Stitch it or RIP it!

How many of you have made New Year's resolutions to finish your WIPs? Or destash? Well, I never make NY resolutions -- I think it's just setting myself up for failure -- but this year, I'm making TWO.

1. Finish or frog WIPS.
2. Destash by knitting and not buy any more yarn until I've used up at least 1/3 of the stash.

Ta-da! Simple, right? Argh. Not so fast. I hate frogging, which stymies #1. #2 is going to be hard because ... well, my lovely co-workers gave me a generous Amex gift card, and I can think of no other use for it than purchasing yarn. Unfortunately, sadly, devastatingly ... All About Yarn does not accept American Express. Otherwise, I'd have a whole pile of Cascade 220 in my stash right now. I have to check a few other places, before giving up and going to Joanne's with it. I'd really rather give that business to a small business owner, but I know not everyone takes Amex.

I don't think my WIP count is too horrendous.

1. One scarf, heavily cabled, complicated item using a chart ... and I lost my place in the chart.
2. One scarf, made from handspun/hand-dyed corriedale, my first attempt at dyeing, and it's not exactly a pleasure to work with. But it's already very long, so finish it I shall.
3. One scarf, the lovely Malabrigo scarf, which I have a mistake in and must find and fix.
4. One alpaca mitten, no mate yet knitted.
5. Slippers for felting, one is done, the other half done.
6. The lovely morningstar shawl, blue Manos del Uruguay yarn ... Big mistakes, must frog, very painful to consider.
7. A bunting I meant to knit for a baby already too big for it. Must be frogged ... might have to have a friend do it for me ;-).

I think that's it. Aside from the monstrous Brown Sweater of Perpetual Seaming, which I'm finally, gloriously, happily ... seaming.

Here it is a few days ago. The arms are on it now, and I did an excellent job with them, I think. I'm not happy with the shoulder seams, so even though I've got the neck and arms done ... I might pull the shoulder seams apart and re-do them. I might re-do stitching up one of the arms, I think it was a bit crooked. I need to take a fresh look at it.






So I hope to have the enormous brown sweater finished by Friday night, and then I'll post pictures of the recipient in it over the weekend. Hopefully. If all goes well. It'll be so nice to be done with it, and relax with some mind-numbing garter stitch for a while!

Happy New Year to everyone. I hope it brings us all peace and prosperity!