Knitters' Malaise

So, I've been very dissatisfied with my life of late, and my knitting life is not helping. The "life" dissatisfaction thing is... well, a subject for another time, preferably one involving a nice hard cider and a real live person to whine to. But the knitting dissatisfaction - well that kinda fits into the stated purpose of this here blog, don't it?

Yeah.

So I just now realized why I keep cruising around knit-blogs, jealously eyeing all the FOs out there, sinking ever more deeply into self-pity that all the other knitters seem to have so much more time than I do.

No no no. Have figured it out. The difference is, all the other cool knitters are finishing things. Granted, I have finished several little facecloths, which helps ease the pain, and I've finished two rockin' hats, but they left the house almost as soon as they were finished. And while it was awesome to be out with Jeff (revised recipient of the Blasted Jayne Hat) and others for breakfast Sunday morning and, while we were waiting for our table to be ready, here someone compliment his hat, it's not quite the same.

The problem is, I haven't finished anything for me and mine. I've knitted my knuckles off for us, over the past several months. There's the sweater for one of the boys that I started and got about eight inches done on before I realized that a) I had no idea what I was going to do once I reached the armpits and I really ought to figure that out, and b) the darn thing is ginormous and maybe I should consider (gasp!) frogging it and starting over a bit smaller, if I actually want the thing to be worn this winter. There's the now three pairs of socks I've begun, but have only even made it to the second sock on one pair so far, and the other two pairs... not so much. The one pair is close, admittedly, but I find I'm still really annoyed with the yarn and uncertain that the course I'm on is the best one and beset with worries that maybe what I really should do is go back and re-do them on #1s instead of #2s and... yeah. Never mind. It's just a mess. We'll leave it at that.

Then there's my vest that I should oughta work on one of these days, but I still need to really settle down and choose a damn pattern before I can even cast on.

So yeah. I did, over the weekend, resist the lure of a really gorgeous ball of Trekking XXL which would have made lovely socks for the husband, and instead got some Galway with which to make winter hats for the boys. Of course, again I'm stuck on the pattern. I want to do stripey stocking caps, I think, but I was thinking about doing a nifty little edging around the brim (one of those series-of-triangles things which has a better name that I can't think of right now), but I can't remember where I saw a pattern for how to do it, and so... again. Can't cast on until I know just what the heck I'm doing. sigh.

Though I should swatch the Galway for gauge, rather than doing my usual guessing thing. Considering how infuriating that's been the last few times out, checking my gauge would be wise. Also I should gauge swatch the Merino Style I've been sitting on for several months now which is destined to become a Celtic Cap for me.

Okay. So that's the plan. Gauge swatch, find a pattern for the kids' hat, and get to knitting. And stop thinking, "Gosh, socks are so great - you can make a whole pair of socks out of just one or two balls of yarn - they must go so fast!" Six to seven stitches per inch is not especially "fast". Dur!