I'm very much a product person. I love keeping track of my knitting progress for the year and looking at a pile of stuff I've knit. I love the feel of finishing things. I know this blog helps me finish more items. And now I've brought in a greater power - the Productive Spinners list.
Last spring I was a member and it was the only way I managed to finish both the Dale
of Norway Sirdal cardigan and Alice Starmore's St.Enda. Here are my
current long-term and short-term goals. I like to have one sweater goal, one
spinning goal, and one goal I can finish quickly in case I totally blow it on the other two goals.
GOAL 1. Knit Malin sweater from Alice Starmore's In the Hebrides in Cascade 220 - As of 6/21/04 I have both sleeves and about 3 inches of the body (I'm knitting front and back simultaneously) done. I've been working on it a year and I'd like to wear the sweater this fall.
Next 2 Week Goal - to rip back one sleeve a few inches and fix a cable mistake (see itat end of needle in photo) and knit back up to through the saddle shoulder
GOAL 2. Spin 19 colors of Ashford Corriedale roving, 1 oz each.
Have already spun and plied 1 1/2 oz. I just started spinning it this month but I've had the fiber for several years. I'd like to finish this by fall.
Next 2 Week Goal: Finish spinning and plying another 1 1/2 oz.
GOAL 3. The Cunningsburgh Star gloves from Carol Rasmussen Noble's Knitting Fair Isle Mittens & Gloves in some old Nylamb stash yarn.
I started these this week. I'd like to finish these in 2 weeks.
Next 2 Week Goal: Finish both gloves.
Marilyn wrote in the comments several days ago that she is a new knitter who likes knitting scarves and was wondering how to make the lengthwise garter stitch scarf shown in the photo a few days back. I have already given away the scarf unfortunately but I can provide some details. I believe I cast on 100 stitches on a size 7 circular needle to make a shorter scarf, about 40 inches long. (You need a long circular needle because you're working on a long item. You knit back and forth on it, not in the round.) The yarns I was using were handspun and Easter-egg dyed and varied between sport and worsted weight. There were three different yarns used in the scarf, although it looks like four in the photo.
For this scarf, I cut the yarns at the end of each row. This makes fringe while you knit but all those yarn pieces flapping around while you are knitting can definitely be distracting. So instead you can forget this part. I'd say I did about 4 rows of the edge color, 6 of the turquoise (it was a thinner yarn), 8 of the center colors, 6 more turquoise and 4 more edge rows. Make sure your color stripe rows are divisible by two so you'll always be starting a new color on the right side of the scarf. Always cast on and bind off loosely in a lengthwise scarf. Then add fringe as you like.
Now that I've probably thoroughly confused you, HERE is a roughly similar pattern using novelty yarns and larger needles. Just play around with some different yarns. I don't think you can go wrong. Good luck with your scarf Marilyn!