Thinking about UFOs

My husband was getting something from my Art Room last week, and he commented, "You sure have a lot of unfinished projects."

I, of course, immediately corrected him: "Those are UFOs." It took a few seconds, but he got it. Then I explained they were also WIPs.

I started this hat months ago, but then I got stuck on the decreases. I had failed to note how any stitches I cast on, so I had to recount and then decide how I wanted to do the decreases. Once I counted, it was easy. The lovely yarn is from Knit Circus.

I have never denied that I have a problem with casting on -- but I know I'm not the only one. There is a certain high that comes with casting on -- it reminds me of a sugar high. It feels so good at the time, even if it's the 101st WIP you have going. I have a similar relationship with chocolate.

This is my third pair of Kirsten Kapur's mitts, all knitted in Crazy Zauerball. I have to do one more to use up the rest of the skein. These are addictive, but I think it's time to move on.

While I admire people who can maintain knitting monogamy, I don't even aspire to it. I like the variety. I like giving into the urge to cast on something new and exciting. 

That's not to say that there aren't downsides to having so many WIPs. I do sometimes feel pressured to finish a batch before starting anything new. And it means I own too many needles -- you can't use needles that are in a WIP, after all. (Well, technically you can, but I'm not that organized.)

And I do finish things on a steady  basis. It took me about three days to knit the Hoopla Hat from PomPom.

And then I just had to cast on another Hoopla. I have two good excuses: First, I wanted to practice the Latvian Braid before I forgot how to do it. Second, it's a great stash-buster!

Spring Is Everywhere At Last

Even Wisconsin has finally welcomed spring! Kola and I are very happy to be able to hang out on the screened porch. 

 Last Sunday I noted that there were 31 days of school left, which means we are now down to 26 days -- 25 for me. I'll be eating Jello for dinner and undergoing everyone's favorite intestinal screening procedure tomorrow.  Yesterday a teacher went public on the state of the profession in the Miami Herald. I love my school, my colleagues, my students -- but no one is exempt from the budget cuts, testing culture, lack of respect. Those have become national problems. 

But, getting back to spring, I have started another set of mitts in Zauberball Crazy, and this ball is very cheerful and seasonal:

My quilting project also features flowers:

I like this project, but again, I feel like I'm following the commercial fabric's direction. I fell in love with the flowered fabric and then chose others to contrast with it. 

The projects I really love are more original. I've started working seriously on a piece for an exhibit that my fiber group is having in the fall, and I like this one so far. The show is at the Arboretum so all the artwork has to include Wisconsin wildlife.

I have four Wisconsin birds and a handful of native wildflowers. When I finish the design, I'll transfer it onto cotton twill and embroider it with perl cotton. I think it will be a fun one to embroider.

I've been taking it easy this weekend. I am exhausted following a week of student crises at school and an injury. A student came flying out of a bathroom and banged into my wrist, leaving me with a sprained arm. I spent the whole day dealing with Urgent Care and Occupational Medicine. Still, I did go out for Gallery Night on Friday. There's a new store that focuses on arts and crafts from Tibet, India, etc., and it is furnished with this completely beaded chair:

Really. That is all beads, see:

Five more weeks. I can do it, right?

Kitten, Kids & Mitts

So, where I have I been for the last month? Well, here is one of the highlights:

Mostly I've been working, practically drowning in paperwork and testing. And there was the matter of the lab stool that came crashing down on my foot in biology class, prompting weeks of light-duty. I still can't wear most of my shoes.

But spring break was pretty amazing -- as well as insanely busy. I started by flying to Miami, where I got to have dinner with my photo-shy son. Seth is working 20-hour days, six days a week, so I was thrilled that he was able to get away for dinner.

I had a wonderful time hanging out with Rachel and my grand-kitty, Delilah. Rachel is a true minimalist --except when it comes to her kitty. Delilah is one spoiled kitty.  

This is probably the special ed teacher in me, but I could swear that kitty has an attention deficit disorder. No matter, I fell in love with her. I think Rachel would have disowned me if I hadn't.

Miami is a great town for coffee shops, restaurants and bookstores. This coffee art came to me at Brewing Buddha, where the coffee was velvety and rich.

We spent a morning wandering around Wynwood, the artsy part of Miami. The murals there are phenomenal.

And we found these amazing gourmet donuts:

Then it was off to Seattle. Take my word for this: Flying from Miami to Seattle is a very long trip. But my aunt was celebrating her 90th birthday, so Rachel and I spent 12 hours getting out there.

