WIPs

When I first joined the KR forum I proclaimed that I only ever have one project on the needles at a time. Someone piped up to say that it wouldn't stay that way for long. They were right. Now I have 4 WIPs and an eye for more. MUST....finish......projects!

I would like to finish this Eyelet-Cable tank top (my own design)in time to wear it this summer but it is a fine gauge and getting rather tedious. The back is complete and I have cast on and knit an inch or so of the front but then set it aside to play with some fairisle for awhile.





This Fairisle Pillow is the cause of my unfaithfulness to the Eyelet-Cable tank top. I just HAD to get my hands on some color-work. It is my first love. These pillows are fingering weight....which works out to 288 sts per round! WHAT was I thinking?! (the little leather patch in the picture is the color sample for our leather loveseat)



These are the Toe-Up socks in Patons "Kroy" that I save for road trips and waiting rooms. Right now the stitches are being held on little tiny straight needles (about 5" in length) that I use to turn heels in my modified method of doing the Magic Loop. I "stole" the Addi circular to knit the pillows. ;-)


The IK Bed and Breakfast Pullover languishes in the corner a victim of hot weather. So far the back is nearly complete.


All this knitting to do and instead I have spent my day "blogging"! Ah well, it has been fun.

FOs

In an effort to add a few photos to my blog I searched the house for finished projects. I was suprised how many I found!

The oldest (that I have on hand) is probably "Knitting Neddie". She was made several years ago to decorate my knitting/crafts room. Her sweater was designed on "Sweater Wizard". The socks were also knit by hand. "Her" knitting was done on toothpicks. (Some day I will have to make her a set of prettier needles.)
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I love socks made of Cascade "Fixation". These are two pairs I made last winter.




The Blue Cable Cardi was designed using "Sweater Wizard". I was a little disappointed with the bottom ribbing. Although I didn't want it to pull in too much, I think it is TOO loose.


The cable tank top turned out nice.....a tad on the short side for me though. The free pattern is available at http://www.estelleyarns.com/ Look for "Rib and Cable Top"



I've made a couple of these Earflap caps from the "Hats On" book. The first (grey and black) was a little big but with an adjustment of my gauge the second one fits very well.



I fell in love with the color/texture combination of these two yarns so I designed the Child's Cardi pattern to go with the yarn.


After making the child's sweater I just had to use the yarn again, this time in a Feather and Fan shawl that I designed myself.


While not exactly a knitting project, it is a FO so I will include it here. My knitting bag, made by recycling a thrift store find. It started as a messanger bag complete with a company logo and I redecorated it with appliqued fabric.

Boogie Bra

Okay, this is just too funny to be missed! Need a comfy bra? Check out the creative solution here.

Hog for a son.

Well it seems that if I want to keep up with my blog I am going to have to choose some time of the day other than just before bed! Every time I think that I will just "blog a bit" before I hit the sack, I come around the corner to see my son on the computer. Hmmm.... I guess that IS allowed seeing as I spend my fair share of time on the computer earlier in the day. Still how's a gal supposed to write about her day when the day is not yet done? ;-) Especially when I get most of my knitting done in those last couple of hours before bed.

So...to sum up the last two days of knit-related activity:

I have started on the second sock of the pair and have gotten as far as finishing the toe-increases (toe up sock). This was my goal as I like to have a sock at the mindless stage (straight knitting or ribbing) for road trips and waiting rooms. So, I have set that one aside for just such times.

I also cast on for the front of the Eyelet Cable Tank Top and knit about one inch. That one is SO slow going and repetitious that I am itching to pick up something else for a while. I think if it wasn't for the fact that I want to WEAR it this summer, I would abandon it all together. Not that it isn't lovely, just I am tired of working on it. Too much sameness.

The Bed and Breakfast Pullover sits sadly in the corner of the family room awaiting my return. Maybe I will give that one a few rows today to quiet its tears of abandonment. It is hard to get enthusiastic about knitting a thick HOT pullover when the weather is so warm.

And BEFORE I touch any knitting today I MUST do a little housework. I always know when I have been neglecting a task too long........I start having panicky dreams!

One completed sock.

Yesterday I finished the back of the eyelet-cable tank top. I am a little concerned about the fit. While it seemed too long while I was actually knitting it, once I took it off the needles and stretched the ribbing out to fit my body, it seemed like it might be a little short.

I was rather discouraged with the fit of the tank top and it is SO much work being in such a fine gauge that I decided to work on a sock I have had in progress for quite some time. I finished the first of the pair up tonight, but was somewhat discouraged with that too. :-( I knit it at 9 stitches to the inch and it feels quite stiff and....well, I just don't like the feel of the yarn much either. I used Patons Kroy and it seems very nylony to me even though I have some nice socks made with yarns with similar fibre content. Perhaps after it is washed a few times it will feel a little nicer.

Maybe tomorrow I will tackle the Bed and Breakfast Pullover again. On that WIP the back is nearly finished. I was side tracked by the planning of the eyelet-cable tank.

What I REALLY want to do is start swatching in all the lovely Merino fingering wool that I have set for cushions for the living room. But, I know better. If I get too many things going on the needles at once I will just feel overwhelmed and everything will just take that much longer.

Slow progress.

Last night it seemed I knit forever on the eyelet-cable tank top and could only see a bit of progress. With the fine gauge it is really slow going. I have been knitting quite regularly for a week and still haven't reached the back neck. Several times now I have measured and appeared to be at 18" only to find with another measurement that I still have and inch to go.

The stretchy ribbing nature of the eyelet cable pattern really makes it difficult to measure accurately. I have now decided that I must stretch the piece horizontally to nearly the full wearing width and THEN measure to see if I am at the right length. Stretching it horizontally really eats up a lot of the length, but that is the way it will be on the body so I had better make the correct allowances.

My most recent calculations have me one inch short of the first shapings for the back neckline. Maybe tonight I will be able to reach that mark. After that the tank top will be divided for each side so it should go a lot quicker.

A new start.

A second try at blogging. This time I will take myself a little less seriously. In the past getting bogged down in details caused mental paralysis and I ended my blog after only 3 entries. This time I will use it as a daily diary, updating regularly without worrying too much about formatting. From what I see so far, I like the unaltered looks of this site better anyway. It also seems more user friendly.

After a swift start to my day, (up at 6 and dashing about town by 8 AM on errands) I am taking a rather long break in front of the computer. My feet/ankle are quite sore......likely a delayed effect from the last couple of days of long walks.