A Twist on our usual Knit Night

Last week (I'm a little late getting these pictures up), we decided we would meet a little early for knitting and spend some time spinning first. I was the only one who showed up with a wheel. Not that it bothered me. I just explained to all the curious people at Starbucks that I was trying to keep up with the demand of the knitters, who were using up their yarn stash meeting there each week!

MPKC 8/20

 

Recently I've been visited by the green-eyed monster. Because I belong to so many knitting groups, there is always someone who has just visited one of our LYS (local yarn shops) or has purchased yarn online. Every week I sit through the inevitable show and tell, admiring and fondling the additions to someone else's stash. I try to be good and remember that my stash, both yarn and fiber, has probably reached SABLE proportions. (SABLE is stash acquisition beyond life expectancy.) But now some of the girls are in yarn of the month clubs, receiving wonderful surprises of yarn and/or patterns each month in the mail, and it was more fiber-fun than my jealous nature could stand.

So I decided to create my own Personal Yarn Club, using patterns from my "I Want to Knit This Someday" queue and matching each with yarn from my stash. Each pattern and yarn was put into a ziplock bag with a tag letting me know the categories (sock, sweater, shawl, lace, easy-to-knit, gift, quick, long-term committment) and tools (needle size, stitch markers, etc) for that pattern. I ended up with over 60 projects ready to go. If I think of this as a monthly club, I have a 5 year subscription! 

Now that's a stash worth envying!

Nupps and Beads, but not much else

I am totally obsessed with the Aeolian Shawl, and that seems to be the only progress I've made this week. Officially I'm working on the sleeves of the baby sweater, since my knitting student has started her sleeves. But all I did was put the stitches onto the needles in preparation to knit, and then I set the sweater aside while I did a few more rows of the shawl chart. And I did plan to knit a few more hearts for Yarnified Love Bomb day (today!), just as soon as I did a couple more rows of the shawl chart. I brought my Super-Secret-It's-A-Gift project to start at knitting group, but the shawl chart kept calling my name and I couldn't concentrate to count the cast-on. (Okay -- I probably went too far on that last one. I mean, seriously, claiming I couldn't count the cast on yet I can add beads and bubbles while chatting?) 

At least the shawl is making progress. I did have to buy a third tube of beads, which is absolutely ridiculous. Counting repeated charts, I'm on chart #18 with only 3 left to go!  Depending on the nupps, I may even finish the shawl this week.

It could be worse.

For $400 I got an afternoon of knitting by myself, a cup of bad coffee, and the check engine light to turn off.

Wednesday's WIPs and FOs

My big accomplishment this week was finishing the Crochet Alone. All I had left to do was the border, but I thought I would never make it to the end of those ten rows! But now that it is all done, I really love it. When I started this project, I had said that I would probably give it away. After all, I only agreed to crochet the throw because the others in my Wednesday fiber group talked me into doing this Crochet Along. (Then they all dropped out before it started, without telling me, making it into my Crochet Alone.) But it's so pretty, and goes so well on my dark brown couch that I think I'm going to be selfish and keep it.

The yarn was Loops & Threads Impeccable from Michael's, in the Aqua. The pattern is Red Heart's Checkerboard Textures Throw.

I haven't made any real progress on the other active projects. We didn't do a knitting lesson this week, so the baby sweater is still waiting for the sleeves, and the ball still only has the one completed strip. I did do several more pattern repeats on the preemie blanket, although it's difficult to see any progress on a blanket. I just have five more pattern repeats (20 rows) and the garter stitch border (another 8 rows) and it can be bound off and given away.

I just couldn't get interested in any of these projects. After doing the crocheted throw in the worsted-weight acrylic, I wanted something fun to knit. Something pretty and challenging.

 

So I pulled out my Aeolian Shawl. I had started this back in 2010 (!) at my daughter's request that we do this pattern together. She, of course, never cast on her project. And I ended up getting distracted and putting it aside. Although I'm not sure why I would have abandoned this -- it's gorgeous. And despite using a bead every 10 stitches stitches in the pattern, it's an easy knit so far. I was actually able to take it to my knitting group and work on it while socializing. (I felt like such a hard core knitter that night!) The yarn is Knit Pick's Gloss Lace in Stirling, and the pattern is from Knitty.com.

