Lorna's Lace Shawl and WIP List

I just finished the first panel of Lorna's Lace Shawl (the pattern comes free attached to the hank of yarn). I bought this yarn at Alamitos Bay Yarn Co. a few weeks ago, and I'm slowly tackling this project. It's literally as thin as crochet thread, and I'm surprised that I can do this - BUT I must say in all sincerity that this is EASY stuff - the entire pattern consists of casting on, knitting, turning (not wrap and turn; just turn!), yarn over, and bind off... if you can do those things, along with moving a marker, I am confident you can do this pattern. I did make a spreadsheet for this pattern because you follow the pattern so many times for each panel - I find that if I make a checklist or matrix to check off with each box, it's a lot easier for me to keep track of my rows, etc. I don't have an easy time remembering what row I'm on - I literally must check a box after the completion of each row.

I also have been working on a baby sweater for someone special - it's not quite finished yet - but it's turning out very cute! I did my "make 1" stitches a little differently than I think I was supposed to for the collar, and it made tiny holes across the top and bottom of it, but I like the holes, so I kept it. They look neat to me (kind of like eyelets!) - I will talk with my knitting gals to find out how I should have made my "make 1" so that next time I will know what I did wrong!

The Phoenix sweater is moving along slowly - I have found that I love to start projects, but finishing them gets difficult. I would rather cast something else on than complete something even if it's near completion! I'm trying to think of what's on my needles right now... let's see:

• scrap scarf that I started forever ago - maybe 50% complete - this will probably never be worn - I thought it'd be a good idea but I don't like the way it looks but it just looks silly. I should just finish it and bind off and be done with it - so it's at least not on my list any more!
• "circle" intarsia/fair isle scarf - maybe 10% complete (kind of complex for me) This one will take a while! - I need to pack it all together so that all the yarn and pattern are in one place.
• baby sweater that I just talked about - need to do the button band and sew the arms on and it'll be complete (hooray a finished project soon!)
• "Phoenix" sweater - 5% done - I am about 6 or 7" up the back - there's a long way to go
• "Mystery" sweater (a present) the back is done, one side, and I think one arm... maybe both arms - I need to work on this one - there's quite a bit of finishing to do on it (including sending it out to get a zipper put in)
• my "First" sweater - the green one I am doing in Snuggly DK - back is done, the front is almost done - I just have to knit from where the zipper starts up to the collar - maybe an hour of knitting to do on the front. I bought some colors of yarn to do a fair isle or intarsia band on the one arm for some interest - it's SUCH a boring sweater - and with all its mistakes, I will want to wear it... so I need to come up with something. This one could be done in a few weeks if I'd just work on it -
• Lace Shawl - (the reason for my post this morning) - it's 1/6 complete -
• Test sock - that first one that I started to try to figure out how to make a sock - it might just get frogged... socks are not hard but they take a LOT of time- I will make at least one pair in my life but maybe not right now! :)

Of course, I want to cast on my Quiviuk hat, and another 2 or 3 sweaters are itching to get started... I need to focus on finishing some of these pieces - the reason I don't get stuff "done" is because I'm spreading my precious knitting time across too many projects! Right now, I'm working on the lace shawl, the baby sweater AND the Phoenix sweater... so my stitches are spread out.

The other comment I want to make is I am trying to find a book or form or computer program (mac preferably) to keep track of my knitting projects. If anyone knows of a good form or program, email me or post a comment - I want to try to record when I made my projects, for whom, and have a place to remember the yarns, patterns, etc. - in 50 years I might want to look back and see what I was doing. The blog helps keep track of some of it, but I would prefer a different format.

Thanks for any information or ideas you might have :)