Tres Chic Veronique

Everybody needs a new project! In fact, my friend BB, who's knitting her first "big" project right now (Ubernatural), remarked that finishing a project is not fun. Sound familiar? She's completed the body, and almost done with one sleeve, and all of a sudden, she is obsessed with buying more yarn and casting on for new projects. (Although she is not a sock knitter, she immediately "got" the concept of SSS -Second Sock Syndrome- when I explained it to her). Anyway, I was a terrible role model: my solution was to put in a Knit Picks order so we could get free shipping. We spent $70.

I do not have much loyalty to my projects. I go through a big honeymoon phase, where the project is technically challenging -but not too much- the yarn is beautiful and I just want to work on this project all the time. Sometimes, if the project is quick, the honeymoon phase can last from cast-on to cast-off (Flower Basker Shawl!). Other times.... Let's just say I have a few half-knitted things laying around (Mermaid--no link, I'm too ashamed).

Here are my old and crusty unfinished projects (OCUPs):

• Vesper socks. When I wound the hank, I counted how many 3 stripe repeat (red-pink-green) there were, and calculated that I could do 18 per sock, plus one repeat to make an afterthought heel. That's a lot: I got knee socks out of 19 repeats. Unfortunately, I did not increase for the calves, so I now have very tight knee socks. I should rip and reknit. *Should*
• The Habu Collar: oh, this mohair is not scratchy at all! By the way, the picture on the Habu website looks dreadful, but I swooned when I saw it in person. Unfortunately, this capelet/collar is crocheted. Enough said. (But the knitted collar was completed in one evening).
  
• Liisa's Hush-Hush: this one pains me. Liisa claims that all knitted objects look awful! *gasp* When she found (all on her own!) Knitty's Hush-Hush, and exclaimed that it was the only pretty knitted item she had ever seen, what could I do? I was forced to make it for her. She got me the yarn 2 summers ago, and I thought I'd have it for her birthday last October, then this October... Do you know how mind numbing it is to knit stockinette in the round on size 2 needles? Do you? I got bored halfway through. I keep Hush-Hush on my couch as a reminder that I should knit it. That trick does not work, just in case you wanted to try it.
  
• Rowan's Red Hot: I was enamoured with my discontinued red Calmer purchased on eBay... I knit a front, a back and 2 sleeves. And then, disaster. The back and front were knit last Thanksgiving, under the influence of my mother's family, very tightly. Once I got home, I knit the sleeves. They are super loose. *sigh* I ripped most of it out. Not all at once, that was too painful.
  
• this list is too depressing and stressful. Let's move on.
  

New and improved projects (NIPs):

• Norwegian mittens: I cannot wait to try Fair Isle. I know the tension will be all weird, and I know I'll be cussing, but I also know that I will figure it out in the end. And that one little moment when you've mastered the technique is all worth it. But then, knitting the second mitten will be tedious. (Hey! I think I've answered BB's question about why it's boring to finish a project!).
• Jess Hutch's robots and other assorted little guys: Are these not cute and manly at the same time? Good for kids but not it a demeaning Disney way? I've already purchased Knit Picks' Merino Style in an assortment of colors.
  

The ideal NIP-to-OCUP ratio should be 1:1. That way, you can make deals with yourself: OK, self, I'll let you knit on the new and exciting project you just received in the mail but *only* if you work on the boring stockinette project for one hour. (Reminds me of mothers making deals with their kids: you'll get dessert when you finish your veggies).