Instant Gratification

Well, I guess I'm doing okay with my goals for WIPs, even though I have to confess that I did cast on some new things this weekend.  I wanted to get started on planning my Christmas knitting, with the hope that I can get it done in good time this year and not feel really rushed leading up to Christmas, especially since I'm working pretty much straight through.  So I cast on a pair of the slippers I'm planning for the women in my family and the hat that I'm planning for the men.  I wanted to check how quickly they knit up, sizing, etc.  I made a pair of the slippers for myself.  The pattern is Turkish Bed Socks from Churchmouse Yarns.  It's quick and easy and will be perfect.  I like my little pair a lot.  The pattern uses one skein of Koigu, so I went and picked up some other colours (okay and maybe I might have picked up a sweaters worth of MT Pashmina that Sharon just got in the store a few days ago ...)

Then I knitted up a Windschief hat (a lovely little Stephen West pattern), using about 3/4 of a skein of Malabrigo Rios.  The test hat is for Tim.  I made the largest size and it's kind of big (good thing he has a fat head) so for the rest of the family, I will make the medium size.  I also picked up some more Rios to have a good range of colours to choose from.

So, two FO over the course of the weekend.  The sweater hasn't been worked on since Friday, but I felt like I needed to do something I could finish quickly.  And this way, I have the Xmas knitting sorted and ready to go.  The hat takes about 6 hours, the slippers about 4.  I am planning to take yarn for a couple of hats and a couple of pairs of slippers when we go to Cabo at the beginning of October.

I also started something for a long term project.  I've been wanting to do something with all my many, many left over small balls of sock yarn and I finally found a sock weight blanket I like, made up of little 3D squares.  I can knit one up from time to time and eventually at some point I'll have enough for a whole blanket.  No rush to finish.  But it's nice that the square itself only takes a few hours and feels like a finished object. I knit two of them today.

Next up, the plan is to get back to the sweater and get the fronts finished.  That's what I'll work on this week.  And I have a 3/4 finished pairs of striped socks as a purse project.  I cast the socks on in August.  They just about to the heel on sock #2.

So, even though I did start a few things, I feel like I'm still on track.  It was hard though.  My startitis was going full bore this weekend and I had to resist the urge to also start a lace shawl and a new striped shawl (I've been wanting to make a Colour Affection for ages).  But those need to wait until at least two or three more things get finished!