Project monogamy

When I first started this blog, I wrote about project ADD, more commonly known as startitis. I once has 20 WIPs going - that was simply insane.

Now it seems I've gone in the other direction. I can't seem to do anything but get Rob's mom's Christmas blanket finished. And it being a blanket, it's not exactly an instant gratification project. And there is a non-negotiable deadline: December 24th.

I'm almost done with one of three 5-foot long strips that need to be sewn together, then crocheted around the edges for a border. As you can see, it's quite the colorful project, reminiscent of a Mexican serape. I hope it's not too gaudy for my mother-in-law!



I think I'm doing this because it's simple mindless knitting, and it's relatively fast. There's something to be said for doing one knitting bit at at time.

Holiday knitting 2008 - yikes!

In the two years since I have begun knitting, I have made a grand total of about three holiday gifts: a hat for Blair, a scarf for Rob and another scarf for my sister Jeanne. Because of the stress they can inevitably create, I made a conscious decision never to make more than three presents for Christmas.

So much for rules...

This year, I'm making six different gifts, double my so-called limit, and luckily two do not have to be made until well into next year. The ones that do have a December 25th deadline are my mother-in-law Terry's blanket, my other sister Cindy's scarf/stole, Blair's scarf and Patsy's mini-shawl. If I get really ambitious, then I also have a scarf for my aunt Edna and a hat for my brother-in-law Gregg.

And then there's all the WIPs I still wanted to finish from summer. So here we go...let's see if I don't absolutely go insane.

Oh, what a feeling!

I LOVE it when I finally complete a project, even if they're are as mundane as scarves and hats. In this case, it's actually a combo scarf and hat and a garden variety scarf. These two projects were begun eons ago (OK, really just a year, but it seemed like eons). One is for me when I wear my red and black ski jacket, hence the color combo. It probably won't work as actual ski wear, since it's wool and alpaca and not microfiber. Plus the length of the scarf could pose a hazard. The other is just a scarf no one in the family really wants to wear. So on my Ravelry notebook, it's called the Scarf to go with Nobody's Hat. Hopefully, somebody will want to wear it.

Still getting out from under

This summer, I made a pledge to myself that I would get a bunch of WIPs done. Well...I really only managed to get my sweater done, plus a hat for Blair, but nothing else. I've completely neglected the socks I was making for myself and Rob, but I think it was just overwhelm that prevented me from finishing everything I wanted to.

I'll start with the girls' sundresses. They will probably be ready for next spring, but not any time very soon. Here's Jenna's:



and here's Niki's (this is actually the second half of this one - I really have made more progress on this one than what's shown):



Rob's vest - this one may actually have a chance to get done by the end of October (yay!):



My tank top (again, another item that will have to wait until April 2009, at best):



And finally, a UFO that is making a reappearance: Rob's mom's blanket, which I just pulled out last night because it's good mindless knitting - and it's her Christmas gift. Now that it's October, I better give a move on this one.