Ivy League Challenge

Finishing Kendra's Onward Shawl felt great.  Big projects always feel great to finish, after all!  When I finished it, I checked out some of my recently completed items on Ravelry.  I noticed a trend that you've probably noticed- all of my big projects (and almost all of my recently finished projects) are for other people.

On one hand, yes, Christmas just passed us by.  And the end of the dance year is a few months away, which always means gift knits.  But the only big project I've made for myself in the last- year and a half, probably?- is the European Ombre cardigan.  And even that I felt almost guilty making, because lots of airplane time meant lots of knitting time for potential gifts.  Otherwise, I made one hat and mittens set (and the hat has since fallen victim to Godzilla cat's nomming) and a pair of socks for myself.

Plus, most of my current projects that I'm actively knitting (I'm looking at you, Hipster hat and Police Box handwarmers) are for someone else.  I cast on a pair of Valentine's Day socks only because I received the yarn specifically as a gift for me to knit with, and I haven't touched those in over a week.

Well- I'm going to do it.

I'm going to be selfish.

I'm going to attempt to work almost exclusively on something for myself.

HA!  Take that, big pile of to-do stuff!

To celebrate this conception of being selfish, I've ordered the yarn to cast on for a long-time want- the Ivy League Vest.

Isn't it pretty? :)

It's a lot of colorwork, and it's on fairly teeny needles, but I've ogled this pattern since it came out in 2007, when I still didn't even know how to cable.  I would love to wear this vest over button-up shirts when I'm teaching, and it doesn't have the commitment timing of a full sweater.  

Plus, the fact that I'm deciding to do this at this moment makes it more fun.

We're currently at the halfway point of the Spring Semester.  I'm giving my grammar midterm to my Comp I class on Friday.  That means there are 8 weeks before Finals week, not counting Spring Break.

Depending on how quickly the yarn gets here, I'm going to challenge myself to finish this vest (yep- finish) by the time I give my Comp I students their Exam.  Not just that, I want to wear it to their final exam on Wednesday, May 14th at 8 am.  

Yes, there's a lot going on between now and then, but I need a good challenge and I really want to be selfish for once.

And this is the perfect project to do it with. :)

(To be fair, another reason why I'm knitting this vest is that I can practice steeking, which I need to do for my Dad's Dale of Norway, and I want to practice on something that isn't so high-stakes for my first steeking project!  Plus, it's a chance to try out the Knit Picks Palatte yarn, which I'm planning on using for the Persian Dreams blanket- but that's for another post...)