This rut is more of a crater

I have four projects on the go right now and to be completely honest, I’m not feeling any of them. (Also, when I say four, I mean four that I’m interested in even admitting to. There’s a few more, but they’ve begun to fall deep into the stash, down, down into the layers from which projects do not return.)  There’s a problem with each and every one of these projects, and they’re tiny little problems that I could set my mind to overcoming if only I were a stronger person, but together they add up into a great big steaming pile of ennui.  A knitting rut. Let me show you.

1. I’m knitting another pair of socks. Of course.  They’re just another plain vanilla pair, although the yarn’s pretty fun.

boringsocks 2014-05-29

It’s Fortissima Colori, Socka Color (The classic colourway so beautifully named 9072.)These possess, as all self patterning socks do – a certain charm, and it is a lot of fun to explain to all of the non-knitters who see it that they yarn does this all by itself, but I think I made a mistake when I chose another plain pair of socks.  I can tell, because pulling them out of my bag instantly makes me want to scream.

Why I should finish? Because it’s just a pair of socks, and I have a pair to churn out every 27 days, and if I toss these aside and start something fabulous then I won’t have time.

What’s stopping me? See aforementioned bit about the screaming. I don’t know how much longer I can keep that noise in my head.

2. I’m working on a shawl.

sweetdreamsstall 2014-05-29

The pattern is fun (it’s a heavily modified version of Sweet Dreams) and it’s actually fabulous yarn that’s a thrill to use (Buffalo Wool Co.’s Sexy, almost impossible not to love) but the problem is that I’m an idiot, twice over.   Once, for not realizing that if you upsize a beaded shawl you’re going to need more beads, and once for not realizing that this is extra true if you spill the beads and some go down a heating vent.  I’m not out of beads yet, but I have to trot downtown and try to get some more, and there’s no point in going forward at all until I know if I can go all the way – you know what I mean?

Why I should finish? Two reasons.  One, deadline. Two, I’m not sure if my modifications are going to work, and I need to finish in enough time that I can have a do-over, if it turns out that my idea was as crazy as giving a toddler a drill and unlimited access to my fleshy parts.

What’s stopping me? The hours it will take to go downtown and scour a bead store for these beads and get back home again.  Technically I’ve already tried once, but it turns out that Arton Bead is closed on Sundays.  Who knew? (Kindly refrain from pointing out that the website I linked to just there clearly indicates the hours of operation. Thank you.)

3. This stinking Adrianna.

adreiannaforever 2014-05-29

Holy crap, am I tired of knitting this.  If there was one thing in this house that I could enslave a troupe of elves to finish, it would be that. It’s what happens if you re-knit a thing, the fortitude it takes the second time through is superhuman.

Why I should finish? I really, really love the finished product here, and desperately want to wear it this summer, and now it’s summer, and I don’t want to be that person who finally wraps this up just in time for the snow to fly.  Considering the length of the Canadian summer? Really. I should be knitting it now.  I kinda thought I would wear it at Squam. That’s next week.

What’s stopping me? I hate it’s filthy little linen guts.

4. The Emperor’s New Scarf.

stillwiththeholes2 2014-05-29

Why should I finish? Because I love it, and it’s almost done, and I love it.

What’s stopping me? Nothing. Just that I want a knitting project, and from here to the end this is more of a sewing/crochet project and it’s hard for me to do the same thing over and over, and there’s a lot of holes and that’s all that’s left now is the holes. Holes. Holes. Holes. All the time with the holes. The. Holes.

That’s the roundup. Four projects. Four problems, four clear solutions, and yet… From here, I don’t know what to do next.  Maybe I’ll just sit here while it all stares at me. Maybe I’ll put on some serious pants and pick one and power through? Maybe I’ll trash it all. Maybe…

Maybe I’ll knit these?

(PS. Yes. These projects are scattered all over my house on four different surfaces. Yes. This makes the house look untidy. This is no big deal because the house IS untidy, and the knitting is the least of it. I’m a knitter, not a housekeeper.)