Changing course mid-stream

So my cousin has a new baby on the way, for which I want to design a blanket; I still haven't finished the dragon woobie for my co-worker's imminent arrival; I've got a lacy sweater in progress for DD1 that she'll grow out of if I don't finish it soon; and DD2 asked for slippers a while ago.

Naturally, this means that inspiration hits me for new designs and completely different projects, so that I end up working on absolutely nothing I'm supposed to.

The worst of these was the design inspiration for socks that I mentioned in my last post. There's a new web series which will be starting in the next month or two that I'm very excited for, and I was inspired by some of the promo shots that have been coming out for it. Unfortunately, the execution ended up being more tricky than I originally thought, and I probably knitted about ten socks' worth of stitches before ending up with an actual pair of sample socks to photograph for the pattern write-up. But I got there in the end, and the pattern is all ready to go! I'll release it once the first real episode of the web series drops.

In another procrastination move, I got all the knitting (but not any finishing) done on my mom's Christmas present.

The pattern is "Song of the Sea", by Louise Zass-Bangham, and I used almost the entire skein of amethyst Diadem that I picked up in December for a song at a ridiculous Knit Picks sale. It's 50% alpaca and 50% silk and I luuurved knitting with it. I've got a turquoise skein, too, and will be doing the same cowl (although appropriately smaller) for DD1. The third and final skein which I picked up at the sale is a glorious mix of reds, and in March I cast it on for gloves for myself - the "Kingdom" pattern from Knitty by Becky Herrick, which has been in my queue for a very long time.

More knitting from the queue happened when I cast on for the "Shalom" cardigan by Meghan McFarlane. I'm using some bulky grey yarn from the stash and unfortunately, although I love how it's turning out, there is no way I'm going to have enough yardage to finish. I've put it aside for the moment while I debate whether I want just a bolero sort of garment, or whether I should just frog the darn thing and try to find a different destiny for the yarn.

The thing about knitting procrastination, I've found, is that you can pretty much always find a good excuse to cast on for something else. For instance, who can say that getting a headstart on Christmas knitting is a bad choice? Flush with success at having almost finished my mom's gift, I turned around and cast on "Seanair" from Knitty by Judith Brodnicki for my brother:

That may not look like a whole lot of procrastination, but trust me - it's waaay bigger now. Like, almost-at-the-armholes way bigger.

Then Michaels had a good sale on some Patons Kroy sock yarn in a rainbow colourway, and suddenly I was knitting entrelac "Basketcase" socks by Kate H for DD1:

I started the second sock this morning.

So what can I say in my own defence? Well...at least I started knitting the purple slippers that DD2 wanted. Haven't gotten around to taking a picture, though...