WIP List Update

[Quick note re the yarn giveaway -- I'm still accepting emails and will continue to do so for about another 24 hours. The clear favorites are the JoJoLand and the Anne, so whoever ends up with those will need to have been pretty lucky. I plan to send everything out this weekend.]

Well, things have improved markedly since the last go-round of the WIP List.

Last time, I counted 22 projects.

To be sure, that was a bit padded with things that turned out to not really be projects.

But still, twenty-two. That's not a number to scoff at.

That was three months ago.

Now, I'm down to 16 projects. (Still not a number to scoff at, but I am getting closer!)

Again, in rough chronological order, starting with the OLD:

1.) Posy. No progress. Still only half-done. Started 8/06.

2.) Felted Coasters. Nearly done. I have put these through the wash many, many times. Some of them are about right. But others don't seem to be shrinking enough. Maybe I should try to do the last bit by hand? Or maybe I should give up and call them done? This project has taught me that "felting" is really not my thing. (Too bad! I sort of wanted to make a Noni bag.) Started 9/06. Update: Done!

3.) Dale of Norway Zippered Hoodie. Now maybe 1/3 done (hard to tell, because I don't have a good sense of how long the hood will take), but I still need to track down the right zipper. (Baby is due very soon!) Started 9/06.

4.) Lizard Ridge. No progress. Still 1/3 done. I miss this guy, but other projects have priority. I'm trying to be strong. Started 9/06.

5.) Crocheted Rug for the Cats. No progress. Started 10/06. UPDATE: Determined to be Not a Project.

6.) V's Scarf. Anyone remember that plan to do a pattern repeat a day? I don't! (Ha!) This remains about 1/5 done. I always forget that scarves bore me. And, yes, this is/was for Winter Gift Exchange 2006. (Which, luckily for me was postponed all the way through January and into late February.) Idea and swatching started 10/06; not actually cast on until 12/06. Update: Done!

7.) Cotton Garter Squares Blanket, probably for the Strategic Baby Handknits Reserves. (Which are nearly depleted.) Some progress. Started 10/06.

8.) Sock Yarn Leftovers Blanket. This one is never-ending, but I do consider it a real project. Maybe 1/999999999 done? Started 10/06.

9.) Elfine's Socks. 1/3 done. These got stalled because I needed Mum to try them on. Then she did. But I was already on to other things. Started 10/06. UPDATE: DONE!

And the NEW (started since the last WIP inventory list):

10.) Pink Feather and Fan Socks. 1/3 done. I was so very ashamed of starting yet another pair of socks that I didn't even show them to you at the time. Also for Mum. (Myself, I can't wear feather 'n' fan. Allergies.) Started 11/06. UPDATE: DONE!

11.) The Doctor's New Socks in Trekking. Just over 1/2 done. Started 11/06. UPDATE: DONE!

12.) Gentleman's Fancy Trekking Socks. Precisely 3/4 done. I decided that these are not for me, so of course they're getting knitted a lot slower now! Started 11/06. UPDATE: DONE!

13.) Green Superwash Weasley. 1/4 done. Started 12/06. Update: Done!

14.) 66 Dulaan Cloud Hats. 1/6 done. Started 1/07. (Yes, I realize these were started much longer ago. But the resolution to actually finish all of them is recent.)

15.) Rose Garden Hat for the Strategic Baby Handknits Reserves. Nearly done. Only have about a million ends to weave in. (Stupid flowers! Stupid leaves!) Started 1/07.

16.) Some Mason-Dixon Bibs & Burps, also for the Strategic Baby Handknits Reserves. All done except for the ends and the buttons. Started 1/07. Update: Done!

My goals for February are to finish #6, #13, #15 and #16 and to make some more progress on #14.

Of these goals, the only really important ones are #6 and #13.

If I can finish those, I'm going to reward myself by working on absolutely anything I feel like for a while. As long as it a.) doesn't require buying yarn in violation of the resolution and b.) doesn't increase the number of projects on the WIP List beyond the current 16.

* * *

Ah.

Life.

How would we live without it?

Inventory & Plan of Attack

This full accounting is less for readers of this blog than it is for me, first to remind myself to not start anything new for a while, and second to help me decide in what order to tackle things.

Anonyknits' Works-In-Progress (ordered chronologically by approximate cast-on date):

1.) Handspun socks (for Dulaan) -- nearly done. UPDATE: DONE! (1/07)

2.) Demin mitered squares blanket (for the Strategic Baby Handknits Reserves) -- stalled. When I switched from regular miters to no-sewing miters, my gauge totally changed! So either I'm making *two* demin blankets (unlikely), or I have some serious thinking to do. Maybe this project is not actually a blanket. Maybe it is something else entirely.UPDATE: I no longer consider this a "real" project.(1/07)

3.) Posy (for me!) -- half done.

4.) Claudia Handpainted socks (for me!) -- half done, but stalled due to frustration with my own stupid overconfidence. (There's a story there, which I will probably own up to later.) -- UPDATE: DONE! (11/06)

5.) Dale of Norway Zippered Hoodie (for Baby X) -- Hard to say, maybe 1/5 done?

6.) Lizard Ridge (for ?) -- 1/3 done, not including seams and border.

