Quicknitroundup wk 03/09

Between migraine wipeout and general busy-ness, knitting is not progressing startlingly well. Items 1 to 5 have been struck off the Hit list, and I think that is pretty good going. This is where we left things on the week 1 report:

Redrawing the “for completion list” for (let’s say) January/February/March:

  1. Mr plumbum’s desk mitts to sew up
  2. Water Socks done 4/1/09
  3. Earl Grey Socks * live 4/1/09
  4. Ingrid
  5. BSJ
  6. Rainbow Swallowtail
  7. Bayret beret
  8. Thorfinn socks
  9. Warning! socks
  10. Down Among The Dunes
  11. Mingus socks
  12. Petra-fied handwarmers

Rainbow Swallowtail is next up, officially live as of today – though it doesn’t look as though I shall actually get any of it done this day.

I spent a large proportion of the day in my workroom. The general intent was to tidy it up. I got as far as recording my knitting needle collection and now have a spreadsheet of all types and sizes, with needles in use indicated by project. A by product of this process means that I have a full (I think) and terrifying (certainly) record of all WIPs. I made a spreadsheet for this as well, and added some status codes to aid sorting.

Thus the new hit list looks like so:

6. Warning socks
7. Down among the dunes
8. Bayret
9. Mingus Socks
10. Petra-fied cashmere mitts
11. Puccini Hamsa scarf
12. Rainbow Swallowtail Shawl (LIVE 19/01/09)
13. Not so Flashy socks (LIVE)
14. Thorfinn socks (LIVE 8/1/09)
15. Pink Swallowtail
16. Rivendell socks
17. Pomatomus socks
18. Tea cosy
19. Koolhaas (beta)
20. Ghost Alpaca Gust
21. Pinecone Spiraluscious Mitts
22. Frosted Ferns (beta)

I really cannot see me tackling the list in order, since I see the mixed recipe socks (for which I have no great affection) have finally made it to the top of the ToDo list. Do not be surprised to see me ignore them…

#13, the plain socks by my bedside, exist pretty much outside of this list – I just knit on them when I need a plain and easy knit if I can’t see very well. The first gusset is half done. There’s no hurry.

As indicated, Second Sock Syndrome rules on item #6, so passing swiftly on… despite the carefully scientific ranking I reckon we are actually looking at the Rainbow Swallowtail (now #12), the cashmere mitts (#10), the tea cosy (#18), and possibly the Mingus socks (#9) for the next few weeks – with work continuing on both the plain socks (#13) and the Thorfinn socks (#14). Down Among the Dunes, I am still minded to keep dormant until the light improves – even though theory suggests that it would be a relatively quick hit against the list.

I think the original hit list can still come in under the wire by the end of March, as long as I can steel myself to the mixed recipe "Warning!" socks soon. Perhaps the way to do that is to permit myself to cast on the Girasole only after Warning! is off the needles.

There’ll be an FO Post on the Butternut Scarf soon. I also have chunky yarn coming from an eBay bargain, for a Bigger Butternut. I love the unblocked texture so much that I want to try an unblocked chunky version. I shall be using a prototype for a RAK package that I need to do, so there won’t be photos or a commentary for a while on that one.

Must not forget that I still have to knit Mr L’s sweater. I now have two sets of swatches, neither of which I can relate to any particular needle size. I lost both sets of notes. Yes. I know. *sigh* Well, I wasn’t tidying the workroom for the good of my health you know, I felt sure I’d find my notebook somewhere… Ah, well, I shall just have to swatch a third time, shan’t I?

So, when may I cast on the Francie socks?