Great Expectations

For awhile there I was on a hot streak.  Most of the projects I finished I was quite pleased with.  Comfy slippers that felted to the perfect size, cute socks that showed off the yarn just right, and sweaters that I've already worn over and over again.  Like any good streak though, I suppose it had to end sometime, and I feel that I've only had disappointments since finishing the Leyfi pullover.  The skirt I was knitting (which is sort of finished but not quite) has some major issues, the hat I knit for Mike didn't quite fit right, and there was the most recent shawl disappointment.  To make matters worse, I now have some serious doubts about the project that I've been focusing on for the last several days.

Another shawl--Flamboyan by Stephen West.  In effort to use up a skein of sock yarn (the middle multi-colored yarn), I searched about for an appropriate contrast color (we will not discuss that it's sort of crazy to buy more yarn in effort to use up stash). I found a dark gray, which I thought would set off the blue/green/purple nicely.  When I started this shawl, I was too caught up with trying to conquer the evil that is intarsia knitting (it should come to no surprise that I have a terrible time keeping the various balls of yarn untangled) to notice much else.  It probably wasn't until I took this picture that I decided I might hate this project too. 

Frustrated with the shawl, I spent a ridiculous amount of time yesterday trying to decide on a new project.  I have drawers of yarn.  A long queue of projects I've admired forever.  And nothing appealed to me.  Nothing.  I think the success streak did something wacky to my expectations, and now I have to be convinced that the project is going to be the most awesome thing in the world before I consider casting on.  The indecision is driving me bonkers.  I'm giving myself permission to start whatever I feel like, and I can't make one stinking decision.  Everything I consider seems to have some possible flaw or another.  All sorts of crazy thoughts are holding me back.  Maybe X pattern isn't the absolute best for that skein of yarn and I should wait until I find a better pattern.  Oh, I love X pattern, but it has a complicated chart and I don't feel like dealing with that right now.  X pattern would go perfectly with X yarn, but I'm not in the mood to knit more socks.  GAH! 

I've never found it this difficult to start new projects.  Hell, most of the time, I impulsively cast on four different random projects just for variety.  If I keep this up, the WIP drawer should be empty in a few months since after I exhaust myself with not being able to make a decision about something new, I grudgingly return to something I've already started.  With that in mind, I will return now to the Flamboyan shawl.  It's either going to turn out awesome or really ugly, but I'm fairly certain I won't know until it's actually finished.

Oh, but if you can already tell it's going to be ugly, go ahead and tell me so I won't get my hopes up.