The hunt for unfinished things, and the desire to move them to the other category yielded up a few things in the last few days. The urge to tidy the box holding UFO’s didn’t go away. It’s such and unusual feeling that I thought I might recover from it – the same way you get better from a cold, but nope. I looked to the socks first.
I know that picture is blurry, but you have no idea what it took to get a good enough shot of my own feet.
My Lenores have been sitting on my desk, waiting only for the ends to be woven in for months. I have no explanation for why someone would stop just short of doing a two minute job – but there are many things I still find a mystery. 
They’ve finally made it into rotation. Pattern is Lenore, yarn is Lenore as well, in STR lightweight.
Next up, the January socks for this year. I love these. They’re just my colours, and I find that no matter how much I knit them, I just love self patterning sock yarns. You’d think that after this many pairs the charm of watching little stripes appear would be lost on me, but nope. Thrilling every time.
Pattern: Basic Sock Recipe from Knitting Rules
It’s Online Supersocke 100 "Sierra Color" #893… The closest thing available now from the same company seems to be this one. (Wow. Almost bought that. Sometimes my own links are dangerous.)
That tidy up meant that the only socks around are the cashmere ones… 
and I’ve finished one of the pair there. They’ll be joined tomorrow by the February socks, I supposed, though truthfully I think I’d rather finish these before I put anything else on in the basket. Such is the grip of finishitupitis.
This leaves me… because I haven’t cast on the second sock of the cashmere pair yet.. with (you might want to sit down for this one) no socks on needles. It won’t last- in an hour or two when I take a break from work I’ll cast on the mate in this set, but right this minute? No socks on needles. It’s sort of shocking- like spontaneous cleanups executed by teenagers or small children who want less screen time and candy. I know it happens… just. Wow – and yes. I feel fine.
Tomorrow – finishitupitis and the mitten portion of the basket. 
Then the sweaters. Oh, and the shawl… wait… I think there’s a hat…
This might be harder than I thought.
congratulations! What a way to start a Monday!
Go Stephanie go! ^_^
Go Steph Go! I am glad to say I’ve caught your “finishitupitis” and am also developing a case of “Idon’tknowwhattodowithmyremnantssoI’mknittingcharityprojects.” Finished two hats over the weekend. Way to be an inspiration!
I would love to indulge in my finishupitis of current socks, but I’m chained to sweater monogomy. And, by the way, I never tire of self patterning yarn, call me simple, but I’ve been known to call my husband over to see what’s next in the pattern.
I love the socks and the On-line socks look like something that I would have fallen for also. So I went and checked my stash and YES! I have a skein 🙂 Always nice to see what it will look like knitted. Can’t wait to see the mitten line-up.
I’m routing for you. Finishitupitis is the best disease ever.
Not knitting, but I finished a Zentangle project that I started back in August 2010 this morning too! It’s catching!
Congratulations on the FO’s. They look awesome, as usual. 😀 I could use a good case of finishupitis myself. hehe Although we did just move, and I have misplaced a few knitting books in the process. Of course, one of those books contains the pattern for a pair of socks for my aunt, which I have finished one of the pair, and half of the other. I really need to find that. 😀 I think I will have to follow your plan of photocopying my pattern so that I can mark all over it, leaving my books untouched. 🙂
When you had your last organizational attack and painted your little room, you inspired me to organize my stash closet. (I’m really just learning the joys of stashing). So this time, your finishitupitis inspired me to catalog the stash. It took me all weekend, but I entered it all in on Ravelry. Awesome. I then proceeded to order a whole new load of yarn, a Denise kit, and a bunch of notions. Since I’m still in the grip of knitmania, I’m pretty sure I’ll be investing in a swift and winder today. I never felt it necessary before. Does this mean I’m officially a yarn stasher?? Thanks for the inspiration!
Nice socks, of course. However, you neglect to mention your Bohus in your blog, despite the mention on your tweet. Holding out for the big reveal?!
I see mawata mittens!!
I can’t wait to see the sweaters in the basket.
Very pretty socks.
