Losing It

I am normally sooooo careful about my knitting needles. I have the ones that aren't being used filed in a little box, sorted by size. (That's not being obsessive, that's being organized!) The ones that are in use, I keep the needle package with the project so I remember what size (and because 99 times out of a hundred they're circular) and length I'm working with.

Why, oh why, then, do I have about 6 empty needle packages and 4 or 5 needles without a package... and the empty packages don't match the extra needles??

I felt my organizational skills were getting away from me towards the end of last year, so I am trying to start this new year being a bit more aware and trying to Put Things Where They Belong. Finding these mis-matched needles and packages does not make me feel I have gotten off to a good start.

Oy.

On the other hand, I have two FOs and a WIP picture to post on Ravelry. The Citron, she is done! (And in order to make her fit around anyone's shoulders, I'm going to have to block the snot out of her...) And there's something else that I finished last night, but the recipient sometimes reads this blog. Best not to say anything just yet. The WIP is a shawl I've been working on since 2005 (yes, you read that right, 2005).

The Citron, pre-blocking. About 14" (give or take) from center to end of ruffle.

Not a FO, a WIP; the Knitpicks Faeroese Shawl in Gossamer yarn, Rose Garden colorway. I'm at row 129 of a 258-row project. It's easy, just ... well ... look at all that garter stitch! Can you say "BORING"?? The border knitting starts at row 226 or so; I can't wait! (The reason it's been on the needles since 2005 goes like this: I bought it when I was a brand new knitter. Lace intimidated me, small yarn intimidated me, so when I bought the yarn and the pattern, I was actually pretty apprehensive about it. I knit and ripped the first 25 rows about 3 times before I got into the swing of it, but it still took a lot of effort, so it fell into the 'hibernating' category. Fast forward to last year, when I pull it out of it's little baggie and - lo and behold - I realize that (a) it's pretty much all garter stitch except for (b) 37 lace stitches down the middle. So now I pick it up at least two or three times a week and get another 4 or 5 rows finished while I watch TV. (It doesn't go much faster than that because there are so many stitches on the needle, not because it's terribly difficult.)