Weekly WIP(s) - Week 1

I always seem to have multiple projects on the go, but rarely do I document it.  When friends ask how long it took to create something, I usually hum and hah before making a very non-committal answer.

That being said, I really enjoyed documenting my dyeing experience on the weekend, and even though I may be the only one reading and re-reading my blog entries, I'm going to start to measure my progress a couple of current projects (mostly of the knit variety) here.

Current Project #1: The 7 Year Sweater
I could probably create an entire separate blog just for this sweater!  When I picked up knitting 11 or so years ago, I promised to (one day) knit a sweater for my husband, once I felt more comfortable with my skill set.  I had knit him a sweater before we were married, but something happened with the neck hole and, well, we nicknamed it 'El Grosso'.  (Hey, you never know, the off the shoulder look may come back into style!) So, after 2 babies and many, many baby sweaters to hone my craft, I decided it was time to knit a man-sized sweater.  Yarn was purchased, a pattern was picked out and stitches were cast on.

But they were all wrong for each other.

Two years later, I purchased the Patons Men pattern book with the intention of knitting the Top Down Fair Isle pullover minus the fair isle, but I couldn't wrap my head around the wrap technique and after 3 attempts gave up.  I convinced my husband that a Guernsey would be a better choice.

The Guernsey pattern was easier, but boring.  I dropped that one after 12 inches of the back was complete.

After another year, I decided that despite my husband's protestations, that a cable knit sweater would be the best thing to keep me interested in knitting the darn thing.  The albatross of sweaters!    But with the complex pattern not something that I could easily take with me to the soccer field or on long car rides, it was tucked away and forgotten.

So, finally, the guilt of so many birthdays and Christmases without a sweater wrapped up for the love of my life,  I cast on the Top Down Fair Isle again about 2 weeks ago.  I've made several projects with wraps and short rows in the years since I last attempted this sweater, and get past them this time around as a breeze.  The sweater is coming along quite nicely.  I've only got about  rows to go until  I can start to separate the sleeves and the body.  I'm adding stripes instead of the snowflake pattern and  the seamless, in-the-round pattern will be a perfect project to bring along with me to a Spring and Summer full of soccer.

Current Project #2: The Lonely Tree

Loving my newly dyed worsted, I sought out a shawl pattern last night and came across the Lonely Tree Shawl on Ravelry.  I cast on last night and have already finished Chart A of the pattern and I just love, love love it! The leaf pattern is showing off the delicate variations in my hand dyed yarn so nicely.

Current Project #3: Entrelac Bag

I love the look of entrelac and it's been years since I've worked anything in this basket-weave effect in the past (I've made a cushion cover and a little purse),  but I've never felted entrelac, which is the aim of this project.  I'm working with Patons Classic Worsted Wool and I've completed the first two tiers.