What is that last project? I am smitten with the colors.
Lovely and congrats! I love your green signature needles, I spurged last Stitches Midwest convention and bought the same set.
That cashmere yarn looks better each photo. It is so satisfying getting lots of WIPs done. Keep going, but I bet it won’t be long before you get distracted by something new! Happens to us all in the end you know!
If you’ve developed a chronic case, it might be harder to shake than you think making it easier to complete all those UFOs. Wouldn’t that be something!
Beautiful FOs, and congratulations on the continuing urge to complete projects! Do you think you’ll be amazed at the number of needles you own once they’re empty of projects???
I’m also having an episode of finishupitis. As of right now I have a set of mittens, the edging of a shawl, and grafting the arm holes of a sweater to do.
On one hand I’m completely thrilled to have finished so much. On the other I want to scream as I’m in the home stretch of all these projects. I made my knit night promise not to let me go home until I finished the sleeve of the sweater.
Could you please send some of whatever it is that you are breathing in Toronto over to BC? At least enough to take the edge off whatever it is out here that has me wanting to cast on a chullo hat, owl sweater and Spilly Jane mitts all at the same time.
Fantastic start to the week. I worked on my basket a few months ago and then fizzled. I really need to sew a doll together and gift it. Alas it languishes.
Go! Go! Go! lead us on to glory vicariously! 🙂
That sounds like a pretty productive start to me! I have to hand it to you; especially since my UFO’s include two sweaters (one a Dale that has been a UFO for 2 years… gulp). Dare I ask what you plan on doing or starting if you happen to finish ALL the UFO’s floating around?
Stephanie,
You once talked about the knitting needles on your cashmere socks being your “go to knitting needles”. What brand are they. They are intriguing me. I would love to find some. I like to sample different needles and these ones have my attention.
Yowza, that’s a whole lotta FOs for one morning. I can claim no such greatness. You did inspire me to finish my cabled mittens this weekend, though. Well, you and the 1 degree (farenheit) predicted high temp for tomorrow. But I’d much rather give you the credit than the nasty weather…
Just curious, how long does it take to knit a single sock? The one sock I have completed took me over a week, but I only knit in short bursts and I am super slow.
Thanks so much – You have inspired me, too! I could really use the room taken up by my UFO’s – but am having to slap my hands to keep from adding to my stash cuz I WANT to try a new pattern!
Wow, what a great start to the week!
I hate weaving in ends, and often leave projects with nothing to do but the ends for months. As you say, mere minutes from finishing, and I stop. Can’t explain it. I also hate seaming, and just frogged a sweater that has been sitting in my UFO basket for *three years* with nothing to do but attach the sleeves (and weave ends). I am turning it into a seamless sweater for my son :-).
Congrats on the parade of finished items!
wow! I hope that’s contagious!
I only live in NE ohio…that’s not too far…could you go outside and sigh contentedly a few times, so the finishitupitis virus could travel on the wind (you could even send it with the snow) down to my neck of the woods?
Great job! keep it up!!! yay, you!!!
Fantastic progress so far!
It’s amazing how much we can stack up that needs so little effort to complete.
You’re inspiring the dickens out of me!
This may sound nuts, but after having to rip out the work I’ve done on an almost finished fingerless glove and a halfway done arm warmer, reading this makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something.
I have an unfinished toddler sweater (which I’d better finish soon or she’ll have outgrown it) my sock club socks (which I don’t like and am thinking of frogging… I don’t match patterns and sock yarn as well as you do) a pair of socks I “finished” but find I made 1 about 1/2 inch shorter than the other… a pair of socks in my purse (for appointments and such) and my “current project” which is a shawl pattern I’m trying to figure out and need to do some graphing on. So why do I feel like I have nothing to knit?
You are truly an inspiration to us all. By which I mean reading this makes me feel less guilty about my UFOs. 🙂
Go go go!
Wow no socks! I find this really hard to believe. Are you sure there aren’t some hiding in the back of the stash somewhere? I’ll have to take your word for it but it stretches the suspension of disbelief.
