Keeping Busy

I didn't mention in my last post, but I am trying something new. I am doing a weekly update that has different sections. I am hoping that this will keep me focused by having specific topic areas. I am very happy with the progress that I have made this week. I have touched all 3 of my current projects. I do have multiple UFOs, but I will get to those one at a time. I am hopnig that these updates will help me to tackle all of the UFOs (not all at once) during the rest of the year.

WIPS

1. Made some progress on the test knit. I had to pause for a correction, but I am finally getting somewhere.
2. Summer Mystery shawl is going very well. I had clue #2 finished the day after it was released.
   
3. On the bird, I already have all of the little parts complete and have finally started on the body. Crocheting in black is pretty hard especially if you don't have enough light.

UFOs

1. I started working on another preemie hat in the STR Lemon Grass yarn. I am not sure if there is enough yarn left to do another, but I will try.

Queued

1. Watching the back episodes of Round the Twist has me really wanting to cast on the Glynis socks by Cookie A. I am thinking of using one of my multicolor skeins.
2. At the same time, if I cast on Hermione's Everyday socks this month, I can count it towards the SKA contest. Should I complete a pair for Hubby or do another pair intended for me? Do you always leave the frogs on your project list, or do you redo the project for the new item?

Purchases

1. I received one of the items I ordered last week. I finally got Witches Leggings from Fibernymph.
   

Events

1. I can't wait for Estes Park Wool Festival! It is coming very soon (06/11/2011). I have never gone to this event even though I have lived nearby for many years. This is the first year that it is actually working out for me to go. I wasn't going to try spinning out, but the more I have thought about it, the more I want to try it out. This will be good place to try this out and it will count for the contest listed below. Also, I hope I meet some of the people that I watch.
   

Podcast Notes

1. Dramatic Knits - Summer Stash Down use tag DKSSD2011 for projects using stash yarn between 06/01/2011 and 09/01/2011 in order to count how many skeins of stash yarn were used. I don't have any hopes of getting the most skeins in this stash down.
2. Knitmore Girls - is having a contest called three bites. This is their term for trying something new. It is all about trying something new for 3 times before deciding about it. Spindle Spinning here I come.
3. Knitgrillls – is having a just because contest. I am getting so excited about the 5k Stash Dash!

Switching things up

WIPS

1. I am working on my very first test knit item. I originally started it in Madaline Tosh Sock yarn, but the yarn was so soft and squishy that I really wanted to use the yarn for something else, so I frogged the project. I re-started the project in The Sanguine Gryphon Bugga Cuban Cockroach. It is an easy enough project and it is turning out very nice.
2. The Madaline Tosh Sock Norway Spruce became the Wendy D. Johnson Summer Mystery Shawl. At first, I was not going to do this project, but after everyone kept talking about it and the feel of the yarn when I was knitting the test knit called out to me to just do it.
3. I am continuing to make the Angry Birds collection. This week I started the black bird. I have all of the parts done, but still need to start making the body.

Frogs

1. Not only did I frog the test knit item, but I frogged something else. I feel bad about this one, but I originally started a different mystery shawl with The Sanguine Gryphon Bugga yarn. I loved the yarn, but did not like the pattern as much (of course once I see the complete shawl, I might change my mind and have to start all over.) I frogged the test knit to become a different shawl and I frogged the shawl to become the test knit.
   

UFOs

1. I pulled out a crochet afghan out of hibernation called Deep Blue Ripple. It was a ripple afghan that I started early last year, while I was still pregnant. I only had about a third of it complete, but because the Knit Girllls talked about their 5k stash dash, I got really excited about finally doing stash knitting. I don't know why their stash knitting is calling to me more than any that was done before, but it does. I did over half of an afghan on Saturday. I had to restrain myself from finishing it. I can't believe how much progress I made in one day on a project that sat from more than a year. I swear if I had no other obligations I could do an entire afghan in a weekend.

Queued

1. I added the Omelet shawl to my queue after Becca was talking about it on KnitBytes. We will see if I actually do it.

Purchases

1. I just made a couple of purchases this week that I can't wait to receive. More on that later.
2. I started the Summer Mystery Shawl on my size 5 (3.75mm) circs, which of course are the only circs that were bamboo. I do not like bamboo circ needles, but these where my very first circ needles I purchased years ago. So I went to my LYS intending to buy the Lace needles, but she only had the Addi Turbos. I switched to the turbos and now am upset with the bluntness of the needle. I really wish I had tried a different LYS that carries Hiya Hiya needles, or purchased something else online. I will keep this in mind for future purchases.

Podcast Notes

1. Dragonfly Soars - recommend checking out a new vidcast called Knitting Blooms, which I did like
2. Knitting Blooms - is having a name the wheel contest on her Ravelry board.
3. Round the Twist - I am actually going back and watching all of the past episodes that I missed.

May Flowers

April sucked. It was all about one sickness after another for everyone in the house. May has been going much better. I have been knitting/crocheting up a storm this year. It is unbelievable how much I have done this year compared to previous years. I am going to join in The Knit Girllls 5k stash dash and I am so excited about it. I am having a hard time not completing things before the start date of 5/27/2011. But I did have to complete my Angry Bird by Karla Fitch. It is not very much yardage anyway. I am so tempted to start the Mystery Shawl by Wendy D. Johnson, but I have enough going on that I really should not start that. (Maybe I will start it later.) The yarn that I am using for a test knit, is so calling out to be a shawl that it is really tempting. Maybe I should buy more madelinetosh sock! It is so soft, I can see why people make shawls out of it.