WIP Wednesday

Back in the day, when knit blogging was much more of a thing, we had something called WIP Wednesday.  WIP, of course, meaning works in progress.  We'd all take photos of our knitting projects and show them to you.  I did it myself for quite a while.  

So, today, I thought...I'm not going to do that.  I am going to show you one single work in progress.  The latest sock yarn hat. 

Yarn:  Euphoria Knits

Colorway:  I don't know.  It's illegible. 

Pattern:  Sockhead

Needles:  US 2.5 / 3mm

I've made a little progress since I last showed you, but my knitting mojo has been on spring break, apparently.  I even cast on 20 stitches for a new sailor hat, but that's as far as I've gotten.  

I had a bit of a surprise when I got home this afternoon.  I doubt you can see it, and I'm not even sure if I'm imagining it or not, but I think, right there in the center of this cup I see a tiny green tomato seedling. 

I don't know if I've made a mistake or not, but I took a chance and moved the entire cup out into the bed where the tomato will live the rest of its life -- provided it lives in the first place.  I hope I didn't mess up, but most of the videos I've watched have said that by the time it gets to April (in my growing zone-- 8a) you might as well direct sow them.  I figure this is the next best thing.  

Plus, it will be in full sunlight from day one, so I won't have to harden it off when I get ready to plant it.  

I covered it with one of my little garden cloches for protection, then moved the sweet basil tray out there, too, since that's where it will be living.  

We shall see.  And as promised, here is a photo of the rosemary.  

This is the little one I tried to root from a cutting.  

It's been sitting here for a few weeks now, so when I pull up the plastic stuff to harvest my garlic, I'll go ahead and pull it out of the pot to see if it's developed roots.  If it has, I'll plant it.  If not, I'll buy one from the garden center, as soon as they get some in.  Or maybe I'll take a new cutting and just stick it into the soil right there and see if it takes.  It's kind of fun experimenting like this. 

On a more positive note, I'd thought this cactus was dead.  It was all wilted and had turned dark red -- which is a sign of distress.  I didn't know what was going on, because I wasn't treating it any different.  Finally, I'd decided it had kicked the bucket, so I put it out on the back porch to deal with later.  I'd intended to put it into the compost, but look at it now!  

It's perked right back up!  

The temps have warmed up enough now that I can move them all back outside, so probably this weekend I'll move the little bit of firewood that is still by the house into the back and put their plant shelf back into its summer spot. 

But right now, I need to grab a shower and get ready for bed.  Because when one gets up ridiculously early...well, you know they drill by now. 

Good night.  

Gotta Be Flexible

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know.  I usually do my WIP updates on Wednesday and today is Thursday.  But I felt what I had to say yesterday was important enough that it wouldn't wait.  So, we gotta be flexible. 

 1. The 2010 Anniversary Mystery Shawl.   No progress this week.

2. Slip Stitch sock:  I'd finished the heel flap, and was working on turning the heel, but it wasn't coming out right.  That's when I realized, I didn't have my stitches divided evenly, so I ripped the whole heel out, redistributed the stitches, and started over.

3. Traveling Roses Scarf: No progress this week, though it is beginning to whisper my name.

 4. Fruit Of The Vine  No progress.

5. Orkney Pi Shawl:  No progress

6.  Anniversary Mystery Shawl 2012:  No progress

7.  Leper bandage: No progress

8 & 9 The two sock yarn blankies. I did do one square on one of the blankets.

It's taken a lot of hard work, and a lot of self control, but I've managed to cut my WIP list in half.  The amazing part is, it's almost October, and I've still only cast on the one new project.  I'm not counting the new sock, since I was a replacement for a project I wasn't loving, or the hat, since it was part of a set.

I'm about to ease up on that, though, since nearly everything I have left is lace.  I need some mindless stuff to work on at times.

I've got some hats in mind...

WIPs, Weather, and Work

There has been a great upheaval at work.  In case you didn't know, Becky does not handle upheaval well.  But there has been a great upheaval at work.

