WIP Wednesday

It's been two months since I have written one of these posts and I figure it's about time to get back into the routine. I am changing up the format I use and instead of talking about every project I have going, I am going to just talk about the projects I have worked on.

Lately it's all about knitting. I realized last night that I have six active projects on needles right now. Yes, that's right, six. I may or may not have cast on the latest one right before that realization and am determined to finish at least two projects before I even eye any other skein in my stash.

First up is my garter stitch scarf. This was the first project I ever cast on and it remains unfinished. The sad thing is that I had this one going when I moved in with Chad, so it's been on needles for at least two years! While I love the color I am not too fond of the yarn. It's either 100% acrylic or at the very least a blend. I don't recall exactly and the bands from the skeins are long gone. I will finish it however and hopefully use it every once in a while.

This is half of a cuff for a glove. The pattern is called Sourwood Mountain and is my latest new project. I hit a stopping point with my intended project for the Fall for Tosh KAL on Ravelry (more on that below) so I grabbed some more MadelineTosh yarn to cast these on. I have been wanting to knit these up since the beginning of the year and wish I had. The pattern and color are really more suited for spring, but now I can have them for next year. There is going to be a hat knit out of the same yarn as well once I get the needles.

My alpaca yarn purchase from the local fiber fest is coming along nicely as a Pei cowl. Most of the detail can't be seen here and won't be that visable until it's done and blocked.

Sharktooth has hit a stopping point as it has outgrown the needles it is on. I do have some longer ones coming my way, so until this weekend this one is going to remain untouched. I did manage to get two teeth done though and love the pattern so far. I also was going to make this one in the large size but have since decided to make the smaller one. However that may change as well, ha!

I've got to the point of adding the contrasting color on my Sundry shawl, although it is hard to tell here. The skeins had more contrast next to each other but now that they are knit up, I can't easily see the difference. I do love the softness of the yarn and am going to keep going with it until the end.

Lastly, here is my progress on my Driftwood shawl. This pattern came with a yarn club and is not available outside of the club. It's not even on Ravely yet. The yarn color is also called Driftwood and I am in love. I may be considering ordering a sweater's worth of it to knit up.

My goal is to have one of these finished by the end of the weekend. My knitting time is going to be short as I have plans to be out of town either Saturday or Sunday, but I think it is manageable. What are you working on this week?

Pedestrian Crossing Cowl

I finished this cowl a few weeks ago and finally got around to taking photographs of it. I've been waiting for a day with good lighting and even though it was brighter outside than I would have liked, I decided to work with it.



The pattern is free on Ravelry and is called the Pedestrian Crossing Cowl. It was a quick knit once I dedicated time to it and used less than one skein of MadelineTosh Tosh DK. The colorway is Victorian Gothic, which is a purple washed over with black. I used some buttons that I have been saving for a special project and love that they go so well here.



I did block it a little severely though so it is looser than I would like. I may block it again to see if it will shorten up some. This pattern is more of a fashion piece than one for warmth. Maybe in a heavier weight yarn it could be worn in one of our winters, but not this particular item.

My Ravelry project page is here.

100 Day Hustle

Last year I challenged myself to finish my pending projects before the end of the year in order to start the year fresh. I didn't quite make it, but effort counts in my book. As I was contemplating doing this again, Kelsey over at Kelsey Sews posted her idea of having a 100 Day Hustle link-up. There is no pressure to finish everything but the idea is to set some goals and work from your list. There are prizes for linking up (both at the beginning and at the end of the year) and some guest posts as well. Want to join? Type up a list and link up at her blog by the 25th of this month!

My list is overly ambitious, even if I had all day to work on it. My hope is that even if everything doesn't get finished, that I at least touch all of these projects by the end of the year. (And by touch I mean more than just move them around my workspace.) I have split my list into two groups: knitting and sewing/embroidery.

Knitting:

1. Sundry Shawl
2. Sharktooth (also for the Fall for Tosh event going on in the MadelineTosh group on Ravelry)
3. Five by Five Cowl (also for the 4th Quarter Challenge from The Loopy Ewe)
4. 28's Big Sister 77
5. Abalone (my first (!!) sweater)
6. Driftwood
7. Secret present for a friend
8. Pei Cowl
9. Bella's Mittens
10. Garter stitch scarf (the very one I have been working on for at least a year)
11. Age of Brass and Steam

If you are on Ravelry, all patterns are available on there. Well, aside from the garter stitch scarf since it really isn't a pattern. Here are most of the yarns that will be featured in these projects.



Sewing/Embroidery:

1. Drunkard's Path quilt
2. Kaleidoscope quilt
3. Zig Zag quilt
4. Low Volume quilt
5. Medallion quilt

While I would love to finish all of these down to the binding, I really am aiming to have the tops done by the end of the year.

6. Garden tote
7. Bird needlebook
8. Curved tree mini
9. Cloth from Embroider, Embellish, Create class
10. Dessert of the Month cross stitch
11. Reindeer banner

I know this post is lacking in photos. I will share more as I work on this. It's about time that I start posting a weekly WIP update anyway.