I really should be saying congratulations, Way to go Steph! Keep at it and the basket will be empty and those 1000’s of things you need to do for Sock Summit will be dealt with smoothly and quickly as well.
Have a good week. Hugs, Alice
I’m a bit embarased to admit it, but I also have about 8 pairs of socks that only need the ends woven in. Someone should start a weaving ends in service. They’d be able to pay their mortgage off just with the business I’d send their way.
Looks like you are making a lot of progress!
By the way, I just noticed that you won first place for the Canadian Weblogs for 2010.
CONGRATS!!!
Taking a picture of your own feet is so much easier when you prop a mirror up against the wall, then photograph the reflection!
Samina at 1:39: Now, there’s a business opportunity! It’d cost a lot less to get started than the restaurant I expect to open in the spring: just a darning needle and a PO box.
I think you’d hesitate to send your socks out, though, if you knew what I’d charge.
Most things sit with ends to be woven in for a while before I get to them. Socks are my only exception. To date I’ve not done any toe-up socks, so I finish all of them with the kitchner stitch and since I’ve got the yarn end already threaded, I just sew in the end and then sew in the end at the cuff since I’m already half-done with the ends. Now that stack of cotton burp cloths that I’ve been knitting… There are LOTS of loose ends in that stack!
Well done! There’s something about the beginning of the year, when we want to actually get stuff done. And weaving in ends – who wants to do that … like … ever? 🙂
Now, onto a cowl I need/want to get done …
Jeesh, I just realized that I only have one project on the needles at the moment – a pair of socks. I need to get organized here and get more projects started!!
Is not having enough projects in the works also a disease?
Funny, I’ve had a bad case of Finishupitis myself since the new year began. Something must be up in the universe. Every year, I take an inventory of UFO’s, I assess their level of completion, and I go about finishing up the ones closest to being done and make difficult decisions about which ones need to be frogged. I try to hold off starting new projects until a serious dent has been made with the UFO’s. I tend to cave when the next KAL seduces me. So far this year, I’m holding strong.
I think you are abolutely right, when other things seem to be large undertakings or even out of one’s control, we seek ways to excercise control or to feel a sense of accomplishment — so it makes sense that we turn to our knitting to fulfill our needs. So, good for you for finishing up things!
Yay! Keep it up! It’s inspiring me to keep my UFOs at a manageable number, since I am in the midst of getting ready for a baby due in April. I keep wanting to CO for tiny things, but I stay the course (for now) because finishing tiny things is more important and functional than starting them. I’m wondering if you have more of a viral finishupitis infection than bacterial?
Here’s hoping this lasts through finishing Wild Apples Bohus and, dare we say it…the GANSEY!
love this idea….instead of avoiding eye contact with the UFO’s, I have rounded them up into a basket and we are making direct eye contact. The only hindrance is a yarnbombing site I came across recently that is making me want to decorate poles, trees, handrails you name it. UFO’s first, decorate the planet with yarn later.
WOW!!! I think that my jaw got hurt when it hit the floor that fast. Serously, no socks at all. This is the most shocking thing that I have heard yet this year.
I’m looking forward to the mittens 🙂
Before innoculations were common, mothers used to take their tiny children to play with someone who had chicken pox to get it out of the way early and light (not advocating, you understand, just mentioning.) By the same token, you might rent couch space to people hoping to catch finishupitis from you. Charge high — I suspect it’s not nearly as contagious as the more common startitis.
We must embrace Finishupitis when it hits. It is really a blessing in disguise.
I also would like to say that I absolutely LOVE your January socks. The colors are superb.
It sounds like your finishitis is bearing terrific fruit. I feel like I need to make a post about just the things I finished in January, because there have been a much higher number of things finished in a single month than at any point in time in my knitting career (if I can call it that) other than when I was doing nothing but holiday ornaments.
I second Samina’s idea of a weaving-in-ends service. Or, perhaps more realistically, we could designate a Weaving In Ends day? I’ll weave mine if you weave yours…
I love Online Supersocke 100 yarns! The socks wear like iron but are comfortable. Unfortunately, one of my Online socks in “Hiking” went missing in the laundry. I know it’s probably folded in something else but I still can’t find it. Even though I’m using February to finish up things, I may have to cast on some socks in another “Hiking” colorway.
