Stop Press Muse.

Sorry. Still at sixes and sevens here. The house guest is departed but the virus lingers on. Would it were the other way around!

Inspiration has been distinctly lacking in these here parts – as life took over for a while and knitting time was at a premium. Somehow I completely lost interest for a while. Then along came the virus and wham! All knitting ability flew out of the window to join my inspiration, wherever it is that went.

While Nev was here I did little else but sit and keep him company, knitting on my blanket from time to time. I find that over the week, I actually added twenty-one squares to it! Anything more complex than domino squares was definitely off the agenda however.

I am still wracked by a terrible cough and my intercostal muscles are as sore as they could be but I have reached that stage where I sound so awful that it elicits sympathy, while I am actually feeling far better than I was.

Inspiration seems a bit much to ask for under the circumstances, but an “earburn” on Ravelry got my knitting muscles flexing once more. Today’s Monday Muse is therefore the Colourmart Lovers group. I flagged it up here the other day that they are holding an event of a competitive nature – knitting projects from Colourmart yarns.

I’m in! Especially as the mods have added a WIP class. I was reluctant to sign up for new projects when I knew that I had so many WIPs to complete – now I can add them in!

Not so much an inspiration really, more a matter of enthusing – but the blog has been bare and this was what I found in the cupboard. OK?

The event runs May 20th to July 20th. My knitting schedule looks like this:

Main focus: Snowbird Cardigan in the Sweaters class. The yarn is washed and wound and the swatch is knitted and counted. Once I have my needle tips back I can cast on – so I am hoping to do that on May 20th. I cannot wait to get this cardigan done. It’s going to be gorgeous. Allotting 21 days to it – which is optimistic I know but I do expect to be carried away by it. It may be huge, but it is in a heavy DK yarn and it’s reverse stocking stitch all the way. All in one piece too – so no making up. Not only that, it’s my first-ever top-down garment. Status: swatched

To stave off stocking stitch boredom: a Link scarf/stole in the Lace class. In 2/28 NM Cashmere/Silk/Merino. I’m allotting 10 days. So that makes it fairly crazy that I am adding in width repeats and not taking them away. Could have done a skinny scarf, couldn’t I? Status: swatched

WIP-bashing: A Morning Surf scarf started yonks ago, in 2/28NM CSM held double (4 days) and the Frozen Leaves Shawl (4 days) Both timings are highly optimistic and we are talking FULL days of knitting here. Concentrated work. Status: About 5 or 10% done on the scarf, maybe 20% on the shawl – but I’m not sure how large I plan to make either of these projects.

Believe it or not, that leaves time in which to make a whole new shawl and I hope to make a good attempt at that Queen Anne’s Lace shawl that has been planned for ages. 21 days? This will go in either the shawl class or the UFO class. 🙂 Status: swatched

Yes. Optimism abounds. I’ll switch between projects regularly to keep up the interest and to help my RSI. It is achievable, I believe — but it does rest on doing nothing but knitting and also on how my RSI holds up.  I also need to throw off the viral lethargy. There are things that are bound to get in the way – it’s puzzle week this week, for instance – and days in town shopping will annoy me no end! I’m going for it. What I achieve, I achieve. It’s all about perosnal challenge and progress for me. I’m not wanting or expecting any prizes — though I have promised to donate some and will need to allot time to their making.

Would you believe that I am also up for the weaving class? I didn’t intend to be — but the mods took it that way. I’ll need to finish or abandon the current project and warp up for another, as entries need to be begun in the period from May 20th. Calling it a WIP won’t work as I promised to make up numbers for the weaving cleass specifically. Status: ALARM