Re-evaluating 3 months in

Original goals for this year:

• Shawl-collared vest (new) COMPLETE
• Fix DH's sweater (needs to be lengthened) DONE
• Finish Tangled Yoke (needs buttons and underarm seams) Underarms done
• Toggles on CPH
• Finish (???) Malabrigo sweater (UFO - just needs sleeves and neckband)
• Finish Silky Wool sweater (UFO - I think it just needs sleeves)
• Finish Cotton Patine top (UFO - seam and knit edging for armholes)
• Bird's Nest shawl (UFO - maybe 25% completed)
• Heartland shawl (UFO - maybe 15% completed)
• Lamb's Pride cardigan (finish or rip - needs sleeves, seaming)
• Einstein coat (UFO - about 20% completed) Now over half-way done
• Celtic Knot (UFO - about 30% complete)

I guess that's not too bad for less than 3 months work. I have started another project - a version of Elizabeth Zimmerman's Rib Warmer Vest that was in an old issue of Knitters Magazine. I'm nearly halfway done with that. I was wearing the Shawl-collared vest so much I figured I must need another vest! I'm using some Bartlett 2-ply I got on eBay years ago. It's a pretty Bronze color. It's been hanging out in the work basket with the Noro Einstein coat and they look so nice together that I may use some of that Noro for the i-cord edging.

I've modified the Einstein design by knitting the body in one piece for a few inches to avoid having batwing sleeves. I'm pretty much flying by the seat of my pants with this one, making it up as I go along. As you can tell from my past history, I'm not put off by the idea of ripping it out if it doesn't work.

Speaking of ripping out - I'm leaning that way on the Malabrigo sweater. I love the yarn and the sweater is just not living up to expectations. Someone at my knitting group was telling me of a way to alternate yarns when knitting in the round. I may start over trying that. I've pulled out the Celtic knot pullover and Lamb's Pride cabled cardigan, but no decisions yet on their fates.

Progress Report

I've finished the modifcation to Husband's sweater to make it longer. No pictures - it looks the same as before - just longer ;o)

That's 2 down, 10 to go. I don't know if I'll be able to tackle the seaming of the Tangled Yoke in the next week - it's looking pretty hectic and I need to be able to slow down and concentrate. I'm thinking this will be the plan when I do get around to it:

1. Seam underarms
2. Block
3. Darn in ends
4. Sew grosgrain ribbon on button placket
5. Sew buttons
6. Wear it!

Still wearing the vest everyday. I've gotten lots of compliments on it.

I have to decide if I'm going to frog the Malabrigo sweater before I knit any more on the sleeves. Need to slow down and concentrate for that too. My best bet at this point is probably to pick up the Not-so-warm Einstein. Everything else just takes too much thinking for my poor overloaded brain.

What did I wear before I finished this vest?

I finished the knitting except for the button tabs a few days ago, and started wearing it as soon as it dried after blocking. I got the buttons and tabs on two days ago. It's very warm and comfortable to wear, although I do need to wear it with a turtleneck, which is okay since I can't stand to have my neck exposed in cold weather anyway. While I was working on it, my fingers did get better, but that may have been partially due to the warm weather we were having. Now it's cold again, I'm done with the vest, and my fingers are starting to split :o( Maybe I should fondle one of the remaining skeins twice a day?

I've ripped out the ribbing on Husband's sweater and knit most of the additional stockinette. I inadvertently picked up 6's instead of 7's and didn't realize it until I noticed a definite ridge where I started knitting again. By then I'd knit too much to rip out, so I'm hoping that blocking will disguise the ridge and that the tighter gauge will work okay since DH's hips are smaller than his tummy!

I've decided to use some grosgrain ribbon on the buttonband of the Tangled Yoke cardigan. I really hate sewing buttons on knit garments, and I'm hoping the ribbon will help make the job easier and more durable.

I'm really not happy with the patterns the variegation is making in the Malabrigo sweater. It looks better on the reverse side, so I guess I will wear it that way unless I decide to rip it out. It's hard to alternate skeins to avoid that issue when you're knitting in the round!

Nearly done

The shawl-collared vest just needs buttons and tabs. Now I have 3 sweaters to sew buttons on and 2 that need tabs. At least I finally found buttons for the Tangled Yoke cardigan, so once I get the buttons for the vest I can have a finishing party.

