Realistic + Unrealistic

I planned to do a quick and dirty blog post this past weekend. Then I got tired and decided taking a nap was a better option. I'm an introvert, I need to conserve my energy!

I'm still debating on if I want to blog here on the videocast site or on my previous dedicated rambling site, but since there will be a tie in to a near future videocast KAL- that's Knit-A-Long for you slowpokes out there - this post is appropriate.

I've been doing a lot of cleaning... (Go ahead and laugh. I am like a broken record with this.)

Anyway, I've been doing a lot of cleaning and this past weekend I decided to revisit my WIP basket (which I do about every quarter) as we are approaching the final months of 2014 and this is just the sort of self-reflective, evaluative thing I do quite often. 

I was taken aback at how little WIP's I have in my pile. What?! Did I burn them all in a fit of rage or did I lose them with all the back and forth to the San Francisco area this year?

I have less than 20 projects currently classified as WIP's. About 5 of those I am actively adding stitches to at any given time. I've pulled needles out of roughly... we'll say 4 projects and I'm reevaluating my pile again with a wool comb (see what I did there...) to make sure that nothing that I am really not in love with follows me into 2015. Where did 2014 go???

Below is my short list of items that I can realistically finish by the end of year and I am making a committment to try to do so. And then later will be another set of photos of WIP's that frankly... either the yarn is just too damn small, the pattern is too damn annoying, or the project is just... ugh, pissing me off! These go into hibernation pile, because I am too invested to frog. I still love them, but they will have to wait for me to be in a better mood. ;)

The Realistic Pile

 Panelled Effect Lady's Jumper by Jane Waller and Susan Crawford

This sweater right here...

This sweater was my second sweater attempt four years ago. The first attempt was out of Rowan Big Wool in a very deep, forest green colorway. I had just purchased a Debbie Bliss magazine from my local Barnes & Noble bookstore (are those still around?) and I was incredibly excited to get it going. The sweater was covered in seed stitch with a fat cable running down the center front. It's frogged now, but I do remember even only a few months into my knitting journey that that sweater was destined to be a HOT mess. 

I'm almost done with this seamed, vintage sweater. The yarn still looks good - it's DROPS Baby Ull DK - and is in a classic color I can live with - navy blue. The overall silhouette would be flattering on my body type - busty, high waist, and proportionate. The yarn is thin enough where I won't overheat while wearing it, and it is a short, half sleeve which I enjoy aesthetically. Also... now that I'm officially calling myself a sweater knitter (despite not having completed a sweater), there is no way that I can't finish this sweater once and for all before the year is out. I mean, four years is really just ridiculous. So that's what I'm committing to. After the current sweater is done, of course!

Henslowe by Beth Kling

It's knit out of Berocco Ultra Alpaca Light which, if you watch the videocast, you know doesn't play well with me despite me loving all the colors that it comes in. It's like a dead end relationship where you just can't find the nerve to break it off. This yarn is lovely and it's light in the hand hand, it has a faint halo, and it has a very affordable price tag. 

I'm already pretty invested in this shawl. At the time I started this project a couple of years ago, the garter felt like it was neverending and now that I look back at this project, there is no way I'm ripping all that pain and suffering back. I must press on! I probably had a lot going on at the time when I was knitting this or at least I had enough going on where it made garter stitch a feel like a burden rather than a soothing stitch pattern.

Long story short, this stays on the needles and I'm going to finish this up and give this to my mom for Christmas. Because I am such a nice daughter. ;)

The UNRealistic Pile [Which really means it's going into hibernation...]

Zig and Zag by foggyknits

This cowl has the potential for greatness. Just not any time soon in this household. It will be in hibernation until I am crazy enough to commit to this much color changing in one sitting. The reality with this cowl is... honestly it's producing a thick fabric which is to be expected. It's DK weight yarn. I'm just not sure how much wear I will get out of a tubular, stranded cowl. I'm in Southern California. I get hot knitting on this!

Daybreak by Stephen West

This yarn feels so small as I spend all my energy counting out stitches in between increases. Why am I paying for a pattern where I have to keep track of something as tedious as the spacing between increases? I'm sick of all the counting it's starting to make my brain (and my soul) hurt. To the hibernation pile it goes. Pretty colors though madelinetosh!

Next!

Child's First Sock in Shell Pattern by Nancy Bush

These socks... *sigh* 
As beautiful as they are, I just need to admit to myself that I am not a sock knitter. I'd like to be, but socks just don't excite me like I wish they did. It ebbs and flows with most of my feelings being more of a 'ooh, that is pretty' than a 'I definitely have to knit that.' And maybe it's more that I haven't found a technique that really speaks to me. I'm not willing to throw in the towel just yet with socks because I still haven't completed a pair down toe-up or two-at-a-time using both techniques (one circ, two circs), but oy vey!

The other aspect is that I just really don't think I'll get a great deal of usage out of handknit socks. With all these tiny stitches and the awkward dpn's, my time right now is better spent on cowls and shawls which I will actually wear. Hibernation pile, here they come, again.

For more info on all of these projects, take a peek at my Ravelry page!
At least one of these WIP's will make an appearance on a near future episode.