Reality Check

But first - here's the Travel Shawl that I finished last month -I like it and have used it several times on chilly days. I think it will travel very well.

I finally found some ziplocs that are the perfect size for a sweater's worth of yarn. Consequently I've started zipping up the stash. Consequently it's become apparent to me just how much yarn I have. OMG. New rule for the stash management plan starting June 1 - I must knit twice as much as I buy. This is ridiculous. (I know I should just stop buying yarn - I've tried that. It doesn't work. When I cave, and it will happen, it's NOT pretty.)

So how has May gone so far? Let's check those goals:

1. Continue to work on Apres Surf. Finishing would be nice. But lace on 3's is slow going. Plus there's a hood. Still plugging away. I've worked on this a LOT this month.

2. Finish the Blackberries scarf already! Geez. I worked on it. A little.

3. Pull out my mostly finished top-down raglan in Seafoam Comfy. Work on it. Do a few rows count?

4. I really should finish up the afghan that's supposed to go to college with DD. It's out of the box at least.

5. Start Amelia. Doing great on this one - body is done to the 'pits, sleeve 1 is done, sleeve 2 is well underway.

And on the stash management front - I've knit over 1300 yards and bought 1000. That puts me down about 300 yards for the last 3 months.

While we're here, lets put June's knitting goals out there:

1. Finish Amelia.

2. Finish Apres Surf.

3. Finish Blackberries. (Don't laugh!)

4. Finish Seafoam raglan.

5. Finish college afghan.

6. Cast on for Whisper cardigan. Finish it.

7. Start Featherweight cardigan.

Oh yeah, that 1000 yards I bought this month?

Sundara FSM in Canadian Wilderness.

Mother's Day Gifts

Stumbled across this pattern on Ravelry Friday night. After much head-scratching, grumbling, eye-straining, and back-hunching, I have 2 crocheted bookmarks for Mother's Day gifts. Yep, pulled out my handy-dandy Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Needlework circa 1979 and taught myself how to crochet. I had done croched edgings before (using the same handy-dandy book) but that was it.

What's funny (and telling) about this experience is that I dipped into my long-neglected stash of perle cotton that I'd bought for hand-quilting years ago, thinking "hooray! A use for this stuff that's been languishing!" Then, after finishing the first one and using about 80% of a ball, I got online and ordered about 15 more balls! (Hey, Joann.com had them on sale for $1.60!) And I didn't even enjoy making the darn things. They're beautiful and DD wants one, and I'll probably make a couple more, but I already have about 20 balls! There is something wrong with me. (In my defense, the ones I had already were mostly boring solids, most of the ones I ordered were cool variegated ones that make awesome bookmarks. [I saw some on ravelry.])

April is Kaput

And I didn't do so great on my knitting plan, except that I did knit 80 yards more than I bought! Turns out that about 75% of my knitting was done on the go or in 5 minute snatches, which is not condusive to most lace projects, which is all I had on the needles. I did finish the Yarn Chef cowl in April and have already finished the Travel Shawl this month.

It's been very grey here for the past few days, so I have no pictures yet of the Travel Shawl.

Stash enhancement:

Madelinetosh Tosh Worsted in Turquoise - not quite as turquoise as I'd expected, but I think I still like it.

I also have some Yarn Chef goodies that should be here tomorrow. Two skeins of Mulligatawny and one of Souffle.

I've started a wishlist of Yarn I Want -
Tanis Green Label in Olive, Moss, Garnet, Sand, Amber (I'm not sure she's doing Olive anymore though...)
Dream in Color Classy/Smooshy in Shiny Moss, Purple Rain, Chinatown Apple, Cocoa Kiss, Gothic Rose, November Muse, Strange Harvest
MadTosh Worsted in Dahlia, Fjord, Kale, Logwood, Moss, Norway Spruce, Olivia, Oxblood, Rose, Sequoia, Silver Fox, Wash
Malabrigo Lace
Yarn Chef Chiffon
Sundara Worsted or Sport in sweater quantity
Apparently I only want to knit with hand-dyed yarn anymore.

Here's another attempt at predicting what I will be knitting this month (I don't know why I'm bothering with this!)
1. Continue to work on Apres Surf. Finishing would be nice. But lace on 3's is slow going. Plus there's a hood.
2. Finish the Blackberries scarf already! Geez.
3. Pull out my mostly finished top-down raglan in Seafoam Comfy. Work on it.
4. I really should finish up the afghan that's supposed to go to college with DD.
5. Start Amelia.