Persnickety

October 26, 2007

My UFOs

Sandy Wiseheart of Knitting Daily fame just had a discussion on her emails and via a poll on why a UFO becomes a UFO. Interesting topic, I thinks to myself, as most WIPs become UFOs for a variety of reasons. My current lack of progress on anything knitting related has more to do with moving than any particular knitting related reason, but I do have several things that are on the needles in a basket or box somewhere and were put there long before moving entered my mind.

Take exhibit a for example: Phildar Zip Cardigan. Absolutely adored this sweater when I started it. Plugged away at it for a long while. Something, or some things , came up in the meantime which I just HAD TO KNIT. Then this got put completely on the backburner and has not really come out since. I still love the cardigan and think it would be totally versatile. I just need to pump myself up enough to get the size 1’s a-clackin.

And then here we have exhibit b: gloves for my sister. I started work on these sometime last summer (that would be summer of ’06). I got an entire glove done but then pooped out on the second. So maybe this is a case of second glove syndrome. I really want these to get done for Christmas this year, but we’ll see how that goes. I make no promises any more.

On to exhibit c: Salina from Rowan Vintage Knits. I tried this one with some Debbie Bliss merino. And not until I was finished did I realize that even though I had the same dye lot, the sleeves were a different color than the rest of the body (!!!). I tried a bunch of things that I had looked up online to fix the problem and decided I might just need to dye it another color completely. That just ended in me being totally overwhelmed and no even sure where to begin, so it went to the closet! In the meantime, I might just move onto doing another rowan pattern, possibly Cherie I in the same magazine.

Finally, we come to the Knit Picks Telemark Ski Sweater, which I still adore. I tried to start it (the directions involve a lot of math to calculate your “perfect” size) but somehow ended up with a GIANT waist band. I think I need to recalculate and re-swatch all in the same day and do some more precise measurements. But not right now, hence the UFO. It was all very bizarre, to say the least.

So right now, I’m plugging away at my mom’s penguin sweater (photos to come when I find my camera in a box somewhere…). By the way, unpacking is going well, slowly but surely and our new house is amazing! I love it so much. God was faithful in a situation that I was just bummed about to provide a wonderful new home where my husband and I can entertain abundantly. Maybe I can put up some pictures, again, when I find my camera.

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January 20, 2007

The Up and Comers

With Project Spectrum II just around the corner, I couldn't help but find it an appropriate time to re-evaluate my knitting for the new year. Color seems like just as good as any other categorizer for my UFOs and yet to bes. Following is what I think the new year (and probably further than that) will hold.

February / March

Blue, White, Gray

There are a variety of projects that would fit here. The Telemark Ski Sweater from Knit Picks using their Telemark yarn would fit two (sort of three...gray is a variation on black, right?) of the colors for these two months. Plus, I've already started it, so that's even better. Raspy (in a denim yarn from Elann, would work here too, as would Carla (which I've almost finished! So fast!). I have some Katia silk that would be wonderful in Sea Breeze or Maggie:

I could also finish up some mittens that I've been working on for my sister, which are taking far too long. These are a combination of Fetching and Urban. Or the Morocco shawl below (crochet!!). In addition, I have some black and some white Rowan Kidsilk Haze that I just don't know what to do with. A vest perhaps? A scarf? Just can't decide. Will I even have time? Who knows...

There's always Salina to finish too. I'm so close, just have to buckle down and do it.

Morocco

April / May

Green, Yellow, Pink

I have some Knit Picks Shine in Pink to make Odessa. I just gotta get some beads, but I figure I have quite a bit of time before April/May. I am not really a green or yellow kind of gal but I do love pink. Sadly, I don't have a whole lot of pink yarn. I do have some sock yarn with tones of green and yellow though but with no sock patterns in mind for it. It will make some really beautiful socks though.