Go you! You’re awesome!
I notice that I’m not the first to mention the Gansey. I’m looking forward to seeing a picture of it completed. 🙂
It is so un-Christlike to be in sock envy, but oh my word, I am going to pray that my heavenly Father forgives me.
My needles remain silent as education certification classes threaten to submerge me forever in the world of academia.
Until then, I guess I’ll just have to content myself with other people’s FOs.
I wass so proud of until the no socks on the needles part. Now I’m kinda worried.
Good Job. Can’t wait to see what comes next. Your Lenore socks are next on my list – they will be my February socks. Mine will be white (BMF Silkie Socks)but before they get cast on, I’m down to the toe on a CookieA pattern. This might take me another 3 months, but we’ll see. In the meantime,here’s hoping the finishing up continues with a great sense of satisfaction for you.
Me? Well – I have a piece of lettus stuck between the s and d on my keyboard, but we plug right along anyway – right?
Love the socks. All of them. Love love love them.
Congrats! Finishupitis was how I made it through the Christmas holidays. Hmm, this half finished shawl? What a great gift for mom! This sweater that just needs a sleeve? Hubby will be happy! and so on. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Ha – you must’ve breathed on me, after all! I’m finishing up that HUGE garter-stitch Faroese shawl I was so sick of. Actually found more of the same dyelot to get it done. Only 10 more (endless) rows to complete. Now, if only my Denise cables would quit coming apart at the join. It’d be ever so much faster. I can hardly wait until I start the binding off of those 450+ stitches. Not. (I know…the whole “not” thing is sooo last decade, but sometimes… it’s all that fits the situation.) And these are just SOME of the things I really, really need to finish. Oh – yes. The EZ Bog Jacket from 3 1/2 years ago. *sigh* Three-fourths done and I just … got side-tracked. Again.
Next up, frogging the (again, endless) i-cord on a sweet, cap-sleeved garter sweater I did up with my handspun. Darn it. The contrasting color I’d spun up just didn’t look right, but I knitted it all up, in complete denial (of course). I then bought a ball of just-right brown, since I didn’t have any other fiber to come close enough to the brown I really needed. And there it has sat, in the UFO pile, since the past Summer. I’ve got a BSJ (from 2 Christmases ago) to finish up that, really, only needs a few more rows and a hood. Naturally, it won’t fit the baby it was intended for, as he is a big ol’ Toddler now :-(. Then, there’s that lovely lace mantilla/stole from cash/merino that’s been otn for… what, 2 or 3 years? It only requires a few more simple repeats and it would be done.
However! I have NO MORE SOCKS TO FINISH! WHOOT! I would say that twice, but this isn’t my blog & I’m taking up too much room as it is…
Connie
P.S. Congratulations on winning the 2010 Canadian Weblog award!
P.P.S. I loooove those striped sock yarns, too :-). It makes socks go SO much faster for some reason. Plus, they’re way cool.
You keep on at those UFO’s, I have a sleeve to knit (it’s the second sleeve, don’t worry).
The only thing I have on the needles right now is one cardigan, which I have little enthusiasm for right now, and a couple of swatches which don’t count as they’re not real projects yet. I didn’t have anything to take to knitting group today!
It must feel so good! The closest I’ve ever come to this is about 2 weeks ago, when for a brief moment, all the laundry was done. I even commemorated the event on my FB!
Wow! What a great bunch of finished items. Nothing is more satisfying than have a completed item and empty needles, beckoning for a new project.
As always, you inspire…I’m not a great one for having a dozen unfinished projects lying about. Too much guilt and anxiety for me. There’s always a sock project and usually one larger project that demands more attention and doesn’t usually get carried along in my bag. However, I did just begin to crochet a baby blankie…3 projects at once…I feel heart palpatations…I never tire of self-striping/patterning, too, but I fear that it keeps me from challenging my pattern knitting skills. Resolved this year: more knit patterned socks…
I love your blog, and you so inspired me I joined the Rockin’ Sock Club. I’ve never knitted switching back and forth between 2 different yarns, hope I haven’t bitten off more than I can bind off. To needles!
