The Active WIPs

Ok. I'm a multicrafter, with a short attention span. And I probably define WIP's, WIM's and UFO's different than anyone else.

WIM to me is Work In Mind - this is a project that I'm designing in my head; have decided I want to make one day (such as a turtle neck sweater, but haven't found the "right" pattern yet); or have printed out or saved the pattern for but don't have/can't afford the materials just yet.

UFO to me is UnFinished Object - these are projects that I've relegated to the craft room and have ultimately been buried by other items relegated to the craft room. I work on a project for a while, then another comes along and entices me, so I start it, fully intending to alternate between projects, which I do, then another comes along that excites me, then something else grabs my attention.... Soon, I have a pile that I can't keep track of, and DH complains about the encroachment of the pile on our living space, so the pile moves to the craft room..... I gotta do something about some of those. I mean, some are actually close to being finished.....

Now we come to the WIPs. Works In Progress. For me, a project becomes a WIP as soon as I commit to it. Which means, it is a WIP if I have the pattern, material, and tools all gathered together ready to start it. And it goes into the pile. Either in a bag, or a basket, or sometimes, if it is compact enough, just on a coffee table or loose on top of the pile.

I have way too many of those - the list is over 70 items long..... And, truthfully, some of the items on the list are in the craftroom, but they are only just in the craft room, so they aren't buried into UFO status yet. Honest. I could get them if I wanted to.

So, I've decided to consider a new category. Active WIP. Or, AWIP. These are the projects such as the afghan, that has a definite deadline. Or the socks, that have a desired deadline. Or some of the _AL's, or knit or crochet alongs that have a sort of deadline. Or, that are close enough to bejing finished, that I have renewed excitement in them and want to complete them and cross them off the list!!

So, here are pictures of my progress on my current AWIP's, that I am actually working on for at least an hour an evening.











The beginnings of the afghan.... Two pictures because I figured I'd move the tails.... And straighten the piece... and one is a little blurry.... and....

Ok, enough of that.... here's the socks I'm working on right now. One was a KAL - Pretty Petals by Jeanie Townsend, from her group, Townsend Socks. Way back in the summer some time, a bunch of us joined a second spin-off list/group, to all knit this pattern together. I don't like using two circs, even though I know how to, so I used two sets of dpns. Of course, I kept getting side tracked by other projects - the doggy sweater, the paw mittens, and the usual distractions. So, I'm finally finished turning the heel, and ready now to pick up the gusset stitches (my least favourite part).

Ok, blogger is acting up again.... Wonder if anyone else is having trouble uploading pictures?

Well, I could pass the time by mentioning - there was another KAL on the Townsend group (well, several, but I'm just going to mention one of them for now) for the Maple Leaf Socks. Now, that one, I want to use a specific sock yarn to make. But, sadly, that yarn is in the craft room. It went in there quite some time ago - and I know I've seen it on occasion while digging, but..... I can't start the socks until I find the yarn. There is a story to go with it. To do with Yarnfairy. She gifted me two skiens of Socks That Rock yarn in the colourway "Farmhouse". I hadn't decided what to do with it, waiting for "just the right project" to come up. Well, it did, with the Maple Leaf socks. See, Laney wanted to be an "honourary Canadian" on one of the lists we were on together (Laughing Lace Knitters), which she of course became. And, since one of our Canadian emblems is the Maple Leaf, of course I figured that these things would go well togehter. The pattern and that yarn. And the KAL started around our July 1st Canada Day celebrations, which was also close to the time that I learned of Laney's final health issues..... So, I now cannot make those socks any other way. At least until I've made the one pair from the STR, anyway.... But I haven't been able to locate the yarn. I gotta get that room organized.

Ok, so, let's see if I can load the pic of the Petals....

Ok, done, and in place. Next, we have a sock that came from yarn from a "grab bag". Ram Wools came up with these sock grab bags - a paper bag with a ball of sock yarn, and a pattern, that you couldn't see of course, but would come in some sort of seasonal theme colour. I think this was supposed to be a summer colour, but I'm not sure.... Anyway, I liked it very much. But, figured I'd better do the socks for DH instead, since I had/have so many on the go for me. And it is in a nice masculine type colour. Quite a serene comforting colour, too.... Anyway, for some reason, this yarn just didn't want to be knit into the pattern it came with. I think that one attempt I got nearly twenty rows in before I had to frog. Five attempts, and I finally put it aside until it told me that a very simple, basic, basketweave would work. Which it is....



Ok.... Next up, is what I'm calling "Nature Socks". Just a simple rib, k2p1. I'm ready to start making the heel on this one - going to do a short row heel. It might seem a little short in the picture, but it really isn't that short, and besides, I need to make sure I get two socks from this one ball of yarn....

Recognize it? I'll give you a hint...think oak leaves and mystery bushes

Ok, so quality of photos and colour and lighting isn't the greatest.... But, if I keep waiting for ideal conditions, you guys will never see any pictures!!

Finally, I did restart those Six Sox Knitalong Iris Garden socks. And got far enough that it doesn't look like a bird's nest of yarn with knitting needles stuck in the middle. It has some shape. I did a close up pic, too. Just for fun.....

So. Those are the projects I'm working on. I really need to press on with the afghan, and I use the socks when my patience for the multiple yarns on the 'ghan wears thin. But, I'm really going to have to start doing two sessions on the 'ghan. I average five hours craft time an evening....and I have five projects on the go.... so, one of them will have to get rotated out each evening....y'know, like, maybe tonight I won't work on the nature socks, and tomorrow I will, but maybe leave the basket weave ones alone... that kind of thing. Of course, I really want to put off the petal socks, since it's at a stage I dislike.... Or, maybe I'll force myself to get that done, then it will be smooth sailing afterwards...

Will take pics and let you know :)