribbon scarf, and a ribbed scarf that gets a stitch dropped at the end), in various stages of non-completion
The no-longer-clandestine knitting project (TChem has the pattern up on Ravelry now), I don't know when I'll finish that because it creeps along
The Bird's nest shawl, in "hibernation" mainly because it's in a bag and is out-of-sight, out-of-mind.
The Airy Cardigan, sort of given up on because I hate hairy yarn. (But I'm on the back...both fronts are done. I wouldn't "trash" it but I will need a lot of energy to be able to start up again)
A crocheted blanket, stuffed deep in a bag.
Having nothing finished irks me. Maybe I'll get something finished today between church and Youth Group times.
(Not so sure I'm loving the Sunday night Youth Group time - it's better for the kids but it's really hard to give up the "I'm done for the day now" feeling after getting home from church.)
The Kuryeon socks - maybe another inch (80 sts on size 0 needles...) and then the toe
The Go with the Flow socks - 20 more rows and then the toe
The plain socks out of the green and pink yarn - working on the cuff of the second sock
The SitCom Chic - probably about 5 more rows before the "yoke detailing," then all the shaping of the neckline, then doing the front bands and neck band
Three scarves ("my so-called scarf," the Ribbon scarf, and a ribbed scarf that gets a stitch dropped at the end), in various stages of non-completion
The no-longer-clandestine knitting project (TChem has the pattern up on Ravelry now), I don't know when I'll finish that because it creeps along
The Bird's nest shawl, in "hibernation" mainly because it's in a bag and is out-of-sight, out-of-mind.
The Airy Cardigan, sort of given up on because I hate hairy yarn. (But I'm on the back...both fronts are done. I wouldn't "trash" it but I will need a lot of energy to be able to start up again)
A crocheted blanket, stuffed deep in a bag.
Having nothing finished irks me. Maybe I'll get something finished today between church and Youth Group times.
(Not so sure I'm loving the Sunday night Youth Group time - it's better for the kids but it's really hard to give up the "I'm done for the day now" feeling after getting home from church.)
Friday, January 25, 2008
I have been working on stuff.
I've moved to the "central section" on the newest Clapotis and even done the first dropping-of-the-stitch. And the yarn is a good choice - it ladders down well and smoothly, without the individual strands sticking to each other. I'm just beginning to fret now, that because I made it a bit wider (9 repeats rather than 7 in the first section) that I may not have enough yarn to make it as long as I want. (I know that it took just over 2 skeins to do the beginning section so I figure if I start the ending section once I'm down to 2 1/2 or so, I will be safe).
I'm also picking away at the Oak Ribbed Socks That Are Actually Being Made Out Of Opal Rainforest. I'm on the foot, done with the decreases, but as the sock's not actually DONE yet, so it's not at any kind of photogenic point where it could be photographed.
The Secret Project (well, the one I've started) continues. I want to start the second of the two this weekend.
I'm also working on the edging for the Airy Cardigan but I'm beginning to get the fear that this may be messed up - that the number of repeats recommended is going to be too large, and as a result, the math for the rest of the sweater (how many stitches to pick up, etc.) is going to be all messed up, and I really don't want to rewrite the pattern. So I'm less motivated to work on this, as I always am about projects that I fear are going wonky.
I've moved to the "central section" on the newest Clapotis and even done the first dropping-of-the-stitch. And the yarn is a good choice - it ladders down well and smoothly, without the individual strands sticking to each other. I'm just beginning to fret now, that because I made it a bit wider (9 repeats rather than 7 in the first section) that I may not have enough yarn to make it as long as I want. (I know that it took just over 2 skeins to do the beginning section so I figure if I start the ending section once I'm down to 2 1/2 or so, I will be safe).
I'm also picking away at the Oak Ribbed Socks That Are Actually Being Made Out Of Opal Rainforest. I'm on the foot, done with the decreases, but as the sock's not actually DONE yet, so it's not at any kind of photogenic point where it could be photographed.
The Secret Project (well, the one I've started) continues. I want to start the second of the two this weekend.
I'm also working on the edging for the Airy Cardigan but I'm beginning to get the fear that this may be messed up - that the number of repeats recommended is going to be too large, and as a result, the math for the rest of the sweater (how many stitches to pick up, etc.) is going to be all messed up, and I really don't want to rewrite the pattern. So I'm less motivated to work on this, as I always am about projects that I fear are going wonky.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
A couple weeks back, Jennifer posted about all of her various unfinished projects, and her goal to complete five before she began something new.
Now, I don't have quite as many as she had, but I'm to the point where I have a lot of projects I'm working on, but also a few projects that have got bunged to the bottom of a bag or a box and temporarily forgotten.
One thing I'm enjoying about this summer so far is that I have a decent amount of time (like an hour, sometimes more) free time in an evening to work. NO EVENING MEETINGS.
So I have pulled out - and plan to continue to pull out - some of the bunged-to-the-bottom-of-the-bag projects and work on them, maybe even finish them.
