The last two weeks have been all about the Australian Open, at least during my non-working hours. Tennis needs simple knitting so first I finished the garter stitch sections for my Scottish Highlands shawl (designer’s website), then I focused on my Turtle Dove II (free on Rav).
The shawl is ready for an intricate lace border now, in that pale cream color, and it’s charted and has multiple charts for each row, and that means I really need to focus when I work on that. But the Turtle Dove is ready for its split hem ribbing now!! I’ve even tried it on (which was an adventure because my needles weren’t quite long enough and stitches were falling off left and right) and confirmed the length is good. I have one more match left — the men’s final — and I’m hoping it lasts long enough that I at least get one side of ribbing completed. Must wind more yarn first, though!
As excited as I am for my sweater, I’m equally ready to get back to some of my other WIPs. Not just the lace for the shawl, but also my fun Curiosity Cowl (only found it on Rav). I’d made good progress before the tennis started, but I’m still not ready to join in the round. Once I do, it’s going to ZOOM. I also recently ordered a copy of 52 Weeks of Easy Knits and there are at least three patterns in there calling my name, but I’m resisting any and all cast-on urges until I complete another project or two.
I was quite proud of myself yesterday: the husband and I went out to a couple of bookstores and we were VERY CLOSE to my favorite LYS … and I DID NOT GO. I was very tempted, but not for any good reason — just because I knew there would be pretty yarn and I like pretty yarn. But I resisted, whew!
I’ve also decided I’m going to try a new strategy to control my yarn spending when we travel: like most knitters (I’m guessing), I have a queue of projects I would like to knit. I do not have the appropriate yarn for all of those projects. So I’m going to make a list of said projects that details the yarn requirements, and then when I’m out and about and happen to be in a yarn store where I want my arms to be full of yarn, I can at least buy intentionally for things I know I want to make. Yes, I will still buy yarn just because it’s pretty. But if I could end up with more yarn destined for projects and fewer single skeins of fancy fingering weight yarn, I think that would be a good thing. I think our first trip is in April, when we’ll go visit the girl, so I have time to get my list prepped.
Happy Sunday, friends.
bonnyknits 
Great progress on your focus projects! I’m looking forward to an afternoon parked in my chair to watch sporting events today too.
LOVE your plan for shopping for the queue. That makes total sense and seems like a great way to find things that you’ll actually use and not just head to stash for “something”.
Yes, I hear there’s some kind of sportsball today! 😂 #goteams #donthurtyourself
Like you, I make sure I have projects in mind before vacation yarn shopping, it definitely helps me be more intentional!
Good to hear! Hope it works as well for me!
The intentional shopping list sounds like a good idea. 👍
I agree!
That’s a great suggestion! I know I’m going on a “girls trip” to a yarn store in March. I was already planning to look for mohair to go with yarn I want to use for another Ranunculus but I better review my queue because I’ll probably buy more and it would be better to be intentional instead of “pretty” or “soft”.
I hope it helps! That pretty and soft yarn just gets us every time!
I like the planned yarn list, I wish I’d thought to do that before buying yarn in Copenhagen, I’ve no clue what I’ll do with what I bought. I’m pretty confident still at not buying any yarn this year, especially as I am spinning so much, I should probably plan my spinning in the same way as you are planning buying. That’ll be my job this week to come up with a spinning plan for yarns I don’t own and patterns I want to make. Thanks for sharing your idea.
Hope it helps you! I feel like we can both be strong this year and resist the urge to buy!
That yarn shopping plans sounds like a great idea! I might have to borrow it, too.
I am really looking forward to seeing that lace border on your shawl! It’s so pretty already. 🙂
Your projects are beautiful! Your yarn list idea is a great one! Sometimes you just wind up in a yarn shop, and a list would definitely result in less random yarn. Maybe we can start a no-buying support group? I am doing pretty badly already this year!
Yes – you should message us when you’re tempted to buy yarn, and we can talk you out of it! (Or try, anyway, haha!)
OK, will do! And you can do likewise 🙂