I’m on the same jag and have been for awhile. Of course, I don’t have much on the needles. But I have NO inspiration to start new stuff. Weird!
Wow–no socks. That is definitely an unusual state at your house. Hoping to catch your finish-up-itis, my UFOs have taken over a chair and I’m getting nothing done it seems. Kinda frustrating.
Oh, dear. Sounds very serious indeed. (Shhh, I wouldn’t mention this too loudly. Strange knitters are likely to try to kiss you to contract such an illness themselves!)
I think I WANT to start that weaving-in-the-ends service! It appeals to the neat-nik in me (not apparent in most other aspects of my life). I can imagine lots of socks coming to me with their little ends hanging out. I would weave in ends and wash and block the socks and send them back all crisp and waiting to be worn…
I’m working on a small bout of finishitupitis also. One sleeve seam to sew on two different baby sweaters and some little pink rosebuds to sew on. All will be accomplished tomorrow – I’m looking forward to a snow day!
Hooray for the finishing disease!
I like to weave in ends, but sometimes it’s so fiddly that I can’t bring myself to do it…sort of like jumping into a cold body of water 🙂
Hi, Steph,
Congratulations on all the FOs! It must feel so great. One thing bothers me though, do you mean to say that one must weave in ALL the ends BEFORE wearing the new socks? It’s not ok to just put them on immediately, do the happy dance and wear them, saving the end-weaving business for a much later date? Gulp! Have I been doing it all wrong all these years? I guess so! The last time we were doing laundry my husband pointed out a few ends to me and asked me if I had forgotten something. No…. they’re just not aged enough yet. I will weave no end before it’s time, like the Orson Wells wine commercial from the 80’s.
Congrats anyway,
Julie
The beauty that is the tops of those Lenores makes me want to make all my socks like that,henceforth and forevermore. I never again want to make a ribbed sock top. And the cashmere ones, oh, they must feel like heaven when you slip them on your feet. Alas, it is report card time, and I have no time to knit socks at the moment. But yours are beauties to look at.
I am in BIG melty gooey love with the Lenore socks! I’m so buying it….if I were to take your absolutely gorgeous and totally perfect pattern and try to make it knee length instead would it be super trifling of me to ask if the top of the sock is stretchy enough that I could just start with bigger needles then switch to smaller ones as I go down the leg?
Nice socks! I clicked on that sock yarn link and was tempted. Then I looked at my Bento yarn database, and found I have enough yarn in the stash for over 200 pairs of socks. I think I’ll go shopping there instead…
It’s several hours later – is the other cashmere sock on the needles??
Love the Lenores. I followed in your footsteps by organizing my craft room this weekend. I found 3 projects that I really love and can’t figure out why I didn’t finish buried in some of the various piles . So I happily flitted from one project to the next (after getting my fibers and yarns organized). I actually now have all my silk fibers in one container, all my merinos in another, all my cotton in another and so on and the yarn the same. It won’t last but it was a wonderful feeling to have it done at least once in my lifetime.
I so know what you mean about the self-patterning yarn- for me, even self-striping is compelling!
And this?:
“Wow. Almost bought that.”
-had me in stitches- a nice place to be!
I am almost done with my Lenore’s, and it is shocking that two different yarns could look so much alike! I am gifting them next weekend, then maybe….socks for myself?!?!
Nice job finishing your socks! I’ve gotta say, Finishuptitis seems to spread more virally than startuptitis – after reading your post, I can’t wait to go and get those socks, with only the toes missing, Owls sweater that’s only missing the owls… and a few other almost-finished items. I’ll get there!
:O <–This is my actual face right now.
No. socks? On the needles??
