I thought it was maybe a week since I last posted. Turns out it’s nearly a fortnight. Goodness, how time flies… Steve was away for some of that time, which usually means I have less time to focus on online stuff. At least, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!
This afternoon I had a moment of startitis but resisted it by examining my UFO pile, some of which has probably celebrated more than one birthday. Excuse me while I check…
Yep, two of these are over 2 years old. Oh dear.
So: This is what is currently glowering at me from the corner of the living room. Except usually it’s not spread out so tastefully.
In order of seniority…
The pink tank. I got this yarn intending to make a vintage pattern, but then I either didn’t have enough yarn, or it was the wrong gauge, so it was sidetracked into its current incarnation. The yarn is a lovely baby pink, and is really soft. It was an eBay purchase and I have no idea what brand it is. It’s quite small gauge, so doesn’t grow very fast. This is being knit in the round in a nice stretchy irregular rib. My plan is to do an instance or two of cables to draw it in under the bust, then increase for ease over my shelf and decrease with cables in some form. The needles you can see there are from the swatch I did to test how the cables would look. I now can’t remember what I did on that swatch. But it looks lovely… However, I’ve got to the point of cabling and have suffered a major crisis of confidence. I’m good with the cables, I’ll figure out what exactly I was planning, it’s just the combination of increases and arm holes that follow thereafter. Plus, I’m concerned that ribbed increases will make my rack look like droopy melons. We aren’t too far away from a point where I could redirect the finished item towards Lily, in which case as things currently stand, I’m catering for the flat chested and might get it finished, like, ever.
One of these days I’ll learn my lesson and stop trying to design full size garments a) on the fly and, frankly, b) at all.
Don’t watch this space, though, this project seriously has the capacity to out-live us all.
The blue summer top has *only* been on the hook since August 2011. I bought the pattern in Kenilworth when on a knitting weekend with Lorna. I was blown away by the fact that it was crochet and yet didn’t look like it had stepped straight out of the 70’s. I chose the same blue as on the pattern, which I love, and have been labouring on and off ever since. Well, mostly off. The border around the bottom is worked first, most of which was done on my train commute, and then the body is worked up at 90 degrees from the border. The last time I had a proper crack at this was in Portugal at Easter. And I fear that may be Easter 2012.
The back is done and I’m working my way up the front. This could be ready for my summer holiday 2015. Fingers crossed!
This one I have an ambition to get done this week. It’s a cardigan for Lily, inspired by the film “Rise of the Guardians”. It’s a russet-red cardi, based on the pattern “That Weasley Girl” which is more of a recipe than a full-on pattern (I like that about it – this is the second one I’ve made) . It has black collar and cuffs, and will have embroidery on the reverse stocking stitch squares and toggle closures. All it needs is the embroidery and the closures. Oh, and it has a black eyelash-yarn detachable collar which needs buttons so that it can be un-detached. Simples, eh.
I’ve actually worked on this (herringbone stitch cowl) today, and it’s only been in progress for a couple of months so I’m not sure this counts as a UFO. Except it’s not finished, so yeah, it does. It’s now on its new needle, the one that isn’t going to snap any second now, and bar a slight blip when I was distracted by (David Tennant as) Dr Who, it’s going well. This may be my car knitting this week. When I’m a passenger, that is.
This is my current Big WIP. I’ve done the 12″ of rib (which should really be 12.5″, however…) and am now onto lacy pattern. The pattern says do 3×12 rows before starting on the sleeves, but I’m going to do 4×12. Why? because I want a slightly longer body than Twist patterns usually have, plus I’d like the lace to go a bit lower. Sorry if it feels like I keep showing off, but the large, low rack could use a bit of extra room and I don’t like the idea of the rib turning off at nipple height. It just doesn’t feel attractive.
This last one I started about a week ago, intending to make a face cloth for someone. I may instead wrip it out and add it to the stash. No-one in my world wants a hand made face cloth more than I want to make progress on other stuff.
Besides which, I feel a strong need to cast on a turquoise balaclava for Joel and a pair of wraptor socks for …whoever. Oh, and some Weeping Angel socks for someone else. And a ball of pink sock yarn that’s glaring at me from the bureau in the sitting room. And the delph blue sock yarn that wants to be a pair of socks for my aunt.
Yep, the face cloth dies. Onwards & upwards!