Sunday 29 October 2017

Taking stock


I've been sorting through the pile of WIPs sat in a mountain by the side of the sofa and been ruthless. Anything that didn't really grab me has been frogged and I am left with several projects that I. Must. Finish. before I can allow myself to start anything new. So I thought that if I shared them with you all, then you might hold me accountable and nag me (nicely, of course) if my attention dares to wander and be tempted by anything else! So let me introduce to you my pile of WIPs:

Exhibit A  - the Granny squares that I crocheted using the Opal mini balls of sock yarn from last year's Advent calendar. I want to join them in white and then make a cushion cover from them. And given that next year's Advent calendar is sitting ready and waiting for December 1st, I need to get a wiggle on. 




Exhibit B - the socks that I started knitting from last year's Advent calendar yarn. There will be 24 new balls before I know it to knit this year's socks. 'Nuff said!




Exhibit C - I started knitting this using some yarn that I'd been making a sweater for Mr JK from soon after he died last year. I'm over half way, so it should be plain sailing, as long as I was really sensible and marked where I'd got to on the pattern. It will be like having a hug from Mr JK when I wear it, so I really want to get it done and dusted.




Exhibit D - my Midnight Companion Granny Square blanket. I started this when I was having trouble sleeping last year and found the repetitiveness of the crochet very soothing. I finished all the crochet a long time ago. But do you see all those pesky ends? I suppose I could leave them as a design feature and say it's an unusual fringe! Let this be a lesson to you all - sew in the ends as you go!




Exhibit E - my Squeezebox socks. I started these in May 2016 so they have no business to still be WIPs. And I'm over half way too, so the end is in sight. Must. Knit. Faster.




Exhibit F - another pair of socks half done. I knit this the summer before last when Stylecraft first launched their new Head over Heels sock yarn and I was playing around with stitch patterns. This pattern hasn't been written up yet, but I really should knit the second sock. I never thought that I suffered from SSS (Second Sock Syndrome) before, but I'm starting to have my doubts now. 




Exhibit G - my Running for Rowley socks. This is a relatively young WIP, only a matter of weeks old in fact! I wanted to knit a pair of socks while I was at the Great North Run and York to have as a special memory pair of my running. The yarn was one that Mr JK bought for me on our last visit to Delft. I was on a yarn diet at the time but that didn't stop him from buying it! He bought one in shades of blue which reminded me of the Delft pottery and I was planning to knit him a pair of socks from that one. I love the colours in this yarn and they will remind me that anything is possible if you believe in yourself.




So there, your honour, are my WIPs. I promise that I will not start anything new until these have all been completed. And if I should be tempted to stray, you all have permission to tell me off and wag your finger at me in a teachery way! I'll report back next week on my progress.

Thank you for all the slipper sock love yesterday. I'm thrilled that so many of you seem to like my pattern. It's a really fun one to knit and because it's using DK wool, it knits up fast! Thank you too to those of you who very generously made a donation to my JustGiving page. It's getting close to £4000 now which is just amazing! In case you missed it yesterday, here's another photo of my Bee Cosy Slipper Socks.




And just before I say bye for now, as it's National Cat Day and it was also Black Cat Appreciation day earlier this week, I feel it's only fitting to share a couple of photos of my best girl Flo. She is such a darling and I love her to bits. xxx







10 comments:

Maria said...

Lovely projects to work on. I too have a lot of half pairs of socks and I am also not afraid to give up on UFOs that I don't love anymore. I have been sick for almost a week now with some kind of crud and hope to be able to get back to some yarny goodness soon. I love you Flo, she reminds me of my Miss Kitty who left us 6 years ago, just after we found a mama cat and her 5 kittens in the yard. Needless to say, we now have 8 cats, since we already had two more when Miss Elsa and the babies showed up. I wish you a wonderful Autumn week.

Love and Peace,
Maria

VeggieMummy said...

Flo! I have missed photos of her. You have many lovely WIPs. I have the Opal Advent Calendar waiting for December too, so I'd love to see all your squares crocheted together. Now, get knitting on those socks! :O) xx

Sally said...

I, too, have made a commitment to finish up some outstanding projects before I start any new ones! It's so hard sometimes, but then I almost become "paralyzed" by the weight of the unfinished. So, I think it will be better in the long run, but I also haven't dared to blog about it either - but then I haven't blogged anything. Good for you for sharing it all with us so that we may gently encourage you along the way! I'm sure you'll be finished with them all sooner than you may think.

TT in MD said...

oh your WIP commitment is admirable. i too have way too many WIPs; reality has hit lol

Sarah Knits said...

I love those pictures of Flo she is a gorgeous girl! My WIP pile is much larger than yours ( I hide some of it in a cupboard) just incase that is any consolation? But I do revisit things and move them along a bit quite regularly 😂

Lynn B said...

I’m new to your blog, found it on the Blog tour! Really Happy I have found you too!

Love your sweet kitty. You can tell she loves you to bits too!

There is fashion trend here to wear mismatched socks. They even sell socks in packs of three! So my advice to you is if you you feel like you can’t knit the second sock, wear the three socks you have! Your pile of WIPs will be less! I’m a matchy match lady myself, but if my socks don’t show, like in boots, I feel quite Daring to wear different socks!

Heidi said...

I too found your blog on the blog tour and have come back tonight (I'm in New Zealand) to keep in touch. I have loved seeing your WIPs. You know in your heart which one you want to finish first and I'm looking forward to seeing which one it is! I am working on three blankets at the moment but I'm trying to work on some of each, every week so I stay on top of it. Either way it doesn't really matter does it? There is always something to crochet. All the best.

Christi said...

It seems like it is confession time about WIP's :) I have a few kicking around as well, mostly socks but one pair of fingerless gloves that I've already frogged twice and I'm thinking will have to again :( I just can't seem to knit them tight enough for my small hands, I think I need to drop the stitch count yet again. We have had some frosty mornings so I need to get that project finished and on my hands! I'm looking forward to seeing your finished projects, good luck in getting them completed quickly. Lovely photos of Flo, so nice that there is a day set aside to celebrate black cats!

Lynne said...

Good luck with all of your WIPs, they are all lovely and will be fabulous when they're finished! And hello to Flo!

cristina said...

Why am I not wondering that you too have a black cat? Almost all knitters have a cat and most of them have black cats. I myself have three lovely black cats as well.