They've laid off all the temps and closed down some of the assembly lines.  That is normal for this time of the year, but the upheaval that affects me is that they've moved my group leader, Greg, to another line, and I have a new group leader.  Fernando is his name.

So far, I really like him.  It's so nice not to have to explain everything 3 or 4 times.  It's so nice not to have to say, "FOCUS!!"  It's so nice not to have to wonder where he is half of the day.  I want to say, "Can we keep him?"

In weather news, Isaac is inching ever closer, but The Fine Martial Household is ready.

See, I brought my plants in.

No, it's not likely they'll shut the plant down for it.  We worked all through Katrina, you know.  The only reason we closed early the next day was because the roads were so bad we couldn't get our purchased parts in. 

And now, on to the WIP update. 


 1.  Arwen Wrap:  I've attached the final ball of yarn, and am in the homestretch!

I guess I ought to take a new picture, huh?

2.  The 2010 Anniversary Mystery Shawl.   No progress this week.

3. Conwy sock:  I ripped this one.  I'll find a pattern better suited to this yarn, and cast on a new pair.  I can't say when, but it'll get done.

4. Traveling Roses Scarf: No progress

5. Fruit Of The Vine  No progress

6. Orkney Pi Shawl:  No progress

7.  Leper bandage: This is my new waiting project.  When I'm on my excruciatingly slow desktop and I'm waiting 20 years for a page to load, I pick it up and knit a row or two.

8 & 9 The two sock yarn blankies. No new squares this week.

10.  Anniversary Mystery Shawl 2012:  No progress

Well, that's it for this week.  It doesn't seem like a lot, but I've slowly cut my WIP list almost in half.  More than half if you don't count the new project I cast on.

Determination.

Iron will.

No money.  

Yep, that's how I did it.

For reals. 

WIPs and Stuff

First things first.  I called the oral surgeon and got my tooth extraction set for September 5th.  Since I'm going to do the sedation IV thing, I had to get someone to drive me, and Beverly said she'd be able to.  So that's good.  Now comes the hard part:  getting those days off of work! 

Eh, my supervisor is pretty good about working with you on those kinds of things, so it really shouldn't be a problem.  But the bad news is, I'm probably not going to be up to going to the Fabric To Fiber Fest in Hernando that weekend.  That's a bummer, but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.

Besides, we are going to try to work another meetup later in the year so Kat can come meet Christi.  That'll be so much fun! 

Oh, and the other good news is, we're off this Saturday!!!  I know I need the money, but boy am I tuckered out.  

And now, on to the WIP update. 



 1.  Arwen Wrap:  I've finished the first half, and started the second.

This one is worked in two halves and then grafted together.  I'd bought 8 balls of Knit Picks Swish DK and had planned on just using four balls to each half.  Well, I'd thought I was finished with the first half, because I only had 4 balls left.  So I started the second half.  Which you see above. 

Lo and behold, I found another ball.  No biggie.  I'd just knit five balls on the second half, and once they were grafted, no one would ever know. 

It didn't work out that way.  My CDO made me attach that fourth ball and finish the first half. 

Such is my life...

2.  The 2010 Anniversary Mystery Shawl.   Slowly but surely, I'm making progress.  But I'm to the point that the rounds are so big, it takes about two days to get around one.

3. Conwy sock:  I'm seriously considering ripping this one, and just making up my own pattern based on this stitch design.  I'm really not feeling the love here.

4. Traveling Roses Scarf: Got one more pattern repeat done.

5. Garter Rib Scarf: Sort of completed!

I say "sort of" because I've decided to make a matching hat.  It won't take an entire hank of yarn to do a hat, so instead of having a useless half of a hank of yarn hanging around my house, I'm going to add it on to the scarf, and just make it a little longer.  But I've got to order more yarn first, so this one is on hold.  For now.

