More Knitting Conundrums.......

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone for their best wishes on me getting better - it worked! I have turned a corner on the coldus/virus horriblus and I feel a lightening of the fogginess in my brain - I am a happy happy woman! Onwards and upwards, knitting conundrums and all. As you recall, #1 (My Stash) was dealt with on Tuesday. I am feeling the pride, unabashedly! Conundrum #2 Unfinished Objects I have unfinished objects - they stare at me in my 'knitting room,' and from the sidebar of this blog. I have contemplated removing them from the sidebar (as though somehow that would help me to remove them from my psyche). I have unfinished objects so close to being finished it is stupid! I also have unsewn finished objects which I have shown in the hopes that it would motivate me to sew them up - hasn't happened yet (but I think I am getting close!). I do have various UFO's (see sidebar - LOL) but here are a just a few (no one has that much time!): Four Seasons Cardigan from Morehouse. Thought it would be a breeze; solid knitting, top down and yet when I got to the sleeves couldn't get my tension the same again so I stopped. That string hanging out at the bottom looks like an umbical cord (which makes sense because this mommy still hasn't birthed this baby!). How long would it actually take to put in the sleeves - hours? A day? And there is like almost no sewing! Sundby from Noro. Possibly a worse indiscretion. It only took me about three days to knit the body (neck included for no extra pickups!) and all it awaits are the sleeves. Bulky yarn, knits up quick, how long would it really take? A couple of days, minimal sewing and BAM! finished. Yet it sits and sits and I look and I look and it remains not finished. This is the Pewter Lace Shawl from Interweave Knits (Spring 2003). I had originally started this a couple of years ago to give to the Minister who was going to marry Ed and myself (we lived together for about 9 years before I agreed to the hand sweating ceremony). We eloped instead (after 10 years of living together; I never have been one to live conventionally). So the shawl is not finished - I think it is about halfway done and oh my God I know I should have just finished and maybe left the border (it's Lace - I have to go back and restart the Lace - aaagghhhh!). It is so beautiful and I so want to finish it but..... And here is Heartland from Jo Sharp. Look the sleeves are done on this one! This requires the finishing of the front and back from the armhole to the neck, about maybe 4 inches or so. Again minimal finishing (3 needle bind off at the shoulders, pick up and knit the neck, sew in the sleeves). This conundrum is big. Clearly not much to do and yet I have not finished them (the list is relatively long and yet for the most part, most of these items are more than 50% finished). I have four theories. Do you remember when you were in school and you had a deadline for a paper or an essay and for whatever reason you missed the due date, and then once that happened, did you find your momentum going right down the toilet? This is one possibility but that would only apply to the wedding shawl. Another possibility - A.D.K.D. (Attention Deficeit Knitting Disorder) which is more akin to something that seems more exciting comes along and voila! easy to put down the current project. Maybe. Third possibility - fear. Can't get the tension right on that all in one cardi that seemed so easy and maybe it's not so if I avoid it, won't have to deal with it and feel really really stupid. Fourth possibility - my illness and the dumbing down fatigue that makes simple patterns, at times, absolutely impossible for my suddenly pea sized brain. That is definitely applicable to the Heartland sweater. But I hate using my illness as an excuse. I keep telling myself I should just take a month (or three), finish, sew, sew some more and mostly apply myself and all of this will be taken care of. That, or post my dirty laundry/knitting and shame myself into it. Conundrum #3 Stornoway I bought the real stuff. Real gansey wool all the way from England from the special sheep to knit a true Fishermen's Sweater (Alice Starmore). I even knit and blocked a swatch! With true excitement I started out on this beauty (for my sweet Ed). Of course I had to rip it out the first time because I had used the wrong size needle (forgot to switch after the rib!) I must now admit I hate knitting it. I would rather poke myself in the eye with a needle (not a Lantern moon but something less valuable). I hate the feeling of the gansey, I hate the fact that it is not soft, has little give and I knit and knit and knit with little progress. Perhaps in the future I will like the gansey. Perhaps I will have to visit Alice's website and buy what they suggest (although I have no guarantee that it will be softer). At any rate, and because I do not want yet another UFO, by the time you read this I will have ripped (I will not use the PC term frog because I really want to rip) this puppy out. In it's place (and this is where having a jugemongous stash certainly helps) I have started Anjuli by Jo Sharp. I am loving it! Garter stitch, so it doesn't matter how foggy my brain is, with colour changes. The wool is full and springy and feels so wonderful in my hands. The pattern, tres tres simple. I was not sure about the colours at first but they are growing on me. I will not think about the sewing (although I think sewing 5" squares will give me a better affinity for it!). Conundrum #4 My Sockapaloooza Socks See that yarn and that pattern? These are supposed to be my Sockapaloooza socks. Unstarted as of Tuesday. Due to be mailed on May 2nd (next Tuesday). Way back when, oh before the Olympics, I was thinking lots of time, tons of time. I'll start them after the Olympics. No problem. Didn't count on being tired after that little event. Didn't count on starting the Grace Project and being derailed by my ongoing program at the clinic and feeling overwhelmed. Didn't count on being sick for a month. Lesson here: start earlier. Don't count on life flowing smoothly. I did finally cast on on Tuesday afternoon. It is the magic loop method, toe up. Damn, the yarn is fine and the needle is small. This will be a miracle akin to turning water into wine. I was feeling hopeful on Tuesday, figured if I got into the leg by Thursday I could put these puppies to bed easily in time to be mailed by Tuesday. I am now starting to sweat. It is Thursday and I am not at the heel yet. I am still believing that I can do this. I plan to knit like a fiend (don't have to go to Toronto again until next Thursday so my calendar is clear) and get these done. I have a HUGE Warming Grace post to do but I will plan to do that on Saturday so I can try to get sock one done and have sock two underway. I will solve this conundrum anyway. At least this one!