I have two more repeats of the current chart, with all the beautiful beaded leaves, then there are still five more charts to navigate. So maybe I shouldn't get too confident. But is is an enjoyable contrast to the Crochet Alone!

Saturday Snapshop

 

This is a quick knitted project I had finished in early July. I was able to give these to a friend for her new granddaughter just about a week before the baby was born. The pattern, which is well-written and easy to do, is Bows Before Bros by Carrie Briggs. This pattern is going on my list of great baby gifts to make.

Still too many PhDs!

Naturally I would jump right back into this on WIPs and FOs Wednesday. There's no way I'm going to try to fill in everything that I've done since my last knitting post. The only knitting that matters is the project in my bag right now. So here's what I'm carrying around today:

Preemie Baby Blanket - I don't have a written pattern for this. I'm using an ordinary acrylic baby yarn in a basket weave stitch until it's big enough. And big enough isn't very big, although the project is starting to feel like it is "lasting forever."

One of the girls in my Saturday knitting group is a neonatal nurse, and part of her job is to facilitate a a final visit by the parents with their baby when a preemie hasn't survived. She's talked about how difficult it is to find a blanket to wrap a preemie that doesn't overwhelm the baby. As she put it, image a one pound bag of sugar wrapped in a regular baby blanket. A hand knit blanket actually sized for the tiny preemies help to "normalize" the visit (if normal can in any way be used in this situation). Plus, if she has a few of the tiny blankets she can offer the parents the opportunity to keep the one their baby was wrapped in. Another knitting friend recently had preemie twins, and she kept the blanket her child was wrapped in. While one of the girls survived, the blanket is special to her for the memory of holding the daughter they lost.

I cry every time I think about this. There are so many tears knit into the blanket I'm working on. And even though I'm finding it tedious to knit a blanket (even a small one), I know that there will be others to follow.

This baby sweater is much more fun to knit. It's the Seamless Yoked Baby Sweater pattern by Carole Barenys. I had been knitting by myself in Starbucks when I was approached by a woman wanting to know if I knew anyone who teaches knitting. We struck up an arrangement, and I've been helping her knit this pattern for her new granddaughter. I try to stay one lesson ahead so that I can show her what she needs to do and how it will look. (I'm hoping she doesn't catch onto the mistakes I made in my button band, after all the emphasis I put on making sure she got it right.)

I guess I'm doing all right with the teaching, because she asked me to work with her 5 year old grandson. He's such a joy! I actually feel guilty getting paid to teach this boy how to knit because I have as much, if not more fun, than either of them. Our first project is a knitted ball. He's making one of the the six garter stitch panels for the ball. I'll make three, and his grandmother has offered to make the last 2. We knit at Starbucks (of course!), and there are quite a number of baristas and regulars there that are anxious to see this project finished. Yes, it's really going to be a ball when he's done knitting.

I'm almost finished with the Crochet Alone. If you follow me on Instagram  you can catch all the whining I've done about this project. Basically, even though it's almost finished, I am still not happy with the group that convinced me to start a project I didn't want to do so that we could have a CAL (Crochet Along) and then left me as the only one actually doing it. And I know that I could have given up once I found out they all had, but I got stubborn enough to eat worms. I've complained every stitch along the way, though. I will admit, if you promise not tell the Wednesday girls, that now that the squares are seamed and the border is almost finished -- it a really nice project.

And those are my four "Carry With Me" projects at the moment. Recently my knitting gals convinced me that three projects was more than enough to tote around. The discussion had been prompted by my question of how they managed to come to knit night with only one project, when I had six projects plus another three in the car "just in case." As you can see, I'm still above my "reasonable" number, but I'm going to claim that it's because two of those projects are teaching examples and should be counted as one.

 

This week I also crossed three projects off my PhD list. I was able to add the last three rows to my front door mat, crocheted out of plarn (plastic yarn - made from recycling grocery bags).

 

I finally blocked the pinwheel purse I knit back in 2012. It took me a whole four minutes to pin it out, so why did I wait so long?

I also blocked one of the shawls while I was at it. This is Pettine, knitted back in 2011 out of Malibrigo sock. I loved this shawlette before, when it was more of a scarf. But blocked out -- wow!

What's in your bag?

October to April was a really long time to go without posting anything on this blog. In that time period I did not go without knitting. Just in case you were worried. I'm not going to bore you with the list of all the projects I've done in the past six months. Just in case you were now worried.

