We're Talking About Progress!

GUYS- let's just cut to the chase because it's been so long.... A FINISHED THING FOR US ALL TO BEHOLD!

Pattern: Dreams of Granada Baby Blanket by Triona Murphy
Yarn: Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted in 112 Moonstone (Guys! Stash! Yarn! Go me!)
Needle: US 8
Notes: None of the notes on Ravelry are lying to you... this cast on is a bit of a bear.  It's 480 stitches.  FOUR! HUNDRED! EIGHTY!  It's also really REALLY hard not to twist.  I highly recommend heeding the advice of everyone on Ravelry (that I plain ignored at first, but ultimately followed), knit the first few garter rows and then try to join in the round.  It's much easier not to twist.

It's a lovely pattern really.  Once you get into the actual knitting part of it, it isn't all that hard.  I will also note that it does puff up a bit in the middle in the second cable section.  It blocks out flat- so don't lose faith, but it does make it a bit more high maintenance for the poor mom washing this thing cuz she's going to have to lie it flat dry.  Maybe I'll just tell the recipient to drop it off to me and I'll wash it and re-block it for her... all the time.  haha.

Still... despite the plumping, it is a really pretty blanket and OH so clever for the rows to get shorter and shorter.  There is no more glorious moment than when you remove the second circular add on because you don't need it anymore and just have enough stitches for one cable.  It's glorious.

I've also got a whole sweater... in pieces that I'm ready to contend with.  I must admit I've gone from
"KNIT THIS ALL THE TIME" on this project to feeling rather blase on the whole "sew this up" now.  I just need to dig in and do it... hoping that deadline I set for myself inspires me to another thing for the finished column.  After all... NaMiKnitMo approaches!

Don't worry about the sock- there isn't enough progress to actually take the time to snap a photo of it, but it is also getting some love- and I'm hoping it sees itself off the needles soon too.  My October distractions have kicked in, (Oh there IS stuff to do for Halloween afterall and Parker's birthday party also needs some attention...) but I'm still plugging away.  Stitch by stitch we'll get there.

Fall Motivation

It is Oct 15th.  It is Oct 15th and I don't have a firm grip on our Halloween costume situation this year.  Every October is usually a "write off" for me... trying to get Halloween cased.  This year?  MEGA Lazy.  This is slightly because the child wants to do Star Wars again, despite husband and I desperately trying to point him in another direction.  And so, the costumes for us aren't tricky to do- and, (mom willing), Parker's idea shouldn't be too tricky either.  Mom and I will visit Fabricland tomorrow and hopefully have it all sorted by the end of the day.

Without Halloween as a usual distraction- I have more time to focus on my other projects at hand... specifically my big blue sweater.

It's starting to look like a real live sweater isn't it?  I've got the right front ready to go next, just need to cast on and get knitting... which will hopefully happen after this post.  I'm hoping potentially by the end of this week to actually start sewing it up!

Pile 'O Sweater Pieces!

I've even given Maudie some love and have finally turned the heel and begun the foot!

What I haven't done and need to do, is block the Grenada Blanket.  I'm slooooooow on that front.  I have the blocking board but the motivation hasn't been there.  It needs to get there.  Come on motivation!

I've decided to make a goal for October in order to motivate myself to a finish.  By October 31 I want to be DONE the sweater, the socks AND the blanket.  It's ambitious but not unmanageable.  It would also free up my brain for November.  A lot of people participate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) in November.  I'm declaring it NaMiKnitMo- National Mitten Knitting Month!  Specifically, I'd like to knit FOUR pairs.  I'd really like to go into December feeling indulgent in my knitting.  BUT, it means that I have to knit up four mittens prior to that.  Anyone want to set their own November Mitten knitting goal and join me!?

As hard as it is to say goodbye to summer, I'm enjoying all of this fall motivation and knitting desire!  See you with some finished items (hopefully) soon!

Rolling With It

Great news- (but not if you are the one of many things like dishes and laundry in my house), my desire to knit over anything else continues at a great pace.  "Oh there's laundry to do?  Maybe tomorrow I really want to finish this sleeve."  "Oh I should go through Parker's closets and get rid of things he doesn't fit anymore and clean out the winter gear?   NOPE... knitting instead."  "Work out twice a week like you said you would after Parker went back to school?  NO- that takes up valuable knit time!"  I am a woman posessed and quite frankly... I'm just rolling with it.  (I am going once a week to my Barre workout lest you worry about my well being...)

The grey baby blanket went from 450 stitches to EIGHT and is now off the needles!

Ends need to be sewn in and lordy does thing need a good blocking... but we're getting there.  I am concerned that the level of blocking required isn't conducive to gifting an "easy to care for blanket" but I might be too far along at this point to care.  Baby isn't due until mid November, I could potentially eek out something simple-ish.

And, as I confessed last week I am wholly consumed with knitting the giant sweater.  It is all I want to do.  I've been using it as "reward" knitting.  You want to knit a sleeve?  FIRST Cast off of the blanket!  You want to do the other sleeve?  I think that Maudie sock needs it's heel turned first!

I've done the extensive math on adjusting my gauge for the sweater and am in the process of figuring out how many stitches I need to add in order to take it to my knees.  (Answer: a lot... )  But so far progress is moving along swimmingly.  I've already told myself that once the back is knit (currently in progress) I need to stop for another worsted mitten... and then will use the sweater as a bribe to get the mitten done. 

It helps that it has snowed already.  The weather has been either unusually warm or quite chilly.  But I don't know... maybe just giving the mojo the space it needed to return was the key.  I don't know what the key is... and I'd take the time to figure it out... but it cuts into my knitting time... which we just can't have right now.

I'm off to KNIT! ALL! THE! THINGS!