I… I know what these words mean by themselves, but when you put them together like that, they don’t make any sense. I’m going to have a minor heart palpitation on your behalf and if you’d like to check to see if you’re a Cylon, I know somebody who might be able to help. I mean, I only say this because my best friend suspects this of me. I was in danger of having nothing at all on the needles and she was concerned.
But if you finish THOSE mittens, it will be easier for people to forget that they are YOUR mittens when you show them off in Mawata classes! 🙂
Ohhh, love the colour combo peeking out of that last photo… What yarn is that? Although – if I find out, I’ll go buy it. Which would be bad…. but good (so, not really that bad, right?)
Self striping yarn is the best thing since… ever. Makes it look like you worked much harder than you did. I’m all for that.
Go, go, go!! All are beautiful too!
GANSEYGANSEYGANSEY
OMG.. SNORT! when the Yarn Harlot says (and honestly sounding surprised!!!!) “(Wow. Almost bought that. Sometimes my own links are dangerous.)”
well, no kidding.. welcome to my world of what happens when *I* visit your link.. happens all the time… I’m still laughing..
Curse you and your links that you manage to neatly side-step. Some of us don’t have that sort of fortitude!
Oh well…. they *are* limited edition, as you say … get ’em now, or they’ll be gone forever …. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it. And if that one doesn’t wash, well then, Happy Birthday To Me. 😛
Whew! For a second I thought that the squirrel-aliens had abducted the Yarn Harlot. Then you started mentioning all that’s left in the UFO basket…..welcome home.
You’re making me want to knit socks. I have one pair on needles, but little motivation to do them. They’re a sideways pattern so they are knit back and forth and I really want to knit some socks in the round now! Your finishitupitis is giving me starteritis!
i have some socks on the needles. they are from my very own October sock club. I call it – it’s-October-and-you-haven’t-knit-yourself-a-pair-of-socks? club.
I’m going to start a new one called it’s-2011-and-you-ought-to-knit-yourself-a-pair-of-socks-every-18-months club. Do you think the name will catch on?
Finally finished my husband’s red sweater just in time for Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately the finishitupitis bug hasn’t bitten yet – still have a bunch of UFO’s sitting around. Instead I bought sock yarn yesterday when I already had some looming in my stash that I just bought a month ago and forgot about. I’ve got the sock bug!!
Nice socks. I need to get me some self striping yarn.
A couple of weeks ago I sat down and wove in ends on 5 pairs of socks. Five. Why I had not done it before, I don’t know. But I’m happy to have those socks now!
I do Love me some socks and sock yarns.
help. i’m burned out from seven pair of socks at christmas. and now there are five new babies at church. all special. all know i’m a knitter. can’t move toward a baby pattern. life is too short to make it in pieces. (also my finishing skills bite) got any good top down, one piece patterns?
Dangerous Link-asions, that’s for sure! Love those socks…and do you think you could hold a grown-up version of a Chicken Pox party? We could all come over and see if we could catch some Finishitupitis from you? I’m sure we could all do with a little dose of that!
Okay, I think I’m in love with the yarn in that last photo (the mittens?) Whatever it is, it is gorgeous, and I must know! I would so love a pair of mittens made from that!
So thrilling! I wonder if the moon is in some something or some planet is rising. I had mad startitis the same time you did, and thought nothing of it. Well, it’s hardly an unusual diagnosis, is it?
But this last week I have been on a ROLL, churning out the knitting like nobody’s business. It’s all I want to do. Well, that’s pretty usual to. But now I keep thinking about how lovely it will be to get those things finished, and plotting ways to use up languishing stash.
Yesterday I had itchy itchy fingers. Since I was at work and couldn’t knit, I sorted my emails, did ten jobs that took five minutes each that I’d been ignoring, and generally sorted my shit out. On my lunch break I sorted out my ravelry queue and matched potential yarns to potential projects. Then I headed to my blogs for a springclean of those. To find that it has struck you, too. If only it weren’t so HOT here, I could take more advantage of it.
Good for you! Did you finish Joe’s sweater……..the one you were spinning for and had trouble with the squirrels? I would love to see how it turned out! Did I miss it?
