One of the joys of my commute is that I frequently stop in and see my pal Cynthia in Pine Grove Mills at Stitch Your Art Out, i.e. the best yarn store between Yinz and Youse Guys. On this particular day it just so happened that the stars had aligned and we were in the same knitting mental space, which is to say, totally freaking sick of all our projects and ready to cut some bitches.
We talked through our gripes, did some digging and decided that the whole knitting 10+ projects at once thing wasn't really working out so well for us as it was leading to a blind rage typa deal, so we made a mutual pact to change our ways and improve our attitudes in the process. Radical measures to rectify the WIP Excessfest 2009® have been taken and many, many projects have been removed from permanent rotation. By removed I mean either ripped out, stuffed in a ziploc bag and banished to the third floor behind the stack of Consumer Reports that I'm going to read someday or put into the temporary holding zzzzz tank of Ravelry. Out of sight is the operative term here.
We have come up with a power of three concept--at any given time, only three projects can be in the mix. Why three? Three is enough to not get bored but also to make some progress. Three--one portable, one concentration-centric and one t.v.project. Three--enough to keep you content and rolling along and hopefully prevent you from hurting others.
And guess what? All my knitting agita is gone--poof!--just like that, so much so that I even finished a long-term pain in the noodle WIP!
The Specs:
Pattern: Ann Budd Basic Sock Pattern--i.e., my go-to generic sock pattern. So clear and intuitive.
Yarn: Regia 4-ply Kaffe Fassett in 'Landscape Fire' (?)---for an industrial yarn, it ain't half bad, much better than many others. Trekking--I'm looking at you.
Needles: 1 1/2 addi turbo lace needles--needles that have gotten so much use the finish is wearing off them, which is a bit of a concern.
Time: I cast on for these last March and am oh so glad they are done-ski.
Now that I have finished a project, a spot has opened and I can FINALLY cast on for one of the many sweaters I have planned. First up is the Vine Lace Top Down Cardi--I've been itching to try my hand at this one ever since seeing Earthchick, ASHLEY and Babs' impressive versions.
35 comments:
That's how I do it too - study project, concentration project, in-transit bag project. Too bad you can never roll all three into one!
I love the toe pics! SS yarn kitcheners really cool toes.
I love the socks. And, on a non-knitting-related note, I enjoyed reading the Wikipedia link on the origin of "yinz". In South Central PA, land o' my birth, it's "you'uns"...glad to see both variations on Wikipedia. I always assumed that it came from the German, not the Scots-Irish.
great socks! i throughly enjoy your recitfy the 2009 wip mission. I am in! I also am loving Sweaterbabe right now! Her flutter sleeve blousy cardigan is catching my eye.. i'm just wondering if i can actually pull it off!
That's the magic 3 types of projects I try to keep going. Sometimes I do complicated sock patterns which goofs me up because the portable and the concentration-centric become the same.
Looking forward to seeing your vine lace cardigan. What a great pattern!
You mean before you saw MY impressive version, of course. MINE.
I like those socks. I think I need to embrace the self-striping more.
You are TOTALLY right. Three projects, as you categorized them, should be enough! So, why arent' I ripping away right now? Don't know!
I love those socks. I think I may even have a couple balls of that yarn around here somewhere...too bad I can't cast on, I have far more than three projects on the needles at the moment.
Sweet socks. I just finished some with the same yarn which my mom brought back for me from Munich
Awesome socks!
I've knit one pair with Kaffe's yarn and I have to say I loved it.
I love your socks - the colors are so great. Sad that such sock yarn isn't available around my place, but definitely something I'll have to try if I ever come by it. I love to follow your blog, thank you :)
Three is about what I can handle, too. Although usually it's two knitting projects and one spinning project. I've been known to have a few more than three going at once, but I don't seem to get anything done when I have that many. Hmmm, I wonder why.
Great socks! I've found that I don't particularly enjoy knitting with Regia sock yarn, but it does wear like iron!
I agree with Ashley that her Vine Lace Cardigan is completely fabulous. Love the socks and the new three thing.
I like the explanation by Elizabeth of yinz, as I only moved to PA a few years ago and don't have all the local lingo down.
Love the socks! I am glad you found a way to cope with all of your projects. Boy do I know what you mean about getting sick of so many projects in the rotation. Maybe I'll try limiting myself to three and see if that helps me actually finish something. Seriously!
I really like this three-at-a-time idea. I now have visions of ripping dancing in my head.
I just love this:
'the WIP Excessfest 2009®'
I try to keep it to three at a time too. Except I think of it as 1-sock project 1-little project and 1-big project. And I try to make sure 1 of those 3 projects is always for me.
Urm... I cast-on for my "landscape fire" socks in Oct 08, and I still only have one done...
And I probably have 3 X 10 projects languishing around the house. So I don't want to talk to you right now (Imacutchyou!)
Three *is* a magic number! It's my favorite number of wips.
And those are some socks, totally gorgeous. The cardi is going to rock out, too. Here's hoping you wear it at Rhinebeck!!
What a clever girl! That is exactly what I am going to do...
I knew there was a reason you were the coolest knitter on the block. You may have just solved my knitting woes as well because I was feeling a little bit batshit over the many projects I've started lately and not finished. I'm taking your very sage advice tonight!
I've been feeling the same WIP angst and am itching to fix that. The socks are knit up in some happy colors, I hope they please the Curmudgeon!
My reason for having no more than three is even more simplistic. Even with the miracle of ravelry, I can literally forget about a project if I have many more than that. Especially if I take a wee little break from the knitting for awhile.
Exhibit A: I found a sock the other day that was entirely finished but for the kitchner-ing of the toe. It's probably been in this near-finished state for round about 6 months
Exhibit B: After throwing a fit looking for my US 7 dpn, I finally figured out what project they are in... unfortunately, I cannot begin to imagine where that project is (have checked all the usual spots). Broke down and bought more dpns today.
Exhibit C: I pulled a Noro stripped scarf out of my WIP (in the hunt for the aforementioned dpns) and thought, "Hmmm, forgot about this."
Call me absent minded, but I just can't keep track of it all!
Every year I claim as the year I'm going to only have 3 WIPs at a given time: socks, a lace shawl, or a sweater. Sure I'll knit other things, but those are the main ones I like to knit. We shall not speak of the WIP section in my Ravelry notebook now. Agreed?
3...makes sense. I agree that too many WIPs is stress-inducing.
The socks look very nice. I like the color combo and it knits up differently than what I'd think looking at the skein.
LOVE the socks!
I love your socks! They're cute and fun and I love them with your shoes!
So how many projects did you rip out?
LOVE those socks. and yes, as soon as the fourth project is broached, my knitting mojo gets completely confuzzled.
I absolutely love how the stripes don't really line up-so, so, cute!! I love me some basic socks!
Love, love, love the Kaffe Fassett Regia colorways and I love even more that you used the word "agita". So reminds me of the Sopranos.
yinz know thoze r some kewl socks. here's a great blog about pittsburgh, its called only in pittsburg
http://tinyurl.com/l5usjg
Yup, three's my magic number, too. Any more than that and I start to hyperventilate.
The Rule of 3 sounds like a great way to go. I've been oddly monogamous lately, which makes my stunning lack of progress all the more disturbing.
Thanks for the Vine Lace Cardi shout-out!
Those are awesome! Glad you got your mojo back!
i love these socks!!!
Beautiful socks! I may have to try this 3 theory... I've been inundated with unfinished projects lately.
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