oh, the shame, the shame!!!

Every knitter, and probably most crafters, I know has some of these. You know, those long term UFOs that are hidden at the back of a cupboard or stuffed in a corner somewhere in a knitting bag. You pick them up sporadically here and there, mainly out of guilt, which usually doesn't last too long before they are shoved back into their hidey hole.

Well, I'm pleased to say that October was my month for knocking off a couple of these UFOs. Yay for me!! And you know what? They were both adult sized garments!!! Double yay!!  

The impetus for this?  I really really want to knit Laura Chau's Honeybee cardigan.

But I gave myself a stern talking to and decided I wasn't allowed to start another garment for me until I finished the two that were on the needles. And amazingly enough, I actually listened to myself and did finish them.

This first garment is Something Red by Wendy Bernard. Looking at my Rav notes, I started this in September 2007. oops!  

I'm blaming the fact that I frogged a great deal of this for it taking so long.  I knit this out of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece as a dk weight yarn on 4mm needles so made a few mods to the pattern sizing. In the initial knit, I didn't like the depth of the armholes. Unfortunately, I only discovered this when I was a good way into the ribbing... so I ripped back and redid them.

Embarrassingly enough, when I picked this up to finish it, it only had four rows to go on the body!!!  I still have to sew the button on though despite finishing it a month ago now.

And I do actually wear it!!!

I'm not so sure why this second one took so long either, as when I picked it up there wasn't a great deal to go BUT I did gain an important lesson in why you shouldn't leave such projects so long. When I was seaming this up (bleh!) I discovered I'd knit two backs, hmm, very handy indeed.

Anyway, this one is the Zig Zag Rib Vest by Jo Sharp.

Initially, when I finished it I was a bit ho hum about it. It is very boxy in shape and a bit shorter than I personally would like.  I can see why the model on the actual pattern is seated.  but you know, I actually have worn it quite a bit around home, I really do like a good vest.  

According to my notes, I actually started this in July 2007.  What was I doing in 2007 starting and not finishing two adult garments?  Who know? 

Now it's time to cast on a few new things, and whistle airily and continue to ignore those few other longterm UFOs gathering dust in my craft room.