Playing Catchup!

So, I went through my spare room to take stock of all my UFOs and well, I have a few! Not suprising. I took updated pictures of the ones I really would like to complete before starting a new project *LAUGH* Oh I cracked myself up on that one! Anyhoo, here's the current listing of projects that I am hoping to complete by the end of June? Maybe? Hopefully? OK, so that's at least that's the game plan!

Then again, I did just find out that my cousin's wife is pregnant and her family is having a baby shower for them on June 12, while they are in town visiting, so right there I will be casting on for either a blanket or baby sweater. Considering that they currently live in Colorado, a sweater will be well used I am sure. I just have no heard if they know the sex of the baby yet. There are also three co-workers who are pregnant. One of these women worked with me a lot and wrote me a great recomendadtion letter for a summer position, so I would definately want to knit her a baby sweater and she knows she's having a boy so that makes it easy! And there's project no. 2 that will need to be casted on :) *as they say, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions"*

OK, not on to the UFOs. First up Juliet (Rav link). This is my second attempt at Juliet. The first was almost finished when I tried it on and it was swimmingly big!! And before you even ask, yes I did swatch and yes I did get gauge. After looking around on Ravelry and reading others people's project pages, I understood that the pattern ran big and attempt no. 1 went to the frog pond and the yarn was put on the Naughty Step, or rather the Naughty Bag *ok, so I've watch the Super Nanny a few times* So, after being in the Naughty Bag for almost a year. I brought it back out and cast on two sizes smaller. It's turning out much better, so far. Sorry the pictures a little dark. I did not cast off the sleeve stitches as I'd like to add a little more to the length of the sleeve. The garter portion is almost under my bust line and just about an inch away from starting the lace pattern. I'm sort of going back and forth between increasing just enough stitches to complete the repeats or making the numberous increases the pattern calls for and having the extra bulk. Oh decisions, decisions!



Next, I found my cashmere cowl. Just a simple 2x2 ribbing. Not suprised that this project got lost in the stash mound. Ribbing is so boring to knit, but with the colorway, I didn't want to knit something to elaborate and have the pattern get lost in the colorway. Even thought this one is boring to knit, it would be a perfect TV watching project, expecially since all my shows have ended for the season and all that's on now are reruns! It's nice that the yarn is super soft too!



Here's are the Horcrux Socks Take Two. The first time I started these I was a relatively new sock knitting and didn't cast on enough stitches. So, these too went off to the frog pond and were recast-on with more stitches. I think these have lapsed to the bottom of the pile because there were suppose to be my Halloween socks and then Halloween came and went and the socks were put on hold.



Here's yet a third "Take Two" project. Only the first were actually completed. The socks were just a tad too small to get on my feet, so I gave them away and started another pair for myself and went up two needle sizes. I think these will work out much better for me :) The STR yarn is medium weight, so it makes for a nice thick sock. The pattern is a lot of fun to make and it makes a stunning sock in the end. Well worth the effort of a "take two"



Oh my, look, another "Take Two" *anyone see a theme building in my UFOS?* I have actually completed a pair of these socks earlier in the year. I was test knitting a pattern for my friend Sheila's sock club and I knit straight according to the pattern without making changes as that was the assignment - test knit the pattern to make sure there were no errors. So, again the first pair were too small for my feet and are on the "Gift" pile for my sister. They'll either be her birthday gift or her Christmas gift. Since the first ones didn't fit, I went ahead and cast on for another pair for myself and added a few stitches to the cast-on. These should fit nicely when I finish.



Finally, a first draft! *laugh* I took a yarn dyeing class about a year ago at Lovelyarns in Hampden, MD. I was aiming for a purple and brown colorway, I had not realize the range of colors that came out until I wound up this skein and started knitting with it. I just LOVE how the colors are coming along on these socks!! Makes me wish I could somehow reproduce this colorway and make a shawl with it!! Because the yarn is so thin, I went ahead and cast these socks on size 0 needles. I must be crazy, but I really like the tightness in the stitch and the feel of the yarh is FAB!! Of course, knitting on such small needles, these are taking me longer than normal, but I think they will be well worth it in the end!



Something other than socks!! Here's the Tiger's Eye Scarf. I wasn't thinking at the time that I cast this on, but this scarf is make in two halves and then grafted together in the middle so that the "eyes" are all facing in the right direction on both halves of the scarf. So today, I went ahead and cast on the other half and I'm knitting that half until I'm up to the same repeat as the first and then I can knit them at the same time. I really like this colorway with this pattern.



Last up is actually a FO! A bread basket liner. I followed the pattern, but I think the basket would have to be pretty small for this liner to work. I have more of this yarn in this colorway and other and intend to make more of these bread liners as Christams gifts, but I think I will knit the center square larger before I start the edging pattern.



I think I'm all caught up with projects now. Would I swear to that, well no. There could still be a project or five lurking around my home!