7.) Katia Jamaica Mitered Squares Blanket (probably for Baby X) -- only need to weave in the ends. UPDATE: DONE! (1/07)

8.) Noro Tidori Swatches-That-Might-Turn-Into-Something-Someday(Maybe-a-Blanket) (for who knows who) -- who knows how far along this project is? I don't even know what it is. UPDATE: Not a "real" project.(1/07)


9.) Striped Cloudesque Seamless Raglan, a la Elizabeth Zimmerman (hereinafter, "EZ") (for Dulaan) -- One-third done. Started the sleeves, but then set it aside when they looked too narrow in the cuff.UPDATE: Frogged in favor of Cloud Hats.(1/07)


10.) Nth Cloud Hat (for Dulaan) -- only need to weave in the ends. -- UPDATE: DONE! (11/06)

11.) Felted Coasters (for ?) -- Need to felt.

12.) Pink Baby Surpise Jacket (probably for Baby X) -- Nearly done -- just needs shoulder seams, buttons, and ends woven in. -- UPDATE: DONE! (12/06)

13.) Red and Grey Prime Rib Scarf (for Dulaan, unless the Doctor claims it) -- 1/4 done. UPDATE: DONE! (1/07)

14.) A Rug (for the cats) -- 1/6 done. But this is crochet -- maybe it doesn't belong on the list?

15.) Avery's Short-Row Hat in Noro Kureyon (for V) -- Nearly done, if only I can figure out how I want to deal with that darned seam. -- UPDATE: DONE! (12/06)

16.) Scarf to go with Short-Row Hat (also for V) -- Barely started.

17.) Cotton Garter Squares Blanket (probably for Baby J, who was supposed to get the pseudo-Prairie Blanket) -- Maybe 1/3 done? Hard to tell, since I don't know how big it will be.

18.) Cloudesque Child-sized "Adult Surprise Jacket," a la EZ (for Dulaan) -- maybe one-third done? (I've started the body increases.)UPDATE: Frogged in favor of Cloud Hats. (It was just too ugly.)(1/07)


19.) Striped Socks in Regia Strato (for the Doctor) -- was half-way done with the first sock, but it was too small. Frogged, cast-on again, now have about 2 inches of cuff done. -- UPDATE: FROGGED (11/06)

20.) Sock Yarn Leftovers (for the heck of it) -- Unlikely this one will ever be done. Will tell you all about it later.

21.) Elfine's Socks in Koigu (told myself they were for me, but I think they're actually for my Mama) -- barely started.

22.) Tweedy Ribbed Socks in Meilenweit Colortweed (definately for me!) -- half done with the first sock. -- UPDATE: DONE! (11/06)


So . . .

I think the thing to do is start with the low hanging fruit. If I just concentrated on it, I could easily finish four, maybe five, of these over the weekend.

Then there is some stuff with deadlines -- the Avery Diamonds hat & scarf, stuff for Babies J and X. Probably I should attack those next, since as the deadlines approach, I will be less and less inclined to work on them.

After that, who knows. Maybe if I finish all that stuff, I'll be back under 10 projects again, which I think is (for me) equilibrium.

Contemplating a New Project

I represent to you that I am down to under 10 real works-in-progress.

I don't count that blue sweater for the Male-Who-Shall-Go-Unnamed, since it hasn't even been designed, much less cast on. I also am not counting the non-knitting projects. Or knitting projects that I have either forgotten or have a firm intention to never finish. There are more than a few of those.

As far as I can recall, the real WIPs are:

1.) That green baby shirt / sweater thing (needs seaming and buttons);
2.) Its blue baby vest companion (needs seaming and collar);
3.) That blue almost-Prairie Blanket I started when avoiding #1 and #2 (amazing what you can accomplish in just an hour);
4.) Those sort-of Conwy Flame socks that I've been mostly ignoring since I was in Greece;
5.) Some handspun (badly handspun, for the record) socks that are probably Dulaan-bound, if I ever get interested in them again;
6.) A pair of extremely dull wool socks (dark grey with stripes) for the Doctor, which were supposed to be done in January, but which now have no urgency attached as he only wanted to wear them in winter; and
7.) An extremely sad Baby Norgi (needs steeks sewn and everything that follows*).

So I really think I need a new project. But what?

I have been thinking about "Posy" from Rowan 35 since I first discovered Rowan Magazine (only about a year ago, when I kept hearing so much about Birch).

I have the yarn, so Posy is probably next.

Swatch, to prove I'm serious:





I will say at the outset that I am not at all confident that this pattern won't lead me astray. The swatch was very mean to me. Had to rip and restart it 3 or 4 times. Because on Row 5, the pattern tells you to increase 1 on each edge (for shaping). But the pattern doesn't do anything to acknowledge that you have added these stitches when you get to Row 7, the next patterned row. (It sort of explains what's going on later in the pattern, but not in so many words.) So everything goes all wonky at Row 7 and beyond, because everything keeps getting shifted over a stitch. Not fun.

But I think it will be very nice in the end, assuming I can figure out how to modify the garment shaping to fit my not-quite-standard body. (Possibly a big assumption.)

* * *

*I do not fear the steeks. I just haven't bothered looking for the sewing machine. That and clearing enough of the mess off of the table to actually have a place to use it. So much effort. I keep wondering whether I can crochet the steeks (which is what I've done before, albeit not with this style of sweater) or even hand-sew them. But then I tell myself I should do it as Wendy advises, if only to see if I like using the machine better. Then I give up on it again. It has literally been sitting on my couch in a plastic baggie for the last six months, to be thought of every day. Nag, nag, nag . . .