Today is my first WIP (Work in Progress) Wednesday! Since this is a new blog, I thought I’d start at the beginning of my knitting journey. I started at McNeedles in Lacombe, Louisiana (you can visit them virtually here) during the Christmas holidays with my mom. The walls in the cute little shotgun house turned yarn shop are covered in yarn, needles, and finished projects. After some talk with the kind staff and offhand calculations, I walked out with 4 balls of Artful Yarns Vineyard in a gorgeous brown and some size 9 needles. I think my mom helped me cast on about 20 stitches. She used a slingshot style cast-on. I took those off and cast-on again so I could say, “I did this myself!”
I certainly struggled with holding the yarn but got the hang of it. I ended up knitting about 4 or 5 inches. I didn’t like the way it was working up, so I yanked it all out and tried again. I think I cast on and pulled out at least 3 more times before I started my official second project, setting this yarn aside for.ev.er.
I guess my first finished project would be this gorgeous blanket for my niece, Nora. I really had to focus to get it finished. I wish I had a picture of the blanket by itself, but who can fault the most adorable little lady for being a part of it too?
Pattern:Pattern 309 My Family Green, Blue, and White Baby Blanket
Yarn: MY Family in Green, Yellow, & Orange
Ravelry Link: Nora’s Blanket
After finishing her sweet blanket, I switched back to the scarf and eventually settled on a long, long, long cast-on and knit in a basketweave pattern. Sometimes I get to work on it 🙂 Since prepping for this blog and post, I did dig it out and have it in my car to knit on while I’m at redlights or waiting in lines. Maybe we’ll see some real progress on this bad boy soon!
Pattern: Personal Pattern
Yarn: Artful Yarns Vineyard in Brown 7908
Ravelry Link: Never Ending First Project
On a more exciting note, my current WIP is Purl Soho’s Colour Change Scarf for my friend Jabes’ birthday. I’m using Silky Alpaca Lace by Classic Elite Yarns on Size 7 needles. I also altered the pattern by only using 4 colors and using them to create a more total gradient effect. I started with carrying 2 strands of white for 12 inches, then a white and multi green for 6 inches, solid multi green for another 12 inches, multi green and solid green for 6 inches, solid green for 12 inches, solid green and blue-green multi for 6 inches, and ending with 12 inches of the blue-green multi. The lace pattern is easy to memorize and the project is coming along!
I rewound the balls of yarn so I could pull from the center and the outside, or maybe I just really, really like using my ball winder?
I’ve got the first section of white done and the first 2 color section. Just started the solid multi green section on Monday evening while watching the St. Louis Cards play the Braves.
A close up look at the lace pattern.
Another close up but at the white/green multi section. This will certainly need some blocking so the lace will lie flatter. The alpaca is making it spring up.
I’m also linked in to Tami’s Amis WIP Wednesday. I love that she hosts such a neat forum for everyone to share their projects in progress.
I think the most dangerous type of WIP is the mental one; you know, all the projects you have going in your brain for all the stash yarn and yarn lining the shelves of your LYS. I think my next cast-on for a friend’s birthday gift is going to be the Wine Country Cowl in Aria I bought on a trip to San Francisco’s ImagiKnit. At least I’ve already got the yarn in my stash.
These balls look a little messy. I may have yet another excuse to break out the ball winder!
I’ve also got another friend who’s birthday is the same day (May 31) and I’m thinking the Karma Scarf by Loop Knits, but I still need yarn. I’ve come across a wonderful LYS here in Louisville, Sophie’s Fine Yarn Shoppe. They’ve been incredibly welcoming and should have just the yarn I need. I may need to dedicate a future post or two to all the great LYS’s I’ve had the honor of visiting.
I certainly have other WIPs going. Sometimes, I am easily distracted by beautiful new yarn or patterns and tend to cast on without an end date in sight. You can check out my other WIPs on my ravelry page. Hopefully I can locate and pick up those projects again soon. It seems my other “deadline” knitting projects are taking precedence.
What WIPs are you working on, physically & mentally? I’d love to know!
Jenna
hardknitlife 
I totally agree that the most dangerous kind of WIP is the mental one. They have this disturbing propensity to turn into physical ones – especially when you least need to start a new project! That’s how I ended up juggling six active projects and quite a few hibernating ones…
The mental ones keep being cast on! I need to learn how to knit faster…maybe a venture into continental knitting can help my growing list of WIPs…
I have a Ravelry queue nine pages long. Plus I have just made myself face all of my WIPs at once. It was a frightening sight. 🙂
I love the baby blanket you made for your niece, and I alway think a project picture is better if it includes the recipient. She’s adorable!
I love that you had to face the WIPs! I’m thinking I might do that soon as some sort of cure for my propensity to cast on new things. All. the. time! Thanks for your comment! I have enjoyed your blog so far! Thanks for sharing 🙂
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