Progress!

It's amazing how fast this week has gone by! Luckily, I feel that I made the most of it, by relaxing, doing homework, and crafting as much as I could. I've got major progress on quite a few of my projects, and I'm even in the home stretch for some of the big ones.

First off are the chalk bags! I've been trying to perfect my pattern for making chalkbags, and I'm making the two of these side by side- one as a donation for a local high school climbing club, and one for my ballet friend (as incentive to come climbing more!). I'm finally happy with the sizes that they're turning out to be, but I'm still learning things along the way (for instance, double check how to put a grommet in before you actually punch holes in fabric!).

I have to make a quick run to Michael's in the next couple of days to get a drawstring before I can go any further, but thus far I'm very excited with how good they're turning out! Of course, saying this means that the sewing gods are going to strike a big bolt out of the sky right down on my head, so expect unhappy posts soon about these...

Next, the first of the Alice mittens is really taking shape! I'm almost to the top of the thumb, which should make them go considerably faster once I put those stitches on the holder. This particular pattern is a little more difficult for fair isle, as the yarn has to sometimes run quite a ways between colors, but I'm still really satisfied with how it's turning out. It's exciting to see it take shape (which is one of my favorite things about fair isle)!

I'm about two rows away from being finished with the back of my Thursday Next Vest, and I'll be starting soon on the front to finish it up- woohoo! This one was an impulse make, and even though I usually don't wear vests I'm excited to see how this one turns out. If I wear it a lot and I enjoy it, I have one or two other vests/vest-like things already in mind that I'd like to cast on for...

Last but not least is the big beauty in my pack, the Vivian sweater. I'm finally up to the yolk of the shoulders, and I'm really excited to finally get this thing finished so I can wear it with pride! If I hadn't let it just sit forever because I would get stuck on one little stitch here or there, it would have been finished months ago. Ah well... next time I do a sweater, I'll do better, I know! ;)

I'm especially happy with how pretty the cabling on the back is... I added two cables in the center seed stitch section that go up the back, and I think it'll add to the overall effect a lot. This is going to be one of the more difficult sweaters I've ever knit, and I love it! Cabling sweaters are definitely for me. :)

With so many projects close to the finish line, I'm trying to just get the big ones done and out of the way before I start anything else. The only problem is just that- they're big, bulky, and not very friendly for bus knitting or sticking-in-my-purse knitting (the Alice mittens are just too fiddly to do that). So I guess I'll be forced to cast on for something to knit for the bus ride to school... question is, exactly what might that be?

Hmmm...