WIP's everywhere

I've got a bevvy of half finished projects surrounding me at the moment, most with deadlines closing in and of course I'm sitting here browsing Ravelry.

Royal Melbourne Show entries are due early September and all three of my proposed entries are all well under way but all at that point of the project where I need to knuckle down if I'm to get them completed in time.

I'm onto the border of the Hansel hap, which should be a good thing but unfortunately it's now of a size that makes it difficult to knit on the train.  The border is knit on sideways which means short rows and lots of turning of the project.  I get myself tangled up on the couch, let alone on a peak hour train.  So it's confined to evening knitting time currently and there hasn't been much time for that sadly. 

The tea cosy just needs to be seamed and have a pompom made and attached.  It's probably the least of my worries but I am concerned about the pompom.  My yarn is limited and I don't have any room for error if it doesn't go right so I think I'm procrastinating.

Finally, the socks have reached the dangerous "second-sock-syndrome" zone.  I finished the first on Thursday but ignored my own cardinal rule about immediately casting on the second and now here it is Sunday and if I don't get my act together they won't be ready for tomorrow's train ride.

I am rather liking the pattern though.  It's Torrent, from Tin Can Knits and anyone who knows me can tell you how much I enjoy their patterns.  The yarn is from Fiberific!; it's the Sunflower base but there wasn't a colourway listed on the ball band.  I picked it up last year at Bendigo Sheep and Wool and it's a very lovely match with the pattern, don't you think?

I also cast on another Woolamai, this one in a chartreuse colourway.  You can read more about that over on the Whisky Bay Woollens journal, if you're interested.

I think I really need to get focused!

and then it was done

ahh, in my traditional fashion the completion of my Show entries was a chaotic, frenzied, mad-dash!

After staying up till after 11pm putting final touches on pieces, I ran out of work this afternoon and made it to the Pavillion with 8 mins to spare.

That said; I'm very happy with my 2014 submissions.

A baby's garment (under 18mths)...

Baby booties...

An adult garment...

A tea cosy...

and an "Other"...

There seems to be a prevalence of "pink" in this year's entries too.

Royal Melbourne Show tea cosy swap

The entries for the Royal Melbourne Show's Great Tea Cosy Swap are due tonight, so I'm taking a drive after work into the Showgrounds to drop mine off.

I made the Love Tea Cosy from Rowan using some Bendigo Woollen Mills Classic 8ply in Silver.

I have made a very lacklustre attempt at effort for this entry, I'm a tad ashamed to say.  I thought the yarn/pattern combo would be more complimentary, but the reality is that 8ply just isn't thick enough for a tea cosy.  

On top, this pattern isn't lined so it is structurally is "floppy".   For the positive, it's a large cosy, and it used up the last of this wool out of my stash.  Plus it's another finished item for my 24in12 challenge.

That lace heart with bobbles was a b!tch to knit, though!  So much so, I only did it on one side.

Not my finest moment, in Show entry history...

ETA:  I dropped my entry off last night, and the volunteers manning the drop-off point could not have been more lovely!   Totally wasn't as daunting as I was imagining, and definitely gives me confidence to do a competition entry next year.  I think I'd worked myself up about my entry being judged, which was silly and couldn't have been further from the truth.   

While I was there, I asked how the "swap" part of this exhibition was going to work, and the steward told me all our tickets will be put in a hat, and they will draw them out and assign to a tea cosy - totally random.  I love this!  I'm super excited to see what tea cosy I end up with, too!!

the challenge

I decided I am going to give the 24-projects-in-12-months a crack.

These are my challenges; all free patterns paired with wool from the stash.  In no particular order, I will leave that to the mood of the moment...

Cold Pine, by Caitlin ffrench

My Cup of Tea, by Robyn Lynn

Gingko Crescent, by Jade Keaney

Love Tea Cosy, by Martin Storey (Rowan)

Tears of Bronze, by Po Lena

Five more projects to be completed by New  Year's Eve, 2013, to add to my 19 (16 FOs, 3 WIPs) already completed/commenced.

I'm very excited about this project and looking forward to keeping you updated on my progress between now and 31/12/13!

trying not to cast on all the things

I've got serious attention deficit when it comes to my knitting projects at the moment!

Despite casting on items I've been planning and wanting to knit for quite some time, I can't seem to stop myself searching Ravelry and dreaming of more, when really what I should be doing is working on the ones I already have started.

Currently on my cast-on radar are:

• neon Ski bonnet (copycatting Huff)
• Staghorn mitts (again, from Huff!)
• Rainbow beanie with earflaps 
• Roxborough Dolman

and I really want one of these - Foxy

Grace, using my Madelinetosh is still on the go (slowly) but I think I've made peace with the colour variations - thank you to everyone for their advice last week.  It's by no means going to be a quick knit though.  It's not difficult, not at all, but the textured stitch is an 8-row repeat and 2 of those rows require some concentration.  I also don't like to stop mid-repeat so some nights I only have time to get through one. 

I've also wound up some Cascade 220, colourway "Christmas Red" for a Girl Friday after watching The Time of our Lives on ABC1 and really loving Justine Clarke's character's wardrobe.   She wears similar style handknits over cute dresses and skirts (I'm also mentally planning sewing activity, when I can find the time!).  

Is anyone else watching this great Australian series?  It's become my favourite thing to settle in with come Sunday evening - the perfect way to end a weekend.

I think Girl Friday is a good use for the Cascade yarn.  When it arrived, I was a bit disappointed because in the flesh it looked very much the "commercially-dyed" yarn but I think the styling and all-over patterning of this cardigan will work well with the solid colour. This Raveller's version tipped the scales in it's favour too.

Thankfully, there has also been an FO.  The Crazy Chevron scarf is done and dusted.  I've got a fair bit of yarn leftover, but I got to the point where I felt the scarf was long enough.  

Making it longer but potentially not then wearing the scarf cos it's *too* long, just to use up the full ball, didn't seem to make sense.  I might make some simple wristwarmers with the leftovers?

oh, and I registered for the Great Tea Cosy Swap at the Royal Melbourne Show!  I saw details on the organiser's blog and thought it sounded like a bit of fun.  I don't feel confident enough to enter in the actual craft competition section for the RMS, it's all very serious and official, but a no-pressure swap?  I can do that!

 I do love a good tea cosy exhibit, as you know ;)