Mrs. Collins Makes Stuff

Hello darling. At some point I fell in love with the idea of having WIPs that I could work
on as I got the urge. I am always drawn to podcasts that are about WIP round ups and
whether the maker will finish or frog them. I get a huge adrenaline rush when I pull out
a project that has been languishing for a while and finally knock it out. So, here is my
version of “To frog, or not to frog?”.

At present, I have 9 WIPs on my Ravelry projects page.

In order from oldest to newest:

1. Knitting my Memories blanket- this is a self-created chevron pattern to use up my
scrap sock yarn. I began using a single strand of sock yarn. I work on this when
the mood strikes me, which is very infrequent. I have flirted with starting over
and double stranding with a neutral fingering weight yarn to add uniformity and
so that it knits up quicker. I intend to continue working on this blanket and will
make the decision about restarting with a new yarn the next time I pull it out.
KEEP!

2. Shatar top- this is a colorwork pattern knit in light fingering weight yarn. I love the
colors that I selected, and I think I will wear the garment (in cooler months) when
it’s finished. The last time I pulled it out I was having issues with hand pain and
the color work made it worse. I honestly think that once I buckle down and work
on it, that it will be a relatively quick knit. The color work pattern is memorable
and can be visually tracked easily. I may try working out a completion chart when I am ready to work on this again. KEEP!

3. Highlights Tunic dress- I started this dress as the pattern was written, but let’s be
real: I HATE bobbles. They look like skin tags, and they are just not my thing. I
ripped it out and altered the pattern intending to sew pearl beads where the
bobbles should have been. I think I messed up on the lace pattern and had to rip
it out once or twice. I made another mistake and instead of working on the top
of the dress, as the pattern called for, I flipped it and made it the skirt. When I
started to knit the top portion, I made so many mistakes and alterations. I got very frustrated and ended up putting it in a time out through the winter. I pulled it
out recently and realized that I did not notate any of the adjustments that I
made to the back portion of the dress and I have no idea what I need to edit on
the front. As I look at the fabric being made, I realize that I really don’t like how it looks, and I am not certain that the beads will make it any
better. I considered ripping out the top portion and keeping it as a skirt, but I
really just don’t like the pattern adjustments. I took it too far out of look of the
original pattern and now I am not happy with it. I still really love the original pattern, and I may consider trying it again with a different yarn and ideas on bobble substitutes. FROG!

4. Kaylen Mesh Scarf- this is a gift knit for Sister #3. This was supposed to be her
50th birthday gift. Her birthday was last October. Holy Jesus, I need to finish this
and give it to her! I have absolutely no excuse for this, other than I simply don’t
want to work on it. My plan now is to give it to her for her 51st birthday, which is
just pitiful. This will really need a completion chart. KEEP AND FINISH!

5. Gingerbraid- this was an idea to finally use up some of the Eco+ wool from my
first failed attempt at the Dude Sweater. I still have it in black and natural, and I
still have no idea what to knit with it. I really loved the pattern and thought it
would be a great pairing. I started it when my brain was still pretty mush from my
old meds. I was stuck right away and only completed the ribbed band and the
first row of the pattern before putting it in time out. I still think the pattern is great,
but a.) I don’t know how often I will wear a sleeveless sweater and b.) that yarn
pills like crazy after wearing the garment twice. Because it is cabled, it will make shaving
it difficult and the fabric will look sloppy very quickly. I need a spinning friend who
could spin the yarn tighter for me (if that is even a thing) so that it pills less. I
may consider reknitting this at some point and possibly gifting it but now is not
the time. FROG!

6. Re-make Socks for Feebs- these are the socks that I started for Feebs, knit out
of the socks that were too big for me. I thought these socks would be an easy
and quick upcycle project and that she would have some new socks before the
weather warmed up. Then her feet decided that it just wasn’t going to happen, and
they had nerve to grow an inch and a half in about two months. The socks were
already snug by the time that I got to the cuff. Since I had knit the heels in, there
was no going back. I was considering cutting off the toe and knitting a long
contrast toe to lengthen them. Unfortunately, by the time it would warm up
enough for her to want wool socks, even with a longer toe, they will be too small.
I know that she still really loves the yarn, so I think I will rip them out, and start
over with a contrast toe, knit the foot and then stop until the fall and remeasure
her feet to see where the (contrast) heel should go. That will allow me to use
more of the main sock yarn for length and then I can add in an additional inch or
two in hopes of the socks lasting through next cold season. FROG AND
RESTART!

7. Doctor Who Scarf (Tom Baker)- this is a gift knit for the Husband. It is unofficially
his Father’s Day gift. I hate everything about this knit. 1.) it is a 1.5 ft x 7 ft long
garter stitch scarf, 2.) it is knit in the most horrible colors, 3.) the striping pattern
has absolutely no symmetry and creates a ton of loose ends to weave in, 4.) it
is knit on size 9 needles, and they are killing my hands. What’s not to love?
Unfortunately, I really love the Husband, and he really wants this scarf. To the point that he has even started to watch that season of Doctor Who in anticipation of getting his new scarf. This will really need a completion chart, and I will have to stick with it so that he can have this damn scarf sooner rather than later. KEEP AND FINISH!

8. Reset Socks- because I was really starting to build up my WIPs, but was finishing
absolutely nothing, I was feeling the need for a quick win and cast on a pair of
vanilla socks in a fun rainbow striped yarn. I cast on 60 stitch socks and
intended them to be mine. They seemed very tight to me, and since Feebs won’t
be getting her re-make socks any time soon, I decided to make them for her
instead. I didn’t knit in heels because of the great growing feet debacle and
realized that I have no thicker weight sock yarn for the contrast heel and cuff. I
had to put these aside and order another ball of solid colored Regia to use. I
have just started to work on them again. I think I will cut the heel in at 7”, just to
be safe. That should allow her to grow into them, possibly even into the following
winter. KEEP!

9. Vanilla socks- I cast this sock on because I needed something to work on while
the Mother was in surgery, and I didn’t have the contrast yarn that I needed to
work on the Reset Socks. I grabbed a pair of needles, but they were 2.75mm,
instead of the 2.25mm that I usually use on my socks. I haphazardly grabbed a
ball of Regia yarn and knitted one sock all the way up to the lower ankle,
including the heel. These were going to be for me, but the fabric is just too loose,
and I don’t think I will want to wear them once they are done. In addition, I think I
bought this yarn with the Husband or Father in mind. FROG!

Now that I have done the thing and documented what I am going to do with each WIP, now I have to do the thing and either finish or frog them. I honestly think I need to finish the Kaylen Mesh Scarf first, just to get that done and ready to gift. I really want to finish my Reset Socks so that I can just be done with them. I also want to be done with the Doctor Who Scarf so that I never have to work on it again. Seriously, girl, I am ready to take these on and get them done. I also need to bust out the ball-winder and start to rip-it, rip-it, rip-it. I have my plan, now I need to execute!

Loves,

M