February is for Finishing (continued)

Excerpts from a recently overheard conversation with myself:

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I hereby pledge that February is for Finishing. I will finish all of my WIPs in February.

Who are you kidding?

OK, I guess there is no way I can finish everything this month. How about this. My knitting this month will be limited to projects that are already on the needles.

Yeah, that's better.

Great, so I will not cast on any new projects in the month of February.

Except for socks.

NO! Socks are included in this ban!

That's cruel and unusual punishment!

Too bad. That's the way it's going to be. You have to learn to make a committment and stick to it. You will abide by this ban, and you will like it. And if you don't like it, tough!

Wow, what a &#@)*

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So, in the interest of full disclosure, here is the list of my current (and I use that term loosely) works in progress (again, another term open to interpretation).

Debbie Bliss Alphabet Blanket that I found on Jennifer's blog. Still don't know the baby's due date, but I will get this thing done by the end of February.

Mitred square sock yarn blankie. I love this so much! I found it on Shelly's blog. I'm thinking I should have made it a little wider, though. I can't think about that today...I'll think about that tomorrow.

Soy Wool Stripes hat. The yarn is from my SP11 spoiler, Criquette (thanks again!) and the pattern was found on Ravelry

Emma and Tara colorway socks. This is yarn is also from my generous SP11 spoiler, Criquette, and I can't wait to wear these socks! Just a half of a foot and a toe to go!

Shelly Dyes Sock Yarn socks. Yes, the same Shelly from the mitred square blanket! She is an awesome mom to two little girls, and yet she still finds time to knit and dye yarn! I'm loving the way the colors spiral down the sock. Just a heel, a foot and a toe to go!

That's it for current WIPs, except for a super-secret project for a friend who occasionally drops by here. Shhhhh! These next three have been fermenting in my yarn cupboard, and I thought this would be a good time to bring them out and get the stink blown off of them ahem... let them see the light of day.

This is from the Summer 2004 Knitter's magazine. It is "A Step Above" sock by Kathleen Power Johnson. This is the third pair I have made from this pattern, but I made a really poor choice of yarn with this pair. You can't even tell, but the whole thing is entrelac. That's a lot of trouble to go to with a semi-solid yarn that just makes it look like any old sock when you're done. Not to mention that fact that I hate to do that type of heel, where you mark the spot with waste yarn, then come back and pick up the stitches later on and work the heel. Hate it. Absolutely hate it. I can't stress that fact enough. Oh well, just a half of a foot and a toe to go and then they would be done, so I really want to finish these suckers. Damn, forgot the heel. Did I mention that I hate that heel?

This pattern is called "Cable Lattice" and it's from the “Classics in Kroy” pattern booklet #922, from 1998. I've made about seventy bajillion pair of socks in this pattern, and then one day, half way through a pair, I decided I couldn't knit another cable or lattice or I would puke. If only that happened when I was a little closer to finishing the pair. Oh, well. Half a leg, heel, foot & toe, and then "Bob's Your Uncle"!

Now for the final WIP. These are not what I would call a mind-numbingly boring knit. In fact, I have to pay pretty close attention. In Ravelry, I've gotten five comments on this sock, and seven people have marked it as a favorite. I found the pattern for the leg & foot online, and am using the heel pattern from the “Sock Hop” book. I've really got to pick these up again and get working on them. Just look...they're almost done. Just a whole leg, heel, foot and toe. They're practically finished! Just another half hour of work, and viola!

Ha! More like a half YEAR of work, you moron!