Put Away or Using Up

I had some trouble settling down to a single project yesterday.  I worked on each one that was part of this pile beside my sofa.  Sometimes I make me a little nuts.  I take things out and don't work on them much, and then in a fit of 'gee I ought to', and as part of a struggle to settle, I try them all.  *

The pile is usually much more ordered.  Really it is.  When these fits of starts and 'not feeling like it'  strike, things go a little haywire.  There are stacks of books out right now too, just out of range of the shot.  17 things ongoing (13 actually) and three almost empty WIP bins right near.  It is just a wee bit too knitterly, even for me.  

I did finally settle down to something though.  Something new.  It only looks like something old.  I finished a second tea cozy.  Or very large hat.

The other day when I finished mine, I thought about what I would do different if I knit another.  Mine fits great, but if I was doing it over, I would do another 2 sets of cables.  Mine has to stretch over the handle and spout just the tiniest bit.  While it doesn't bother me, others might find that odd enough that they wouldn't use it.  I added 12 stitches to make this one a cast on of 120 stitches and it is just the perfect bit bigger.  

I have no idea why, but this cozy really felt like a palate cleanser.  I felt so energized doing it, that I sat and knit till I finished it, even though by the end, my hand was getting really irritated by yarn and needle.  It is a very, very coarse fibre, bulky weight yarn and I am knitting it a bit tighter than recommended, on short circular 5 mm needles.  For me, all these things are usually in the no go zone.  Big yarn?  Na uh.  5 mm needles?  Not if I can help it.  16 inch circulars?  Only when I must.  

Before the first tea cozy I had 14 skeins of this yarn.  Each cozy is using up just under 3 balls of wool, so I ought to be able to make at least 3 more of these.  I  am going to keep this stuff close by.  It will be a nice change of pace once in a while.  To just sit and do something that there is no pressure of time on, where I don't need to worry about a pattern and where I know I can finish one in just a few hours.  There will always be a place to  donate tea cozys to for silent auctions, giveaways and fundraisers around here. 

But mostly, if I am honest, it is as much that I just don't want to put it back in the stash.  This is one yarn I am not at all sorry to just be using up.

*Note:  Yes this is indeed a photo in which I am using the internet to shame me into tidiness.