 

My goal in the past few months has been to try and reduce the number of projects I have on the needles. (So yes, you haven't missed anything in all that time I've been away.) I actually have made a little bit of progress. I'm down to 21 projects from the 48 of a year ago. Yeah for me!

 

Maybe I shouldn't be so quick to cheer. The picture above are the projects in my pocketbook right this very minute. This is my everyday, carry them me, knitting (and weaving and crochet). If it were a knit night instead of a bell practice, I'd have at least two more.

 

Sigh. I guess some things never change.

 

 

Wednesday is WIP day

I am extremely happy to be able to say that I have finished knitting my Priscilla shrug. I still need to sew the arms and weave in the ends, but that can be done very quickly. I really love this project. The Malibrigo yarn is so soft and cuddly. I used a little over 3 skeins, and because Malibrigo is a single ply, pure wool yarn I added each skein by doing a spit join. Literally, you spit on each end so that you can join them together by hand felting them together. It's disgusting, but very effective. The best part is that it leaves no ends that have to be woven in.

I made a tiny bit of progress on the socks. I don't even know what I'm calling this project anymore, I've frogged and restarted so many times. And I think there's probably one more frogging in its future. I like the yarn; it's very comfortable to knit. I love the colorway, although it is just a bit too variegated to work with (or apparently, without) a complex stitch pattern. All in all, I feel like I should be a lot happier knitting socks and this pair just isn't doing it for me.

 

I did end up casting on a different pair of socks. NOT because I'm unhappy with the pair I've been working on. I am totally determined to get that pair finished one way or another. But I had jury duty Tuesday, and I wanted to bring a fun knitting project with me. So I grabbed a pretty skein of sock yarn and I cast on a Monkey sock at the courthouse. This yarn, Alpaca Sox from Classic Elite Yarns, is another very variegated colorway. (They call it #1850, just in case you were wondering. I wish yarn companies were required to use fun names -- numbered colorways are so very undescriptive.) I've made several pairs using Cookie A's Monkey pattern, so I practically have it memorized. And since it works up equally great with wild colors as it does in a solid color, it seemed like a good choice for courthouse socks. I'm doing this pair a little differently, at least for me. I have two sets of my size 2 dpns tied up with the first pair of socks (let's refer to them as the Froggy Socks, just to make things easier). Which left me with only free 1 set the size 2 dpns (that I could easily find, anyway). Normally I cast on the first sock and knit the cuff, then cast on the 2nd sock and knit the cuff and the leg, go back to the first sock and knit the leg and the heel flap, so back to the 2nd sock and knit the heel flap, and so on. By doing each portion of my socks alternately, it means that I only have a toe left to knit after I kitchner off the toe of the first sock. Because I only have the 1 set of dpns, this pair is going to have be knit one complete sock at a time. Unless, of course, I break down and buy another set of dpns. Which I'll probably end up doing. Sigh. This is why my needle stash is almost as large as my yarn stash.

This is how I've spent my time

 

Since it's been so long (almost a month!) since I've posted, there's a lot of knitting to update. Despite the continual knitting and appearance of progress, I don't have any FOs (finished objects) to report.  The Sweet Tomato Socks were frogged once again. I made it as far as actually knitting the heel. Then I had mom try the socks on. I hated the way it looked. The instep was baggy. So being me, I frogged both socks.

 

Frogging the socks worked out okay, because it gave me something to do when I got stuck in a horrible traffic jam on I-95 one morning. I just cast the socks back on, and ended up knitting half a leg of the first sock.

Then, of course, I got distracted by a new knitting project.

 

I made a little bit of progress on the bibs. I actually finished the ones I promised my volunteer...almost. Her bibs just need the buttons and patches. 

 

My big distraction has been a Priscilla shrug. My mom's knit a couple of these. She knit one for herself. Then a couple of ladies at church liked it, so she knit the shrug for them. Since then, I've been telling mom how much I liked it and would love to have one for work. Mom finally listened, and took the hint. She made me a copy of the pattern. (Just wait until there's a pair of socks she wants; I'm handing her a set of dpns and a skein of sock yarn!) I had Malibrigo -- yum, Malibrigo! -- from an old project I frogged recently and the shrug is knitting up so soft and squishy. All my love and attention is going into this shrug for me.

I need to get it finished quickly, because other projects are already calling out to me...

