WIP roundup

Apparently as soon as 2009 hit I decided that a good strategy for living with Startitis would be to go ahead and cast on everything that I suddenly got a hankering for (and that I had the yarn for, of course) and worry about finishing them later, in that fictitious place called when I have time. It's not a bad strategy, though, because when I get home from work and feel brain-dead I don't have to think about what I want to knit, I can just pick up any old WIP that happens to be hanging around in whatever room I'm in. Let's start with the living room:


I'm finally making progress on my NaKniSweMo beauty that I started back in November (the shame! well, not really). The plan was to make it roomy, like a casual pullover, since lately I apparently want to wear a pullover most days of the week. However when I pulled it on in the bathroom at work (okay, I do have some free time) I realized that the roominess is happening only in the back. I mean, I know my front takes up a little more room than my back, so I guess I'm not surprised... and seeing as it's still on the circular cord, I don't think I can accurately worry about it yet, because cords do funny things to sweaters-in-progress. The good news for this sweater is that I can safely say I bought enough yarn. I'm 2/3 of the way down the body and I'm deep into my 3rd skein; I have four left. Even if I use one whole skein for each arm I'll still have plenty to do the rest of the body with. So that means: I might be able to do a cowl neck! Can you imagine, a cowl in Manos Silk Blend? Oh, the luxury. Like some of the 1st graders on the playground do with their shirts, I'm going to want to put it in my mouth and suck on it. But I shall refrain.


Next up: in my school bag is the beginnings of a new yoked sweater! Finally! I wear my purple sweater almost every other day, I swear to god. It's all I want to wear. It deserves it own dedicated blog post, but maybe I'll wait until I've had it for 5 years or so. The kids keep track of which days I wear it every week, and I'm starting to feel kinda self-conscious about it (although extremely comfortable and pleased with my handiwork). So, I've had over 7 skeins of Brown Sheep's Nature Spun worsted in my for-trade stash for months now. Seven Ravelers have faved it, but no one had bought it*. The other day it finally occurred to me that I could--get this-- make myself another super comfy 100% wool yoked pullover, thereby slowing down the purple one's rotation. Genius! I cast on a sleeve/gauge swatch with the Nature Spun and it was like peanut butter meeting jelly for the very first time. Oh, how smooshy the yarn is at about 5 sts per inch! I cast on about 48 hours ago and I'm past the elbows on both sleeves. Tomorrow I go to Holly's so we can sit outside (warmth! Finally!) and knit like fiends. Also, see that photograph under the sleeves? That is my inspiration for the yoke. It comes from the Istex Lopi book #28. Isn't it gorgeous?

[I'm liking this whole knit-the-sleeves-then-the-body idea. The torso seems to be the majority of the boring-ish work, and the sleeves are fun to knit if you don't have a hurry-up-I-just-want-to-get-to-the-colorwork-part mindset. Now I can knit the sleeves and marvel at how fast they're going, knowing that the yoke is light years away, and that I have a whole torse to go so just chill out already and enjoy the process. Besides, if I want to work on the body of something, I can just pick up the Silky Blend sweater above.]


And in non-sweater news: I flew through the brunt of the Kiki Mariko rug and have mere rows to go until it's finished I run out of yarn. I have to say, I am disappointed in my color selection (but it looks better than that unfortunate picture above; it was late, the light is dim!). On the whole, I like these colors together very much, but after listening to the latest episode of the KnitPicks podcast, I realized what was bothering me: they're all pretty much the same value. I don't have any pale colors. They all compete with each other because they're all equally saturated. And while monochromatic colors might be my favorite thing to wear on my body, I don't think the green/green/green sections or the purple/purple sections read very well in this rug. Ah, well! I plan on bringing in to school once I cast off to show the kiddies (my wee knitting pupils), and asking them to remember what it looks like! Remember how big it is! And then I shall felt it at home, and shape and dry it, and bring it back and say: see, children--this is felt. (I wholly expect oohs and ahhs.)

(There are also two pairs of socks, barely begun: they're for the 209 Sockdown Challenge. I again have employed the cast on now, knit later approach. Yatai!)

*I did a big destash on Etsy and it worked like a freaking charm! It's time to reorganize the newly weeded stash and make sense of things. Oh boy!