The problem with jumping from project to project is that I don’t have very much in the way of interesting progress to show. I still haven’t forgotten about the 12 sweaters in a year project–although I’m a wee bit behind, technically, I only have to finish the sweaters this year. With that in mind, I hauled Sizzle out of my UFO pile.

I had a few inches left on the front, which were finished quickly, then I settled down to seam it up during the Oscars. On the principle that doing two things that always seem to take forever at once would somehow speed them both up? (Also, can we take a minute here and talk about the Oscars? There were a few great looks–Sandra Bullock, Cameron Diaz, Sandy Powell–and Meryl Streep and Helen Mirren are my role models on how to age gracefully, but what was up with the fooferah on all the skirts? It’s a dress, not sculptural art. Also, Zoe Saldana? I love you, I do, but didn’t anyone tell you that Ursula from the Little Mermaid was attacking that dress? Seriously. Take it off.)

Ahem.

I also picked up and worked the neck. It’s not overlapping quite as much as I’d thought, but is still cute. And dangerously low-cut, so that could be interesting.

And I’m still plugging along on the Atlantis sock. The problem with this is that the chart is just long enough that I can’t memorize it, or easily tell where I left off, so I can only wor on it when I have a little over an hour free, which isn’t always workable. I’m getting there, though!

I’ve been having one of those weekends that tend  to happen at the start of spring. The weather is warming up, I can turn the heat of and open up my windows, even if my toes are still freezing, and I get all sorts of inspired.

Now, if only I could get all sorts of organized and focused, things would be awesome. Instead, I jump from one project to another, unable to decide what I want to work on the most.

But, remember the mountain of fabric?

I ironed it all down into a manageable amount.

See? I told you it didn’t look that big when I started.

I tok some of the blue and tan floral and made up a little wrap skirt. I’m not wild about how the waistband turned out, but overall I think it’s great. I also grabbed some of the green and purple and one of the bunny fabrics and started making a long hippie panel skirt. I got about halfway through that before deciding to take a break….I cut all the pieces out, at least, which is the hardest part.

Both of these projects are ones I’m working without a pattern. Eventually I do want to embarc up on the use of actual patterns but honestly, it scares me a little. Oh well, nothing I can do but jump in, I suppose!

I was looking through my photos and projects on Ravelry and realized I have a few finished objects I haven’t shared with you yet! First up, Brilliant Retro. This was finished in 2009, but I waited until I went on vacation at Bass Lake to get photos. Photography is courtesy of Jenny Wilde, who is awesomely fantastic. Crappy modeling is courtsey of, well, me. Who needs to get better poses.

Ahem.

Pattern: Brilliant Retro by Teva Dunham, from the Winter 2005 Interweave Knits
Yarn: Patons Brilliant in lavender, a Christmas present from my Mom
Needles: US4 (I think, it’s been a while)
Mods: Left off the snaps and am fastening with a pin instead

I love the back detail on this. And it really does fit wonderfully.

I’m king of these rocks!

I wound up working a strange schedule this past weekend, due to some things that came up, so I ended up having half of Monday off. It’s thrown me off a little–what day is it? how many weeks have their been?–but I also took the opportunity to get some things done!

Things like washing the fabric mountain of doom. (Large Cat provided for scale.) I swear, it did not look this big when I took it down to the wash, but by the time I took it out of the dryer, it had morphed into some sort of looming mountian of future craft projects. Also, I should probably move onto the ironing stage at some point.

But then…I baked! I made a delicious Raspberry Buttermilk Cake from Smitten Kitchen for a potluck I was headed to that night.

Then while I was at it, I made a second one, plus a Lemon Yogurt Blueberry Cake, also from Smitten Kitchen, to take into work. Sadly, I did not get a chance to snap a photo before I took this in, and it was devoured before I had a chance.

This was all that was left of the raspberry cake. It turned out really fantastic, and was super quick and easy. In fact, I’m planning on making another one tonight, as I’m having a friend over for dinner and indoctrination into the wonderful world of Battlestar, Galactica.

Because you know what? There’s nothing that cheers up  a week like cake.

Is it just me, or do toe up socks look really strange when you’re turning the heel? I prefer cuff down socks, but I’ve been working from several patterns that are toe up lately, and I still find the socks look quite odd as I work the heel.

