It seemed like a good idea at the time

(In case you missed it, I even posted something yesterday! Wordless WIP Wednesday)

So as I am painfully aware, things have been rather quiet on the knitting front the last few months. And I hesitate to say this is a triumphant return or any such thing, BUT. Things have slowed down for me and I’m knitting things I can share with people for the most part, so I felt like an update post was due. First, let’s revisit my goals for the year.

Knit the stash—totally on track! I have not purchased any new yarns this year! I’m aiming to make it the whole twelve months, though the stash-down-along a friend organized only runs through the end of June and there are a few projects that desperately want that would require buying yarn. But we’ll see!

Knit the queue—fifty-fifty? You’ll see what I mean.

Knit something for someone else every month—…seventy-five percent? Again, I’ll elaborate below.

Finish WIPs—big fat fail so far. Whatever.

SO. Herein lies the true knitting confessional of this Panda. Names have been changed to protect the innocent/unwittingly involved.

I started knitting Anice back at the beginning of March with this absolutely insane idea that I could finish it in time to send off to my friend B for her wedding (mid-April). And under most normal circumstances that was still a little crazy but definitely do-able.

IT’S STILL NOT FINISHED. It was almost finished, and then, despite me doing a lot of math and weighing early on, I ran out of yarn in the middle of the last bit of the knitted-on border. We’re talking five yards shy, tops. So it’s in time out for a few more days until I no longer feel irate when I look at it.

In the meantime, I cast on for two (TWO) new projects. Both garments, both in laceweight, both of which I did not swatch for and am substituting the yarn, both of which I’m sure will work out just fine. I’m not sure which of us I’m trying to convince.

The first is Bonny, which was in my queue (as was Anice, by the by), and I’m using stash yarn, so even if the finished project fails miserably, it will meet my two main goals. It’s a whole lot of stockinette on size 4s. It’s growing, slowly. And it may in fact be eye-searing blue.

AND THEN I fell in love with Sombra from the new Pom Pom magazine and had to have it. And because I’m trying to knit from stash, I used a laceweight yarn that’s still about twice as heavy as the yarn used in the pattern, so I’m making all kinds of adjustments on the fly.

So that’s what’s on the needles (excluding pre-existing WIPs, I told you I was failing at that). I did manage to finish a couple of things that I just haven’t photographed yet.

Chrysanthemum frutescens Hat (yes that is a mouthful). I needed a quick pick-me-up project, this one was queued and used stash yarn, and I learned a new technique, knit one below. It’s stupid easy. You should do it.

Luna Viridis. I loved knitting this. LOVED. And wore it a lot while the weather was cooler. It’s a great project, like pretty much everything Hilary’s ever designed.

I knit another Graham hat as a gift! Stashing down and gifting, go me. And that’s pretty much that.

What have you been up to? How are you progressing on your knitting goals? Am I completely insane about these two new projects? Feel free to encourage or chastise in the comments below.