Catching up WIP Wednesday

I haven't done a WIP Wednesday in ages, and this will probably be a one-off to get you caught up on my current WIPs.

First, my knitting productivity has taken a nose-dive recently. Not surprisingly this has coincided with the arrival of Jack, my kitten.  He is doing as well with my knitting as can be expected from a 3-month-old kitten, but he would rather I be playing or snuggling, rather than playing with pointy sticks that he's not allowed to play with as well.

Napping is on Jack's list of favorite activities for us to do together.

However, I have some pressing (and long past) knitting deadlines I need to meet.

The big project is the Christmas Stockings I'm making for Carla and Jim (my sister and brother-in-law). I finally have the yarn and the right size so I'm making swift headway. However that I'm only on the first cuff of the first (of three) stockings.  This one has a firm deadline of December 24th, as Carla and Jim plan on filling these stocking for each other on Christmas Eve. 

Well at least the turned hem cuff is just two rows from being done.

Another deadline I've missed by a long shot are the birthday socks for my mom.  Her birthday was back in October (the weekend after the wedding that was also Thanksgiving) and so I would like to have these done before year-end. Also because I have to make Jim's birthday socks by the end of January.

I'm halfway down one leg and have the cuff done of the other sock.  At least I won't have second sock syndrome.

The final project I'm actively working on right now is a design I've been working on. This is a quick-ish bulky blanket knit in KnitPicks Billow, which is an incredible thick/thin cotton that has a great feel and is totally fun to knit with.

The fabric of this blanket is just incredible, I picked up more during the KnitPicks Big Sale to make another.

I should probably get back to knitting, as I have miles to go before I sleep on all my projects!

 

Sister Stay-cation

[gallery type="square" columns="2" ids="2972,2973,2974,2975,2976,2977" orderby="rand"] This weekend I had a real treat, my sister Carla showed up and we had an awesome sister-staycation at my apartment.  We watched my selection of animated Disney-ish movies (Brother Bear, Anastasia, Lilo and Stitch), worked on our knitting, made my first batch of truffles, went shopping for Martha Stewart Office Supplies at Staples.

We also ate out at the Griffin Gastropub (an amazing 20 seat pub in Bracebridge) where I had an awesome lentil burger and Carla had some really excellent looking beef stew.

Not only was it a fun weekend it was a productive weekend. Carla finished a sweater and a pair of mittens, and I managed to get all my mystery leftover skeins tagged and niddy-noddied some of the yarns I won't be knitting anytime soon (RIP Color Affection, the yarns are nice but after two months I have to admit I'm not all that interested in knitting it).  I also finished and blocked the two baby sweaters, finished an illusion knit dishcloth that I started at the Huntsville Spinners and Weavers guild last Thursday, and also finished crocheting and stuffing an amigurumi Raccoon for Toshie, started a pair of socks on my new 9in circulars (still figuring out whether I like it or not), and planned out two shawlettes for the moms of the two babies getting sweaters, and made plans to participate in the Slug-A-Long at Fresh Stitches.

So, overall a very fun, productive weekend, hopefully Carla will be able to come back again soon.

Meet the Stragglers

Going into 2012 I had a clean slate of projects, this year is a bit different, I have a few stragglers that I wasn't able to get done before midnight on December 31st.  They will be either finished or frogged by the end of the year, and probably sooner than that.  Here they are, from earliest cast-date to latest cast on date. First up, we have the Rockberry Triangle.

Rockberry Triangle

Cast on: September 18th Percent Complete: Probably about 50%, I am just starting chart D (which is the other design on the body before the edging) Deadline: I don't really want to start another big shawl till I get this one done, so it is at the top of the WIP pile.

Next, we have, Opal Bud Crochet Shawl,

Opal Heather Shawl

Cast on: September 30th Percent Complete: 5% - I've barely scratched the surface on this one, as I have 1,200 yds of laceweight earmarked for this project Deadline: None in mind, I just want to get it done before the end of the year.

Then, soon after I cast on Too Cool for My Socks

Very cool toes

Cast on: October 4th Percent Complete: 10% - the toes are done and when I actually get to them in my purse they should get finished reasonably quickly Deadline: I hope to have these done before the snow melts, I have heard rumors that Felici Sport is being discontinued, so I stocked up during the Black Friday sale and will have lots of socks to keep me happy for a few years, so I have no real desire to rush through this pair.

Then after a bit of a gap, I have my Canaries, Castles and Bunnies, Oh My!

Color Affection

Cast on: November 3rd (sorta) Percent Complete: 0% - I have knit and ripped out the first section about 10 times since I cast on 2 months ago Deadline: Like two months ago, I need to focus in and get working on this, or find another three-color shawl, cause this one is really hanging over my head.

Then we have one last thing cast on in 2012, Ottawa Baby Sweater

Ottawa Baby Sweater

Cast on: December 26th Percent Complete: 60% - Deadline: Right away, I need to finish three more baby sweaters before a shower that I have heard rumors will be in February ...

Actually, there was one more in 2012, Pointelle, but I decided to hibernate it after screwing up the first two rows of the cuff too many times.

Then with 2013 starting I have some a new kid on the block, a Raccoon for Toshie

The Start of Rocky Raccoon

 

So I have my work cut out for me, but all projects finished in 2013 count towards this year's goals.

WIP Wednesday: October 31st

20121031-081612.jpg  

Sorry about the poor quality of WIP Wednesday photos, it is really dark here in the morning.

Last week, I had a few more projects on the needles, but I finished the Pomatomus socks and I decided to hibernate my crocheted stole in preparation for KAL Chaos.

This leaves (from left to right):

  •  Thyme - I have made it through the main body and first lace repeat, just three more and a knitted on edge
  • Hello Sweetie - This is going to be my purse project for the next little while, these should be quick but they just haven't been at the top of the to do list.
  • Too Cool for My Socks - Finally got the toes knit on these, but they are going into hibernation until I finish my TFA KAL socks and Hello Sweetie.  I would like to have them finished by the end of the year.
  • Rockberry Triangle - Through the 3 charts, but really only one section (stitch pattern). As a worsted weight shawl, it really shouldn't be that much longer. I'm not hibernating it, but maybe lowering it down the list.

So, tomorrow I will be casting on for the TFA KAL projects and then not long after I will be starting the other KAL projects.

 

WIP Wednesday: August 15th

20120815-073121.jpg Now that the Ravellenic Games are over it is back to my previous knitting. I'm going to try to finish my plain (casserole) socks so that I can start a fingering weight pair to check the pattern.

My other priority is to finish the new bubbly cowl, which was a Christmas gift to my mom last year. The thing was she wanted to knit so I gave her the things to learn, but turns out she isn't that motivated so I needed to make the cowl before the weather turns cool.

The other two were cast on just before the games and I'll get to them at some point.

The one you don't see here is that green lace stole, which I finally frogged. It had two chances with the Muir pattern, time to try it on something else.