Why I Never Finish...

What is it with me anyway?

I've been nattering on and on about how eager I am to finish that Pre-Columbian shawl, right?  And there I was rapidly closing in on the end... two rows to go... one row...  And then, when faced with the end... the place at which I could have easily bound off the thing and been done (done, I tell you, DONE) .... I did this:

See that?  That's a purl row.  A turning row.  A clear sign that I'm not binding off and stopping this interminable project.

Why ever would I do that??

Because I have some freakish inner need to maintain this project as an ongoing thing?  Because, having started this thing (for the second time) the year we moved into this house, I harbor some twisted, secret feeling, buried in my innermost heart, that if I actually finish it we'll have to move?  Because I'm afraid to let go?  Because I've been working on it so long that I can't imagine life without this as a WIP?  Because I see finishing not as a mark of accomplishment but as some sort of yarnish divorce from yarn I love?

Or because the mass of ends at the top is one that I'm afraid will look hideous even if I weave them in with extra care?

This is a typical slice of the top of ends...

Either way, whether it's a sign of insanity or a desire for a truly nice finished object after all these years, I did knit a turning row, and am now well into the hem for the top edge.

If you look closely, you'll note that I changed yarns for the inside.

This was in part because I had what seemed like a million little mini-balls of that yarn left over from the tops of the alpaca stripes.  It wasn't until I had knit five of them into the first row of the hem that I realized I should have held them back in case I want to fringe this puppy.  Ah well.  If I do, I'd rather have nice even lengths anyway, right?

So, my thoughts of finishing this baby by the end of January were dashed by what I'm choosing to perceive as dedication to doing it truly right and not taking the easy way out.  That and the gazillion ends I still have to weave in.  But I'd likely have gone over the edge if it was just end weaving that prevented a January finish.

Of course today, I'm truly distracted.  It's the Postal Service's fault.  Really.  That and having visited Erin yesterday (where I did indeed take the above shawl, despite its non-portable size, such was my dedication to finishing it).

In yesterday's mail there was, at last, the yarn for me to begin my part of the Great Knitted Mile:

No... it's not exciting yarn (well, not to me).  And no, it's not a lovely color to make me ooh and ahh and gush (that comes in a minute).  It is, however, a connection to a rather mind boggling project, and will make me a part (a small wee part, but a part none-the-less) of actual installation art.  Today, I must .... must I tell you ... must... cast on for this baby (I will be knitting yards of garter stitch).

But more fun than that... I drug the shawl over to Erin's yesterday for visiting and baby ogling etc.  Waiting for me was a surprise present (okay, not a total surprise, as she'd alerted me to it's presence) from Alyse.  She dyed it herself.  Is it not GORGEOUS!!!?

That's 8 ounces (EIGHT!) of lovely merino.  All dyed by my friend for me!  Here... let's take a closer look.

Yummmmmm.

It makes me want to stop everything else and wind this and cast on.  It almost makes me want to forsake Irtfa'a.  I'll settle for browsing for the perfect patterns for this yarn.  Clearly, it needs to be a shawl.  While I'm off to yoga, I'll take your suggestions for starting places .... what would you do with over 1000 yards of this gorgeous (did I mention that I think it's gorgeous??) blue light fingering/lace weight yarn??

Comments

[Maria]

Finish it!!! Imagine the adrenaline rush!

How about Euny Jang's Print O The Wave stole with the blue. It says it takes 800 yards, but it could easily be a bit longer. I could do that one with you too. I just love it.

OK, I'll hold off starting another shawl until Irtfa'a is done if you will! I'm only on the first chart.

[Carrie Kc]

You could knit Gust? Link: http://knitspot.com/?p=552

And no, I'm not the test knitting Carrie. I barely knit the knits I knit. But that is gorgeous, gorgeous yarn.

Clearly you and the pre-Columbian shawl have separation anxiety.

What's the Vanna pattern?

[joan]

The Oyster Bay Shawl:
http://www.oceanwindknits.ca/sectionpage2.asp?blog=knitting-patterns-shawls&id=86&cmts=yes
I have a blue stashed like is very like your lovely new yarn.