Can't blog...knitting...

(Pictures? We don't have time for no steekin' pictures!)

Persian Tiles shawl for Grandma

This is the be-all-and-end-all of my existence at the moment. If I'm not doing something important, like working, eating, doing vital mom things, or going to the can, I'm pretty much always working on this. (You'll notice I did not include 'sleeping' on the list of important things - this is a deliberate omission. My New Year's resolution to catch up on my sleep can damn well wait until a mere two weeks into the new calendar.)

The problem is that I keep falling behind schedule, despite my best efforts. Last weekend I determined that I needed to accomplish 30 rows a day. It took me four days of not meeting 'quota' before I got up to snuff...and then yesterday I fell behind again. To top it all off, I realised that there is going to be way more work involved in finishing this thing than I originally thought. It's not just steeking and fringing, it's steeking and knitting an edging along each long side and fringing. This means I have one less day than I thought to accomplish the knitting on the main body of the shawl.

But there is good news. Firstly, I am not even remotely accomplishing the correct row gauge...in a good way. I'm supposed to be getting 32 rows per 10cm, which would give me a 130cm long shawl after 468 rows (9.5 pattern repeats). However, I'm actually getting 36 rows per 10cm, which will give me a 130cm long shawl after 418 rows (8.5 pattern repeats). This cuts 50 whole rows off my workload and makes it remotely possible that I might finish this thing by the party on Saturday afternoon without having to give up all sleep between now and then.

The other good news is that I have only recently started to notice that the cone of blue yarn is getting smaller. Since I'm about three-quarters through the knitting, I think I can safely say that there is no way I am going to run out of the blue...barring, of course, any horrible accident or natural disaster which results in the destruction of the cone of blue yarn (this is the part where I frantically knock on wood).

Still...it's very dodgy as to whether I'll be able to get it all done, especially when you take into account the fact that I HAVE NEVER STEEKED BEFORE AND IT'S REALLY STARTING TO FREAK ME OUT. I was thinking of solving this problem by taking a vacation day this week, but then I realised we have a big product launch on Monday, which means I will need to be at work every day this week in order to have everything ready by close of business on Friday. Crap.

Self-patterning socks for DH

Yeah, I started these. I have no control over Startitis, even in times of deadline-driven knitting panic. But mostly, this project sits in the upstairs hall and is only what I pick up for a few minutes whenever I'm waiting there. For example, when DD is on the toilet and has requested some privacy. (No, seriously, she actually says, "Mummy, I would like some pwyvassee." It is beyond cute.)

I also worked on this a little bit this weekend, while watching The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. (What am I doing going to the movies when there is deadline knitting to be done, you may ask? Well, I adore the Narnia books, and I absolutely had to see this movie in the theatre. Sunday was the only time in the next three weeks that I could swing going to the movies, and I didn't know whether the film would still be playing after that. So there.) Ordinarily I am perfectly capable of knitting something as simple as stocking stitch in the dark. However, this time I somehow lost all competence and managed to pick up an extra stitch, thereby necessitating about a centimetre of frogging. So I'm only just beyond the toe.

Naturally, I have some good non-lies at the ready if DH ever asks me about this project. "I couldn't wait to see how this yarn would pattern" is at the top of the list. (It is 100% true.)

Self-patterning socks for moi

I've had a few brief chances to pick this up in the last week or so. It has grown by about a centimetre. Woo.

Fafner blanket

I think I've given up on the idea of giving this to DH's cousin. This gives me extreme guilt, but then I think of how they live far away; we rarely see them; they've already received knitted love from me for their last baby (okay, that point kind of enhances my guilt because I feel I must follow up on the precedent); the child has already been born (gender and name unknown); they don't know I was thinking of making them anything; the project is driving me around the bend; I'm trying to scale back on all the knitting...you know. Good reasons. (Back me up here.)

The new plan is to wait a while and then see if I can salvage it for an expectant parent of my acquaintance. (Yes, I have a specific person in mind. However, this news is not yet fully 'out' so I shall keep mum on their identity for the moment.)

Fair isle hat and mitts for baby ?

This was originally supposed to be for an ex-co-worker of mine, who is/was due around November/December/January (yeah, I know, that's not very specific for a due date - but the person who told me about the pregnancy was not very clear on exact dates, so I only have a very rough estimate to go on). However, in line with my new philosophy of not knitting baby things for every person I have ever met, I am recognizing the fact that I have not spoken with or seen said ex-co-worker for years, not to mention that I don't really know how I would deliver the gift to her. And therefore, I am saving this project for another baby.

All-in-one for baby Lounsbury

I took a few minutes on Saturday morning to sew on the two remaining buttons and fix some gaping holes around the pick-up edges. Therefore, it is now done. It looks great. Pictures forthcoming. We're having a little celebratory get-together at work for the papa-to-be on Wednesday morning, and I will give it to him then.