My January 08 UFOs- Let the Finishing Begin!

First up on my own Finish-an-Unfinished-Object list are these Worsted Knee Socks -

I started these, um, sometime quite a while ago. Don't be fooled, they knit up rather fast, at least the first one did (especially if you're used to knitting your sock in a lace or fingering weight on size 1 or 2 needles...) I came down with a case of Second-Sock-Syndrome, and even after I finally got around to casting on the second sock I was still rather run down with my Knitting Attention Deficit and, well, other need-to-knits kept getting in the way... Sock #2 is done to the heel; it should only take an hour or two...

Next in line is this eyelet baby sweater, started some years ago. I think it was the 2nd project I ever completed- well, almost completed. I believe 2 of my daughters have worn this sweater sans buttons...

Yep, all it needs is buttons- you wouldn't think that would take a couple years, would you? Well, you must not know me very well yet... (this will not come as much of a surprise to my sister...)

Next up is this bright little Kid's Kimono. It appears done, and I guess it could pass as such, but I made the button loops too big and those cool bamboo toggle things keep slipping out of their respective loops- this is very disenheartening to toddlers wearing this sweater. It has caused much consternation. Those loops need to be remade, and soon; I have another daughter just about the size to wear this striped yumminess. Have I ever mentioned how much I love stripes?

(The striping was a yarn shortage induced variation. I was pretty sure I wasn't going to have enough of the Poppy. My affirming sister told me they reminded her of Big Bird's legs... I think I always liked Big Bird's legs-love those bright stripes!)

Another thing that should only take me a few minutes... yet it has taken over a year... yes, procrastination is my middle name...

That brings us to this little purple thing. It's another of those eyelet baby sweaters (given name unknown at the moment as the Leisure Arts booklet this pattern came from is temporarily missing in action.) If I remember correctly (and I seldom do) this sweater was a good part of the reason the buttons never got sewn on the green one. This yarn is much softer. I quickly became disillusioned with the scratchy acrylic yarn I used for the first one (though it was the prettiest yarn I could find at Walmart that week) and wasn't very concerned with the finishing anymore... but then I was excited to actually put something I had knit on one of my babies, even without buttons.

I'm not really sure what project jumped ahead of the finishing on this one. One thing I do know, this project has languished in my knitting basket for far too long. It needs to be finished, even if baby Mercy is getting too big to wear it. It is probably destined to be gifted. My youngest sister is nearing the birth of her first, but it seems pretty likely that he's going to be a boy, and I doubt she would dress him in light purple eyelet anything, no matter how much love went into the making. But really, how much love can there be in an abandoned project that has sat so long I can't even locate the pattern? I think I'll have to count neckline and button band stitches on the green one to finish the puppy. I can do that, really I can, but not tonight... maybe tomorrow... see what I mean about that middle name thing?

Well, that's what I'll be working on this month, that and an armful of other projects, like usual.

Happy knitting-

ali

eta: Buttons were sown on the green baby sweater last night, and the 2nd Worsted Knee Sock was completed this afternoon. Socks await blocking.

January Finish a UFO Contest 2008!

In the spirit of the New Year and the required resolutions that accompany it, I've been mulling over a couple new ideas for new contests. Now, there's nothing wrong with just randomly giving away great treasures and fun, but I do strive to have some sort of reason for a contest, something to encourage and inspire the knitting and the knitter.

I don't know how many of you make knitting resolutions along with all of the regular dietary resolutions, time with family resolutions, time to stop and smell the roses resolutions, etc… but I, for one, have been mulling around a few knitting resolutions of my own, the first of which is a resolution to pick a certain something up out of the UFO's pile and turn it into a veritable FO. And, well, I'm fairly certain that I am not the only knitter with a pile of UFO's… so perhaps you may think of this new contest as a sort of cyber support/accountability group.

From now until January 21st, post about an unfinished object you resolve to finish by January 31st, remembering to mention this contest (with a link back to this post, if you please,) and then you will have until February 7th (that's a week for you blog slackers, like me) to post a follow-up entry, complete with pictures of your newly (finally…) finished object, and you will have a chance to win some of Blue Sky Alpaca's newest yarn- the Skinny Dyed Cotton.

I believe I've managed to wrangle up 3 skeins of the not-yet-in-stores new yarn, which I think will make the winner one of the first people to get their needles on the stuff! I'll throw in a copy of the Baby Cardigan pattern as the new yarn knits up to a similar gauge as Blue Sky's Sport Weight and Organic Handspun Cotton, and, well, cotton is just perfect for a baby sweater! 3 skeins would be enough to knit up all but the largest size for this pattern, though you can certainly choose to knit something else if you have no wee ones to knit for…

So start digging through that pile of UFO's and pick something to finish this month. I think I know just the item I'll be working on- I'll be digging it out later this week, and then I'll have to dig out the pattern- if I can even find it… or I'll be winging the finishing… Watch for my UFO to FO resolution post by the end of the week…

And… check back for details about a belated winter knitting goals contest!

Until then,
Happy knitting-
ali

edited to add linking details: Leave a comment, because comments make me feel special, then post on your blog (with a link back to this post) about the UFO you resolve to finish this month, then come back and add your details to the Mr. Linky widget (leave the link of your contest post) so we'll have all the posts linked in one place, and knitters far and wide can see and be inspired by all of the finishing going on around the world!

Oh, and feel free to grab a button for your blog- help spread the word! Right click, save as, you know the drill...