Signs You are So Over Your Current Knitting Project

This list from Craftsy of 10 ways to know you’re over your current WIP made me laugh, but it’s actually important to think about.

Have you had a project in time out for years?

Are you totally bored with what you’re knitting?

Were you stitching something trendy last winter that you don’t care about or that isn’t in style any more?

Do you hate the yarn or the color?

These and more are all totally legitimate reasons to dump a knitting project.

That’s not to say that every project you’ve neglected for years should be dumped. I recently picked up a sweater I started more than eight years ago and now it’s almost finished. I still have a Hitchhiker somewhere that I definitely want done. But some projects are not worth our time and effort and we need to be OK with abandoning them. And it does give me a certain joy to rip out projects I’m not loving, secure in the knowledge I never have to see them again.

What about you? How do you know you need to break up with a project? Have you ever gone back and finished a years-old WIP? I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo: Craftsy.]

Getting ready for back to school makes me think about pencil crafts, so let’s take a look at some pencil themed knitting patterns!

I recently made a pencil on a circular knitting machine, and it was a fun, quick, easy project that uses little bits of leftover yarn (and if you don’t have yellow you can make it a colored pencil using whatever color’s your favorite). And if you want to make a bigger version check out this pattern from Orange Olive Road on Etsy.

If you want to knit a pencil pillow by hand, check out Sketchy, available on Ravelry from Shana S. Cohen. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has two size options and the choice to make a pencil with an eraser or a colored pencil.

Pencil scarves seem to be the most popular kind of pencil knitting pattern, and there are lot of cute ones. This one from Cosy Craft UK mostly uses garter stitch, with some welts to add texture and what looks like an I-cord edging. It calls for DK weight yarn.

If you want to go all garter stitch try this version from Emsley Co Creations, which uses five colors of DK weight yarn and just a little shaping to make the point of the pencil.

There’s also this fun, mostly stockinette so it looks like it curls a bit, pencil pattern that looks like it’s worked in chunky yarn from Little Knits Studio. This one uses just a little garter stitch and easy shaping for the point.

If you don’t want a pencil scarf, how about some pencil socks? The No. 2 Pencil Socks from The Yarn Enabler are available from Ravelry and use five colors of sock yarn. They feature wide ribs to mimic the texture of a pencil and have options to be worked from the top down or the toe up.

Needs Sharpening by Alexander Walker is a free pattern on Ravelry that uses five colors of sock yarn to make a sort of shortie sock. The little bit of black at the tips of the toes inspired the name. These, too, can be worked in either direction and are available in three sizes.

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