Socks and Shuttles!

I've made a tiny bit of progress this week on the Simple Skype socks. Both heels are done, and I'm working on the foot. I switched to magic loop, and it did make working on the heels easier. I switched because I kept dropping my dpn; my hands just weren't doing well this week and it was getting annoying crawling around on the ground looking for a tiny bamboo knitting needle when I was out in public. Although I'm getting used to sliding the stitches around the circular needle cable, I think I still prefer my dpns.

This was my big distraction this week. I saw a beautiful tatted bracelet on instagram, and decided to try making one (or three) for myself. Unfortunately, I found out the hard way that simply liking an instagram picture does not allow you to go back and find it again. Next time I'll actually follow the photographer. On fortune's side, I did recognize the bracelet as looking like the center of bracelet pattern by Jane Eborall. So I've adapted Jane's pattern to make my bracelet.

(There was a tatted necklace on instagram that I liked, and I'm hoping I can either find it again or remember the design, because that was going to be my next project. I really wish apps came with instruction manuals!)

I still haven't found my tatting bag with all of my shuttles, so I had to buy some this weekend. The bracelet is split rings that are woven as you tat. The split ring gave me some problems initially. It's really awkward, especially with three dangling shuttles (you use the fourth to tat the ring). After about half a dozen rings, muscle memory kicked in and I could move along much quicker.

  

I actually finished the first bracelet. In the picture, it's the one on the right. (The one on the left is also tatted.) I love the clasp. It's a magnetic closure, so the bracelet is easy to get on and off. And if you look at it up close (sorry, I couldn't get a proper photo), there are etched butterflies. I've already started a second bracelet, this time in teal and white, for my mom.

Knitters are the best!

 

Recently someone close to me was diagnosed with cancer. I don't have permission (yet) to share her story, so that's all I am going to say about her. What has been remarkable about this situation is the way the fiber community has reached out to help. From the very first doctor's appointment, the knitters have offered their knowledge, assistance, and shoulders to lean on.

A knitting group is so much more than the media's stereotype of a bunch of old ladies sitting and knitting. First of all, we're not old ladies. Well, a few of us might be able to sneak into that description. But our knitting group ranges in age from 20-something to 60-somethingish. We are guys as well as gals. We have children and grandchildren and grown children and no children. We have husbands and wives, ex's, and significant others. We might be stay-at-home moms, students, teachers, professionals, construction workers, sales clerks or retirees. We don't even all knit -- some of us prefer to crochet, or spin, or weave. Really, the only thing we have in common, at first glance, is that we all have a love of fiber.

But over the years we've learn to look deeper, and to see the people we really are. We've developed friendships as we've shared our experiences knitting together every week.  I'm very glad and thankful to have such wonderful friends, and very proud to be part of such a wonderful community.

Wednesday's WIPs and FOs

I finished the Minced Pie Mayhem socks for my daughter. This is from an Alice Yu pattern, and I really enjoyed working on these. They took me longer than I expected because practically every other stitch on every other row is cabled, and because I kept getting distracted by other projects. Alice Yu has some really great, innovative sock patterns. I think I'm putting her up there with my favorite designers Cookie A and Cat Bordhi.

The construction of these socks was a bit different. The gusset and heel flap were knit along with the top of the sock. Traditionally you put the top on hold while going back on the flap, turn the heel, then pick up stitches for the gusset. If you look close in the picture (sorry, I didn't think to take a close up), you can see the gusset triangle goes up the ankle onto the leg instead of running along the foot. I'm anxious to see how well this construction fits my daughter.

 

I've gotten down to the heel on the second pair of socks in my bag. I'm adapting the Simple Skype pattern (originally by Adrienne Ku) in order to try Cat Bordhi's Sweet Tomato heel. The Sweet Tomato heel is a short row heel (no heel flap or gusset), but done in gradual wedges. It seems to be a heel that you either totally love, or totally hate. I've got two wedges on the heel done and the sock seems to fit. I don't think I'm going to do the recommended third wedge. I did cast on a lot of stitches for this sock (72 instead of my usual 60ish) in order to get the skype pattern to work out. Even though the yarn (Premier Yarns Serenity Sock) is on the thin side and I'm using size 1 needles, the socks are going to be a little large. I think this pair is going to go to my mom when I'm done with them.