Will you join in?

On Close Calls and Trying New Things

Remember the tree that fell on our garage? Left standing had been two thirds of the upper branches. Chad cut away another third a couple weeks ago because the tree was diseased (explains why it fell in the first place). That left a portion of it standing and only because he wasn't sure how it would fall if he cut it down.

Well the wind decided to take care of it for us Friday evening. Fortunately, it didn't hit anything on its way down. However, that space it is occupying right now is where Chad normally parks his pickup. Also to the left is our neighbor's garage which was also spared.

A close call that we are very grateful for. All that stands now is the trunk, which I'm sure will be coming down soon. The other day my September installment of The Year in Color Club from Tanis Fiber Arts arrived. I have been a part of this since it started in 2011 and every month the yarn was in a colorway that I would have purchased myself. This one is different. Pumpkin orange is not a color that I am drawn to when given a choice. However, I love this and already know what I am going to knit with it. The club yarns do come with patterns and this month was a pair of socks. I am not feeling the pattern with this yarn so it will go into my pattern file for future use.

I have already wound it since taking the photograph and am only waiting on beads to come in the mail. Sometimes it is nice to try something out of a comfort zone. (Fingers crossed the color suits me once it is knit up.)

Wherein Live Gets in the Way

Has it really been two weeks? Wowza.

I certainly have been busy and trying to catch good light and weather outside to take photos. Finally today, it was perfect at the same time I was home. I do still have a growing pile of FOs to photograph and am still seeking a good balance in my life.

Part of finding balance has been spending time with my loved ones. Without realizing it, my best friend and I went way too many months without seeing each other in person. (Since January!) Schedule conflicts were to blame and finally we set aside an afternoon to get together. It was great and needs to happen more often!

I have this weekend to myself and then the last weekend of this month I am planning on going to an arts and crafts festival with Chad's mother. It is one I have been wanting to go to for a few years but always seem to miss, or it doesn't work out. The only way I'm missing it this year is if it is raining all weekend. Highly unlikely considering how dry it has been, but my luck would bring rain. I will share about it if I go for sure.

A coworker of mine that transferred from Washington had been asking what there is to do here. I listed off ideas of places to bring his family and to my (and his) delight, they have enjoyed them! It makes me want to visit all of my suggestions again and I am happy that he is having fun exploring Minnesota and North Dakota. The latest visit was to the headwaters of the Mississippi River, which is in one of my favorite state parks in Minnesota (don't tell the others I said that, lol). It may not be very populous in my area with lots of urban entertainment, but there certainly are many things to do if a person is willing to drive a little and spend time outdoors.

I will talk more about traveling in another post. I have way too much to say on that subject right now, so look for that in the next couple days. (I do have to add that I'm hoping to be able to travel a little for work soon. It is coming but I don't know when.)

Nothing has been happening in regards to sewing. Just lots of knitting and petting of yarn. Seriously, one of the shawls I am knitting is with a silk/baby alpaca blend and it is heaven to touch. I cannot wait to get it off the needles so I can snuggle up with it.

I have charms to cut for the Low Volume swap as well as a swap piece to finish up. After that is done, I think I have to take a break from swaps that involve me making something. Other than that, I have been thinking about the blogs I read and what I like about the format and what/how information is conveyed. This means I really miss sharing here and seeing what you are up to as well!

Photos are: 1. Yarn for a Sharktooth shawl (for Fall for Tosh on Ravelry). 2.Finished State Street Cowl (made into more of a capelet; not sure if I am going to frog it and redo it yet). 3. Sundry shawl, or as I like to say, heaven. 4. Driftwood in progress in the perfect color for me. 5. First time beading something and I had to frog it because of dropped stitches. 6. Low Volume Swap fabrics, ready for cutting. 7. Laceweights waiting to be wound for a shawl. 8. Yarn for a peppermint candy cowl. Perfect for winter!

See you soon!

A Change of Plans

Just days before the weekend, Chad told me he had to work instead of having the weekend off. There are reasons for this that involved this tough decision, but nothing I can discuss publicly. So we missed out on the Steam Thresher's Reunion. Part of me was disappointed, but on the other hand, I did have time to just relax.

I thought about doing some sewing but really need to clean up my sewing space first. Cleaning was not at the top of my list though as I had done a deep clean on most of the house the weekend before. Instead, I blocked a couple knit items and finished another. I also started a new project and wound yarn for others. There are three mystery knit-a-longs I am doing right now, though I'm not pressuring myself to keep up. It's all good because all of them involve beading, which I have never done, and two of them use lace weight yarn, which is also a first for me. I am not liking it so far though and had a horrible time winding it.

Cleaning up my sewing room is going to be a priority this month. I miss my machine and since I joined the Low Volume Swap hosted by Making Rebecca Lynne, I should work on the projects that have been lingering so I can dive into the quilt I have planned for the charms. I also want to find time to photograph the four knit projects I have finished and write up posts on them. That's my plans for the month. How about yours?