Paper Tiger

Several years back I would occasionally post a “queue check,” an overview of active project WIPs and plans (fully based on the ones Karen Templer of Fringe Association used to post). Now that I’m carving out a little more time for crafting, I’ve started going back to projects that have been on hold for 2-3 years. So how about an old school queue check to share a few of them with you?

First up is actually a finished object! A cowl, which I’ve called my Wandrian cowl, at least as a working title. The plan when I started this two years ago was to release it as a pattern, which I may still do. I used four colors of Marina Skua Mendip DK (leftover from my Vellum cardigan) and it is such a wonderful yarn for stranded colorwork. I wanted to use up my leftovers, so I added the stripes at the end when I ran out of the teal yarn, and I actually quite like the effect in the end (although I was unsure about it for awhile). It begins with a provisional cast on before you join in the round, work a long tube, and graft the ends together, one of my favorite constructions.

Here’s an even older WIP, a version of my Bramble mitts for Amirisu issue 21, knit in Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift. The pattern sample used Quince & Co. Finch, which is a lovely yarn but with very different properties than Shetland Spindrift. I wanted to work these up in a more typical yarn for Fair Isle-style knitting, and I also wanted to show the difference yarn choice can make in a project. I’ve had one mitt done for a very long time, but I recently started the second so they can finally become a pair. I still have my original sample so I’d love to do a side-by-side comparison on the blog once this pair is finished.

Lastly, a more recent cast on. This wee sweater will be for the toddler; I’m using Flax Light by Tin Can Knits for the base pattern, but I added stripes and I’m skipping the garter panels on the sleeves. Both yarns are leftovers from previous projects: the main color is charcoal grey Tynn Merinoull from Sandnes Garn and lovely Riverside Studio MCN Twist in the Robin’s Egg colorway for the stripes.

I’m not crafting at nearly the pace I used to, between working on the PhD and becoming a parent, so I tend to pick up one of these and work on it for a couple of weeks before I turn my attention to another project in turn. But I can’t say I’m sad about the slower pace, for the most part. There are still so many things I would love to make, and that is a challenge with limited time, but I’m really enjoying taking my time on projects.