The finished and the unfinished

First the finished: my mum received the navy wool cap and the blue/green striped dog coat in today's mail, super fast because I mailed them on Wednesday, even though I told her I sent them earlier in the week. Sad isn't it, still fibbing to my mum. Poor lady.

Then the unfinished: 3 projects on needles! That's pretty rare for me. Usually, I completely finish a project before starting on another. Am I evolving as a knitter?

First - an attempt at lace. Fern pattern. A shawl? A project I really want to do, but tedious as all get out, so it often gets skipped.

Second - 5 skeins of mohair to be part of a shrug. Although with each row I ask myself, "Am I too late? Are shrugs still in style? Do I need to be in style? Will I look weird wearing mohair just around the house? How would anyone know?" And so, with much self-doubt, I continue because mohair is nice to work with and the needles are big. Sometimes fast progress is good. Especially useful to balance a slow project such as the fern lace project mentioned above.
Third - socks. The 56 stitch, 56 row sock from Chic Knits. Okay I admit it. I just didn't want to be like everyone else. But then I did want to be like everyone else. I keep hearing how great home knit socks are. How wonderful wool is to wear. How some can knit a sock in their sleep and they are so fast and quick. I hesitated because I don't like repeating projects and I have to make two, back-to-back, going against the basis of my whole self. Does that make any sense?

No it's not a black and white photo, it's just Elephant Grey Wool. Don't worry, I'll embellish them. Somehow.

I knitted a pair of knee highs when I was 10 - 11. No, not ten or eleven but ten to eleven. It took a long time. I asked my mother why she would let a kid proceed with such an arduous task of knee high socks. Granted my legs were shorter then, but still, there are inches and inches of just going round and round and round.

She told me that I was stubborn (I must have grown out of that) and she couldn't talk me out of it. I give myself 'points' for sticking to my guns at such an early age.

I still have them, heel worn out and all. My mom says I wore them a lot. Until the heal wore out. When I get near them again, I show you the picture.