At Long Last!

I have spent a fair amount of time on this blog talking about hibernating and long-term projects. If you read my post about my knitting goals for 2012, you know that number one on the goals list is to finish or frog some of those projects that have been hanging around for quite a while—years, in some cases. I'm happy to report that progress is being made on this goal, in the form of two newly-completed projects.

I cast on for my Out of Hibernation, Even Though It's Winter scarf in September 2009. It has a feather-and-fan stitch pattern, and is knit in Socks that Rock Mediumweight in the gorgeous purple and copper Eggplanted colorway.  The pattern is incredibly easy, a four-row repeat, with only one patterned row. Early on, I made a major mistake, but once it was ripped back and I got on the right track, I dropped the project and didn't pick it up again for over two years! Once I got started on the scarf again, in early January, it moved right along, and I finished it on February first. Here it is, all ready for me to wear:

The second finished object is a felted bag, knit from the Samantha pattern, that was part of a She-Knits Mystery Knitalong, cast on in September 2010. I kept up with the clues fairly well at first, and was probably about two-thirds done when my knitting came to a dead stop. I didn't pick the bag up again until last summer. I made some more progress then, but set it down again, with only two inside pockets to knit  and felting left to go. Two weeks ago, I knit those inside pockets—which took me only about two hours. Then I felted the bag (three times through my washing machine's short hot cycle). Last Saturday, I put the finishing touches on it by sewing on a magnetic snap. This bag is finally fini! I love the result, and it's already being put into use as my new favorite knitting bag. Here she is—Samantha:

I haven't just been finishing UFOs this month; there is lots of other knitting going on, too. Watch for more on that in an upcoming post!