1.08.2008

Knitting Confessions

Criquette has been a knitting slacker


I have been a bad knitter these past few weeks. Everyone has been very polite about pretending they haven't noticed the lack of knitting content on my blog. Not only did I not finish a single Christmas gift, but I have hardly lifted the needles since before Christmas. I can't decide if it's that I've been too busy, or if I have too many projects on the needles. Probably both. I did take inventory of my current projects and UFO's so that I can start to change their status to FO's. I have 17 unfinished projects - not as many as I was afraid I had, but more than I want to have.




The list of shame includes (clockwise from the left: yellow chemo cap; multi- colored spring scarf; pair of pink wristwarmers (just need to be seamed), blue wristwarmers, brown wristwarmers (1 is completed); cotton market bag; lavender chemo cap (my oldest UFO); blue crocheted girl's chemo hat, taupe baby kimono; rose-pink girl's chemo hat; multi-colored Baby Albert jacket (center).


Here are the scarf UFO's, clockwise, starting in front: coral Li's Herringbone Scarf; glacier-blue alpaca in an easy 2-sided rib pattern; black with blue and green stripes; red self-striping Yarn Harlot's One-Row scarf; grey Urban Camo lengthwise scarf; purple alpaca YH's One-Row scarf. The babies are due in a week or so, one of the scarves is a belated Christmas gift for Mr. C (from last Christmas - how shameful is that???), and 2 of the handwarmers are belated Christmas gifts for our very close friends that we will be seeing in a couple of weeks. The glacier blue alpaca scarf was for my niece who was supposed to move to Columbus - since her plans fell through, she is staying in New Orleans so she will need an alpaca scarf like an alpaca needs a surfboard. The others are either for charity or for my gift stockpile - a headstart on Christmas 2008?

Fortunately, we're heading down to New Orleans in a couple of weeks and are driving, which gives me several hours of knitting time in the car. I plan to finish one of the scarfs for Mr. C (Valentine's Day is right around the corner), the Baby Albert jacket, the blue handwarmers, and possibly the purple alpaca scarf. Plus I need to start on the snuggly toy for my Hot Chocolate swap pal. I have already found the pattern, which resembles something on her blog. It's going to be fun!


Like many other knitters, I am going to make an effort to knit out of my stash this year. I will make an exception for the New Orleans trip, as I feel a Moral Obligation to spend some money in the local yarn stores down there so as to help their local economy (don't you admire my civic mindedness?). I also have a nice sized GC to one of my favorites, The Studio, here in town. I will probably need to purchase some yarn for the knitted snuggly toy as my stash doesn't have the colors I need. And I will acquire additional yarn from the swaps I have entered, but other than this, I will try to significantly reduce the stash this year, as I can't stuff one more skein into any of my bins.

I have also decided to become a more adventurous knitter this year. I am going to take a class on sock-knitting in February and I would like to learn to knit mittens and gloves. I want to make a French Market bag and a second kitty pi, more dishcloths and an afghan out of my growing stash of leftovers. I have some commitments as well, including a dishcloth for the Winter Doldrums swap, the snuggly toy for the Hot Chocolate swap, and 3 mystery items for Pay It Forward (yes Sonya and Faren, I haven't forgotten. I never had a third person sign up, so I am knitting something for someone I have chosen who I hope will be pleasantly surprised). I think that about sums up what I've been up to concerning the pointy sticks and yarn and answers the question:yes, I am still a ferocious knitter.



I took this closeup of the pewter ornament my brother created - I am amazed at his talent and just wanted to show him off a little bit.

4 comments:

Camille said...

Have fun in New Orleans! I'm jealous! If you stop in Arkansas, please call me. I'd love to meet you. My number is on my website (www.arkansaslabradorrescue.org).

Dianne said...

Criquette has such beautiful eyes! I think you are morally obligated to buy as much yarn as will fit in the car when you go to New Orleans!

Lynn said...

Your brother made that?!? WOW that is a NICE ornament!!

And really all of those WIPs are VERY close to being FOs, it's the finding time for it that is the hardest.

Lapdog Creations said...

That ornament is so cool!
Hey, you're not the only one with an unmentionalbe number of UFO's hanging around... I really do need to start FINISHING projects... and then move on to some more adventerous ones like you mentioned too!