Works in progress round-up

This weekend I pulled out all of my knitting and spinning projects to photograph for this post and you know? It wasn't as bad as I'd feared. The thing I'm most embarassed about is how long it's been since I've touched a couple of these. I'm considering them all active, in-progress projects though. Some of them are just more active than others.

Mucho photos to follow—my apologies to those with slow connections.

1. Most basic of all basic sweaters. I've joined for the yoke and just have to figure out the rate of decrease for the v-neck and knock out the yoke. The body and sleeves were really, really quick to knit. I think part of that was I planned out all of increases and decreases and numbers of rows needed in each section ahead of time. Then I drew a little picture with each inc or dec marked on it as well as how many rows until the next one so I could cross them out as I went. No trying to remember what I had done already, no stopping to measure; just knitting, basic counting and scribbling on scrap paper.   

2. This is so almost done that I almost held off on this post until I finished it. The knitting is done. I've done one row of single crochet around the neck, front edges and bottom. Then I got stalled because I'm at the point where I need to figure out buttonhole size and spacing. I knew that I had the perfect buttons somewhere: antique faceted black glass orbs on shanks. I just couldn't remember how many there were or where I had put them. I finally found them this weekend so this should be finished pretty soon. The sleeves are 3/4 length right now. I'll definitely have enough yarn left to lengthen them if I want, but I'm leaning toward leaving them like this.

3. Long cabled cardigan, pattern altered from one of those hardcover Classic Elite collections. The yarn is merino/cashmere from School Products. The front half in the foreground has been washed and the one closer to the window has not—definitely lost some stitch definition, but the increased softness more than makes up for it. That's the back resting on top there. I think the sleeves on the original are seed stitch, but I might just do reverse stockinette with matching deep ribbing at the wrists.

4. Handspun "leather and lace" scarf. That ball of leather will be the fringe. I was working on this fairly steadily and then completely screwed up the stitch count. It's an easy stitch pattern except that the rows are exactly the same. They only differ in whether you start out knitting two or three stitches because you launch into the lace part. I need to rip out a few inches, establish the pattern again and get going again. I should have enough yarn for a basic hat too.

5. Most basic of all basic scarves. Slightly thick and thin sportweight black cashmere, garter stitch. I pick this up here and there. I'll wear it a lot when it's done.

6. Kerry Blue shawl. Black fingering-weight shetland. I haven't worked on this in ages.

7. Practically a zygote, this sweater is. Handspun wool/silk. I bought the batts from Spinner's Hill many, many Cummingtons ago and spun the yarn up whenever that was. I knit almost an entire sweater out of it at one point, realized I was going to run out of yarn, ripped it all out and put it away. This is going to be a comfortable knockaround sweater exactly like this one, which I love but which goes with nothing that I own.

8. Red and white socks. I've come to realize that I hate knitting socks toe-up. I need to suck it up though because I'm sick of having both size 1 12" circulars out of commission.

9. I need to do another one of these.

Spinning project 1. Grafton Fibers merino. Sample skein in front. Last night, I started navajo-plying what's on the bobbin.

Spinning project 2: Wool/mohair, enough for a sweater. I'm leaning toward a long, cozy cardigan. I would love to have enough yarn to use it for this divine creature but I'm skeptical. And actually, something less fuzzy that would show off the graduated ribs would probably be a better idea. The skein in the foreground has been washed and abused a little to raise the halo. The ones behind it have not been washed yet.

And, of course, I have sample knitting to work on, but it's the kind of thing that needs time and concentration, which some of these do not. I've worked out a schedule for myself that allows time to do other stuff. I'm such a slut when it comes to knitting—there's no way I could get a big project done without working on something else on the side. Giving myself license to fool around with other projects ensures that I'll stay focused on the big one while I'm working on it.

I don't have a cooking with intention post from the weekend. I did make dinner with a friend Saturday night: roast chicken, brussels sprouts and roasted potatoes, but don't have any pictures. We went ice skating at the rink in Prospect Park after dinner: lots of fun.

Comments

[Gina]

Funny but it's not as frigthening as I feared it would be either. This is quite manageable for you. GET KNITTING, SISTER!

[Wanda]

Your UFO list isn't so bad. I love the projects that you have going. You should really finish the pullover that's so close to being finished. I was wondering what had happened with the shawl too.

[carolyn]

i am turning into the worst commenter as this is about the fifth time i've read this post but first comment. ugh. i suck.

i cannot wait to see #2, that one is so close to being done, it barely merits being in this list! and #3 is beautiful, the cables & the color are both so pretty!

i barely knit these days at all so although there are a few things swatches are made for, the actual project never made it onto the needles. hence it's not actually "in progress" so they've completely left my mind.

and #7 is that a purple-y tweed? lovely!