It's a Theme

Slowly but surely, I've been trying to finish things already on the needles. It's a daunting task, so don't worry, I'm not going totally crazy with the idea! There are still, I believe, 4 projects physically "on" the needles. One additional project, not on the needles. Shall I list them to keep me honest?

1. The Cotton Ease striped sweater for my youngest.....Cotton Ease and manual striping (no ends weaved in yet), need I say more? I'm still on the original back panel (sigh).

2. STR Pebbles baby cable rib socks with eye of partridge heel - honestly, I don't know what the problem is with these.....I think they will end up as part of my MIL's Christmas present - she's having foot surgery in early Nov, and won't be able to wear them before then anyway. And it's still 80 stinking degrees here! Who wears wool socks in 80 degree weather?

3. Top down sweater for my neice (I have do another 2 before Christmas - she has siblings). I know - I need to get my butt moving....most of the body is done. It's the sleeves that I'm trying to avoid....:(

4. A SSS issue. I knit an easy, green, 3x1 rib sock for my oldest daughter, and it's still waiting for its mate. What's up with that? I usually brag about never suffering from SSS syndrome. Well, it was the third sock that I ever knit, and I had already knit 3 socks total in this colorway - "Jungle" from Claudia's Handpainted Yarns. My youngest got the first pair ( by accident.....first socks - need I say more). Nothing is wrong with the yarn, but I was tiring of the color quickly. It's a really pretty color, but I'd had enough green.....

5. Chevron scarf - I'm taking this with me on vacation, and getting nicer needles so that I want to knit it. The wooden ones I have right now are horrid. I am usually a fan of wooden needles, but the yarn doesn't want to slide around on these particular needles like it should, and I get frustrated. UGH!

So my theme (of this post and of the coming week) is to finish some of these things, so that when I'm off next week, I can start new things - freshness! Renewal! Growth! :)

But for now, take a peak at my finished dishcloth shawl - A simple triangular shawl (I believe it's my first knitted one). With just a yo after the first two stitches of each row, and garter stitch the rest of the way. I had to knit it from two balls of yarn, since I didn't have enough in the hand dyed colorway with just one skein. So, I had to combine them to get the effect. They were two from two different dye lots. I absolutely love it, and its simplicity. Why you ask? Well, it was just pretty mindless knitting, and I worked on it at night (when it was cooler), and when I was watching TV. My life is stressful as it is, and this remained the perfect project to still keep knitting, but not sweating through a lace patern, etc. Unfortunately, it was knit in a thick (thicker than worsted) weight merino, so I was sometimes practically sweating (perspiring)trying to knit it in the summer heat. I think it will look fabulous with everything from denim (which of course is my favorite), to black pants. Now if the weather around here would just cooperate and act like the fall it's supposed to be.......well, I could actually use it!