The Fickle Knitter

I'm having a hard time settling on a project these days. I've got plenty to work on... let's see. I've got the Vogue Cable Cardi that's been on the back burner for awhile, there's that wrap-around shrug I started with Homespun, and I only barely cast on for those Hurry Up Spring Armwarmers before Spring actually came and went. The trouble is I have way too many things on the needles, and no desire to work on any of them. It's almost Summer... I want something Summery.
Yesterday was a swatch-fest. I wanted to start something fun and inspiring. I looked first through my new Mason-Dixon Knitting book and ended up swatching for the Bubble Curtain that I thought would look nice (and be quite functional) in my bathroom. Right now we have one of those paper blinds taped in there. The only sport weight I could find that wasn't in pastel baby colors was the leftover Sidar Breeze that I used for the Baby Bolero. The swatch was perfect, but then I checked the size of the curtain pattern and realized I would need to make it much larger... requiring a lot more yarn. I'm sort of on a mission to use up some of my stash (and the account where I keep my yarn money is pretty much empty,) so that wasn't really an option. On to swatch number two, three, and four...
I have my 10-year reunion coming up in August and I found the cutest black maternity dress to wear. I thought it would look very nice with something colorful to cover the shoulders like a bolero, cropped cardi, or shrug. I perused my issues of Interweave and browsed online for something that could be knit up with that recycled sari yarn I've been hoarding for awhile. I couldn't find a pattern that would work so I just started swatching with different needle sizes for a fabric that I liked and came up with this...

I think this is the beginning of a shrug... I haven't decided yet. (How do you like the lovely painted nails? I haven't been biting them for two whole weeks!) The fabric is very loose (I'm using size 11 needles - about 3 stitches to the inch) which makes it a bit more breezy and flexible... perfect for an August night out I would think. I love the colors of this yarn but it has quite an overtwist - which is probably a term better understood by spinners. I gather this is to keep the silk from unraveling, but it sure likes to knot up with itself and the tail yarn and everything else! I'm also not sure if it's going to be too busy... the dress is not just plain black, it has some white paisley designs on it so it might just all be too much. I'll wait until I have something I can drape over a shoulder, and then I should have a verdict.

If you think I haven't really done anything productive (and I don't blame you) there is something else. Ben Franklin commissioned me (me!!!) to knit an afghan for their display. I think they might have felt sorry for me since there has been low attendance in my classes recently... Actually this was the afghan I started when I was doing a demonstration for them last month - they're paying me a pretty small fee to finish it, but I will get to keep the bamboo needles as well. Here's what I have so far...

(Um, nevermind... Blogger seems to be having some technical difficulties so I'll try to post a pic later. Grrr.)