June / July

Red, Black, Metallics

The Phildar Zip Cardigan I've been working on forever sort of counts in this category. It is a maroonish color which I suppose is a type of red. I also have some Rowan Tweed that could work for Cherie or possibly even Magnolia. Then there's that black kidsilk haze I talked about above. I saw the cutest mohair vest on a girl when I was in London and though, huh, I could make that. So I just might. Then I have some cotton/agora that needs to be made into a classic piece. Maybe a nice turtle neck or a cute cardigan. Like this:

Hmmm.

August / September;

Brown, Orange, Purple

A phildar scoop neck pullover with a twisty, lacey pattern throughout that I just can't find a decent picture for! And alas and alak, I have no scanner to share the picture I have. But I do have some lovely deep brown alpaca to use for this. It will be just lovely. No orange. I dont do orange. Purple...I don't think I currently have any purple yarn but that is always a possiblity.

**ETA: I forgot that I do have some purple!! I bought some Elsabeth Lavold Silky Tweed to make Wendy's Not so Shrunken Cardigan. I totally forgot about that! I wanted it to be for summer to wear over dresses and skirts. It would be perfect for August & September!

There are also those things that I wish I could knit but don't currently have yarn for. Most of these are patterns from magazines like IK and VK. A girl can hope, right?

And the BIG dream: Venezia.

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August 28, 2006

Ah, mon coeur...I love fall!

And just to make me even more excited about fall being right around the corner, voila Phildar!

In other fun, try this (matching your face to a celebrity). Depending on the photo, I either look like an Asian movie star (not sure who she is) or David Schwimmer. Hm...

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August 03, 2006

Super Knit Girl!

The process versus product discussion is always out on the blogs. Now as much as I would like to say I'm a process knitter, I just want a finished sweater! I adore learning new techniques, a fair isle here, a new cable there, but what is all that knowledge if not put to good use? And quickly darn it! If I had a super power, it would be the ability to knit an entire sweater in a single sitting. I'd be QuiKnit Girl! or Super Knit Girl! or something like that (the exclamation point is of the utmost necessity). I could knit, seam, and block all within the confines of one dark and stormy afternoon. The finished product would be beautiful and fit like a glove is supposed to fit. The right size needle would always be in my basket and gauge would be spot on every time.

If only...

The advent of this dream world is the new Interweave that I received in the mail yesterday. So many beautiful things and never enough time to knit them!

Some of my favorites:

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May 08, 2006

Summer Patterns

I received my IK Summer issue in the mail this weekend and I must say that I was not overly thrilled with the patterns. Usually I am all over this magazine and want to knit at least 1/2 of the projects but not this time. Some of my favorites were:

Wedgewood is just so pretty. I love the idea of knitting a plain body with a jazzed up yoke, much like the Green Gables pattern that is so popular right now.

So, my to knit list is just getting longer and longer. I'm trying to finish up projects I currently have on the needles first and then start on some other things. We'll see how long my will power holds up.

Currently on the needles:

1. Salina by Rowan
2. Zipper Cardi by Phildar
3. Lucky Clover cardi from Stitch 'N Bitch Nation.
4. Sadly, I am sure there are others but cannot remember for the life of me what they are. It's been THAT long since I worked on them. Ouch.

Patterns I have yarn for and are just waiting in the wings:

1. Deep V Argyle Vest by Eunny Jang. **I've actually swatched for this, pictures to come soon**
2. Raspy in Rowan's Denim People
3. cutest ever baby dress that I will be knitting in a purply yarn from a book my mom bought me that I can't remmeber the name of...for my cousin's new baby.
4. Phildar scoop neck pullover that Becky just finished. In Debbie Bliss Cotton Angora that I bought onsale CHEAP from Herrschners. I actually spent a lot of time working on the translation on Friday and am excited to get the yarn to start swatching and see if my French isn't so rusty after all.

My main goal right now is to finish Salina. I am so close to being done and hope to have her seamed and done by next week. Just in time for summer (har har, oh well, it will be like I'm getting all these new clothes in the fall!).

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