Knitting The Queue and whats ON the needles and coming OFF

I have resolved to take a sensible approach to my knitting for 2013.
I want to make FINISHING my main goal!

To that end I am resolved to finishing something before starting something, eg I have at least 4 that I can think of of scarves/cowls/shawls etc all OTN in varying stages of nearly and no where near finished and YET I have several more that I want to put ON some needles.

Apart from the fact that it costs a fortune in buying more needles, I have a stress attack every time I go around to let the cats in or out as behind the side of my sofa lies the evidence! bags and bags and BOXES of KNITTING

I hope I'm not alone, indeed I know I'm not - some friends have confessed too, to having stress attacks over their knitting and I am hoping my new strategy will work to my benefit and wellbing as well as giving me something to WEAR!

I have joined the lovely MoonCalf's "knit the queue" Ravelry group and while I've not updated my personal pledges yet, I have almost! sorted out my priorities and am tagging them "ktq2013" as others are doing.

I will post another time my final projects, but here are some that I have been knitting recently and am determined to finish, not least because two are baby cardi's and the baby is due beginning of Feb!  A second baby-girl for the sister of my brother's former girlfriend with whom he is still friendly.  (actually he is still friendly with all the family which is nice as they are a nice family, and I wish he'd not separated!)

Photos follow:

This lovely owl cowl is nearly finished - Hidden Picture can be found here.  I was lucky to be sent this super US magazine!

Looks fiddly! but actually 3 of the 4 rows is just plain KNIT!  In the round the pattern is easily worked and the beads are added as you knit - Ice Queen can be found here.  I am knitting this as a KAL here.

Glencoe is about 1/3 way through and is a lovely restful knit, although on small needles it is taking time it knits surprisingly quickly and I am hoping to finish it soon - it will complement Merrion nicely as the yarn is the same as well as all the colours in this easy to knit scarf that comes from Martin Storey's Scottish Heritage Knits book which is SCRUMMY.

Design H

"Design H" makes it sound very clinical!  it is, however, Design H from the lovely Sirdar booklet of baby bamboo patterns - I have knit several from here for various recent babies and this is lovely with the detail of pink and white that I added after being inspired by the lovely Staci's baby cardigan featured on one of her videos.

tiny bolero

Blossom!  Although the photo doesn't show it, it is in fact TINY!  especially compared to the pink cardi, this is knit in the delicious Fine Milk Cotton and I have checked both my tension, and the finished size overall and it matches the schematic so I am continuing and just hope Amy has a SMALL baby!
(I'm sure Amy is hoping for a small baby too for different reasons!).
Anyway, if it turns out too small to be of use, it can be donated for prem babies, perhaps?

The yarn is very inclined to split, but I love it although it is knit on TINY needles its knitted up quite quickly in just a few days in fact.  The pattern comes from this book.  and is the left over from the lovely Arielle knitted from here.

Well thats my most pressing projects, I have decided to be sensible and review some of my garments OTN's and make this the first project:-

The lovely chevron design for The Killing III - it comes as a kit from the lovely ladies at Knit'n'caboodle whom I recommend very highly for their service is EXCELLENT and they are just lovely to order from.

I have gloves and socks on the go too, but I plan to complete these and will list them as I do.

Garments that I have decided to unpick and reknit include the lovely Cropped Cardigan, and the equally lovely Nan, simply because I need to streamline what I am knitting to wear and I have seen a lovely pattern in the new Rowan 53 magazine and it would be more helpful to knit that one rather than an older design.  I plan to learn to crochet PROPERLY and use the yarns from Nan to make a blanket/throw.  I might - cough - be calling upon my lovely knit+crochet-pal-SALLY for help! hint hint!!

Yarn has been purchased.  I know.  but to be fair I never said I wasn't going to buy.  You sort of have to, its the law isn't it to keep wool shops going?  I sort of feel that we should support them, what do you think? (that I am making excuses for being a feeble minded woman not able to control urges and resist temptation - bah!).

There will still be posts on the cats, the baking and my weight watching, but I am aiming to concentrate this year on my knitting AND sewing and will mostly blog about that.