WIP Wednesday: In with the New, while the Old is still lingering...

With life turning increasingly Craptastic(!), crafting gets increasingly more important to help with my sanity. Having found my Office-Away-From-Home, I've noticed that a week without it quickly turns more and more annoying. Tomorrow I get to go again (stupid Jazz festival*) so sanity might return. Eventually.

As I'm not really capable of commenting on non-crafty things without covering you in verbal blubber I'll stick with things with pictures.

Some of the fibre I got at the Breidag in early April, which has since turned into 360 meters of Navaho 3-ply, with much, much more to come. I might have enough for a garment! Also, I should note, I've mastered the art of Navaho plying. It's not that hard once you look it up on youtube.

The Babyknitting is coming along, just sleeves to go, and finding something to brighten it up with. This Zimmermann** woman is really onto something here. (Love, I shrink in her brightness)

If you recognise this, you've been through as many repeats as I have. Stunning result, but this garter stitch baby cardigan is less boring to knit. Getting someone else to buy blocking wires, because I'm not tackling this baby without them.

Ah yes, Manu.
As soon as I have a need for something warm, I'll finish it, promise. It's too warm to even look at it. Still only needs pockets and blocking.

Not sure I've shown this before, but it still needs all the digital work to it done. I can't quite find the energy to battle software to give me neat-edged cable symbols. If you know how to select/cut line sections in Illustrator, please please help me out...

Tomorrow, I'm taking some of that sock yarn I'm using for the baby knitting to try out something that's in my head. It'll help figure out what I want to do, while I try to make a decision on the yarn to use for it. I'm leaning towards cascade heritage sock, because just about everyone can have access to it and it won't quite break the bank.

See you back Sunday. Unless I implode before that. I hope you won't have to witness that...***

* Ok, it was a bit of fun, specially when we went to see Mr Pink with a pretty amazing impromptu drummer. He owns my microwave oven, he wore my dad's socks. It's a long story (not really)
** Elizabeth Zimmermann, of Tomten-fame
*** thinking good thoughts, chocolate, puppies, bacon, more chocolate. etc.

WIP Wednesday, a full head's worth

Ha!

You thought I'd forget again, didn't you?

But I didn't, did I? It's just too warm to carry on knitting a heavy wool cardi, as that's what Manu feels like right now. We're having a bit of an Indian Spring, if such a thing exists, and it's just so darn nice out there. I'm also still not sleeping more than 6 hrs a night and have just entered the 4th week of doing so. My brain is slowly turning to mush, so ehm... have patience with the getting on with things, will ya? (addressed to self, don't worry).

So do I have some WIPs? Indeed I do. Manu



Pleats and the beginning of a poofy pocket

Bea hasn't been sitting still either, having some lush silk added to the twine, but due to being silly, the silk single is being drop spun on this supposed Thai spindle. The yarn had better be nice.
Also in this picture, bits occupying my brain. Not really, they're out now. Harhar.



Must be off again, singing some more Queen bits. Hurrah!

WIP Wednesday, onwards and upwards

I don't know what to tell you about the missing Scottish Sunday. I had ideas to write about, but then they made my head 'splode and now they scare me a bit. Don't worry, I'll tame them soon enough, one way or another.
In the mean time, lists are being tackled, jobs are not lost (yet) and old projects are picked up again.

I've been spinning one of the Dutch Wool Diva batts, but it wanted to be a lace single, so I've been going for weeks now and the end isn't near yet.

Through no fault of its own I'm not too happy spinning it, as it's slow going and the colour doesn't quite meet my lust for greens and blues. It is very nice, so I'm trying to rush it so I can put something green on the bobbins instead and come back to it when I feel better about it. As a single, it has a tweedy feel to it, adding shades of pink, magenta and pale blue to the charcoal base. I actually have some Harris tweed waiting to be sewn in the same shade of magenta. Next winter will be colourful!

Manu, sleeve 2

As you can tell, more Magenta-ish for next winter. It's rather nice these days, so I don't foresee a return to woollen cardigans any time soon. Or maybe for those chilly mornings. Anyway, I returned some attention back to Manu, which is at least halfway done, with one sleeve already attached to the body. It requires a lot of finishing so as far as time goes, I might not be on the home stretch yet. At least it'll be more interesting than the large stretches of stockinette I've already finished.

It'll be so worth it in the end...

In short term knitting, I'm working on this scarf-ish creature. It has an unexpectedly nice cast on which needs some re-doing to make it perfect, but for now I'm hurrying along so I might wear it to the Breidag in Nieuwegein next week. It also needs a name...

I also need to attend to working out the pattern for the secret knitting. It's been getting s few oooh's and aaah's from the few people who've seen it. Unfortunately, they all love me, so their judgement might be tainted ;)

First, I have to clear some space on this computer before I can install the software. I'm sure I've said that before...

** as the camera is out with its rightful owner, pictures are taken on my phone. Not bad, but not great either, I know **

WIP Wednesday, unfinished business

Oh dear, oh dear.

As it turns out, I get a lot less done now that I'm more or less back to full time work (surprise!). Choices to be made, which means many things do not get chosen. Think: kid-who-gets-picked-first, instead of last-to-be-picked-for-the-team.

The secret knitting project which was last started received a little pepper to put up the proverbial arse, so it's getting most attention these days. There may or may not be a group willing to test-knit. I better have something to test, won't I?

basket of unfinished goodness

So there are 4 WIP's that got started this year and none have been finished. Peaks Island is probably 75% done, and has been for a while. O.W.L.S. is waiting, but I'm dreading to cut it so I can fix it. The spun yarn for the birds'omasomething has been decorating a pillow for weeks. It sure looks pretty, but it can't stay. I might one day need that pillow for my head.
The first-picked WIP is at least at 50%, because that is how much yarn I have left. More or less. I tried to do the numbers, but maths and excel sheets are not my strong point after 18.00 (after 15.00, but don't tell my boss).

Somewhere, Manu is still waiting, Mythos is in hiding, I have only 1 Manolo sock and the Spot Check Socks have been frogged because I needed the needles for the Favoured Secret Project. I'll try again sometime, on my new short circulars. It might go a lot faster now that I've mastered the art of two-handed stranded knitting. Hurray for the internet! The other Secret Project won't make it to its recipient in time to do any good. Sorry.

I promise not to start anything new, and to finish something soon.

Deep Breaths.



PS: the underpaid nifty job-people sent a reply to this extent: "this job would be great for you, but we're not actually hiring due to re-organisations, so send us your cv next year please." Which seems awfully useful, trying to find a job soon. Big strike through this one then...