Knitting Update

I know, I know--I just posted a bunch of knitting stuff in my last post. I can't help it. Knitting is really what I do these days. I was not able to knit much while I was in school and I am making up for lost time, I guess. It helps, too, to have my new knitting circle at NCK. I have learned more cute tricks in the last few weeks of going regularly on Thursdays than in the last 5 years--really useful stuff. These people are as passionate as myself about the craft and that is empowering to me. I don't feel like and obsessed weirdo; I am obsessed, yes, but not weird in that crowd.

I just spent an hour thrashing around in my garage, trying to organize my stuff. OK, today it is 'stuff'; some days it is 'junk, but not today. I got a fair way into putting my knitting mags into plastic bins, and in chronological order. This is how they used to be and I want them that way again so I can FIND things. I will be happier overall when I can finish those things I have the gear for, but that lie fallow because needed components are buried in a box in the garage or some random closet cranny.

Still, I am drowning in projects and it is time for an update to help keep me focused.
I wrote this current project update almost two months ago on March 8th:

1) Zarah is reknit and ready to block and sew except for the collar. I really needed a break, but I will pick it up to work on soon.
2) Jiada is still fallow.
3) I have started a small first quarter project and it is proceeding apace as my lunchtime/weekly knitting circle project.
4) Grant Avenue is still in a box--can't deal with it right now.
5) Hisdal Peony is untouched.
6) Da Vinci is untouched as well
7) New Shell was shunted aside in favor of other lace weight mohair silk projects:
8) the Belinda wrap which is at the halfway point
9) Clapotis, which is 60-70% done and a STASH yarn project to boot. Yay me!

So, here is how today compares to two months ago:
1) Zarah is blocked except for the collar. I am slowly sewing it together. The shoulders are done, and about 2/3 of the side seams, but a it is slow going to get a tidy seam.
2) The right front of Jiada is done and now part of the back, but went on the back burner.
3) My lunchtime smoke ring is done.
4) Grant Avenue is still moldering in a box.
5) The Hisdal Peony is started, but was set aside for the scarf contest project, due May 15th.
6) Da Vinci is still untouched
7) New Shell? Hah. What New Shell--shelved in favor of other things until firther notice and I am dropping it from this list.
8) The Belinda wrap is about 80-85% done, but it is a SLOG at this point and I only work on it at lunch at work.
9) Clapotis is DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I have finished 2 of 9 projects, and shelved one until further notice. I have also made real progress on four more. The speed of progress will pick up again on all of these, once my scarf is finished and turned in.

The scarf contest is a Northcoast Knittery deal and I HAD to do it--they made me an offere I couldn't refuse. The deal is I got to choose any yarn in the shop up to $100 and could knit any scarf I wanted with it. They get to keep the finished scarf, but I can enter it in the County Fair if I'd like to. How could I say no? All I put in is time. Plus, the winner of the contest gets a $50 gift certificate, so I had to take a crack. I have seen two of the other entries and they are pretty slick, so I have stiff competion. There is one other knitter ( four of us, total), so I am not sure how likely it is that I'll win, but it still means I get to make a pattern I was itching to do. Besides, I am not hurting for scarves right now, so I get to knit it for free and then not have it cluttering things up. I am doing Nicky Epstein's 2-in-1 floral scarf from 'Knitting Never Felt Better'--it's the cover project. I am doing it in ruby red rather than the salmon color shown, and plan to lightly embellish it with some embroidery and maybe some beads, as well.

On that note, I am going to knnit a few more flowers and start putting the scarf together for felting. The sooner it is done, the sooner I can finish the other things I want to do.