WIP Wednesday

Before I get to my knitting post, I want to thank you for your well wishes for PumpkinBoy. His surgery went great, the weather didn't hinder us too much at all, and he is back home resting and recovering. It truly does lighten the heart to read all your comments and know that people are thinking of us.

Having him home means I am home playing nurse all week, which means I actually have time to take daylight photos and write up a post for WIP Wednesday, as started by Anne at the beginning of the year. I've been wanting to follow along, and post my WIPs and make goals, but I just can't get my shit together mid week to do so.

Mad Weave: ready to graft toe on sock #1. I have no real goal for these, as they are just my "must have socks on the needles all the time" socks. They'll get done when they get done. Still adore the yarn and the pattern.


Baby Surprise Jacket: in Cotton Ease, for Miss Dizzle's daycare provider who is expecting manchild #3 at the beginning of February. Goal is to be able to gift it to her just before baby is scheduled to be born on the 5th.


Morning Glory Wrap: Completed one full 24row repeat since I "rededicated" myself to it on the new year. That means 2.66 repeats to go till I can graft the 2 halves together and block it. Its a mere 64 rows of knitting, but this pattern really saps my brain. I can make it through about 4 rows before my brain just fritzes out on it. Goal is one more full repeat in 2 weeks time.


Celtic Dreams: another project that I'm hoping to have done before it hits the 12 month mark. I'm about 2 rows away from where the body pattern gets interrupted for the skirt patterning - so close to having the body done. Goal is to have body done by February 1st. That gives me all of Feb and March to do sleeves.


So, thats where I stand. I think the goals are reasonable, though we'll see if I'm over-reaching in due time!

A Small Request

My little man goes under the knife tomorrow for a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (or a "T and A" as those in the biz like to call it, wink wink) to correct pretty severe obstructive sleep apnea. Its all very routine, and I know his health will be improved, yada yada, but it still makes me nervous. The weather is conspiring to make tomorrow that much more stressful (10-14inches and a 20 mile ride to and from Boston), so good vibes and thoughts for uneventful surgery and travel would be appreciated!

Hat Chocolate

Back in November I made my sister in law a scrumptious brown cabley hat. I vowed then to make myself an identical one. After holiday knits and side tracks with mittens, I finally completed it. I present Hat Chocolate #2, which will actually end up being sent to said sister in law, in exchange for the original hat, because it seems she's got a much bigger brain than me. The original fits me perfectly, and so hat the second got one extra repeat of length so as to accommodate her braininess.


Project Specs:
Pattern: 3 A.M. Cable Hat by SmarieK
Needles: #7 DPNs
Yarn: Classic Elite Waterlily, color 1978.
Notes: same as before - great pattern, fabulous yummy yarn. Just added some length by increasing initial ribbing about an inch and adding one more 8 row cable repeat before decreases.

Room for Growth

Below is my first skein of handpun from my Rose. This is the kind of yarn I've been trying to spin for the past two years - namely a true sock weight, tightly spun, and I did it with ease on this wheel. I am beside myself with happiness. This wheel is fast and smooth and has the ratios I need to get enough twist without feeling like I'm running a marathon. The fiber is Spunky Eclectic superwash "Storm Clouds" picked up at SPA last year, 4oz/400yds/2ply.




I expected the new wheel to help me improve, but I wasn't allowing myself to think a simple change in equipment would make such a marked difference. You know, like when you see a gorgeous photograph and think, "Well if I had a snazzy camera I could do that." Equipment helps, but a fine camera doesn't a great photographer make. The same holds true with the wheel, and its interesting for me to see that I had indeed outgrown my old equipment, and I am simply delighted to have so much growing room ahead. This yarn is far from perfect, but its the best I've ever done towards well done sock yarn and its all I can do to wind it up and cast on right now - must focus on my goals from last post.

That said, apart from completing my big knitting projects before they turn the one year mark, I do hope to be able to do more regular spinning. Apart from those wonderful 3 months of maternity leave I had at the beginning of 2007, I really only spun once a month at my local spin group. So I've joined National Spin More Month. I like this group because you get to set your own goals.

In my head I was thinking I would commit to spinning every day of January, but looking at the month ahead I know that is an impossible goal to reach. So my target is spinning 2 times per week. I've designated Thursday as a regular spin day for me (a work day, but I get to stay home Fridays, so I can stay up late spinning if I choose) and I will squeeze at least one more day in a week as time permits. Hooray!

Day Late

I'd been feeling a little non productive for the year, after seeing all these knitting roundups and resolution check-ups being posted. Then I went through my archives and did a tally, and I'm actually pretty impressed with what I completed in 2007:

1 pair of mittens
4 hats
1 baby sweater
4 pairs of socks
2 adult sweaters
1 shawl

and (best I can count) at least 2355 yards of new yarn created.

I think I was feeling a little slow due to the fact that my 2 big complex projects that I started in `07 are still on the needles - Celtic Dreams and Morning Glory. I'm not big on resolutions, but I really want to commit to finishing both of these before they hit the 1-year-on-the-needles mark. That means I hereby resolve to do my best to complete Celtic Dreams by March and Morning Glory by April. I think I can do it, if I stop distracting myself with lots of little instant gratification projects.

Just to avoid being picture-less, and because I'm a little wintered out already (that does not bode well!) A sunshiney photo for the day: