What's in Progress

Although I haven't had much knitting time lately, I have been better about sneaking in a row or two of knitting here and there.

I did manage to finish the first Girl on Fire sock

The yarn is a very intense, bright fuschia Plucky Knitter Plucky Feet that was a CookieA Sock Club selection a while back. I wasn't as fond of the patterns that were recommended for this particular yarn so am using a different Sock Club pattern instead. I suppose that balances things out somehow.

My currently active sock project is Drogon, another CookieA Sock Club pattern. The yarn is Cephalopod Yarns Skinny Bugga. The color is a difficult to describe dark brown with reddish/purple undertones, named Tyrian purple. I hadn't used this yarn before and really like the definition it gives the twisted stitch pattern. I've started the heel flap of the first sock. This project should be my first Finished Object of 2015. I'm hoping that I'll get it knocked out in the next two weeks or so to stay on track for the 15 in 2015 goal with Haldeblog.

Stash Enlargement Moratorium

I made a frightening discovery today.  I exported my Ravelry stash database to a spreadsheet and added things up. If the database is accurate (and I suspect it is missing some of the purchases as well as doesn't have all the FOs substracted out), I currently have 103,566.5 yards of yarn in 379.75 skeins living in my stash room.  That doesn't include the over 100 pounds of spinning fiber. 

Holy Cow!!! This explains why it seems like my yarn is bursting out at the seams.  That's waaaaaaaay too big. I could see having maybe 10-15,000 yards at the most. So, with the exception of the two yarn/project clubs I'm currently in (Cookie A Sock Club and Paradise Fibers Yarn Club), I am going to cease purchasing yarn and fiber for the forseeable future. The only possible exception to this will be if I need to make a gift for someone and don't have suitable yarn in the stash.

So, let's see how quickly I can knit things down!  At ~400 yards per pair of socks this may take a while.... (there are 40+ pair of unknit socks in the stash so even knitting them all up won't make a huge dent. It's the unknit shawls that really add to the yardage.)

2014 Year in Review and 2015 New Starts

Another year has drawn to a close and I decided to share what I've knit in the past year.

Ravelry says I've finished nine projects:

• Wendy Johnson's Shetland Pi Shawl. Knit in Misti Alpaca Lace Handpaint.
  
  
  
   
• Ganseys for my niece and nephew. These were original designs using the templates and design guidance in Knitting Ganseys. Sadly, my nephew's sweater only fit him for about 15 minutes. Oh well. Maybe they'll get donated to someone else.

•  Plain stockinette socks in a lovely striped cotton blend yarn. I wasn't sure there would be enough in the skein for a full sock so I made contrasting toes.  While knitting these, I realized that I hadn't previously made a plain stockinette sock.

• Pomatomus sock in a buttery yellow Shibui Knits Staccato.

• Spock Socks in SweetGeorgia Yarns CashLuxe Fine, color blood orange. These are part of the 2013 Cookie A Sock Club.

• Rosebud Socks by Wendy Johnson. The yarn is an indie dyed handpaint yarn called Riot of Colors. I haven't a clue what the color name may have been. I bought it at the Fine Line Creative Art Center.

• Newton Socks by Cookie A in Indigodragonfly MerGoat Sock. Color E Plurbus Nom Nom Nom. These were part of the 2013 Cookie A Sock Club.

• Beaded Rib Socks (my own pattern) in Mountain Colors Weaver's Wool Quarters, color Huckleberry. It's my go-to generic pattern that works well when coupled with Mountain Colors yarns.
  

No significant spinning projects completed, other than finishing up the red/yellow/blue roving I blogged about previously. I still haven't decided what the yarn might become.

Looking Forward to 2015

I'll start 2015 with my customary frogging of the projects that didn't work out in 2014 or were otherwise abandoned. This includes the Morehouse Merino Laceweight Cardigan that turned out large enough for me and a friend (if the friend had very long arms), a Baby Sophisticate cardigan with not enough yarn, 

There is a 15 in 2015 knitalong being organized by HaldeCraft and String Theory Colorworks.

The idea is to start and finish 15 projects weighing at least 50 grams during the year.  Any yarn (or spinning fiber).  Any pattern. This won't help me finish any of the currently underway projects but it might light a fire under any new things. I have already started Drogon by Cookie A in Skinny Bugga, color Tyrian Mollusk.  I could use another dozen socks in my drawer but I'd like to also successfully complete a sweater for myself--either re-doing the Morehouse Merino Laceweight Cardigan or having another try at the Elizabeth Zimmermann Green Sweater or February Fitted Sweater.