WIP

A bit more knitting terminology today that seems to cross over nicely to piping. WIP stands for work in progress. I think the interesting thing about it as a term is that it can describe a wide range of states. The item you are currently knitting on like fury in every spare moment and will cast off and be wearing by the end of the week is a WIP. The cardigan that has been sat in a drawer for upwards of 7 months waiting for you to find the ideal zip or buttons is a WIP. The jumper you haven't touched for over a year because, frankly, you hate the yarn and are sure it's a least a size too small is a WIP. Even something you cast on and knitted two rows of and then lost the pattern is a WIP.

In fact everything is a WIP from the moment you cast on until you either rip the entire thing (i.e. unravel the yarn and ball it up ready to use for something different) or complete the item. I rather like this: it means that you give up on nothing, and even the least number of rows on a needle has its potential.

And where does piping come in? I was thinking of each tune as a WIP. There are those I've "done": I know them, I can play them with confidence and pleasure. There's always room for improvement, but the basics are there. There are tunes I've played once or twice and really want to get to grips with one day, but the time somehow isn't right. There are tunes (like Troy) that are so nearly there but are stuck in a metaphorical drawer waiting buttons. There are tunes I really feel aren't possible at present. But they are all work in progress, still full of potential and possibilities.

Actually, learning to play pipes is a major WIP in itself. Ongoing until the day I give up and trade in Morag and the Monkey for something else, or until the day I feel I have "finished". I can't imagine that ever happening: piping will always be a work in progress.