We didn't have much time for sight-seeing (although we did walk past the original Starbucks), which was just fine. Many of my favorite people were there, so it was a wonderful weekend.

Rachel, left, with two of her cousins, Robbie and Jennifer. I wish
they could spend more time together!

Of course, I had to have some good travel knitting with me, and I was very pleased with my choice:

These fingerless mitts are based on a recipe by Kirsten Kapur. I grabbed a skein of Crazy Zauberball from my stash, and I love the results.

I'm going to get two pairs out of one skein, so I'm quite pleased with that. It's a mindless pattern that was perfect for travel. 

I hadn't knit with this yarn before, and I found it to be a fun yarn to work with. It's hard to stop because you want to see what color is going to come up next. It's a bit scratchy, but I think it will soften with a good soak and some wear. I definitely want to keep one pair for myself.

Keith met us in Seattle, and then he and I took a red-eye back to O'Hare. I actually made it to work that day! 

Stitching & Listening Outdoors is the Best

I couldn't help but snap another shot of backyard stitching after work yesterday. The yellow puddle of yarn is a Lambkin Lid from Drop Dead Easy Knits. I'm using a Encore DK weight. I like to use sturdy, washable yarn for children.

The sock is Idlewild, also from Drop Dead Easy Knits. The product is cute, but it's a bit tedious of a knit. I'm determined not to let it become a UFO, so I try to knit a few rows every day.

Idlewild is written by one of my favorite designers, Kirsten Kapur. I like her designs so much that I'm going to try a mystery knit-along for the first time. She has a mystery shawl KAL starting June 15. It'll be a bit tricky because I'll have to find a café with WiFi.  Have I mentioned that I'm going to Copenhagen next week?

Don't you love the basket? It's my new way of keeping my focus on just a few projects at a time. Plus, it's easy to carry stuff in and out of the house.

As for listening, I've been making my way through King Leopold's Ghost on Audible. It is devastating and enlightening. It explains why African nations today have so many challenges.

Three more days to summer!

New Book Yarn Along

Because I had a few recent finishes, it seemed reasonable to cast on a new sock, Idlewild by Kirsten Kapur in Sun Valley Fibers MCN in the color Jungle.

The sock just happens to be from Drop Dead Easy Knits. I don't buy a lot of knitting books because there are just so many and I can't knit that fast. But this one I've looked at for a while. I adore Kirsten's patterns and she has some really good ones in this book. As promised, this sock is pretty darn easy!

I started reading Spectacle by Pamela Newkirk, which is the true story of an African man who was exhibited at the Bronx Zoo early in the 20th century. Man's cruelty to man never fails to amaze me. Nor does the spirit of people who survive such travails. I've only read about 40 pages, but it's fascinating so far.

Did you notice my tea? It's Inuit tea that I bought in Quebec last summer. I've tried two flavors, and it is some of the best herbal tea I have ever sipped. I'm going to have to see if I can get more online

I'm linking up with Ginny to Yarn Along.

Another Shawl!

I can't believe it has been a whole week since I blogged! My first week back to school after winter break was busy, not in a bad way, but I was pretty darn tired when I came home at night.

I do wear my shawls, but not as often as I should, given how much work they are! I had decided not to make any more for a while. That decision, however, was out the door after I surveyed my stash with idea of knitting it down in mind.

I have a lot of sock yarn. A lot. Really. Gazing over it -- and feeling a bit overwhelmed -- it occurred to me that there were some two-color shawls that would use up two skeins of sock yarn. This rolled up blog of yarn will eventually be a Hecate, another beautiful design by Kirsten Kapur:

An FO At Last

Yes, I realize my hair is a mess in this photo but it was really windy!

More importantly, for the first time in a long time, I have an FO to show off. This is Coleus by Kirsten Kapur of Through the Loops, and I am thrilled with it. It is a larger shawlette, which took me close to two skeins of Madelinetosh Sock yarn in Lapis. I picked up the yarn a few years ago at the amazing Article Pract in Oakland, California, which makes the shawl extra special to me.

Kirsten is one of my favorite designers. Her designs are not only beautiful, but beautifully written. This was much easier to knit than I expected, thanks to Kirsten's skills.

Other great Kirsten patterns that I've knit are the Reykjavik Mittens and the Ida's Kitchen hat. I've knit both of those twice and am working on my third Ida's Kitchen. I highly recommend both!

I wear jeans a lot, so I plan to show off this baby!

P.S. Many thanks to my good friend, Debbie, for shooting this photo when she had more important things to do!