Celtic Cable

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Thursday, December 29, 2011

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!

11 comments:

  1. Yay for seaming the sweater. It's looking good. :-)

    The first step is identifying the WIPs. ;-) Then it feels so good when you cross them off. :-)

    Happy New Year!

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  2. Happy New Year!
    I am happy I only have a maximum of three WIPS right now or at all times. I do want to finish my sweater that I started a year and a half ago.

    LOVE how the sweater is looking.

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  3. The person you knit that sweater for is very lucky, it's so beautiful! Frog away friend, it gets easier! Best wishes and Happy New Year!!! (Maybe you can move things around? Could you use the amex card to pay some of your bills which would free up the equivalent in cash for yarn shopping?)

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  4. I think I need to make the same resolutions as you. I've already vowed to use my existing stash up before buying more.

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  5. I solved my AMEX problem by trading the gift card with my boss for the same amount in cash ... now if I get to All About Yarn before the new year, I'm not breaking any resolutions, am I?!

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHOHOHOHHEEEEHHHEEEEEHHEHEEEHE!!!!!!

    Is there an emoticon for gleefully rubbing hands together?

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  6. Have fun buying new yarn - I call it yarn therapy.

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  7. I'm with you on destashing. Would seriously like to make my way through a third of it as well. Good luck!

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  8. Yay for Big Brown finishing before the end of the year! It will be such a relieve to cross it off the list.

    I can't fathom not buying yarn. Stitches West is right around the corner, and the market is calling my name already. I will have to knit faster.

    Happy New Year!

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  9. Your sweater is awesome! Don't worry about those WIPs, just hide them somewhere so you can't hear them calling your name. This tactic makes it easier to ignore them and eventually forget where they are resulting in vanishing guilt. :0 Happy New Year!

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  10. I think WE are quite clever to disavow New Year's resolutions, don't you? Let's own our wonderful selves--hee! hee!

    Wishing you a blessed and love-filled 2012, Beth!

    :)

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  11. Hey Beth
    Go you - I just got the Giantic Cricket Jumper Finished and I'm proud too.

    I wish you a Happy new year -

    Aki
    (http://akitombo.blogspot.com/)

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