wip it

Corralling Reef

Work continues on Reef now that the worst of the heat wave has passed and the yarn no longer gets stuck on my sweater hands:

I've just set in the steeks for the armholes, so now it's pretty much barrelling along for close to two pattern repeats. Then the neck steeks, and then it's done.

Oh, well, the sleeves.

I'm not looking forward to those. Small sleeves, fair-isle, in the round. I'm mulling over whether this is the time to learn knitting in the round on two needles, or if that's too much to ask of my poor moving addled brain.

But if I'm going to get this done before Christmas (I want it to be a prezzie), I'll have to get the sleeves started before we move.

What, More Unfinished Knitting???

5. Reef Cardigan (a fair-isle design by Alice Starmore)

No picture yet, it's been too hot to do anything. But we were away on the weekend, and the hotel air conditioning gave me a chance to work on this for a bit, a good thing, as it's been stalled since the temperatures started to soar.

I've loved this sweater since I got the book, and when my niece was born I knew I'd make it for her one day. I bought the yarn, set it aside...I didn't forget about it, but kids grow so fast that I suddenly realized if I didn't get to this one soon, I wouldn't get to make it for her at all.

She'll be six this fall, and I'm making the largest size, so it should be perfect. It's going to be a Christmas present -- I thought about making it for her birthday, but since all of my Christmas ornaments are sea related (think: a bazillion little glass fish on the tree...), I think it would be so appropriate to give it to her then.

I'm hoping to be able to make a tam to match. She loves hats. I've never made a tam. I've got a book on order. It'll be a challenge.

No fun, no sin, no you, no wonder it's dark

4 bis. Japan Jacket (shadow knitting design by Vivian Høxbro )

Obscure song references aside (it's a gift, it's a curse, depends on whether you view the glass as half empty or half full...), the Japan jacket is *this* close to being done.

Actually, according to the instructions, it *is* done. But. It droops. It just flops open, and it's not a nice kind of flops open. So I just have to decide where to put the loops and buttons. I'm thinking on the lower half, just a couple or three of them, so the top can still flop open, but then it'll look like a collar.

Though I have to say I'm really pleased with how this turned out. Apart from the droopy front, it fits beautifully, and the colours are marvellous.

Not to mention the pleasure of finally (almost) finishing another languishing item. This could be addictive. And there are only so many languishing items in the box....

Crack that WIP!

4. Japan Jacket (shadow knitting design by Vivian Høxbro )

This kit was a surprise from The Other -- all that's left is to sew in a few ends (not many, because most were worked in as I went along), sew the seams, and then figure out if I'm going to put a button or hook or something on it.

Because it's floppy. It just flops open and doesn't hang right. So I'm thinking about putting something on it at the neck to hold it closed.

If I do, I'll be using Wendy's knitted i-cord button loop idea -- I was going to do a crochet loop, but I think her idea to do tiny i-cord is better.

Right now, The Other is watching the German Grand Prix, so I think I'll start sewing in the remaining ends.

More True Confessions

3. Morning Glory (it's Alice Starmore, I can't remember which book)

Not much left. The bands are done, I just need to cut open the steek I made on the front band, then tack the whole thing down. Find some nice buttons and sew them on. Then wash and block. Maybe this is more than 85% done? I never know how to judge.

I really enjoyed making this project. I've decided I much prefer fair-isle vests, only because I hate knitting the sleeves.

True Confessions

Yes, I did say I'd post pictures earlier in the week, but I ended up having a pain flare, and there we are.

In the meantime, I've sorted out what is my current batch of projects on their way to completion, taken photos, and am prepared to 'fess up.

Before I do, though, that the reason I started blogging was mainly to give myself a focus. I have some health problems that have made the last couple of years challenging -- nothing serious or life-threatening, but enough to reduce one to fits of depression and discouragement. It's all too easy to give into that when one is tired and in pain, but I was getting frustrated with the whole process. So I started blogging to give me something else to think about. To have something to either do every day, or plan for every day.

And since I cannot knit quickly, it also helps to look back at things and realize, "Hey, I *am* making progress! I *am* finishing things!" And since my attention can tend to wander when I lose focus, it also forces me to either limit the dreaded startitis, or at least to keep track of things.

So here you go, the current crop:

1. Henry VIII (from Alice Starmore's book Tudor Roses)

I didn't get a chance to sew the armhole steeks and cut them open. Here's what's left to finish on Henry:

- sew armhole steeks and cut them open
- knit both sleeves
- finish off any tacking down of steeks on sleeves, trimming excess
- working in any loose ends

There aren't much in the way of loose ends on Henry. To be brutally frank, I spit spliced the yarns whenever I could. I figured if I was changing from a dark to a dark or a light to a light, then the difference in colour over a few stitches really wasn't going to be that big a deal. I know that Wendy decided to knot and trim, but since my fine-motor control isn't the best, and I'm not as skilled as she is, the spit-splice option works for me.

I can't see the difference unless I really look. When The Other is wearing it, if anyone gets close enough to see a difference, then they will be standing too close, and bending over looking at his heiney. I'll let them decide if that's something they want to do .

I always like to learn something, no matter how small, on each project. The spit-splice realization was a big light-bulb moment for me. I realized that I'd started and abandoned Blue Corn Cafe because of all the yarn hanging out at the colour change, and how much of a hassle that was going to be to work them all in at the end. I'm going to return to BCC at some point, work in the ends on what's done so far, and keep going with the spit-splice method.

2. 14 juillet (free pattern from the Phildar web site)

Back is done. Right front is done. That leaves:

- left front (already cast on)
- sleeves
- collar/bands
- sewing in ends

BTW, Kiwi in the yarn Licorne is *not* discontinued. And it looks *much* nicer than the bamboo. This project has already fostered another one -- I have some tweedy cotton in cream with blue and green, the bamboo colour looks fab with it, and I got another colour of Licorne to coordinate. I'm going to make another version of this sweater in three colours at some point in the future. Which means, I get to use up some stash yarn!

More photos over the weekend. I still can't figure out why when I try to upload a picture into a post, the whole thing disappears. It's a PITA.

On the other hand, more to look forward to!