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!

One New, One Old

Let's face it: How many of us can come home with a load of new yarn and not cast some of it on right away? Maybe some of you have more self-control than I do. But it didn't take long for me to set up my swift and ball winder, so I knew that I'd be casting on.

After all, I am on spring break.  So I do have more time on my hands. I decided that meant I could be a little bit virtuous. Before casting on, I pulled out a UFO, one that I really felt I could finish:

This is a market-bag in cotton. At the moment I can't find the name of the pattern or the yarn. I know the pattern is from Creative Knitting magazine. And the yarn was on sale at my LYS. I'm well beyond the halfway point, so I'm hoping to finish before school starts.

Feeling properly virtuous, I cast on Antarktis by Janina Kallio in Eden Cottage Yarn, both of which I picked up Saturday at the Knit-In. The yarn is a wool-silk blend that is going to be perfect for summer. The yarn knits like a dream, smooth and, well, silky.

My plan is to finish it in time for my trip to the West Coast in July.

As for reading, I finished My Brilliant Friend. I liked it but I can't say that I loved it. I'm not sure why it is such a worldwide sensation. However, there is a twist at the end that not only made the book worth reading but also has tempted me to start book 2. We'll see.

Here's what's up next. 

 

This Should Be Written in the Pressent Tense is a literary novel by Helle Helle, who is a star in her native Denmark. I'm also going to start a Jennifer Haigh novel set in industrial Pennsylvania. Haigh is a good writer and I lived in Pittsburgh for a time, so I'm hoping to enjoy this one.

It isn't all fun and games here at Chez Caffeine. A chunk of Monday was devoted to finished my PDP -- the written document I need to renew my teaching license -- and I have a lot of house decluttering to do. Not that I'm complaining. I know I'm lucky to get school breaks!

I'll be joining Ginny for Yarn Along.