Thursday, September 21, 2006

Race of the UFO's

Rats! I want to put new yarn on the needles, begin new projects, try out some of new patterns. But, I have a pile of UFO's that should have been finished long, long ago. I lost a bit of knitting time when I was in the hospital, but my brain is now nearly fully recovered and I am at full knitting strength!

Rats, again! I tried to take photos of my UFO's so you could vote on which to finish first, but my camera opened, then told me the battery was dead, and closed again! so, I don't have photos. But, I'll make a list. Oldest first. [Remember the March Race of the UFO's? There are some repeats on this list!!)

Item #1. I began this project four years ago, during a car trip across the United States from Wisconsin to Oregon and back. It is the Shaped Triangle lace shawl designed by Katie Nagorney and Ann Swanson in A Gathering of Lace.

Item #2. I don't know when I began this (cursed) Main Vest from Mission Falls Quinte Scrapbook. I quite forgot about it. Completely. Gone from the memory bank. Then, this summer, my husband brought out a red bookstore bag filled with "some knitting stuff". Puzzled, I opened it and voila, an almost finished vest!! (God, I hate it when my husband finds the hidden unfinished objects!!!) The two fronts were done and the back was done. Hmm, I thought, this will take only one evening to sew together and finish! Wrong. After sewing one of the front shoulders to the back, I discovered that I had two left fronts!! Then, I discovered that the neck shaping for the sewn-in left front was on the armhole side, not the middle side!! I frogged both fronts. Then, I frogged the armhole ribbing twice. Then, I frogged the entire neck and front ribbing twice. Now, I lost the buttons that I bought in Seattle last month. Now I know why the red bookstore bag was hidden--the project was in a multi-year timeout!!

Item #3. A Dale of Norway one color sweater that is almost, almost done. Started last December. This was supposed to be a fast, simple, comfortable sweater that would take a few weeks. But, I have lost the pattern. It's somewhere hiding. I know it is almost done--sewn together. I need to do the neck and front band. the pattern is #13 Lerk, from the Adult Fall 2003 No. 126 booklet. It is make out of Sisik, a great yarn that was discontinued. Sigh. I'll find the book or wing it soon.

Item #4. My husband's Dale of Norway sweater. Started January 2006. Enough said. (See my March 16, 2006 post!)

Item #4. Socks. After seeing so many of these socks on blogs I broke down and started the Potamous socks. Of course, now I can't find a link to the pattern or who wrote the pattern, but I love the socks. I'd wear them if I had only one foot. Seems that I started these in late spring, then summer came........

Item #5. Socks. Lucy Neatby's Mermaid socks. Started in Seattle in August 2006. Still unfinished.

Favorite Item #6. Baby Blanket. Started September 2006. Yippee!!! I know of three babies that are due to be born in the next few months. My daughter's choir director is expecting twins!!! She already has a two year old. A female faculty member in my husband's department is expecting a baby in October. So, I started a baby blanket out of some old Pingoin Mousse-a very soft acrylic. And, I've always wanted to knit the lace alphabet blanket from Debbie Bliss' "The Baby Knits Book" I started two weeks ago and already I am knitting on the lace edging!! I've been knitting up a storm. Do I want to make a second blanket so these are for the twins, or should I give it to my husband's colleague. There is LOT of knitting in this cuddly blanket....I don't really know the colleague well. I know the choir director much better, and she has nurtured my daughter in her singing for 11 years......

Knitter's Vow: I firmly resolve that I will finish all these UFO's before starting a new project, no matter how tempting the yarn, no matter how tempting the pattern!!!!

8 comments:

betta said...

Hi Gail!
I still have to sew my first sweater (finished when you were still living here) and Jan's Olympic sweater.

Anyway, I have three more projects on the needles. By the way! Have you seen my progress on the bayerische socks???

all you knit is love said...

The Pomatamus socks are here. That seems like a good one for getting started on the UFOs. http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/PATTpomatomus.html I'd do a couple small, easy-ish things to get you motivated...

And the blanket, definitely for the choir director!

I just got a copy of A Gathering of Lace and am now rushing through a Clapotis to wear in the shop so I can start on the Shetland Tea Shawl!

betta said...

by the way! have you seen this mittered squares sock yarn blanket?

http://www.shellykang.com/Blog/2006/09/two-fine-days.html

Warrior Knitter said...

First off, thanks for the very nice comments on my blog.

I would start on the project you're most excited aobut, which seems to be the Baby Blanket. That will get you reved up for one (or two) of the other projects.

Another alternative is to start on the Baby Blanket as above & knit it as your main knit. And knit, say 10 minutes a day (or before the Blanket knit) on one of the other less attractive projects. Once you get going on one of them, it won't be as difficult to just pick it up & knit for 10 minutes as you'll be current on it.

Debi said...

As a dedicated two project only knitter just reading your list freaked me out a little :)

I say finish the Dale that is so close to the finish line and stack up the rest accordingly!

So glad you're feeling better Gail!!

Warrior Knitter said...

I can't take credit for the idea. I got it from Fran on the Knitters Review forum. That advice has gotten me thru a couple of stalled projects. She even suggests setting a timer.

HPNY KNITS said...

I feel better now with all my WIP and wanting to cast on more stuff...
I blame it on the arrival of Fall and the fab new yarns!
we'll cheer you on as you take care of those UFO one at a time!!

Lorette said...

Good resolution! I really need to do the same thing. My projects are getting out of control, too.