There is nothing more that I like than working my way through a big project. What can be more exciting than finishing that new sweater or gigantic, endless, Find Your Fade shawl after watching it slowly grow day after day, week after week from a pile of skeins to a beautiful finished project? The drama of the whole thing: is there enough yarn, will the colors go together, is my gauge correct, yarn chicken, and all the other questions and worries of the large project are part of the fun. A little stressful, but a labor of love, each and every one.
So, it was a little bit of teeth gritting that I pulled out the basket of unfinished projects (UFOs) down from the top of the bookshelf a couple of weeks ago.
I wrote about cleaning up the UFO pile a year or so ago and got trolled by people who hoped I was writing about aliens. Nope. I guess I should follow Ravelry’s lead and call them WIPs. Fine. This is the WIP (works in progress) basket. It is full of smaller knitting projects that should get done in a couple of knitting days each. Check it out:
Well, how long can all of this take? Time to jump in and clear the basket, I told myself. I pulled out the socks (hey, it was snowing outside!) and got started.
Now, after two weeks of steady work and cat entertainment I am happy to report that I have made real progress. The basket is almost empty, needles and stitch markers are returned to their proper places, and I have gained a number of small knitted accessories.
Now I’m down to the last item in the basket, a cowl. Wow. I thought that this may take me all month, but I should have the basket cleared by the end of the week. Well, there was that one pair of socks that I couldn’t help casting on while I was working on the WIPs, but still, the end is in sight.
Excellent. I have some large projects all kitted up and ready to go.
Wait until you see these sweaters and shawls I’ve got lined up!
Have a good weekend everyone!!
Yarn, Books & Roses 
My gosh, you’ve been busy. I am so impressed, not only with your determination to finish up the UFO’s (I like that term but found it hilarious that you were trolled by the believers) 😉 You’ve made such pretty and practical items, too. I need to pick up my needles again. I’m still learning the basics of crochet, but have promised myself a beginning class. I can’t stop decreasing my rows, so need a hands on bit of help to see where I’m going wrong.
You seem in good spirits and I *know* your hands and feet are warm. xo Alys
Thank you. I am happy with the rapid pace of finished items. It helps that we had several days of rain/snow over the last couple of weeks.
I am in pretty good spirits. The kids are maintaining and my last round of doctor visits and tests went really well. Spring is coming and my roses are even trying to bloom (between snow storms).
And I have new yarn! 🙂
I’m delighted to hear that your doctor visits went well. That must have lifted our spirits. You are getting snow really late this year. Here, on the other hand, we’re suffering through our third heat wave (88F today). I miss spring. I’m glad your kids are maintaining. What’s the plan for the new yarn?
Oh, we have been having snow, severe thunderstorms and days in the 80’s. My poor garden is just reeling and the frost damage to the trees was just heartbreaking. I hope that we have had our last freeze warning as I am planting flowers TODAY!!
It was fun to visit doctors who were smiling and happy. Really, the pulmonologist was almost giddy; a year ago she had to tell me I was in serious trouble and she referred me to pallative care. I think that it must be hard to provide care for people with chronic illnesses and when they get someone who pulls up from a nosedive it must feel wonderful for them. I’m working on my post.
The next yarn projects will also be a post. I’m trying to keep my head down while I finish up the WIPs, but I can hear them calling me…
Your trees must be so confused. What a snap in weather to go from freezing to 80. There is no way to plan for that sort of thing.
Please let me know what flowers you planted. I love that sort of thing. 🙂
A smiling doctor says it all. It would be challenging to be in a profession that strives to cure people, knowing of course that sometimes they can’t. I’m so pleased to hear that you’ve “pulled up from a nose dive” and hope things continue in that direction.
I keep dreaming about the next pair of socks I’m going to cast on…and finishing two of my wips so I can cast on new projects…for quilts…I don’t need the sock needles to cast on a new set, so I have a few ufo quilts going on…. Alas, I need to finish up a pair of socks so I can get to the new ones…(I’m not tired of looking at the purple yarn, but I’m knitting one pattern for the fourth time, and the other pattern now has four sides of sock…I think my attention limit is three…so the last one is simply me playing, “Are we there yet?” One day soon, we’ll get there…the purple sock is going with me to a band concert tomorrow…I’ve since learned to knit mostly quietly, so I don’t have to try to keep up with the percussion group. But I’m growing a yarn for around my favorite chair and footstool, for projects I want to make soon.
p.s. congrats on getting through your wip basket so fast;-)
I’m just ignoring my quilting projects for now… sadly there are more than a few. Then there is some beading stuff…
Wow! Not only did you say you had to do it but you did it. I am so impressed:) Everything is wonderful! I love the socks but like MacKenzie the shawl is my favorite:)
Wow! You totally nailed your WIP’s basket.
I did. It feels good. 🙂
:-)) yes ! MacKenzie helped as much as he could !
He’s quite the helper, too!
Progress indeed!! That organized and finished basket makes me feel happy inside 🙂
I know! Isn’t it wonderful to shed all the guilt of abandoned projects? Now I can flung myself into new projects absolutely guilt free. 😀
Hello! Visiting your blog for the first time. You knit a lot! Very pretty. I just read in the comments that you also quilt! Sorry that you have a long term illness. Knitting is very good for you in so many ways, but you probably already know that. I look forward to reading more on your blog.
Hi, glad to meet you. 😀 I do quilt, but most of my time is spent knitting with some weaving and spinning on the side. Knitting has been good to me; since I need to move my hands a lot to combat stiffening (I have scleroderma), knitting has proven to be excellent physical therapy and I haven’t lost any function. I hope you enjoy my little adventures in the fiber world, my garden and of course there’s my spoiled and demanding cat…
lovely yarn. they make some really beautiful socks! 😊