I am so proud of you! It is excellent character to finish what one starts. It says “I have a handle on it” Keep having a handle on it all!!
bjr
Wish you’d sneeze on me or something. I need that disease.
I’m cheering for you! I always finish what I start…eventually. And right now, I want to start EVERYTHING, but your finishitupitis is giving me the will to hold off…at least until I finish another couple projects!
All those socks… how do you make socks that stay up? I love to knit socks, but they always fall down. 🙁 What’s your trick for making all those different patterns work?
Those Lenore socks are really pretty – actually the first ones I really like and would actually wear.
I was wondering, if it ‘STARTitis’, why isn’t it just ‘FINISHitis’? Seems more consistent and certainly easier to say.
Maybe I’ve forgotten but – Joe’s gansey? Ever done?
This is my comment. I just had to say how beautiful your socks are! I only started learning how to knit maybe 2 weeks ago. I am working on my first dishcloth. My dream is to do socks. You are my sock idol! 🙂
Woohoo!!! All of your FOs look great!
Finishupitis seems to be catching in at least one of my Rav groups. Hooray for this communicable disease!
You know, I have a couple of pairs of socks where the ends never got woven in… one of them has even been worn a number of times.
Lenore looks beautiful… one of those patterns I need to get around to knitting one of these days. 😛
Did you see the Twist Collective’s February Finish Fest? Maybe Finishitupitis is catching…
you know what might be fun?
casting on something new.
Woo hoo…Way to go! Also, I knoq some people sneer at self striping socks yarn but it is fascinating and comforting, I think. Nothing like it when you are feeling too tired for an exciting yarn or pattern. Only another knitter could understand both those concepts!
I am such a follower. I set up a self-imposed sock club for myself this year. January’s lovely grape wool socks are finished and already have been given away as a promised Christmas present. I cheated a little bit and already have 3/4ths of the first February sock finished. I’m using Artyarn hand painted merino in Green Bay Packer colors that are making a fascinating striped pattern….These must be finished by Sunday Super Bowl time! I don’t know if I’m biting off too much here, but I’ve done the same kind of self-imposed hat club as well. Baby hats, funny hats, very warm hats, summer hats…who knows what else!? And I finished up a Spud and Chloe Top-down sweater in Grape Jelly colorway for a KAL with Susan B. Anderson and am sewing up a kimono sweater that has been languishing in a basket for 2 years. So I really want to thank you for talking through your knitting thinking processes as you write your blog. It has seriously given a “boot” to kick off my New Year knitting!
Sara
Please keep talking! I’m feeling a really big project starting urge coming on (I’m starting to recognize a pattern. Everytime I hit a slowdown spot, like this silly second sock which doesn’t seem to want it’s gusset installed. Why not? It’s elder sibling is done. It’s not the first pair of socks I’ve ever done. They’re really pretty and I want to wear them. Or maybe this beautiful sweater, back done, halfway up the front and I’ve decided I want some short rows at the bust, something I’ve never tried before. In fact, as I think back through the pile of ufo’s, that seems to be consistently the case! Please! Please keep talking about finishitupitis! Please!
you only had 3 pairs on the needles? I have my own sock club of unfinished socks. I finished up January’s quickly and today I’ll restart February’s.
LOVED your talk at VKL-please publish it. I try to explain to people and need the documentation of your research!
Stay warm and safe as we all get hit by this storm tonight!
All this brings up a huge issue for me – is the project finished if the ends aren’t sewn in? Is it alright to call dangling ends a “design element”?
Sigh.
I really want to ask…how big is your basket?!
I was recounting my list of projects currently ‘on the go’ to my knit night and some of them nearly fell off their stools. I think this is a sign that I may in fact need to finish some things!
What is the project in the last picture? The wool is really pretty – it looks like it may be something thrummed…?
Every time I see a pic of those Signature dpns I get the wants. Your Lenore socks make me wanty too.