6. Fruit Of The Vine  No progress

7. Orkney Pi Shawl:  No progress

8.  Leper bandage: This is my new waiting project.  When I'm on my excruciatingly slow desktop and I'm waiting 20 years for a page to load, I pick it up and knit a row or two. 

9 & 10 The two sock yarn blankies. No new squares this week.

11.  Anniversary Mystery Shawl 2012:  No progress

 It amazes me to think that I've only cast on one, yes one, count 'em one new project all year, and haven't had any shortage of things to knit on.  And it amazes me even further to think that the three hanks of yarn I bought last Thursday is the only yarn I've bought all year. 

And I haven't run out of anything to knit with, either. 

Blows my mind. 

Hum, now I have to go ponder the mysteries of life...

WIPs On Thursday

I know, I know. I'm supposed to do WIP updates on Wednesday, but it's been so long since I've done one, I'm surprised you remember that.

Anyway, now that the all consuming cross stitch is no longer consuming me, I can finally get back to my knitting, and my updating.  So, here we go!

 1.  Charity Scarf:  Completed!!  This project is why the update was delayed.  I was almost to the end, and wanted to finish it last night, but just couldn't make it.  Then, by the time I decided to set it aside, it was so late that all I wanted to do was to go to bed.  So, that's what I did.  I finished the scarf this afternoon. 

2.  Arwen Wrap: No progress

3.  The 2010 Anniversary Mystery Shawl.   No progress

4. Conwy sock:  No progress this week

5. Traveling Roses Scarf: No progress this week.

6. Garter Rib Scarf: No progress.

7. Fruit Of The Vine  scarf: Ditto.

8. Orkney Pi Shawl:  No progress

9.  Leper bandage: This is my new waiting project.  When I'm on my excruciatingly slow desktop and I'm waiting 20 years for a page to load, I pick it up and knit a row or two. 

10 & 11. The two sock yarn blankies. No new squares this week.

I did cast on one new project-- the only one for this year, believe it or not.  So, now I'm back up to 12.

12.  Anniversary Mystery Shawl 2012

I've only done through the first clue, and a couple of rows on clue 2.

So, that's the update for this week. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find something to knit on.

Second Quarter

Well, today is June 30, and you may remember that I'd planned on doing a quarterly update to see how my WIP reduction is going.

This quarter's update is going to be very short, since the cross stitch has been taking up most of my time.  I haven't finished a single WIP on my list.  I've barely knit anything at all.

I did cast on something new-- the AMS 12.  It is the only new project I've started this entire year so far.  I only knit up clue 1, then it was right back to the cross stitch.

Once I finish the cross stitch, I'll be able to get back to my list. 

The good news is, half a year is gone and I have not bought not one single fiber of yarn.  Not one. 

I had me a little adventure in Batesville this evening, but right now I'm too tired to type it all out.  I think I'll make it tomorrow's post. 

And I'm going to bed. 

WIPs On Wednesday

1.  2011 Anniversary Mystery Shawl.  Completed!  This is the only thing I've been working on lately, because I was so determined to get it finished.  It was one of the bigger projects I had on the needles, so finishing it is quite an accomplishment.

2.  Charity Scarf:  did just a few rows, but not enough to really notice. 

3.  Arwen Wrap: No progress

4.  The 2010 Anniversary Mystery Shawl.   No progress

5. Conwy sock:  No progress this week

6. Traveling Roses Scarf: No progress this week.

7. Garter Rib Scarf: No progress.

8. Fruit Of The Vine  scarf: Ditto.

9. Orkney Pi Shawl:  No progress

10.  Leper bandage: This is my new waiting project.  When I'm on my excruciatingly slow desktop and I'm waiting 20 years for a page to load, I pick it up and knit a row or two. 

11 & 12. The two sock yarn blankies. No new squares this week.

That's about it.  I've been determined to spend more time outside, and not in front of the TV.  Unfortunately, that does cut into my knitting time.  That's another thing I like about winter.  I don't feel so obligated to be outside all the time.  It's dark earlier, cold, often rainy, and that's a good excuse to stay inside and knit.