I've been looking through my cabinets at the UFOs (unfinished objects), trying to decide what to work on next. I need to grab one of those old projects to finish up before I get the urge to dig through my yarn stash to start a new project. I'm making a list of PhDs (projects half done), IQs (Immediate Queue, or projects that I haven't started yet but that I have the yarn and/or a deadline), and Q'nA (Queued in Anticipation - projects that have caught my attention and that I would like to do). You can find this list on the Fiber Ewe page at the top right of the blog. And yes, the French Press Slippers are STILL on the PhD listing. Sigh.

Socks!

 

I have two pairs of socks on the needles right now, and I'm loving it. I'm almost finished the Mince Pie Meyhem Socks, which is that wonderfully complicated-looking easy-to-do cabled pattern from Alice Yu. Just about every other stitch on every other row is cabled. I can handle doing it while chatting at knit night, but I can't read when I'm alone. Which is why I cast on the Simple Skype socks. Because I needed a super easy, don't have to look at them while I'm knitting, project. Plus I've become obsessed with the idea of using Cookie A's sweet tomato heel method and this new pair give me an excuse to try it out.

I really enjoyed knitting the sweater for my daughter, and I love the sweater I made myself. But sock knitting is my true love. I'm so glad to have these tiny dpns back in my hands where they belong.

Wednesday's WIPs are FO's

 

I finished the Summer Tea Shirt, and was even able to wear it to knit night. I'm the second one finished in our KAL, which is nice for a change. I usually get distracted by some new "oh, look, shiny!" project and my Knit A-Longs become Follow Behind Eventually.  I thought for sure that Paula would finish her sweater before me, but apparently she's the one that's been distracted by a new project. 

The sweater turned out even better than I had hoped. I did the waist shaping, and I was afraid that it would be too tight and cling in all the wrong places. Instead, I think the little bit of shaping makes it look much better on me. I would definitely knit this pattern again, even if it was one of the worst patterns I've ever had to follow.

 

I also finished the Baby Boy Bib, and I love the way it turned out. I sewed one side of the "collar" down, and put a snap on the other side instead using buttons that the pattern calls for. The pattern also used a button to add the tie, but I just seamed it into the top of the bib to keep things simple for the mom.

Funny story -- I posted this picture on facebook because I thought it turned out so cute, and I added a line about "Now I just need a baby boy to give it to..." I was just trying to be clever, so I guess the responses were my own fault. A couple of people gave me very serious suggestions on who to give the bib to. I wouldn't have minded if it had been a response of "that's so cute, I want it for my baby!" type of thing. But the comments were very seriously suggesting that maybe so-and-so might like it. For the record, I almost always have someone in mind when I knit something. If you compliment me enough, I may deem you Knit-Worthy and make one for you. However, suggesting that so-and-so might like it will not earn them - or you! - a designation of Knit-Worthy. Sorry.

I still have to finish the Hecate Shawl and the Minced Socks, but I think I'd rather glow in the reflected glory of the projects I actually finished a bit longer.

Wednesday's WIPs

 

I am almost finished with the Hecate shawl that I've been working on in the Fall Behind. I have a couple of contrast rows to do (you can see that I've started them), and then the picot bind off. Of course, I'll also have to block the shawl, but I have plans on how to get that accomplished. I will admit that the original plan was to beg one of my knitting friends to do it for me (well, she did say that she likes to block projects!), but I think I will be able to use an empty classroom in the church to lay it out. I'm getting excited to have this project finished. I really love working with my handspun, and I'm looking forward to wearing the shawl to show it off.

I wasn't going to cast on the next project until the shawl was finished, but I changed my mind. The Summer Tea Shirt KAL started in my Wednesday night group, and I didn't want this KAL (Knit A-Long) to turn into another Fall Behind for me. Unfortunately, it looks like it's going to be a Fall-Behind even though I cast on with the group, just because I'm having some problems.

My first attempt of casting on was using a pair of size 6-29" circulars. The circulars were just too long, and it was stretching out the cast-on stitches, making it very uncomfortable to knit. So I frogged it and tried again.

For my second attempt I used size 6 dpns. I prefer dpns, so this was good - except that I was getting some horrible ladders where the needles met each other. So I frogged again.