On January 1st, my friends and I sat down and did an honest count of all our UFOs. I was stunned to find out that my list was the longest – at 24! We determined that just to clear the list this year I would have to finish 2 things a month. Well, as of yesterday 1/31, I have crossed 6 items off the list!! Granted, 5 of them were socks that either had one sock complete, or were just at the beginning of the first sock. The 6th item was a scarf. Have not started a single new project (yet). Tonight I plan to join the two halves of my Twinings Stole (by Anne Hanson) and cross that off the list as well. It feels awesome to finish stuff!! 😉
Beautiful socks…WIPs, needles and all, look far safer couch-side than in the backseat of a car on a snowy highway!
what is that gorgeous yarn in the last picture? I love the colors!
uh oh – are you coming down??? Keep going Stephanie. You can do eeeet!
Oh I love those mittens, I hope you’ll be telling me about that fantastic yarn you’re knitting with…
the first thought that came to my head when i considered which basket I would use to put my UFO’s in was, (snort, cough, ahem)How about a minivan? But after careful thought, I got it down to a volks bug. Good luck!
You’ve inspired me to attack my UFO basket. Thanks for the inspiration and contagious finishupitis. I will either finish or take-apart as appropriate. Go Steph!
Completion feels wonderful! Being able to focus on a couple of projects at a time has been a revelation in my life…
I got finishitupitis two months ago. To keep it up takes some self control, but it is nice to be able to focus on one or two things.
The less projects that are lying around unfinished, the less your energy is being pulled away to these. I think this mean more creativity!
Thank you for the blog, I love reading it!
Now see here, Stephanie. It’s all very well and good for you to be feeling all virtuous and pleased-with-yourself for finishing up your dusty old projects but surely you realize that you and your daggone blog are THE CAUSE of half of OUR startitis?!
You are a carrier, that’s what…like Typhoid Mary. >:-)
Hooray for finishitupitis! Nice work!
love the socks.. i had my first experience of my own handknit sock having a huge-arse gapping hole in the heal!! How did THAT happen? I am going to unknit them and knit them back up into socks again. that will teach them to get holes….
As much as I love the 100% merino sock yarns, they just do not wear as well as the ones with some nylon. OnLine and Opal and Regia socks last roughly… forever.
Very very odd. I would have sworn the January socks were Universal Yarn’s Ditto in the Hot Springs colorway. I have a pair of socks that look like they have the exact same pattern and that was the brand I bought. Hm.
Just in time for the Chinese New Year!
Hi Stephanie,
I love your Lenore pattern. I just bought some Malbrigo singles in laceweight… The ladies at the shop warned me away from making socks with them because they felt quite a bit from normal use and would be very thin/less durable. I still want to though, but wondered if I might get your opinion on this? Otherwise there is always a shawl… The yarn is the prettiest red/pink valentine shade, and I was thinking I might use Lenore. Do you think laceweight would be hard to match to the pattern, given it is fingering weight? If you have the time to answer, thanks a bunch, if not, have fun with your newly finished items! 🙂
Meghan
I also love the look of Lenore but am wondering about the staying-up-itude of them. Thanks for letting us know. Oh- and one more question if anyone could help a fairly new sock knitter. On the heel flap, where I am supposed to slip stitches “as if to pearl”, should I be moving the yarn to the front or just slipping the needle in pearl-wise but keeping the yarn in the back (that’s the way I’ve been doing it but not sure if it’s right- I know slipping every other makes a “sturdy heel’ but I’m curious why that is). Ok- thanks so much if anyone has answers :-).
wow! look at those signature double points. show-off.
Oh my- did I really write “pearl?” How embarrassing! I can only say I was under the influence (of Stephanie).
Oh! I know about the self-patterning yarn thing! Oh it’s so fun!
Those Lenore socks looks so similar to the stitch pattern as Baby Mine (which I’m obviously working on right now).
You are both my inspiration and my hope. Finishitupitis hit me in December but I’m moving very slowly. So you give me a boost each time you post about it. However, please don’t post with links to yummy yarn temptations anymore…I almost succumbed to that sock yarn….I’m not very strong after 10PM!
Sara
I love my knitting but can’t get any wool. First we had the floods here in Brisbane and now a double cyclone – what’s next?