Saturday, April 05, 2008

Incentive

I'd say the imminent arrival of these would be enough incentive.



Oh my! (pitter patter pitter patter) Just look at the detail and tailoring of those midriffs!! Check out the neckline of that floral pink!!! O.M.G.

With these and a couple other summer worthy patterns I picked up over the winter, and some vintage fabrics from the Mouse I've been hording, not to mention the sprouting of the pussy willow, buds on the lilac and 3 grilled dinners this pass week, I hear the sewing machine beckoning.

Yes, these will certainly lure me to the machine, but the underlying, and perhaps more noteworthy cause/effect of the aforementioned acquisitions is that I have made a vow. I have vowed to complete these before I can even chose fabrics.*

Yikes!

The first 5 works in process I could put my hands on. Shameful? I guess, but merely a drop in the bucket of what there is around here as far of UFO's are concerned, so, eh, I'm use to it and feeling rather smug and without shame cuz it's a very doable task. They are all sitting here close at hand because they are nearly completed already.

A quick rundown on just what these UFO's are cuz I've only mentioned 2 out of the 5 before.

First up is the yarn barf, aka knitted lace, aka Zetor. Silly to take another pic of it cuz yarn barf looks like yarn barf until it is blocked and you won't be able to discern the addition of the last 3 rows in a new pic from the pic I posted the other day. Suffice to say, last pic of the lace had 6 rows of the edge chart left. Today I have 3 rows of that chart to go. Doable!

Second on the agenda, the other UFO I've mentioned before, the Taos Bi-Directional.



Front done, back 85% done. Doable. Although I haven't figured how, or if, I can add to sleeves to this, and I'm a bit concerned with the depth of the armholes at this point, but I can get the thing done per pattern without added mods, no problem.

The third UFO I haven't mentioned before. It's a no brainer chunky cardi from a vintage VK. (50's) I really started this one by accident. Thumbing through the magazine this sweater caught my eye as a nice "sloper" pattern for chunky wt. A good pattern to file away for further modifications and play. Another had caught my eye as well cuz it was a top down raglan but had short row shaping along the back of the neck (ala EZ) and a couple other interesting tailoring details. That is the one I wanted to make but I got the patterns mixed up and started the sloper one instead. Ooops.


I've got the yoke, and one sleeve done, the second sleeve is about a fourth done. Definitely a candidate for completion. It's chunky and plain ol' stockinette for cryin' out loud!

The fourth UFO is a wanna be swirl bag (ala Debbie New).
I intend to felt it when I'm done. I'm making it in three pieces, mirror image pieces for the front and back and a gusset. I have about 8 short rows of this first piece to complete. I'm kind of fudging on this one. I'm counting just getting this first side done as being "completed". I've got cut myself some slack, those patterns are going to be here any day! Plus I have to scrounge around and find some more wool in those colors or at least another color scheme that will play nice. And of course, there's always the possibility that my calculations were incorrect so when all the stitches that are crammed so tightly on the needle are released it may or may not be shaped as I intended. :o)

And finally the fifth UFO. Um yeah, I started it yesterday. Here is the swatch I made yesterday taped to my patio door.



The Unexpected Knitting group on Ravelry is having a monthly KAL. This month is scribble lace. I'm lots farther along than this. In fact I'm nearly done, scribbling goes sooooo fast, but I didn't bother with a pic...you know....that yarn barf thing again. :o)

I suspect tomorrow there will be a post with details of this project. I'm nearly to the point that I want to take it off the needles and see how it all shakes out, but I want to finish the hank I'm using first so those pic will have to wait until at least late this afternoon.

Of course, by no means, does all this constitute the abandonment Weaving Wednesdays, they will of course continue, I want a rug for the patio and summer is coming! And I promise, promise, promise that I will post the pattern for Boogin' with Beelzebub very soon. The occasional sock and whatnot will still be on the needles, and my continuing search for a summer hat will not be abandoned. I think I have figured out a pattern for that, but I haven't cast on yet. Hmmm I could really use a hat to wear while I sit outside and finish all these UFO's. See? What can I say? It's never ending!!! :o)

I love my life.

*thinking about fabric but not actually rifling through the stash is allowed.