My third attempt was on again on the size 6 dpns, but this time I arranged the stitches differently. I had each section of the sweater (left back, sleeve, front, sleeve, right back) on a different needle. This helped me prevent the dreaded ladders, but it meant that each dpn started and ended with a yarn over. Yarn overs at the end of needles is not fun knitting, in my book. So I frogged.

My fourth attempt was back on circular needles. I went out and bought size 6 circulars, in a 16" length. This worked like a dream - and was actually what the designer recommends in her pattern. Go figure! I was able to make quite a bit of progress. Enough progress to realize that I didn't like the way the material was draping. It was just too loose, even though I had perfect gauge for the pattern, and I wasn't happy. So after a bit of debating, I frogged again!

The bottom sweater is on the size 6 needles, with perfect gauge.
The top sweater is using a smaller needle (size 5). I don't have gauge, but I'm much happier!

 I cast on a fifth time, using a size 5 circular. Now, I wish I could say that I had learned something from all of my earlier attempts. Unfortunately, I decided that since I didn't have a shorter size 5 circular, the 29" would work this time. It didn't. I frogged.

At least I skipped trying to do it on the dpns, instead opting to go ahead and buy yet another knitting needle. And the sixth time is a charm, because the sweater is coming out beautiful! Another two or three rows, and I can separate for the sleeves. 

 I really want to try it on, so I've ordered some Try-It On Tubing from Machine Knitting to Dye For. This is a narrow tube that is designed to easily slip through your stitches so that you can try on a project. Since the tubing is 2 yards long (it also comes in a shorter 1 yard amount), you don't have to worry about dropping any stitches off your circular needle. I hope it comes soon so that I can see how this sweater is going to fit! (Wouldn't it be horrible to have to frog it a 6th time because I made the wrong size?)

 I did start one more project. I picked up a couple of new tatting shuttles (I still can't find my tatting box anywhere!), and I'm working on a bookmark as a thank you gift for one of my church ladies.

Off the needles, on the needles

The Rockfall Sweater is finished! I can't believe that I was able to knit this up in just under 6 weeks. Knitting with "thick wool" (aka worsted weight) and "giant needles" (anything over a size 3) makes the project seem to go so quickly. That, plus the fact that this was a really fun knit to do at knit nights.

In this picture, my friend Sharon is modelling even though the sweater is a little too big for her. (She's even tinier than you are, Sweetie!) Everyone has agreed that it turned out beautiful. The way the lace portion angles gives the otherwise plain sweater a fantastic look.

If I had more self-control, I would try to finish some of the many UFO's (UnFinished Objects) already on the needles. However, the Wednesday night group has just started a KAL for the Summer Tea Sweater, by Vera Sanon. I've cast on in Sensations Cuddle yarn, in Turquoise. The yarn label claims to be perfect for baby and kids; I'm putting myself in the kids category because I think it will be perfect for a sweater I intend on wearing often. (It's acrylic, which means easy care on laundry day.)

I have also made a little progress on the Hecate Fall Behind. I'm on the last chart. This chart is a little easier to memorize each line, so I think I'm going to be able to work on it while talking with other fiberistas with a minimum of tinking (knitting backwards to fix mistakes). The more I get done, the better I like this shawl. Once it's blocked, it going to be beautiful. I've already talked with a friend about the possibility of having her block it for me, so the blocking might actually get done!

It fits!

The Rockfall sweater I'm working on for my daughter isn't really my first sweater. Although I try to forget it, back in 2010 I knit the Riva sweater. Although I did swatch, the sweater came out way too small for me. It seems that you have to measure yourself as well as the swatch in order to figure out what size to knit. 

Anyway, last week I pulled the Riva out of storage and decided to try it on before finally giving it away. I was so happy to learn that it finally fits me! Knitting is so much more fun when you can wear the items you make!

(And sticking to the gluten-free/casein-free/no meat diet is so totally worth all the inconvenience.)

"Everything is Almost Done," or "Nothing is Actually Finished"

I feel like I really have my knit on lately. Sorry, even as I typed that sentence I could hear my kids in my head, shouting "Stop, mom. Don't ever say that again!" But seriously, I have several projects that I'm working on that I am really happy with.

The Mince Pie Mayhem socks that I started in  February (has it really been that long?) are amazing. I love the crossed cable pattern, even if it does mean that these socks are not a take-to-knit-night project.I just have one foot and two toes left to finish, and then they can be gifted. These really should have been finished by now, except I got side-tracked by a new project. (Yes, I admit I am a knitting ho. There is no monogamy in my project relationships; I am too easily seduced by a skein of luxurious fiber or an interesting pattern.)