These are the Atlantis socks plugging along. I’m enjoying these, but the chart is just long enough that I don’t want to work on them unless I have an hour or so to knit. Which makes it difficult to find time! I have been good and held off on casting on for other projects though, no matter how tempting they may be. So that has to count for something…

I already have plenty of projects on the needles, but as the seasons turn to spring, it’s hard not to start dreaming about starting new projects. Add my recent steampunk interests to that, and well, you’ve got quite a recipe for startitis!

I’ve already got a couple of sewing projects I hope to work on in the next two weeks–I’ll be going on my ordination retreat in March, and I’m hoping to have a couple of skirts sewn up by then–but I’ve also been eying the new knitting magazines and thinking about what I might want to make some day.

From the new Interweave Knits, I’m actually not loving all that much. I do like the Spring Twilight Pullover by Faina Goberstein and the Tissue Cardigan by Deborah Newton.

I’m on the fence about the Handkercheif Tee by Jenna Hurry. It’s cute, but has the potential to look really fantastic or really horrible depending on one’s body type. And I’m really not sure where I fall.

Surprisingly, I found a few things in Vogue Knitting I’m really loving. Usually they’re a little too high-fashion for me but this issue has some really cute sweaters. (Though I really don’t know what’s going on with the eye makeup on the models. Are they trying to be like the Joker? Did they lose a bar fight? Back away from the eyeliner, folks.)

There’s a Flapper inspired sweater and a vest that I just adore. I’m not usually a vest person but these are fantastic!

There are also two gorgeous dresses! Lacy! Cute! And I bet you could sew up a really fantastic, brightly colored slip to wear underneath that would just be stunning.

So the only questionb ecomes…..which one do I try to knit first? They’re all so pretty, I’m not sure I can choose!

These commuter socks have been hanging around on the needles for a long, long time. I have a tendency to switch back and forth between knitting and reading on my commute, so sometmes I go for quite a while and don’t knit much. Plus, depending on when I leave, it can be impossible to get a seat. But it’s nice to have a plain project to work on without thinking too much…I took these to Pantheacon and whipped through the second sock in no time at all.

The yarn is bacon yarn from Holiday yarns. I love this yarn! It’s so nice to work with, there’s plenty in the skein so no worries of running short, and c’mon, it’s bacon.

The pattern is just a basic sock formula.

Bacon and eggs. What? If you’d knit these socks, you’d take this photo too. Don’t lie.

I don’t think I’ve shown you my newest project, so here it is! This is one of the socks for CAYA folk–as I mentioned before, I’m giving up any pretense of surprising folks at this point. Largely because I wouldn’t have anything to talk about!

I’ve already forgotten the yarn I’m using, but it’s nice–and a lovely dark teal. The pattern is Atlantis, from Janel Laidman’s book The Enchanted Sole. I LOVE THIS BOOK. Seriously. I am sure I’ll find a recipient for pretty much every pattern in there. So far the sock is zipping along–the first repeat of the chart was a little slow, but it’ s zipping along nicely now.

I’m working on a baby sweater for a friend and I was zipping along on it, when I realized that I cannot find the DPNs needed to complete the sleeves and neck. Now, I find it somewhat incomprehensibile that after all this time knitting, I don’t have US6 and US9 DPNs. I’m seriously considering just buying new ones rather than cleaning and organizing until I find the ones I have.

Of course, now that I think about it, it dawns on me that the decision may be irrelevant, since I may have had to toss mine, on account of them being chewed on by a certain orange and white cat. Or possibly never had any to begin with. I distinctly recall using US8, US10.5 and assorted sock sizes (US0-3) but don’t actually remember specifically using US9s or US6s. But surely that can’t be right…

For Valentine’s Day, Vickie Howell had a video on knitting mitered hearts.

I thought they looked cute, so I grabbed some leftover sock yarn and gave it a whirl.

Then I maybe became a little obsessed.

I just want to keep knitting these! I made myself stop at four because I don’t actually know what I’m going to do with these–I’m sure there’s something, I just have to figure it out. Because honestly? THEY ARE SO CUTE. I just want to keep knitting them.