Under Control

Last night I came to the awareness that there may be a small problem. I became aware of this when I completely unfurled the Clapotis shawl and said, "Wow, I knit a lot." Brant responded with "Yes, you do." The disconnect was: I meant, 'I knit a lot more on this shawl than I'd realized, isn't it lovely?' while he meant, 'I never see you without kniting needles in your hands.'

So this morning I laid everything out on the table:


And there is a lot going on. All of it is "just so close" to being finished, but collectively I fear nothing will get done. So I broke it down and decided to assess each piece on its own merits.

The Clapotis Shawl:

I'm really enjoying this. Ripping the dropped stitches is fun, and it actually knits fairly quickly. The colors are such a fantastic contrast to the dreariness of the pending winter. I also did the math and found out that there are only about 11 hours* of knitting left (I'm half-way done). I can totally get this finished to wear this winter.
Score: Keep on keepin' on. A few rows each day gets the job done.

The Vermont Socks:

One done, halfway through the other. I've knit two pairs for Sock Wars victims, don't I deserve a pair for myself? Plus I've done the math and there are about 4 hours left on these and they're the perfect working-on-the-train project.
Score: Maybe I should just hurry up and finish them this weekend.

The Cabled Aran Skirt:

I've invested a lot of time in this (like, two months monogomous knitting time), but then I got tired of it. So it's been sitting in a bag by the couch for 3 weeks. It's the perfect design for this fall's fashions, and I can hardly say that about anything else I wear. I haven't done the math on this one, but I think that's in order.
Score: Simple enough really. Get over the stagnation and finish the damn thing. Maybe I need a deadline. That always seems to help.

The Despised But Much Needed Hat:

I'm really not loving this. I hate knitting out of necessity rather than out of desire. But the trek to the train each morning is chilly, and I lost one hat to Mt. Mansfield, and the other is worn out. I know, I know, I could just go buy one, but there's something inherently wrong about doing that.
Score: This needs to be my new working-on-the-train project. I'll be chilly from the walk, and maybe that will urge me to knit on the drat thing.

The Tank Top:

I love the yarn in this, and the shape is really nice. Problem is, the yarn is bulkier than that called for in the pattern, so even though I'm on target with the measurements, it has a different drape than it should. I'm going to have to rip back the top (can you see how close I am to finshed?) and make it tighter. Probably have to futz with the top to make it look right.
Score: Sigh. This one is going to have to go in the closet for a bit. Although it'd be nice to wear under blouses to work, there's really no rush to finish it, and I need to devote the time it will take to get it right.

Final Tally: I have a grasp on the time commitment required for two projects, I have a strategy for a third, and the fourth (the skirt) is just going to take cold, hard, determination. See? Totally under control.

* Yes, this involved an Excel spreadsheet and a timer. Lest we forget, I'm a scientist first, crafty-girl second. I don't think it's at all strange that I know I knit at a rate of 17.2 stitches per minute.