Polygamy versus Monogamy

Well, we've just said goodbye to our most recent spate of visitors, consisting of my brother and sister-in-law, followed by my parents, followed by my Auntie Joy, followed by my father-in-law! Now we have none until the end of November, although we're going away ourselves in October. No rest for the wicked indeed!

But it was not all about feeling like a bed and breakfast landlady. You see, my Auntie Joy has been knitting longer than I've been alive. But, she's only been knitting socks since last year! She has, however, made 30 pairs in that time. On top of being a very busy midwife and lactation consultant. Her FO list puts mine to complete shame.

I was so looking forward to my first ever S'n'B holiday. I was looking forward to seeing all her projects. But ... she's a project monogamist! And only brought one WIP - a gorgeous alpaca lace scarf she was knitting in two pieces to be grafted later. She refuses to allow herself to cast on something new until the WIP is done!

How can one be so disciplined and never suffer from startitis? She brought up a pile of lovely sock yarn to wind on my swift (she doesn't have one but she will by Christmas!). So we wound it all up and then she just put it away. In a bag. Without casting on One Single Thing! I espied some Wired for Fibre in gorgeous spring-like colours and badgered her mercilessly about casting on some Spring Forwards in it. But she resisted admirably! Her only concession was to stay in bed on her second-last day until she'd finished the second end of the scarf. And agreed to cast on a sock before grafting the two halves.

She laughed herself silly when she saw my pile of WIPs. I don't think it's bad really. It's mostly Christmas knitting and I'm getting through it. I keep it in a pile on my sideboard in the lounge so I see it every time I walk past and that motivates me, particularly with the less interesting projects.

Like this dreadfully tedious jumper for Glynn. Without strong guilt self-manipulation it would never be done. Booooorrrrriiiing!!!



Other than that I have a Winter Lace Afghan (Rav link) in Bendigo Rustic 12 ply Green Tweed. It's about one-third done.



I do like this pattern - it's very pretty and effective. I might even use it for a wrap down the track with a sportweight or something.



A cashmere laceweight Falling Leaves scarf. It's only supposed to be 42 repeats but I've already done 12 and I can't imagine being content with a scarf only 4 or so times longer than it is.



I will have to learn better blocking techniques for this. With previous projects, pin scallops haven't mattered at all, but they will on this scarf.

Monkeys in Jitterbug Lapis. One is done and I'm halfway through No 2.



Cabled ribs in STR heavyweight Atomic 6. One's done but I haven't started the next yet. That will wait until Monkey no 2 is done. I love how the leg of this has knit up in a spiral of colours. Neat!



I also have to do another Araucania lacy mock cable but they're not intended for any particular person, so it can wait.

But ... the literally Luscious Silk Pallas Athena Forest Canopy Shawl is finished and blocked. Oh my gosh I love this thing. It's so lustrously smooth and inviting. And the teeny touches of gold lift it so beautifully. They didn't appear on the website photograph - perhaps the silk takes up the dye quite differently from the sock yarn. It is for a dear friend for Christmas and it will be difficult not to give it to her for her birthday in October!!





So I was fiddling around with all these things and my Auntie Joy did this. And this only.



I don't know why I can't stomach project monogamy. I tried to justify my polygamy in various ways - everyone else does it, a change is as good as a holiday etc. Sometimes it's too hot to knit something big, with it spread all over one's lap. But I think it's really that I keep casting on new yarn with absolute delight until I think it's bordering on the ridiculous, then try and be strong. At this minute, I'm contemplating winding up some STR in Kaw Kaw and casting on some Ironwork socks!

I had a very fun afternoon with Samara on Tuesday. I think some kids these days aren't allowed to puddle around with things like we used to as children. So I decided that we'd do some "cooking" in the back yard, just before bath time. So we had red water, green water, oats and flour, various bowls, whisks and spoons and Samara proceeded to concoct various revolting looking glues and porridges. And tipped a bowl of pink porridge down the front of herself. Ick. But fun :)