Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Progress

So! Do you want to see pictures of my progress so far on Mystery Stole 4?

Yeah, I decided to rip it out. I was starting to feel pressured by the fact that I was so far behind on the clues (clue 4 should be released this coming Friday), setting myself nightly knitting objectives to get caught up, and it was beginning to feel like a chore. I've got enough chores, obligations and deadlines in my life, I don't need my knitting bossing me around as well.
Bottom line, it just wasn't "doing it" for me, and rather than have another UFO plant roots in my knitting basket, I made an executive decision and cut it loose. I didn't even bother tinking back to recuperate the beads. Asta la vista, baby!

I also finished the second Nutkin sock on the metro to work this morning. These are a belated birthday gift for my cousin Jessica.


I'm telling you, casting off and finishing a project in the metro is about as mystical to your fellow commuters as casting on. I could FEEL people staring at me, and it was all I could do to suppress a smile of smug satisfaction.

So I've polished off a couple of projects in the past week, either by finishing or frogging, and now of course, I'm fantasizing about what to do next. I want to cast on another pair of socks for my train knitting, and I think I'm going to use some of my Twisted Fiber Art for that. I've got a mean hankering for some self-striping action, and I want to get a few Christmas gifts knit up as well. Two birds, one stone? These will be good Miscellaneous Man-Socks.

I'm also looking forward to picking up my sadly neglected Celtic Tote. I'd really like to be able to take it to Rhinebeck, and up until this weekend I was under the impression that there was "plenty of time left". Well, no, there isn't really. It's T-minus 24 days and counting. Gotta get a move on.

So that's what's coming up in the immediate future. Also possibly a hat (Foliage? Odessa?), maybe Waves of Grain (think I can do THAT by Rhinebeck too?).

What I really want to knit is something delicious, something drapey, something lovely and comforting and... I don't know what. I'd really like to cast on a cardigan (I'm having garment knitting fantasies), maybe Véronik Avery's Dollar and a Half Cardigan, or this cute Phildar gilet(which I don't have the pattern for, so maybe not), or even a man-sweater, like Jamesey or the Urban Aran Cardigan. Plus there are about 7 projects from the Norah Gaughan Berroco book I just bought. Or, you know, anything with Sea Silk.

Trouble is, I don't really have anything appropriate in the stash. I'm sadly lacking in the DK/Worsted department, something I'll be sure to remedy in 24 days. :)

I had more I wanted to talk about today, but I'm about out of time for today. I'll end today's post by wishing a great big Happy Birthday to my husband, pinball wizard and über-kite-maker-extraordinaire, Philippe. He's 36 today, and still as handsome as he was the day I met him (more so, actually). Wish the same could be said about me...

Happy Birthday, sweetie! I love you.

And Happy Knitting to all of you!

6 comments:

Maggie said...

Joyeux anniversaire a Phillipe! Et beaucoup plus! And that's about all I got for you in French, my French is appalling. You should hear me try to pronounce it!

I'm jealous of your Twisted Fiber Art score. :)

Sinéad said...

Happy birthday kite guy! Hope you had a great day.
Shame about the stole, but if it feels like a chore then it's not worth it. On the plus side, my goodness you've a big list of things to make! I love the dollar and a half cardigan too, a great everyday cardigan I think.
The nutkin socks are yummy! I love knitting in public, especially when people start talking about it as if you can hear them...

kate-the-enabler said...

Happy BIRTHDAY Philippe. Here's hoping it's the beginning of another fantastic year.

And as for you, Tara. (23 sleeps? Is that true?) Good for you for terminating that project. As you said, who needs guilt from a hobby that is supposed to bring you pleasure?

I was going to vote on your next cast on project from the list you wrote in your blog - but they're all pretty darn nifty. I do think that you deserve a little comfort knitting for yourself....you do a lot of knitting for others, after all.

I vote after all. Waves of Grain. You know you wanna.

Mrhide said...

Merci Maggie & all ;)

so THAT's why Emilie found the beads on the floor!

Jessica's socks are fabioolous. the colors fits her somehow, she will enjoy them I'm sure.

Jennifer Lori said...

Happy Birthday Phil!

(and no, I don't think you can pull off a lace shawl and a sweater in 24 days. How's that for a challenge?!?)

Montreal Mama said...

Ok, I had time to squeeze in catching up on one more post.
So you have all September bdays in your family! Us it's December!

10th- hubby
19th - sister
22nd - mother
23rd - mother-in-law (step)
28th - sean

AND XMAS & CHANUKAH!

Socks look great.

Dont you love attention from metro riders?

Happy Birthday Phil (belated, sorry!)