Grace is nearly done! The bottom edge is bound off with less than 2 yards leftover from ball #2. Next up is the button band with ball #3 and I'm going to feel totally spoiled without alternating skeins and knitting in all garter. I'm. So. Close.
And then, there were two...
The last few weeks have been C. R. A. Z. Y.! Between posting new classes at the shop and knitting like the wind on a couple deadline projects, things seem to have settled a bit. Yes, I am knocking on wood right now. I recently shared that I had counted my projects and I had an embarrassing 14 that were in tow on a daily basis and I got this down to a very respectable - in my opinion - 7 projects. Well, I'm happy to report that now I'm down to 2. I think this means that I get to cast on at least 2 more today. Or maybe 3? What do you think?
One FO is for a dear friend that's getting married. Here's a wee peek of her shawl:
I bound off the last stitch yesterday morning, gave it a good bath, and - with the assistance of blocking wires - blocked it like mad. End result... it's lovely! Simply lovely. The bride-to-be has only seen this small smidgen that I lightly blocked for her approval, so I'll share all the details once it's been revealed to the recipient for her wedding. It's just so pretty that I had to share.
Another friend of mine had a milestone birthday last week. She's a knitter and I was too short on time to knit her something worthy of her special day. So instead, I decided to spin this for her and it's pretty special:
It's ~118 yards of hand dyed (although, I didn't dye it) Blue Faced Leicester that varies from DK-Aran. I even decided to design a special label for this skein of handspun listing all of the details on the back. The label makes me smile and, I admit, I'm anxious to tag and note the details on the rest of my handspun - maybe I'll actually knit with it at some point if it's tagged and in my stash. Now that I have a label designed, you can never be sure of what will happen next...
Cheers!
A recount...
Last weekend it was obvious as I pulled project bag, after project bag, after project bag out of the, well... knitting bag(s), that I needed to be reigned in, because this is a lot of projects - even for me.
There were 14. Yes... F.O.U.R.T.E.E.N.
And, yes, I am ashamed. Kind of. When I'm not laughing. Mostly, I'm laughing.
So, with class prep and fall sample knitting staring me in the face, I took a deep breath - maybe more than just one and I may have grabbed a bevie - and sat down to make some tough decisions.
In my defense, there are a few reasons for this embarrassing - and hilarious - state:
- Everything (and I mean everything) goes in a project bag - real and 'fake' projects.
- Testing (aka 'fake' projects) - grabbing random leftover bits from shop samples to try a project or technique and these REALLY don't count because they aren't anything, but it's still a bag.
- Class projects - sometimes I might not always count these and sometimes it turns into not counting them at all. Note to self... this is probably not a good idea.
- Shop samples - see above bullet point on 'Class projects' and note to self.
- DOA Projects - these are the ones that never had a chance, but I stubbornly tried to stick with it. In reality, they just need to be frogged to purge the demons so the beautiful yarn can again be full of potential to be what it really wants to be.
- Long-term projects - Beekeeper's Quilt is the perfect example. That puppy is not happening overnight.
- FO's - seriously, I have more exciting things to do after I bind off and block than wind leftover yarn into a ball and put it into the stash.
So, after all was said and done, my 14 contained one or more of all of the above and I'm now down to 8 (or 7 if we are in agreement that the Beekeeper doesn't really count) and I feel this is respectable enough - we aren't going for perfection in a week.
Yes, I know, the leopard loveseat print is totally rad and makes me look even more like a crazy yarn shop lady (thanks Dynae)! Just imagine a Beekeeper's Quilt on it - whoa!
Anyway, here's the breakdown of what's left...
The 4 in the back contain: my Grace, a skein of Spud & Chloe Sweater in Chipmunk for a tall Canning Jar Sweater and Calorimetry, Beekeeper bits (as previously stated, this probably doesn't really count) and a tall Canning Jar Sweater for hubby because he kind of deserves it.
The 4 in the front contain projects for Firefly Fibers: a Little Dragon, a Clapo-Ktus (I can't pronounce it either, but it's lovely) and 2 secret class projects that are really close to the finish line!
I feel like I can cast on another project now.. well, maybe not quite yet.
Now that I've shared... What's in your project bags?