Crime & Punishment

It’s time for me to come clean y’all!  I mean really clean.  Don’t know what I’m talking about?  Let me tell y’all what has happened to me.  😳

A few weeks ago, I had the audacity to respond to Andi’s post “Thoughts on Finishing Things” and stated that I’m now a monogamous crafter.   I even went on to say that my “Mood Blanket” project was keeping me on the straight and narrow and that I didn’t suffer from cast-on-itis anymore.  I absolutely didn’t plan to tell such lies!   I was so proud of myself with my  … errrr … alleged …. one Mood Blanket project.  But then my W.I.P (work in progress) basket started to mock me.  I mean — it showed absolutely no respect!  Called me a liar!  Had projects all up and through my apt — on my work table, on my couch, on my night stand and even in my bed!   Taunting me like “monogamy, what is that m’lady”?

Then exposed me it did:

Laurie's beanie

It showed me the beanie I need to add 1 inch of stockinette too, then decrease for my friend Laurie.  Plus it reminded me of the purple pom-pom I need to finish it off with.

Socks

Then I got slammed with two at a time socks that’s been sitting in my yarn bowl for the last three months.  I’ve been promising to make socks since last year. 😳

Mood Blanket Progress

I tried to hide, but was accosted by my mood blanket that’s stuck at 2.5 rounds behind.  Oye vey!!!!   She’s a demanding beauty that one.  Le sigh!

Julian's Blanket

Then I got blasted with the fact that I started Julian’s blanket last week after the Tax Office tried to sandbag me with a crazy bill, but I don’t like garter stitch in Stylecraft’s DK yarn so I hauled out some worsted in sea blue colours, only to have them sit there waiting for a start date.    This blanket was supposed to be done since last year; he’s going to be 1 in August, in a mere few weeks.  Bigger Le Sigh!

By this time, I was whimpering, asking my WIP basket not to charge me with treasonous lying behavior, to give me another chance and I got one.  I got my sentence lessened based on the fact that I actually finished a project  this week.  It was my HPKCHC project for my Defense of Dark Arts class.   This project is the “Big Lace Scarf” which was perfect for newbie lace knitters, but let me not digress.

HPKCHC DADA Spring 14

Although I had that project to help me out a little, the fact that I had a mojito then cast on my first colourwork hat on Monday night and worked on it up to midnight ended any graciousness my WIP basket had for me.   An alcohol induced cast-on!  Treason!!!!!   In my defense, I had tried to start this project on the train earlier in the day, but my needles separated while I was doing the ribbing so I waited until later.  What?!!!! That’s the truth!  With all that drama and the fact that I had the nerve to cast on yet another project — woooo Nellie — not even the sweetness of the colourwork gave me favor.

First Colourwork Hat

My sentence: Finish all these (except for the mood blanket) and make progress on my sweater before Stitches East (October 9th 2014).   Finish them or be sentenced to the Monogamy Tower with no chance of parole or leniency.  Without opportunity to start new projects or practice new techniques .  Finish them and showcase each of them in their own F.O. post by or before the deadline or be forever known as a starter, never a finisher!

That’s too heavy a price for me to pay for not being monogamous.  I have a day off on Friday; I intend to get up early, put on pretty pjs and designate the long weekend as time served for these projects.  Will any of you be in the cells above, below or next to me?  I know I’m not the only one.  Maybe we can commiserate through the walls?  😦

Ready, Set, Go!!! Flax!!!

Since my list of crafty resolutions for the year is so ambitious, I figured while I was trapped indoors by the latest snowstorm in my area, I might as well make use of the time and get a head-start.   So I soaked my swatch, and it’s drying now.

I’ll be checking it tomorrow to see if I made gauge for my first adult sweater.  Yes people, take it from me  — swatching is important!  Trust me, it’s not for the birds!  It can make the difference between a wack project and an awesome one.

Sidebar: Wack meaning:

Something that just plain sucks, or isn’t cool at all. Lame.

Don’t be fooled by the following:

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Got it?!!  Okay then!!

Obviously, being trapped indoors is making me loopy!  LOLOL!!! 😛

My goal this year is to make at least two sweaters for myself and I think Flax is a good place to start.  It’s part of TinCanKnits Simple Collection and another one of my goals is to work through the entire collection so this project will be a two-fer. 😛

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Last year (2013 — it feels so weird saying last year) I conquered my fear of knitting in public.  In December, I knitted on my subway rides to and from work and that’s how this sweater is going to be done.  Since it’s mostly stockinette stitch, something mindless that I can do on the train, I have no doubt that I could finish this project in good time.

I did the swatch just before the year closed but I need to see how much the yarn will grow when wet.  I also need to see if I’ll have to do down a needle size.  I want to get all that done before the end of the weekend.  Cause Monday, if you’re in NY, and taking the train, I’ll be that woman with a million bags, knitting needles, serenely working on her sweater in the chaos that’s her transit system.  I can’t think of a better way to pass my commuting time; can you? 😀