Update on my knitting related 2011 Goals

Back in January I wrote on the yarn-love blog and here about my knitting challenges and goals for 2011. I thought as it is nearly mid year it was a good time for a progress report.

Goal number 1 was Lace. Although I have found a few possibly patterns I have not started knitting lace with lace weight yarn yet.

Goal number 2 was Colorwork. I'm happy to say I finished the Corrie Vest I started working quite some time ago! Of course I finished it in late spring and the weather has warmed up so I have yet to get a chance to WEAR my Corrie Vest. The two colors at one time part was easy since I am able to knit continental so I just had one color in each hand. The steeking (ie cutting my knitting, on PURPOSE) was the scary part. Until I did the reinforcement that is. My sewing machine is having issues so I went for the crocheted reinforcement for my steeks. In the process of doing this I was able to see exactly what I was catching, so my fear of my knitting running lessoned greatly. It seemed to take me HOURS to get my crocheted reinforcement done, but when I did I was so excited to whip out my scissors and start cutting. And it was FUN! Bottom line: its done and I'm already looking for other fair isle vest patterns.

Goal number 3 control my castonitiis so I have less works in process. I think I'm doing OK at this. Since January 1 I have cast on for 4 items. Two of which were small sweaters for Elphaba. One was a shawl that I admit has scarcely been touched. The fourth was a shawl as part of the Camp Loopy program that The Loopy Ewe is doing this summer. The only reason I let myself do this is because it consists of three projects, each completed start to finish in one month. I have completed 6 items since January.
-My Ruth's Entrelac Butterfly Shawl, started in Dec 2010 and finished in January.
-A granny square blanket I started making in July 2008 just to make Granny Squares. This was finished in January and gifted to a friend about to give birth to her first baby girl.
-TWO sweaters for Miss Elphaba. I was discussing making sweaters for a friends new doxie pups and realized my own little girl hadn't gotten a new sweater from me in quite a long time. So in January and February I made not one but two sweaters for my little girl.
-My Corrie Vest as mentioned above. This was originally cast on in January 2010.
-My "joy" socks, knit up in Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere in the Joy in the Morning color way that was available through the Loopy Ewe as part of a kit. These were cast on in August 2010 and finished in May 2011.

Elphaba Sweaters



So, I've cast on 4 items this year (one of which is almost done) and cast off 6. Sounds like progress right? I've also being working hard on my Flair sweater which was originally cast on in September as part of a knit along for yarn-love. I have made tremendous progress and just have about half a skein of yarn left to round out the length of the sweater and then that will be done as well. Should have plenty of time to finish this for wear this fall.

Goal number 4 was to do a non-worsted weight sweater. I have favorites plenty of options for use with some of my dk or sport weight madelinetosh. After flair my thought is to cast on for a sweater with one of those.

So there's my update! Good progress on half my goals half way through the year. I think that means I'm doing well!