Uh-oh.

So, as part of the continuing plan to transform my apartment from the place that is dirty, but I live and sleep in it anyway to an actual home that I'm happy to come down to, I'm attempting to organize my knitting stuff.

Uh-oh.

I knew that my number of WIPs (and they are all WIPs, very few official UFOs in my stash, mostly because I ripped them all out over the summer in a fit of pique) was getting a little out of control. I knew that I was casting on socks in times of stress like other people eat chocolate. I knew that maybe I needed some help.

When I need help, I make lists.

I am sharing the list of my works in progress with you in order to shame myself into fixing this problem, and also to make myself see in in black and white, so that it is engraven into my memory.

1.) Aran Mittens from Folk Mittens in Alpaca & Silk, purple.
2.) Setesdal Mittens from Folk Mittens in Alpaca & Silk, black and grey.
3.) Socks for Robb in Jawoll Superwash (black)
4.) Hat for Robb in Cashsoft DK (also black)
5.) Shrug from Royal Bamboo. I'm not entirely sure I still have the pattern for this one, but I keep thinking that although the shrug isn't me, I might finish it and find it's tacky enough that my brother's girlfriend will like it, saving me from knitting her a different Christmas present.
6.) Sivia Harding's Waterlily Socks, Lisa Souza Pacific (I think).
7.) Jaywalkers in Koigu
8.) Austerman Step sock (plain ribbing pattern)
9.) Broken Rib sock in Koigu -- I got the pattern from somewhere. Where? Dunno. Maybe Sensational Knitting socks? If not, it'll be an easy one to unvent. It's a broken rib. There's only so many ways to do it.
10.) VK Asian Sweater (I forget the number...23? Probably) from the Winter VK, Cashsoft in Burgundy, Grey, and Black
11.) Traveler Socks (going to meet Grammy socks) in Lorna's Laces Jeans
12.) Friday Harbor socks (Cascade Fixation in Purple)
13.) Flow Motion Socks (Trekking XXL)
14.) Angel Pearls Scarf (Douceur et Soir, white)
15.) More socks for Robb, this time in Cherry Tree Hill Potluck Greens
16.) Bicolored Cables sweater from a few IKs ago, the one by Annie Modesitt.
17.) Christmas shawl for Mom
18.) Mother's day scarf for Mom (oops)

Now, I need you to notice how little overlap there is with the following list of things that need to be completed before December 25th.

1.) Mother's Day scarf for Mom (oops) now birthday scarf for Mom
2.) Christmas shawl for Mom
3.) Babies & Bears sweater for Sean and Megan's baby
4.) WW for Scot and Melanie's 2yr old (yeah, I'm real close to my step-sibs)
5.) Socks for Brother 1. (Luke)
6.) Socks for Brother 2 (Chris)
7.) Hat for Brother 3 (Josh)
8.) Something for Eliza (girlfriend of brother 2)

The only thing saving me from complete and total mental breakdown right now is that I won't see my sister until summer, so I can figure out what the hell to knit for her after Christmas.

A lot of this stuff is cake to knit -- for example, socks for brothers are going to be worsted weight, which means they shouldn't take more than a day or two to make each pair. But it's the fact that, sometime towards the end of September, I realized that I was almost done with Christmas knitting, and I totally slacked off, and now I have got to pick up the pace! I need a drill sergeant -- who wants to volunteer? In fact, what am I doing, sitting here typing this -- I need to get knitting!!