I don’t have anything to knit. Ok, not totally true. I don’t have a “big” project to work on. I am a fairly monogamous knitter. Usually, there are no more than three things on my needles–one big project, one sock project, and one dishcloth project. Is it boring, sometimes, but it serves me well for several reasons:
- I have a limited number of needles.
- I don’t have a large stash.
- My budget is limited (understatement) for buying new needles and yarn unless there is a big project in the works.
- I am indecisive. (See Quinn. I still haven’t chosen that lining)
- I have a hard time with color & yarn choices. There are just too many and I really end up at the same place–Cascade 220 in blue/green colors. BORING. So rather than be boring or absurd, I just don’t buy anything.
- I don’t have the space or time to buy something I won’t use right away.
There are other reasons, but they are just variations on a theme–money, space, and my wishy-washy attitude. There are some days I really envy knitters who can just head out to the internet or LYS and buy something in anticipation of knitting. That is another pity party though.
Last night I really wanted to knit something big. I wanted to get going. Here is how my night went (after the kids were in bed) :
Ooh, what a great hat (thank you Ravelry!). I had all the things to get started–yarn, needles and free pattern. Fifteen minutes in, though, everything was ripped out and wound back, needles away. Ok, Mason-Dixon, here I come. There is something in there for sure. Miter? What a waste to knit that in dishcloth cotton. Log Cabin? Garter, no, too mindless for my big project. Baby genius burpcloth it is. Cast on. Not enough of a tail for a long-tail cast on. I’m short about 5 stitches (yes, I know I could have knit on the extra ones). Oh, forget it. I don’t know anyone having a baby anyway. Knitting this dumb thing will only make me want to have a baby. Out it comes.
I guess I’ll go find that sock.
Land o' Sunshine 
Oh no. Sounds like you had a terrible night. Just take a breath…the perfect project will present itself to you eventually.
Maybe you need to take a break from knitting? that happens sometimes….
Have a nice weekend!
I can never decide on what I want to make next either! I always want to make something big, but then I look at the pattern and I see i have to buy 11 skeins of something and I think, “Oh my god! I don’t have that kind of money” So it’s always back to one skein knits. Like scarves. Always scarves
Don’t worry; some great knit will present itself soon. (okay, maybe that sounded a bit fortune-cookie, but you know what I mean)
Try a new sock pattern, maybe a lace one if you’ve been doing ribbing alot? I am finishing up my Jaywalkers and it was fun doing a sock with no purl stitches. You could use up scraps and make a random striped sock pair. Or, out of all your Cascade leftovers, make blocks or strips of your own pattern stitch. Take notes so you remember what size needles you used. Make a strip, like a scarf out of one or multiple colors and put it away. This way, instead of balls all around your house, you’ll have these colorful long strips. Then, go out and get a few skeins of natural, white or black and crochet a border around them and either crochet or knit them together. You will have a small, somewhat portable project in the works for ‘tweeners’ when you don’t know what to knit, you’ll use up your leftovers and you’ll wind up with a personally designed afghan instead of a bunch of little balls. The crochet part will be something different and will only be a small outlay of money.
I’m with you on the money and small stash bit. I buy what I need for a project and that’s pretty much it. Charity knitting usually saves me when I’m really in a doldrums – I try fun things with hats or socks since I know someone out there will love whatever comes off the needles. Or gifts for friends, maybe something lacey with a big “oooooh!” factor that’s also fun to knit (and lace is CHEAP to knit, since it takes so little yarn).