Dilema

First, here's a picture of my completed CIC vest.

I went through a couple of looks before settling on this one. An alert reader posted that the yarn I was using can vary in length as much as 10%. So, for a 200 yd. skein, it could vary as much as 20 yards. How is that ok? Aren't there machines that measure the length as it's being wound into skeins?

The problem was solved by using Fisherman's wool for the top bit. May not be extremely pretty, but it'll still be warm.

So here's my dilema: What to work on? Things are piling up and I want to work on them all. There's only so many knitting hours in my day (even less than normal since almost every day this week I've fallen asleep on the couch, only to stumble up to bed hours later.)

Exhibit A: This is a poncho for DD#2 made out of Lionbrand Homespun. Not my favorite yarn, but at least it's not squeaking on the bamboo needles.

This item has my attention because my family can't believe that I can finish this in one week. So....I'm all set to prove them wrong. Except that my attention is diverted by:

Exhibit B:
This is my sentimental favorite. I went to the MD Sheep and Wool Festival with a pregnant friend back in May. At that time I promised her that if she couldn't get this done in time for the baby's arrival, that I would take it over. Well, her due date is in one week, so I have it back.

That's right. It's a kit. The yarn hasn't been wound yet. But it'll knit up fast. (And it's a 6-12 mo. size, so it should be too big right away, right?) This is with Morehouse Merino yarn that my hands are just itching to knit. And she tends to deliver early.

Or should I go with
Exhibit C:

Why could I possibly be drawn to a bunch of non-matching yarn?

Because the CIC vest/challenge will be done on Oct. 31, so all items have to be mailed by then to count. My theory is that somehow I can arrange these oddly colored bits and pieces in a pleasing manner and knit them up on my knitting machine. Maybe I can do two. (If I'm dreaming, why not dream big?)

Or maybe I should do
Exhibit D:

This is just one skein of Fancy Fur yarn. I figure I'll make a skinny scarf and wear it to work.

Maybe I should do this one since it'll be so quick.

And down the road I have committed myself to
Exhibit E:
"Mom, how come you never make anything for me?" says DS#2 who owns 2 pairs of handknit socks, more than the rest of my family. He's been promised another pair.

There's always Exhibit F:
This is an intimidation project that I can't believe I've committed myself to. All I can say is that it involves bright orange yarn and the word "Rogue". Yarn's in the mail (and it can just take it's time!)

Off to knit! (now if I can just keep from falling asleep. :)

How did this happen?

I'm knitting this vest with 2 strands of yarn held together. All of a sudden, I looked down and saw to my horror that 1 ball is DONE! (the other is a tangled mess, but I digress...)

How did this happen? They were both new balls of the same yarn. Am I putting more tension on one strand but not the other? Is one getting wrapped around the other enough to make this difference? Or, were the balls not really the same length to begin with?

Gonna untangle the mess, tie the other end to the short end, and knit on!

Ahhh, yarn

First, a bit of whining....

I have a new job at a big box craft store. Next week I get an extra big employee discount, and I've been making a list. The one thing that's missing? Wool yarn.

We don't sell any wool yarn. None. Nada. Whiny whiny whine.

I had high hopes for Lion Wool. Or even Fisherman's. Nope. Nothing but Wool-ease, and while I've used it before and will use it again, it's not what I want.

I want wool yarn, the type you can felt. The type that can breathe. The type that keeps you warm.

Well, we don't have any of that, but we have plenty of the other types--flashy and fun.

To add insult to injury, the other yarn just mocks me. "HA HA you could be at home knitting right now."

"Ooo--look at me! Aren't I pretty? I'm not wool, but I'd make a cute scarf!" (Like I need another one of those!)

Even the Pound 'O Love mocks me "you can make a whole baby blanket out of one skein of me. Don't you wanna?"

Every time I ring up yarn I think, "Ahhh, yarn." And then I want to know what you're making, for who, and on what kind of needles, and, and, and.... But, I don't ask (usually). The customers in line behind might get a bit upset. :)

While at home, I've been working on the CIC heart vest. I have ripped it out and started again on larger needles. It makes the BIGGEST difference to my wrists and it goes much faster.

However, I'm thinking I have a problem. Can you tell?

I forgot the armholes. That's the problem with not figuring out the pattern fully before starting, plus my dislike of reading ahead.

I changed the pattern from flat knitting to knitting in the round. Apparently the pattern has dropped shoulders therefore no decreasing for armholes. I'm almost up to the neck. It's going in timeout while I decide whether to make an extra long sweater, or to go ripping again.

Today I received this package of homespun yarn by Marilyn. All WOOL!

Ahhh, yarn....

Abandoned

I've abandoned my idea of finishing things. Nice while it lasted, but too good to be true.

The soaker's not washed, the scarf is not blocked, the sock is still in time-out with no yarn to match.

And I've started new projects.

This may look like I'm just recycling an old picture, but trust me...this is new. I have yarn left from my scarf, so I decided to make a matching hat. This (I hope) will have the braid pattern going around my head with a flat top.

I'm worried that this might be Saxon Braid overkill, but does that stop me? No.

What about the fact that I rarely wear hats due to the hair-squashing factor? Does that stop me? No.

Does the fact that I'm bored with this pattern stop me?
You betcha.

So I cast on again, this time with a CIC vest. I'm using 2 strands of Arucania Nature wool in a dusty rose color. When done, it will have hearts going up the front with a hugs and kisses cables on each side. The pattern is adapted (read: winging it!) from this Arans and Celtics book.

The CIC challenge for Sept./Oct. is for sweaters and vests. I figure I can finish this by then. Abandoning projects doesn't happen as easily when I'm in a time crunch.

You bet I counted

I finally finished my Saxon Braid Scarf. My UFO basket is getting lighter and lighter.

Here's a picture right after the bind off.


Next was the fun part, where I got to unravel the last 5 stitches the whole way down.


Then came the directions that told me to tie a knot in each fringe loop at the scarf edge.

Wait....what? Each one? Can't I just skip that part? Will it loosen up and make my cables shift and grow?

Okay.....I guess I'd better.

Here it is, with all 169 knots tied.


You bet I counted.

Mosaic Soaker

While I figure out how to make my mosaic sock colors work, I decided to knit a soaker using the pattern from the Oct/Nov 6SoxKAL . That way I can see how the colors are supposed to work, while still making something cool! This is for a friend who's expecting (and hopefully won't read this before she gets it!)

It's knit from wonderful, handspun yarn by Marilyn--lanolin rich, and fun to knit.

A view of the back:

It looks a bit misshapen since it hasn't been washed yet. This is my first attempt at mosaic knitting, and it may be a new addiction. It works well on a soaker since there's no yarn carries on the wrong side for little toes to get caught.

Finishing projects

Here's my finished amble socks. They were finished on Sept. 29th, a whole day before the deadline. I've worn them a couple of times already, and they're fitting nicely.


The next pattern for the 6SoxKAL is the mosaic socks. I needed 2 high contrast yarns, so tried these 2, but they aren't working. The mosaic pattern gets lost when the red in the variegated mixes with the solid red. Gonna have to figure out something different.


Here's the finished CIC LaZ Diamond vest. It grew when washed, so not at all the size 2 that I started with, but it'll still keep some child warm.


Here's a pair of longies I also finished. My "to do" basket is not quite as full.

Nothing better than knitting on a rainy day!