Started taking the ribbing off of Husband's sweater - pretty tedious. The old ribbing was an inch and a half. He wants it 3 inches longer so I think I'll knit 2 1/2 more inches of stockinette and then 2 inch ribbing.

The color of this yarn (Cascade 220 in Lichen) does not photograph well - it's a really lovely green with heathery bits of other colors. I'll try to get a picture outside once I get the reknitting done.

Progress report

Moving right along on the vest - the body is complete and one armhole and shoulder are done. Just the other armhole/shoulder and then the shawl collar left (which I understand takes forever.) My finger tips are in better shape, but I don't know if it's the lanolin-rich yarn or the warm weather we've been having. I bought 2 different sets of buttons to try out for the Tangled Yoke, and dug up instructions for lenghthening DH's sweater by ripping out the cast on at the waist which should be a lot quicker than rekniting from the armholes up. I also knit a few rows on the sleeve of the Malabrigo sweater when I needed some mindless knitting and the vest was at a point that required too much attention.

I hope I can make it to our knit group tonight. I haven't been in ages because of scheduling conflicts. I think we will have some new people that found out about us on Ravelry.

2008 Knitting Goals

• Shawl-collared vest (new)
• Fix DH's sweater (needs to be lengthened)
• Finish Tangled Yoke (needs buttons and underarm seams)
• Toggles on CPH
• Finish Malabrigo sweater (UFO - just needs sleeves and neckband)
• Finish Silky Wool sweater (UFO - I think it just needs sleeves)
• Finish Cotton Patine top (UFO - seam and knit edging for armholes)
• Bird's Nest shawl (UFO - maybe 25% completed)
• Heartland shawl (UFO - maybe 15% completed)
• Lamb's Pride cardigan (finish or rip - needs sleeves, seaming)
• Einstein coat (UFO - about 20% completed)
• Celtic Knot (UFO - about 30% complete)

I'm sure other things will slip in there as well, but I'd really like to clean out the UFOs. I find it hard to remember exactly what I was doing when I let them marinate too long. I should take better notes, but this is supposed to be fun, not a job, right?

I did finish 45 items last year. 5 sweaters, 1 vest, 5 shawls, 1 hat, 4 Calorimetrys/ies?, 1 felted bag (that morphed into a cat mat,) 5 scarves, 6 Itty Bitty bears, 2 pairs of felted clogs, 1 pair fulled socks, 1 felted box, and 13 dishcloths. Surely I can manage the 12 items listed this year.

The shawl-collared vest I started 2 days ago is in "Handknitting with Meg Swansen" and I'm using 3-ply wool from the MacAusland Woolen Mill on PEI. It has lots of lanolin and I'm hoping it will help heal my sore, dry fingertips.

The husband sweater was much worn last winter, but he would like it a bit longer, so I will rip back to where I joined the sleeves and add a bit, then reknit the top. No big deal, and a lot easier than knitting a whole new sweater.

I should've finished the Tangled Yoke a couple of months ago, but I'm having trouble finding buttons and I'm putting off seaming the underarms.

The Central Park Hoodie is technically a finished object and was worn quite a bit last year, but I think I would prefer being able to close it, so have found toggles and just need to decide how I want to proceed. I will be doing loops of some sort, possibly like those in the shawl-collared vest pattern.

The rest are just UFOs that have been sitting too long. One or two may end up being ripped out rather than finished. More details as I get to them. The plan is to tackle the list from the top down, but I reserve the right to change the order or to jump around, working some here and some there. Whatever it takes to keep me moving through the list. There are lots of new projects clamoring to be knit, but I think 10 works-in-progress is plenty.

...so I've been knitting instead of posting...

Since last we met-

Finished:

• Soy Silk Shawl for Mom (former UFO)
• Faux Russian Stole from 'A Gathering of Lace' in Baby Alpaca Silk (from stash yarn)
• Charlotte's Web in my own hand-dye (former UFO)
• Diamond Fantasy shawl in Koigu (former UFO)
• Calorimetry in Cascade 220 Tweed (from stash yarn)
• Irish Hiking Scarf in Cascade 220 Tweed (from stash yarn)
• Another dishcloth (or two)

In progress:

• Top down sweater in Malabrigo (uh, not from stash yarn - from vacation yarn)
• Wedgie scarf in Noro Kureyon (from stash yarn)
• Tangled Yoke cardigan in Aruacuania Nature Wool (from stash yarn)

Oh, and I'm quilting again - (from stash fabric...)