Sweater is still not done; Pictures of FOs

As another month is about to tick over, my sweater is not yet complete.

I've been telling you for weeks that it's just "almost done", and that it's "so close"--I am practically checking it off as finished in my brain.

Of course, nothing happens if you don't actually knit on the thing. Knitting time has been sparse in the past 7 days, and for the bulk of what little I had, I have been working on a cowl that I've ripped out three times. after the third ripout, I realized I should just let it sit even if it is shaped wrong so I can still count it for stash dash, but yeah, that didn't occur to me until after I'd destroyed it. again.

So I picked up the sweater and did a few rows on it last night--really only like 100 stitches; I was quite tired so I ended up falling asleep with it in my lap. But tonight! tonight I have free time and an inclination to use it--and some video podcasts to watch (I think I'll add the Fat Squirrel Speaks to the sidebar once I catch up with her back episodes--she is very, very funny and great fun to watch). So, tonight will be sweater knitting. I would like to finish both sleeves--and I do think it's do-able, they're not that big and the first is only like a thousand stitches left (that sounds ominous, but think of a big shawl with 500 sts per row--that's only two rows, you know, and it may take a couple of hours but it isn't taking all week). That'll put me in a good mood for the end of July.

Meanwhile, a rarity: pictures. I got my sister to take some good shots for me when I was visiting the family, and I have a few crappy computer shots as well to share.

Stash Dash 2015 in pictures:

spinning has been very productive!

Sortedam So, 128 yards of 2 ply from a fat gorgeous batt

Dried Flowers, 220 yards of navajo-plied 3ply 100% BFL

Spring Flowers, 225 yards 2ply from Chilean (mystery) wool

I also finished off 375 yards of a beautiful skinny 50/50 merino/tencel 2ply from 4oz of Highland Handmades in gorgeous shades of purple.

As for knitting, I wanted to focus on finishing WIPs. This was pretty good motivation. I've finished:

a pair of socks for my twin; quite long

a hat and a matching pair of fingerless mitts for myself, out of some awesome Chilean yarn

A Clapotis in Handmaiden Casbah, one of my all time favorite yarns. Guess I should review this stuff at some point

and a little dress for a baby as one of my coworkers is sprogging; no pics yet though of that.

I still have in progress:

the eternal blue cowl. Beautiful MCN hand-dyed by a friend; a linen stitch border, but then I want to do some shaping and every time I do it, it's not quite right. *sigh*

This colorwork blanket that was inspired by Mason Dixon Knitting and by Rothko; I'm adding a border to it with the last two balls of yarn, so good progress on this sucker, but still not done.

The Sweater. unf, the color is much nicer in real life. Dragonfly Fibers is also one of my favorites so I suppose I should review them too!

So, it's been a productive summer, one way or another. But you see why I want to keep knitting? both the sweater and the blanket are so close to the end! and the cowl is so small, and I've got a hat and mittens and socks sitting around that are pretty small too that maybe I could finish if I could just focus on them...