Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Best laid plans, and all that...

Sadly, I can't remember who mentioned it on her blog, (little help?), but someone had said that it would be nice to have a WIP (Work In Progress) Wednesday, showing pictures of what we are up to.  I was going to start it today. 

Well. Uh.

Pictures...

Which are on my camera, at home, I am here at the substation, holding down the chair and phone...  So.  I guess I can do a picture free version, right? 

Meh.  It just isn't as fun.  So I will try and remember to start it next week. 

It will be a sporadic thing, or you will be watching the proverbial paint dry.  I tend to start a lot of projects, then work on them as the mood strikes me.  I note this is not a problem for me, but drove Husband nutcasers for a while. 

How can you start so many projects? 

I replied, well, I have usually a simple project for travelling, or when I have a bad case of Fried Brain.  A complex project, usually one that I design myself, generally a baby blanket for the NMCRS, but not always.  Then there are the "OMG, love that _______ I saw in the latest issue of  X knitting magazine, and I have needles and yarn for it.  Gottastartgottastartgottastart!" 

Then there are the projects that defy my best efforts, and are put in time out, while I decide the fate.  Some come out, and I continue.  Some come out, I continue working, to come upon new and interesting hairball messes complications, and they get thrown put back into time out until I can figure out if I even WANT to continue on them. (Some are recycled, usually after I realize life is too short to tear your hair out over something that is supposed to be FUN.) 

A few are (for me) are highly complex patterns, and I have to do them when I know that I will not be disturbed, or a certain male in the household won't start counting or doing other highly annoying things, especially with lacework.  He has an INTERESTING sense of humor, at times. 

Let's just say, I had a 400 stitch lace pattern, and after the 5th time I had to pull out my work after Husband started saying random numbers, I not so gently reminded him that I did have 14 inch # 8 needles that can double as shishkebob skewers.  Not taking the hint, I had him count the 400 stitches, and I turned on the weather, and started counting backwards from 100.

He got the hint.

At least he doesn't play with my row counter...

14 comments:

Tina said...

LMAO don't get my started on WIPs lol...too many to talk about...some will probably never be finished but I get too bored with just doing one and I don't know it's just something about starting something new with the good intention this one I will finish. Can't wait to see your WIPS.

Cat said...

Tina:

Ah, a kindred spirit. Good intentions. Hmm, isn't there a road somewhere that is paved with that? Oh, well. Give us something to do with all that spare time we have, right???

Cat

Nekkid Chicken said...

My whole life is a WIP. I am like Tina I too have so many things to do and Distraction is the keyword I think. Nice to have found you through your comment. Much love to the world, Mal

Sharon said...

I believe I have "retired" more WIPs than I care to count. The thing is - I can't seem to just throw that stuff away. My DH is a counter too, what's up with that? Is it a man thing?

Callie Brady said...

Interesting to read about how you can have a lot of different things going on at the same time. I used to try and do that, but decided that I do better at finishing things if I concentrate on one project at a time. You are amazing.

Cat said...

Nekkid Chicken:

Actually, my life as a WIP might be a future blog... :) Distractions? I never get distract- hey, look, a chicken!

Cat

Cat said...

Sharon:

WIPs, throwing stuff away, eh. I just get a bigger room! ;D

And yes, I think it is guy thing, however, my husband can even tell how fast I am knitting, he literally counted stitches per minute... (He also has figured out that if I am listening to rock, I knit faster than my classic country albums. Gee, big surprise there...)

Cat

Cat said...

Callie:

No,not so amazing, I just try to limit my starts until I have some finishes, I just try not to have one project because I get bored with it, then it WON'T get finished...

Cat

Debbie T said...

OMG Cat, you are too funny...hey, look, a chicken! LOL
I usually limit myself to no more than 5 WIPs at a time, but it sure is hard sometimes. I wish I could just stay up with the seasons like the fashion industry does! (No, I'm not already working on next year's bikini)

V.L. Locey said...

I can fully relate. I have so many irons in the fire somedays I can`t recall where the darned fire is my irons are resting in! =)

messymimi said...

Often it seems we start something, and, once we see how to work it out and how it is going to go, we lose interest. It is no longer a challenge, and we want to be on to the next new thing, working on some other technique.

At least it seems that way with me. The finished product is less a thrill than the learning how to do it.

Cat said...

KnitNurd:

I too, try to limit my WIPs, I think I am down to 4 in the living room. We won't talk about the UFO area in my craft room, it could be in the dozens... (Bikini? Eh... Rather knit a sock.)

Cat said...

Feral Female:

Yes, that does sound familiar, although I think it was put another way by my dad, I have so many irons in the fire, I think I put the fire out!

Cat

Cat said...

messymimi:

I suppose it's the idea of a "process knitter" vs. a "product knitter". The process knitter is fine if it's not finished, it's the idea of doing it in the first place, as opposed to getting an end item. I remember reading about a "performance knit" where the person knitting had a yar that would dissolve not long after having been knit. The ultimate in "process knitting"!

Cat