It was a sweater that seduced me from my sock-knitting. Yes, a sweater. I don't normally knit sweaters. But I had the yarn in my stash, a very soft and shiny Bamboo Wool from Moda-Dea that I had won in a knitting event a few years ago. Since there was a sweater's worth, I let my oldest daughter pick out a pattern. She chose the Rockfall Sweater by Mari Chiba featured in the Spring 2013 issue of Knitscene. It's a very simple seamless sweater knit from the bottom up. The asymmetrical  lace at the neckline adds the perfect amount of interest to an otherwise plain sweater.

Since I don't normally knit sweaters - in fact, I don't normally knit with worsted weight wool, preferring the thin sock or lace weights - I was surprised at how quickly I made progress on this project. I started it on May 2nd, and I have 2 more rows left before I bind off and kitchner the armpits.

By the way, just in case you think I'm playing favorites with my children, I have a sweater's worth of the same yarn,  in black, to knit my younger daughter a sweater as well.

There's one more project that I've been working on pretty regularly. This started out as a knit along (KAL) with a couple of girls in my Thursday night knitting group. It's the Hecate by Kirsten Kapur. Of course, the first girl (Charity, our resident shawl expert) finished her shawl before Sharon or I even had the chance to cast on. So our knit along became a follow along. I thought I was making good progress, even though I was splitting my time between the shawl and the sweater, but Sharon just finished her shawl. So the knit along turned follow along is now a fall behind.

I really am loving both the pattern and the yarn. I'm using my own handspun yarn for this shawl, and despite the fact that it is often splitty and tends to be unevenly spun in places, the yarn is beautiful to work with. When I started out, I wasn't sure about my choice. Sharon convinced me that the colors went well together, and she was totally on the mark. I've seen Charity's and Sharon's finished and blocked shawls, so I'm really looking forward to getting this done.

Finally, here is an updated picture of my Never-Ending Sock Yarn Blanket. Can you believe that I started this thing back in 2008? I've finally passed the halfway mark, but there's still a lot of squares to go. (The left side is even, although it doesn't look like it in the picture. I hadn't realized that it was folded under a bit when I took the picture.) To date, I've knit 696 squares out of an estimated 1054 needed.

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Reasons Why I Knit

Ten Reasons Why I Knit (in no particular order):

1. I knit to keep from being bored and/or impatient - in lines, waiting for other people, in meetings, even in traffic (when I'm at a full stand-still on the interstate, not when we're actually moving).

2.  I like the squishy, soft, yummy feel of yarn. Well, of most yarns. Other yarns I like because of the color, or the difference in how they look as skeins versus how they look knit up.

3.  It's fun to see people's reactions when I knit socks -- so many people are amazed at my kninja skills using multiple needles. Although I'm always honest enough to admit that it isn't as difficult as it looks.

4.  I like hand-knit socks. And since no one else is going to knit them for me, I knit them for myself. And for my daughters and my mother who also like hand-knit socks.

5.  Knitting gives me an excuse to go out and socialize. If I didn't knit, I'd probably become a lonely cat-lady with no friends and no life outside of my apartment. (Okay, I'd still have bells. And work. And mahjong. And volunteer work. But knitting is my social activity; the others things I do are for more specific reasons.)

6.  Knitting is relatively inexpensive. I could spend $20 and go out for one evening for dinner and movie. Or I can spend that same $20 to buy yarn that I'll spend at least weeks knitting into socks. That's a comparison of $5/enjoyment hour for a night out against $1/enjoyment hour of knitting.

7.  Whatever my mood is, knitting fits. If I want to be creative, there's delicate lace shawls to knit. If I want fast and easy, there's baby bibs and wash cloths to knit. If I want bright and colorful, there's self-patterning sock yarn. There's always something I can put on the needles no matter what my mood is.

8.  Knitting keeps my fingers from hurting. It doesn't make sense, but it's true. The more I knit, the less my arthritis bothers me.

9.  Knitting gives me the excuse to be lazy. I can go to the park and just sit and knit, and even though I'm just relaxing I'm also accomplishing something.

10. Knitting is non-fattening. I also like to bake cupcakes and cookies, which is fattening.