This is a scarf out of Morehouse Farm's wonderful Monet colors merino laceweight. It has a little lace (just simple yo, k2tog every third row for 60 rows) at each end and plain garter in the middle.
I know some people aren't that fond of Morehouse yarn - it is a very "wabi sabi" yarn and it does have thick and thin places and sometimes you find a bit of vegetation in it - but I like it. It feels "real" to me.
This is also one of those yarns that blocks up in a lovely way. I made the "Verona shawl" (just a simple stockinette stitch rectangle) out of some grey-green laceweight Morehouse, and it just got the nicest texture after blocking - softer, and yet it still had a certain body to it. And the stitches even out nicely.
I had forgotten how much I enjoy knitting with it. (I also have a kit for the Contessa shawl in my stash; periodically I look at it and think I should wind off the yarn and start it.)
There's also a certain pleasure, when you're kind of tired, in just knitting either plain garter (as here) or plain stockinette - you don't really have to think much, you don't have to worry about the complex ballet of yarn overs and decreases or the in and out of the cable needle - you can just knit and go.
I knit nearly 50 rows on the scarf last night; you're supposed to knit to 340 rows before the next block of lace (I'm on about row 250; if the scarf doesn't look long enough and it seems I'll have enough yarn, I'm going to keep going on plain garter past 340 and just do the lace when the scarf is "big enough" or when I fear I'm running down on yarn. I'd actually rather make a bigger scarf that uses up all the yarn than have odd bits and bobs of laceweight kicking around).
And this is a picture of the Landscape Shawl being knit of Koigu. I'm a bit further than I was in the last picture I posted; I'm up to the seed-stitch section of the shawl.
I have other partially-finished projects, ranging from "active" status (just worked on them recently) to long-stall:
the Waving Lace socks
the Kenobi jacket
the Greek pullover
the baby dragon crochet
the Miranda socks
the Landscape shawl
a scarf I started out of some turquoise Cascade 220 I bought when I was up visiting my folks
the crocheted blanket
the Monet scarf (pulled out of stall just last night)
In-stall, but perhaps to be pulled out soon:
Bloom from Knitty (I don't know why I don't pull this out and finish it; it's a fast knit)
Samus (Yes, I have that buried somewhere. Never finished the bottom band and also am a bit spooked at the thought of picking up allllllll those stitches).
Now, I don't have quite as many as she had, but I'm to the point where I have a lot of projects I'm working on, but also a few projects that have got bunged to the bottom of a bag or a box and temporarily forgotten.
One thing I'm enjoying about this summer so far is that I have a decent amount of time (like an hour, sometimes more) free time in an evening to work. NO EVENING MEETINGS.
So I have pulled out - and plan to continue to pull out - some of the bunged-to-the-bottom-of-the-bag projects and work on them, maybe even finish them.
This is a scarf out of Morehouse Farm's wonderful Monet colors merino laceweight. It has a little lace (just simple yo, k2tog every third row for 60 rows) at each end and plain garter in the middle.
I know some people aren't that fond of Morehouse yarn - it is a very "wabi sabi" yarn and it does have thick and thin places and sometimes you find a bit of vegetation in it - but I like it. It feels "real" to me.
This is also one of those yarns that blocks up in a lovely way. I made the "Verona shawl" (just a simple stockinette stitch rectangle) out of some grey-green laceweight Morehouse, and it just got the nicest texture after blocking - softer, and yet it still had a certain body to it. And the stitches even out nicely.
I had forgotten how much I enjoy knitting with it. (I also have a kit for the Contessa shawl in my stash; periodically I look at it and think I should wind off the yarn and start it.)
There's also a certain pleasure, when you're kind of tired, in just knitting either plain garter (as here) or plain stockinette - you don't really have to think much, you don't have to worry about the complex ballet of yarn overs and decreases or the in and out of the cable needle - you can just knit and go.
I knit nearly 50 rows on the scarf last night; you're supposed to knit to 340 rows before the next block of lace (I'm on about row 250; if the scarf doesn't look long enough and it seems I'll have enough yarn, I'm going to keep going on plain garter past 340 and just do the lace when the scarf is "big enough" or when I fear I'm running down on yarn. I'd actually rather make a bigger scarf that uses up all the yarn than have odd bits and bobs of laceweight kicking around).
And this is a picture of the Landscape Shawl being knit of Koigu. I'm a bit further than I was in the last picture I posted; I'm up to the seed-stitch section of the shawl.
I have other partially-finished projects, ranging from "active" status (just worked on them recently) to long-stall:
the Waving Lace socks
the Kenobi jacket
the Greek pullover
the baby dragon crochet
the Miranda socks
the Landscape shawl
a scarf I started out of some turquoise Cascade 220 I bought when I was up visiting my folks
the crocheted blanket
the Monet scarf (pulled out of stall just last night)
In-stall, but perhaps to be pulled out soon:
Bloom from Knitty (I don't know why I don't pull this out and finish it; it's a fast knit)
Samus (Yes, I have that buried somewhere. Never finished the bottom band and also am a bit spooked at the thought of picking up allllllll those stitches).
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