RIP[ped] Tilted Duster

I had such good intentions. I loved this sweater from the minute I saw it on the cover of Interweave Knits in Fall 2007. But let's get real here (with apologies to Dr Phil). I messed up one of the shoulder decreases. This project requires not only seaming but seaming set-in sleeves. It's been sitting in three pieces in my stash, otherwise untouched, for over a year. I still love the look of this sweater. But it was never going to be finished.

We've been trying to follow some of the principles of FlyLady in our house, so with my timer in hand, I've been sorting through my stash little by little. When I came across this bag, I realized I'd just tossed aside into my "Oh, really, I will finish it, really I will" pile for the past year, which meant, no, I wasn't going to finish it.

So I took a deep breath and put it on the ballwinder. Um, Peruvia doesn't frog easily. But it does frog and the yarn is still in great shape. What does it want to be? An Amused (too fuzzy?) The Garter Stitch Cardigan from Knit.1 magazine?

Whatever it is, it has to be knit seamlessly.

To Knit or Not to Knit

....knit Christmas gifts this year, that is. If I am going to do it, now is the time to decide.

Pros:

1. Economical! I can combine the Christmas budget with my Knitting budget and get hours and hours of entertainment.
2. Stash Busting!
3. Ravelry Queue! I can justify knitting those crapzillion scarves I put on my Ravelry queue. I can add them to my finished projects and have a sense of accomplishment.
4. Appreciative Recipients! I don't knit for "Muggles" anymore, so I know the recipients will like what I make for them. (Shameful Confession: I knit a Haiku each for my husband's niece and nephew but didn't give them to them when I realized my sister-in-law wouldn't appreciate what they were and they'd get trashed.)

Cons:

1. Not Economical!
2. Not Stash-Busting!
3. Horribly Time Consuming!

Here's why: I am, for some unknown and unfortunate reason, fixated on making a Clapotis for my mother (yeah, I know that's sooo 2004 and moreover, I vowed never to make one again). I have no Stash suitable for a Clap; I would have to buy more yarn. Hmmm.

In addition, I have horrible visions of me being consumed by Holiday Knitting, ala the Yarn Harlot, and family members opening boxes of half-finished projects and random scraps of yarn.

In other news, I have the back and right front of the Tilted Duster completed. It's a quick knit, but I think I messed up the shoulders. Sigh.

I joined a KAL

I've never done this before! I joined the Tilted Duster KAL, thinking I could use all the help I could get on this one. I feel like I'm making my first grown-up sweater, which is odd considering how long I've been knitting.

I allowed myself to cast on last night because I'd finished almost all the projects I started last summer in my Fit of Startitis. Tempting is now completed except for threading the ribbon through! I'm not 100% happy with it and I've decided that I just don't have the finishing skills to deal with those underarm seams. But to a non-knitter, it probably looks fine, and I'll post a picture when my sister tries it on.

I also swatched for Anouk, and I can't quite get gauge without it looking too open and airy. I'm terrible at this gauge thing, but if I'm getting 5 stitches per inch instead of 4.5, would that really be so bad for a baby garment? It would just be slightly smaller than it's supposed to be, right? Or maybe I should just try again with bamboo needles instead of my Denises. I know I sound like a complete idiot, but since I stopped working at a LYS, all common sense I had about gauge seems to have left my brain. Sigh.