WIPs and Patterns

I think doing lots of small projects is helping my knitting mojo come back. That and browsing all the fab patterns on ravelry. :D I have more than my usual number of WIPs on the go just now, but it seems to be working out fine. Yesterday I worked on some socks, and managed to finish the first one:



Pattern: express lane by Diane Mulholland
Yarn : Rennie 4 ply pure wool
Needles: 2.75mm (my gauge seems to have tightened or something recently, I've had to go up a needle size for socks)

This is another pattern that I had printed and had been sitting in the hello kitty folder for ages, and since I'd enjoyed making my last pair of socks, I pulled that pattern out, and got to work. And it's fab!! I love the pattern. I've made a few mods - I'm doing a figure 8 toe cast on, and a reverse heel flap a la widdershins, and I'm only doing the lace on the front. The first one knitted up really quickly! I made it mid-calf length. The trouble with toe-up socks for me is that I'm always tempted to continue right up to the knee, but that takes too long! I think I've made this one just right.

I've been making the feather and fan comfort shawl too, but mine is going to be more of a shawlette.



I'm using a random laceweight that I found in a charity shop a while ago, and 2.5mm needles. That one's going ok, but it's getting larger now so the rows take a little longer. Not as long as if it'd take if I decided to make a full shawl though! Just as well I'm into the triangular type scarf just now :D

I've also started the josephine crocheted gauntlets which I came across on ravelry and also have been meaning to make for ages, but I'm only a few rounds into those, so there's not much point in taking a picture yet :)

There's also the vest that I'm trying to design for myself, and have just got hung up on the numbers. I don't understand why, cos when I do it, it'll be easy enough, it's not going to be complicated or anything, but my brain just doesn't want to do it just now. So it's in the corner, but it's still a WIP, it's not been abandoned yet!

Oh, and I found these pattern booklets in a local charity shop too!



I didn't buy them all in one go, but over the past couple of weeks. I feel kind of weird taking them up to the counter, cos it's a young girl who's been serving recently, and I'm sure she must just be like "why on earth would you want those old things?", but she's nice though, and probably isn't thinking that at all, I'm probably just projecting my own issues, but anyway, I was well chuffed when I saw them! They are kind of old fashioned with the edgings being on tablecloths and doilies and all sorts, but they seem easy to adapt to modern usage. And I love pineapple crochet designs, so I was very pleased when I saw that one!! (I managed to keep the squee to myself though, and not totally freak the poor shop assitant!)

There are a bunch of other things I want to cast on right now, and normally I'd get a bit freaked out about having so many things on the go, but I've decided just to go with the flow. Compared to other people anyway, I don't even have a lot of WIPs! And I'm sure I'll go through a finishing stage as well later on, so they'll all get finished really quickly, and I'll feel really productive! :D