Looming deadlines

For a knitter that doesn't usually have knitting deadlines, I have had a lot of them lately. The Duchess Shawl fell short. And yet, I immediately jumped into another one with the Hunting Convertible mittens. Then, just for giggles, I threw in another one in the middle of things.

I decided that Bugaboo would make a perfect Harry Potter for Halloween, and you can't have that without a Gyffindor scarf, of course. At least I was smart enough not to do it in fingering.

I was sewing the cloak and finishing the fringe on the night before, but I got it done in time.

So now I am back to the Hunting mittens. I have just started on the thumb increases

Today, it is all about the deadlines.

Knitting Promiscuity

It took about a week to sink in: I can knit on other things besides the Duchess shawl. No longer bound by either the Knit-along deadline, or the weather (it is shawl weather now, and won't be again til spring), I can work on the shawl at my leisure.

I never have been one to stick to one project. I have knitting moods, and like to have many projects in progress, even similar ones. It takes longer to complete any one project, but it keeps all of them fresh. And if one is getting stale, a break is just the ticket for me to forget about it for a while, then fall in love again.

Besides, there is another deadline looming. Hunting season is fast approaching. (Actually, bow season started Saturday, but my sweetie hasn't practiced with his bow enough to try that, so he won't be getting out until shotgun season starts in another month.) It would be nice if I finished his mittens in time. Plus, worsted wool has immediate gratification.

Unless you decide to knit it more than once. Knitting the something, frogging it, then knitting again reallu cuts down on the "instant"part.

I am making mittens that have a fold-over flap to convert to fingerless mittens. Ive heard them called convertable mittens, or glittens, or glomitts. Anyway, I finished the first one, except for the flap. Then I decided to do the second one, up to that point, before proceeding.

And now I have two slightly different mittens. I am not sure if I screwed up on the first or the second, but they are not alike. Minor difference in the increasing of the thumb, which results in a half inch difference on how high up the wrist the mitten goes. My Mom pointed out that it was not a significant difference, that it would not be immediatly noticeable to others, and it did not hinder the mittens warmth or usefullness. So, no big deal, do the flaps and be done.

Except. . . . I don't want my sweetie to think that I did these half-assed. (I have also noticed that my guage on the wrist ribbing appears to be a little different. I don't know if I used the wrong needle size, or it was just the months difference between the two cuffs.)

So, my new plan is to frog the mittens, both of them, and re-start doing two mittens on two circulars. At least whatever mistakes I made will be made on both of them and considered a creative enhancment.

Great plan, except that I am now restarting from two needles and two balls of yarn. I hate re-working.

Today, it is all about the full ass.

The 5 stages of a Knit-along

1. Denial: oh, what a beautiful shawl! Three months is plenty of time to knit it. Fingering weight would give the shawl divine drape. Three months. No problem.


2. Anger: For the love of all that is wooly, will people just leave me alone so I can knit! I am on a deadline here!


3. Bargaining: Ok, if I play a Mickey Mouse DVD and give you some cookies, can you two boys stay quiet and let Mommy knit?


4. Depression: What's the use. I will never finish this shawl in time. Why should I even bother?


5. Acceptance: Sigh. I gave it my best effort, but I think it is safe to say that I am not going to finish the Duchess Shawl in time for the deadline. Last Thursday.


I estimate that I have knit on it for 60 hours, and have another 20 hours to go. Plus the ruffle.

Today, it is all about the acceptance.

P.S. It does look great. I am having techinical issues so pictures will have to wait for another day.

Meet me in the Middle

I am officially at the halfway point of the body of the shawl. (Happy dance.)

I did the center spine row, and have started on the decrease rows.

From this point on, the rows will decrease, and my pace will accelerate.

So in spite of the fact that it took seven weeks to complete the increase half, the remaining decrease half and ruffle will certainly be finished in the remaining five weeks of the Knit-along.

No problem. The end of the knit-along is within my grasp.

I also have several bridges and the crown jewels of England for sale, if anyone is interested.

Today, it is all about the denial.

Halfway point

For my time, not the shawl.

I started around the middle of June. The deadline for the Knit-along is September 15th. I should be at the halfyway point tomorrow.

I. Am. Not.

I am almost to the halfway point of the body of the shawl, without the ruffle.

This doesn't look good, and is starting to look more and more ominous.

Short of a debilitating injury that relieves me from housework, legal work and child care, but still allows me to knit, I am starting to have serious doubts about the deadline.

Today, it is all about the fractions, and what the definition of "half" is.

And, it's official,

I am totally screwed. In spite of diligent efforts, knitting monogomy (not even tempted on this project, I swear, totally faithful to the shawl), carrying it around with me EVERYWHERE in case I will have an unexpected few minutes, staying up entirely too late some evenings (especially considering that my littlest guy is STILL not consistently sleeping all the way through the night), and measuring entirely too often, I am officially behind schedule.


According to the schedule, I was supposed to have reached the center spine by now, and started the decreasing rows.


A digression to explain the shawl's construction. It is worked side to side. So I start on the right side with only a few stitches, then increase one stitch every fourth row. When I reach the midpoint, I start decreasing every fourth row, until I am back down to the original few stitches. Then I add the suicide ruffle.


Right now, it is hard (Ok, impossible) to stick to the schedule, because the rows keeping getting wider, so it takes longer to complete them. The decrease rows will have the opposite effect, so I will start accelerating my progress.


Right now, each row takes about 6 minutes to complete. That may not sound like much, but the schedule calls for 24 rows per day. That is 2 1/2 hours per day. I am not knitting 2 1/2 hours per day, which means that I am falling ever further behind with each new day.


But all hope is not yet lost! There is the decreasing acceleration factor to consider on the later stages of the shawl. And I may have completely overestimated the time requirements of the suicide ruffle. (Really, I MAY have.)


So far, I am 16 3/4 wide. (The shawl, that is, not me personally.) The pattern calls for 20 to 24 inches wide. Kate is about half a foot taller than me, so I calculating that I am on the shorter end of the desired width. (I am at the shorter end of everything else, so it would be a cruel irony not to be short when I really need it.)


Plus, there is a round trip drive to Chicago this week (picking up my brother et al from O'Hare) and Mom will be doing most of the driving. Lots of knitting opportunity. I am primarily going for company and to serve as navigator.


And in the worst case scenario, failure to finish by September 15th only means that I will not be considered for the knit-along's judging. I will still have a lovely shawl, no matter when I finish it.


Today, it is all about the optimism. (Or delusion. I write, you decide.)

Maybe, maybe not

The question of the day: Am I on schedule with the Duchess Shawl? The answer: Maybe, maybe not.

Techinically, according to the schedule, I am way behind. I have 25 repeats completed as of today, which is what I was supposed to have done by last Wednesday. Not a good sign.

However, the pattern calls for the center spine to be 20-24 inches. My schedule was based on a 24 inch estimate requiring 46 repeats.

I have over 13 inches completed. Which means that . . . .wait a minute. . . slightly more than half the inches and half the repeats.

Oh, this doesn't look good.

Maybe, I won't really want 24 inches. Maybe I won't really need a month to do the suicide ruffle. Maybe I will miraculously finish the increase stitches in 8 days, and on schedule.

And while I am at it, maybe we will hit the lottery this week. And maybe I will be given a time turner, so I can repeat hours of the day. And maybe someone will invent a pill that allows people to forego sleep.

Today, it is all about the maybes.